Where I'm Coming From

Serving as a missionary in Câmara de Lobos, Portugal

After serving as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it's interesting to be home and readjust to normal life.  As weird as it is though, I return to normal life knowing better than ever before that the things I taught to hundreds of others are true.  Truly, I know that Joseph Smith really did see God the Father and Jesus Christ, and that they restored Their Church through him, calling him to be a modern prophet.  God has called prophets throughout history, like Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Adam, and others.  He continues to do so today.  The current prophet is Thomas S. Monson, and he receives instructions from God for us today.  While it is good and important to study what God has said in the past by reading and studying the scriptures, it is also important to hear and understand what He is saying to us today.

How do I know these things?  Because He has testified to me of the reality of these things.  I know God keeps His promises.  One of these is found in the Book of Mormon, the evidence of the truth of what Joseph Smith said.  It's in the introduction, and again near the end of the book.  Simply stated, if we ask God and really want to know if He really speaks to men on earth today through a living prophet, He will answer us through the Holy Ghost.  It's a hard feeling to describe.  The only thing I can say is that I know it's true and I know my answer came from God.  It's a good feeling, it's a warmth, it's happiness that just fills your being.  It's wonderful.  That's part of the reason I find so much joy in living.

Addendum - 24 October 2012:

Me and my wonderful wife, Hayley, shortly after our temple ceremony

After having now been home from my mission for more than a year and a half, I am now sealed, or married by the authority of God for all time and eternity, in the temple of God to my wonderful wife, Hayley.  Life has definitely taken some interesting, and unexpected twists and turns.  In spite of everything that has changed in my life, I still feel just as strongly, if not more so, that God is real, that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that they have again given their gospel, the way to finding true joy, through a prophet on the earth today.  I am so glad that God has made it possible for me to know that I will always be with the person I love most in the world, through His power.  And I'm confident that life will continue to be challenging, yet that much more wonderful.

Second addendum - 11 January 2016:
(In keeping with the common introductory style) After having been married for more than three years, life is still wonderful!  The introduction of two (so far) children into our life has given us some great joys, as well as some difficult times.  But thus is family life.  And certainly the smiles and laughs far outweigh the messes and timeouts.  Life has gotten busy for us, and even included moving halfway across the country for graduate school.  But even with the stresses of two kids, schoolwork, work-work, Church responsibilities, and everything else that I forget to do, we still find the joy in our personal journey.  Most recently, with the birth of our daughter, I've been thinking a lot about the Plan of Salvation, God's plan for each of us, and how good it is to know that there is a plan, and that someone is up there helping us out every day, if we'll let Him.  It also makes events, like my grandmother's passing, much easier to deal with, because I know we'll get to see each other again.