My wife, Briana Pinales, and I have 5 (yes, FIVE) children. They are a composite of Brie's kids: Alayna (14), Hunter (11), and Bridger (10); my son Asher (9); and our daughter together, Evaline (evuh•leen), who is nearly 14 months old.  So, we have a "yours, mine, and ours" situation going on.

Brie and I have known each other six years, but only started pursuing a romance three years ago. We were married September 19, 2015 in the sanctuary of First Unitarian Church by Tom himself.  I grew up in Taylorsville, Utah; I am a trading representative for Wells Fargo Advisors; and I love to read and watch good films and television. My interests are philosophy, religion, comic books (a medium underrated by too many), technology, politics, the arts, and good food.

I have so many favorite quotes, but if I were to try to whittle it to one, it would be the following from Dr. Cornel West: “... there is a need for audacious hope. And it’s not optimism. I’m in no way an optimist. I’ve been black in America for 39 years. No ground for optimism here, given the progress and regress and three steps forward and four steps backward. Optimism is a notion that there’s sufficient evidence that would allow us to infer that if we keep doing what we’re doing, things will get better. I don’t believe that. I’m a prisoner of hope, that’s something else. Cutting against the grain, against the evidence. […] Hope against hope. And yet still trying to sustain the notion that we world-weary and tired peoples, all peoples in this society, can be energized and galvanized around causes and principles and ideals that are bigger than us, that can appeal to the better angels of our nature, so that we, in fact, can reach the conclusion that the world is incomplete - that history is unfinished, that the future is open-ended, that what we think and what we do does make a difference.”

I don’t exactly recall what brought me to First Unitarian Church of Salt Lake City; I think it might have been an online test, honestly (ha, ha.) What I can tell you, though, is that the very first time I attended, four years ago this month… I saw the decor celebrating the plurality of the world’s religious wisdom traditions. I heard David’s classical music. I read the seven principles. I heard the doxology. I heard Tom’s sermon. I looked around the sanctuary, and noticed the light as it fell through the windows. …and I knew I was home. And I’ve made an effort to make it more my home, with my wife and children, with opportunities to volunteer, and with learning more and more about what it means to live as a Unitarian Universalist. So far, I’ve had the good fortune of taking an adult RE class from Rev. Matthew Cockrum exploring our faith journeys, participated in Family Fun Night, played a small role in the children’s Christmas pageant with my wife and newborn daughter, helped fundraise for the Coming of Age Boston trip (which I’ll be doing again this year), and now I’ve even expressed an interest in being part of the Worship Arts Committee. I look forward to continuing to deepen my relationship with our congregation. Oddly enough, I haven’t signed the membership book yet! But I think I likely will soon. However, my wife and I do pledge, because we believe in this community and the transformative power it holds for the betterment of our society and of individuals.