How it all started...
The Lord saved me out of a 4th generation Mormon home. This came about when I was 14 years old and trying to secure some yard work in our neighborhood, I knocked on the door of a home that belonged to a family that were connected with Santa Rosa Bible Church (SRBC). As I asked if I could do some yard work at this home, the response was, " Well no, but let me ask you- what church do you go to?" My response was that I was a Mormon and that we go to the Mormon church. The lady very directly told me, "Well you should come visit our church!" I respectfully dismissed her offer with yet another admonition of- "You should really come visit our church...let me call your Mom!" So, I reluctantly gave Mrs. Madelyn Grinstead our phone number in the summer of 1979.
Little did I know what the Lord had in store...the next thing I know its Sunday morning and I get word that we are going to visit the church Mrs. Grinstead had invited us to visit while I was trying to make some money doing yard work in our neighborhood. When we arrived at this Christian church I was struck with a joy in the room, there was peace, there was enthusiasm, there was a sense that these people had a relationship with God opposed to something that reflected a striving to be accepted by God. The Pastor gave a Gospel invitation, but it sounded way too easy. There was no mention of so many things I was taught growing up such as that Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were prophets, that the Mormon church was the only one true church, that there were three levels of heaven. Not to mention the gold plates, angel Moroni, and the importance of the Mormon temple ceremonies. I left that day thinking that this was all very nice but it was not what my heritage believed, and I thought to dismiss it like I did the first invitation to visit this church when Mrs. Grinstead answered the door earlier that week.
Two weeks later, we went back to SRBC and it was much the same as when we first visited. However, this time at the end of the sermon, Pastor Robert Graves gave an invitation to do something I had never done. He said that salvation was a gift and that what needed to take place for me to know my sins were forgiven was to simply put my faith in the payment Jesus paid to cover the penalty of my sinful state. I followed the Pastor in a prayer to put my faith in Christ alone to rescue me from being dead in my trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2). My brother sensed I rose my hand that told the Pastor what I had done. He asked me what I was doing. I told him to shut up! I was met outside the door of the sanctuary by the Pastor with a book called, "Now that I believe" I talked with my Dad after the service and told him what I had done. He told me to my surprise that he had done the same thing, but a couple years ago. I learned later that he was nervous to tell all of us of his faith in Christ alone because he thought it could cause him to be divorced from my Mom.
So, I went upstairs and opened the Bible my Grandmother gave me and that was never read. I prayed as I was flipping open the pages of that Bible for God to show me if the Mormon church was true. When I finished that prayer, I stopped flipping through the Bible and my fingers were stopped at a letter from Paul I had never heard of before. It was Galatians. Galatians chapter 1:6-10. I began to weep as I read those words. In general it said, "If any man preach any other Gospel to you than the one you have received from me, let him be accursed! If any man or an angel proclaim a different gospel to you let him be accursed. This was because there was not another Gospel." I knew that I did not need the Mormon church from that point on. The Lord soon allowed me to go to Utah to do ministry with our youth group and then when I was 19, the Lord allowed me to do a one month internship in Utah where I learned about ministry in Utah from a Pastor, a missionary and a Christian camp. God has used all these things and more to allow my wife and I to start Utah Partnerships for Christ in the summer of 2000, twenty-one years after the Lord saved me out of the Mormon church.
It was the day before Thanksgiving in 1999 when my good friend Bart called me and said, you know Russ, you have been leading a couple mission trips from our Christian college to Utah, now you live in Utah, why don't you start an organization and bring out teams of students and reach Mormons for Christ and equip Christians to share the love of God and the Gospel with those that are lost Well, by God's grace we started a 501 (c-3) ministry and named it Utah Partnerships for Christ.
Now by the grace of God as I am writing this in the fall of 2025, twenty-five years after starting UPFC, we continue to trust in the Lord for his guidance. May God receive all the glory for graciously working in my life to bring me to Him through a simple invitation to visit Santa Rosa Bible Church. Psalm 16:11
Little did I know what the Lord had in store...the next thing I know its Sunday morning and I get word that we are going to visit the church Mrs. Grinstead had invited us to visit while I was trying to make some money doing yard work in our neighborhood. When we arrived at this Christian church I was struck with a joy in the room, there was peace, there was enthusiasm, there was a sense that these people had a relationship with God opposed to something that reflected a striving to be accepted by God. The Pastor gave a Gospel invitation, but it sounded way too easy. There was no mention of so many things I was taught growing up such as that Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were prophets, that the Mormon church was the only one true church, that there were three levels of heaven. Not to mention the gold plates, angel Moroni, and the importance of the Mormon temple ceremonies. I left that day thinking that this was all very nice but it was not what my heritage believed, and I thought to dismiss it like I did the first invitation to visit this church when Mrs. Grinstead answered the door earlier that week.
Two weeks later, we went back to SRBC and it was much the same as when we first visited. However, this time at the end of the sermon, Pastor Robert Graves gave an invitation to do something I had never done. He said that salvation was a gift and that what needed to take place for me to know my sins were forgiven was to simply put my faith in the payment Jesus paid to cover the penalty of my sinful state. I followed the Pastor in a prayer to put my faith in Christ alone to rescue me from being dead in my trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2). My brother sensed I rose my hand that told the Pastor what I had done. He asked me what I was doing. I told him to shut up! I was met outside the door of the sanctuary by the Pastor with a book called, "Now that I believe" I talked with my Dad after the service and told him what I had done. He told me to my surprise that he had done the same thing, but a couple years ago. I learned later that he was nervous to tell all of us of his faith in Christ alone because he thought it could cause him to be divorced from my Mom.
