User:RBurns

Who I am

I am Ray Burns, a son of God.

Secular history

Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, USA. Learned to solder at age 6. Built computer of my own design (including CPU) at age 12. Perfect or near-perfect scores on all standardized tests throughout grade school. GATE student. Recognized statewide and nationally for mathematical skills at age 12. Completed calculus at age 13. Top computer student at University High School. Entered college at age 14. Achieved Masters degree with perfect GPA.

I was proud as a peacock, and just about as vain. I "knew" I was smarter than anyone around me and scorned anyone who disagreed with my opinion. Fortunately I met someone a thousand times smarter than I was...

Religious history

When I was young I was certain that God was a figment of man's imagination. But I was wrong. I taught atheism to all around me who would listen. I argued from science and philosophy that the concept of God was a man-made idea to enslave others. I scorned any form of miracle or spiritual experience as the product of a weak mind.

Then I discovered that I was wrong. It is quite a story, and I hope to tell it here someday. Suffice it to say that I now know for certain that God is not a figment of man's imagination but is absolutely real. I know that Jesus Christ is real, that the miracles he did were real, and that he paid the price for my sin. I know that the Holy Ghost is real and He speaks to me every day. I know that I have a Father in heaven.

I was baptized and served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in lieu of the last semester of my Masters' degree, then returned and completed the degree, married a beautiful woman, and now have three wonderful children.

In case you're wondering the person who is a thousand times smarter than me, it is none other than the creator of the universe himself. I now have a personal relationship with him and love him and serve him to the best of my ability. (Actually, maybe make that a million or a billion times smarter than me.)

Interests

Almost everything interests me. My primary hobbies are music, computers/electronics, and religion. I also very much enjoy auto mechanics, construction, mining, physics, hiking, and general reading.

I sing tenor or alto in solos, quartets, and choirs, and am much in demand. I play piano well, and cello tolerably. In the past I have also played trombone and drums, and have tried playing most other instruments. I enjoy playing both jazz and classical piano, and have an unusual talent for "playing by ear". I also dabble in songwriting and arranging.

In the computer field my primary interest is computer languages, though I am very much a generalist. I enjoy everything from circuit design to networking to software development. The coolest computer/electronics work I have done so far was a project I lead in 1996-1999 to automate mine haul trucks (we replaced the driver with a computer).