Who is Mormon Media Reviews? (Part 1)

   It's Me!  My name is Grady Kerr.  I was talking to my sister, Munchie's Mama, and she was saying readers want to know who is talking to them.  She suggested I post a "Get to know you" post.  As I was writing this I found it was getting a little long so I broke it up into two parts.  In this first part I wanted to share with you my background.

   I was raised in Orange County California in the Huntington Beach Stake.  My family was semi-active, but when I turned 8 and it came to get baptized I remember things starting to change.  Most of my primary memories were from that time on.  I come from a mixed family.  My father had two other sons and my mother another.  My 3 brothers are about 10 years older and so I don't think they had the same foundation I did.  My "Irish twin" sister Summer is 13 months younger and was my greatest enemy at that age and my most willing accomplice.

   I have always loved Church and the stories of the scriptures have always come easy for me.  I remember going to my grandpa's baptist church and when they asked who were some of the prophets from the scriptures, I was jumping in my seat ready spout off answers like Nephi and Alma.  The Sunday school teacher was always polite when trying to brush off my answers.  

   I love great stories, which is my I think the scriptures speak to me.  But I grew up with other mediums as well.  We had HBO as kids and a VHS player.  We would record movie after movie on that thing and we would watch them over and over till the tapes got fuzzy.  Growing up, me and my best friend, Jimi Kim, loved Ninja Movies!  We used play "Best of the Best" and I was Alex Grady, played by Eric Roberts, and he was his Asian buddy, Tommy Lee.  Movies were a big part of my childhood.

   In primary I was the kid with the colored shirt who would make fun of the kids who would sing and try.  But when I reached High School I gained a real love for music.  I sing in the school choir and was watching a lot of MTV (back when they played music.)  My first 2 CD's were "Stranger than Fiction" by Bad Religion, and the "Phantom of the Opera" soundtrack.  I found that music helped me feel emotions, could help change my mood, it invited the Spirit, and could chase it away.  Flash forward to the back row of Primary last Sunday and I am in tears watching my 4 year old sing "I'll Walk with You" to his big brother. (for more info why)

   When I turned 19 I chose to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I was called to the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission.  It was 2 of the most influential year of my life.  I like to think I worked hard, but I also played hard.  My mission was so much fun and such an experience.  I got to see the Gospel in action.  

   12 months after being home I married a wonderful woman in the San Diego Temple.  My wife Kristie has been a huge support for me and a great example.  Our first date was to the movies and midnight showings were a fun part of our courtship and into our marriage.  

   One of the things I always admired about her is her line in the sand morals.  It is either right or wrong, and she has her mind made up in which side of the line she wants to be on.  Likes clean music and won't watch rated R movies.  Our relationship has caused me to better myself about these thing.  Partly because I see the happiness it gives her keep the Spirit close, and partly because she doesn't want it on the house.  

   We have been married 10 years and have 3 kids.  It has slowed us down, but hasn't put a stop to our midnight showings.  When our first baby was a few months old we took him with us when we saw Batman Begins.  He slept through the whole thing.

  If our second part I will talk about life with kids, being a grown up in the Gospel, and why I started the Blog.