So, I went upstairs and opened the Bible my Grandmother gave me and that was never read. I prayed as I was flipping open the pages of that Bible for God to show me if the Mormon church was true. When I finished that prayer, I stopped flipping through the Bible and my fingers were stopped at a letter from Paul I had never heard of before. It was Galatians. Galatians chapter 1:6-10. I began to weep as I read those words. In general it said, "If any man preach any other Gospel to you than the one you have received from me, let him be accursed! If any man or an angel proclaim a different gospel to you let him be accursed. This was because there was not another Gospel." I knew that I did not need the Mormon church from that point on. The Lord soon allowed me to go to Utah to do ministry with our youth group and then when I was 19, the Lord allowed me to do a one month internship in Utah where I learned about ministry in Utah from a Pastor, a missionary and a Christian camp. God has used all these things and more to allow my wife and I to start Utah Partnerships for Christ in the summer of 2000, twenty-one years after the Lord saved me out of the Mormon church.
It was the day before Thanksgiving in 1999 when my good friend Bart called me and said, you know Russ, you have been leading a couple mission trips from our Christian college to Utah, now you live in Utah, why don't you start an organization and bring out teams of students and reach Mormons for Christ and equip Christians to share the love of God and the Gospel with those that are lost Well, by God's grace we started a 501 (c-3) ministry and named it Utah Partnerships for Christ.
Now by the grace of God as I am writing this in the fall of 2025, twenty-five years after starting UPFC, we continue to trust in the Lord for his guidance. May God receive all the glory for graciously working in my life to bring me to Him through a simple invitation to visit Santa Rosa Bible Church. Psalm 16:11
Expanding the vision...
Once a month, in conjunction with our local church, we conduct a short yet powerful service at the Ogden Rescue Mission. We give a Gospel message and talk with those at this homeless shelter that has been serving our community for 40 years plus! As you read on, we hope that you might get excited about how you can join us in trips to Ghana, Africa, mission trips to Utah, zoom calls to be coached in how to witness to Mormons, or just need a phone call in wrestling through a Bible passage. Our Bible History Exhibit is unique as well and our hope is to see local churches develop their own display on their walls along with a curriculum that will enhance their ability to reach souls for Christ with all the many degrees of evidence we have for the reliability of the Bible. If you would like to be a part of our team that will be going to Farmer's markets, let us know! We need funds to secure space and a booth to display our many Bible related coins, pottery and Bible pages from the 1500's!
Where we are headed...
After 25 years of trailblazing the Utah mission field by God's grace, I find myself clinging to the words in Psalm 16:11- "Thou will show me the path of life, in thy presence is fullness of joy, at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Now at almost 60 years old, I like the Psalmist said, " I have never seen God's people forsaken!" Paraphrased, I am compelleed to trust the Lord for this season of life where I believe the Lord will allow us to experience new depths of ministry. Things like:
-Facilitating trips like the one we are taking to Greece Sept 22nd to Oct 2nd 2026- "The Footsteps of Paul" or trips to the Museum of the Bible, or the Ark Encounter
-Doing presentations with our Bible History Exhibit on a mobile basis or setting up "mini-museums" at local churches is a passion of ours. Having already done a number of tours or our Bible History Museum or taking it on the road to schools and churches has been a blessing! We hope to bring our display to Farmers Markets, fairs, etc in the coming months.
-Conducting zoom calls to coach Christians in how to better share their faith with Mormons has been a blessing
-Conducting phone calls with those dealing with family issues when one becomes a Christian out of the Mormon church and one is struggling with the aftermath of such a decision as in relates to interacting with family.
-Doing mission work among places where there is a high concentration of Mormons be it in Ghana, Africa, or righ here in the United States, we want to be a resource for this.
-Lastly, we are excited to continuing the discipleship focus of working with local churches in Utah and outside the state that want to be equipped in how to conduct a mission trip to Utah. We greatly appreicate your prayers and financial support to see these things come to fruition.
-Facilitating trips like the one we are taking to Greece Sept 22nd to Oct 2nd 2026- "The Footsteps of Paul" or trips to the Museum of the Bible, or the Ark Encounter
-Doing presentations with our Bible History Exhibit on a mobile basis or setting up "mini-museums" at local churches is a passion of ours. Having already done a number of tours or our Bible History Museum or taking it on the road to schools and churches has been a blessing! We hope to bring our display to Farmers Markets, fairs, etc in the coming months.
-Conducting zoom calls to coach Christians in how to better share their faith with Mormons has been a blessing
-Conducting phone calls with those dealing with family issues when one becomes a Christian out of the Mormon church and one is struggling with the aftermath of such a decision as in relates to interacting with family.
-Doing mission work among places where there is a high concentration of Mormons be it in Ghana, Africa, or righ here in the United States, we want to be a resource for this.
-Lastly, we are excited to continuing the discipleship focus of working with local churches in Utah and outside the state that want to be equipped in how to conduct a mission trip to Utah. We greatly appreicate your prayers and financial support to see these things come to fruition.
