About Us
A Brief Summary
John and Stephanie Daniel are from Apex, North Carolina and have been married since 1988. They have four children and three grandchildren.
Professionally, John worked in electric power engineering for the oil and gas industry and for large electric power equipment manufacturers in R&D, substation design, systems studies consulting and equipment sales. (John Daniel | LinkedIn). Ecclesiastically, John has served in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in many capacities including missionary (Connecticut Hartford Mission, 1985-1987), Gospel Doctrine teacher, Young Men's advisor, Elders Quorum president, bishopric counselor, Bishop, High Priest group leader, stake high councilor, stake seminary supervisor, local service missionary, temple ordinance worker, and stake and regional emergency communications director. He is an active amateur radio operator (KK4JCN).
Stephanie worked as a stay-at-home mother, as a teaching assistant, and as an English as a Second Language (ESL) and intervention teacher in elementary schools. She has also served in many capacities in the Church including Gospel Doctrine teacher, Young Women's advisor, Primary teacher, counselor in ward Primary presidencies, ward Relief Society president, stake Relief Society president, local service missionary, and temple ordinance worker.
Our Introduction to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Stephanie largely grew up as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her parents joined the Church when she was around six or seven years old. Her mother was raised Presbyterian and her father was raised Lutheran. Their introduction to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came when her father was stationed in Germany as part of the United States Airforce and they joined a few years later. When the missionaries first showed up at their home, Stephanie was playing dolls with a friend and to her mind those 19-year-old men dressed in business suits looked like the FBI. As she continued to play and the time passed, she became convinced that something was up and that they surely were FBI agents. It was a bit disappointing to go into the house and find her mother just sitting and talking to them over glass of lemonade.
Stephanie often speaks fondly of the time she spent as a child at church while her mother was there for various purposes. The friendships developed over the years with the women (frequently those older than her), with the young women and with the children of the Church during her opportunities to serve and lead are treasured memories.
I (John) joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Littleton, Colorado when I was 21 years old. My introduction to Jesus and His gospel came from within a family that included a mixture of Christian denominations - Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian - but I was primarily raised in the Episcopal Church including its catechism and confirmation in that church. I even had the opportunity at times to serve as an altar boy lighting and snuffing the candles at the start and end of services. I cherish several memories of Sunday School classes learning of Jesus and His love for people, of feeling that love for me personally, of conversations with "Father Bob" during catechism, of a Christmas shadow play where I got to represent the angel Gabriel, and of some friendships that I made in my early teenage years. This is not to say that my family and I were always regular attendees at church. We were not. But the experiences laid a foundation for my belief in God and in Jesus Christ that held me through times of difficulty and challenge, and even periods of deep questioning about the very nature and existence of God.
With a multi-denominational family, I was raised to be tolerant of the varying beliefs of others, which proved very wise and helpful when I first met Latter-day Saints in high school (at least that was the first time I knew there was such a church). One Latter-day Saint young woman became a very close and dear friend who set a tremendous example of how people could live and love life without all of the drama and untoward things that were so readily available in high school and society in the late 1970's and early 1980's. One Christmas she gave me a copy of the Book of Mormon, but it was not as well received as it should have been. I put it on a shelf and forgot about it for over five years.
After several years of college, seriously bothered by the baser behaviors of collegiate society around me, I had some deeply personal experiences that brought me to myself and filled me with a desire to find and understand the truth as it pertained to God and Jesus Christ and to know what God would have me do with my life. I was certain that if I would seek, I would find; if I asked, questions would be answered. During this period of prayer, pondering, and effort, I was brought back to the Book of Mormon that I had received years before. This time I was determined to read it with an honest and open heart and, if it proved worthy, to accept it. I found it brought me a deep peace that I had only experienced during those personal experiences mentioned before. The principles in the Book of Mormon strengthened my faith in God and his Son Jesus; they expanded my appreciation for and understanding of the Bible, which I had cherished for so long; they opened my eyes to the ways that God can and does operate in the world and among men; and they clarified His nature and the nature of His relationship to His children on earth. The book expounded on doctrines and principles of happiness in a way that made them understandable and personally applicable. It built on what I had been given in my youth. In short, I found it to be the word of God as completely and truly as the Bible is the word of God. So, in August of 1984, I determined that I would be baptized and become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That decision brought me more joy than I had ever previously experienced and I have never regretted it, even when, from time to time, I was faced with religious intolerance and mocking. I was especially happy for the decision when living the principles brought me so many of my life's joys and strength to face its challenges.
A little more than a year following my baptism, I had the privilege of serving as a missionary in the Connecticut Hartford Mission of the Church. What a marvelous experience that was! The privilege to be out striving to serve others, to get outside oneself and discipline oneself to a cause bigger than life! In my blog I will likely reflect on some of those times as Stephanie and I fulfill our calling to the Texas Houston Mission, so I will say no more for now about my time as a younger missionary.
Family Life
