My Religious Statement

"I am a Christian; I believe in Christ. I accept the good news (or gospel) that Jesus of Nazareth was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life and voluntarily gave his life as payment to fulfill the requirements of the Law of the Old Testament (or old covenant). By doing so he made possible the universal resurrection of mankind and provided an opportunity for each of us to live with God, if we accept that live the commandments.
However, I am a special kind of Christian. I am member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as Mormons. In 1880's two young missionaries found my Grandfather in Belgium and motivated him to learn to read and to read the Book of Mormon. By doing so he gained a spiritual witness (a strong confirming feeling) or testimony of it teachings and that Joseph Smith, Jr. was a real latter day prophet. Because of opposition to their beliefs, he and my Grandmother left Belgium and came to America , where they lived in freedom and enthusiastically taught their children and grandchildren. I am the beneficiary of their sacrifice. I have the honor of membership in the LDS Church and the blessings thereof. I was not always active in my church. But because my father purposely and patiently lived his religion, later in life, I remembered its teachings and the blessings of keeping the commandments as taught by Jesus Christ to the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Through repentance (or change of behavior) and study, I also gained a testimony that the Church teachings are true. Later on, with a marriage to a fellow believer, I created a family that endeavored to live and practice the teachings of Christ and of the Prophet Joseph Smith. I witnessed the difference in the lives of families that were obedient to these teaching and those who were not. This great blessing, and that of a personal blessing from a Patriarch of my Church, prompted me to practice my religion as best as I could. Church service and demanding responsibilities of callings of leadership within the church have allowed me to prosper in the business world and gave me opportunities to promote education and service to my posterity. I’ve lived long enough to see that accepting the gospel and living a disciplined life yields the "fruits of success" in my life and the lives of my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren; for which I am most grateful.
The good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that these blessings are freely available to all who will listen, learn and test the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We invite all to join with us, but we expect that each will do so only after also receiving a personal witness of their truth. So, you are reading my blog. If you are not a member of my religion, let me know. I will happily arrange for two missionaries to knock on your door and teach you the way to receive rich, eternal blessings in to your life, just as it did my grandfather. If you are a member, hold on to the iron rod, and enjoy eternal happiness. Jesus once said, "If you love me, keep my commandments" and "Love one another and as I have loved you".