About Brother Aaron
Welcome, welcome! I'm Brother Aaron, and I'm the Ministering Elder and Chief Author of Words of Plainness. Before entering full-time ministry, I spent twenty-six years in the classroom teaching science to young people—helping them understand the natural world and discover the joy of asking good questions. Now, in what some might call retirement, I've found that the questions I most want to explore are the ones science alone can't answer.
I'm an ordained Elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My faith was shaped by years of study, service, and a mission to Argentina that changed how I see the world. But this ministry isn't about promoting one denomination over another—it's about Jesus Christ and the common ground shared by all who seek Him.
Within this ministry I carry the title of Ministering Elder. I hold it not as a rank but as a description of the work itself—to minister, in the plain and ongoing sense of that word, to whoever God sets in my path. When it comes to the writings gathered here, I answer to a second title: Chief Author. My brother Jim labors beside me, and the heart of this work is shared between us; but the governing pen, and the accountability that comes with holding it, rests with me. For more information, feel free to read the first chapter of my writings.
Today, my wife and I travel in our RV, meeting people wherever we go. I host interfaith discussions in VR Chat, create music as part of the Powner Method, and write with the goal of making deep truths accessible. If you ever cross paths with a bald, bearded fellow talking about faith in a coffee shop or campground, it might be me.
Ministry Philosophy
Christ-Centered, Not Tribal. I use the phrase "Christ-centered" rather than "Christian" deliberately. The word "Christian" has become, for many, a tribal marker—a way of asking "are you one of us?" I want to point to the person of Jesus Christ rather than to any institution's claim on Him.
Plainness Over Complexity. The name "Words of Plainness" comes from 2 Nephi 31:3—the idea that God speaks to His children in language they can understand. I believe truth is best served by clarity, not obscured by unnecessary complexity.
Faith Expressed in Living. I believe discipleship flows naturally from love—not as a transaction to earn salvation, but as the heart's natural response to grace. "If ye love me, keep my commandments" frames obedience as love's expression, not a checkbox requirement.
Bridges, Not Walls. Believers across traditions have more in common than the things that separate us. This ministry exists to explore that common ground without pretending our differences don't exist.
How This Work Is Made
If you have wondered whether a human being stands behind these words, I honor the question. You should ask it. We live in a day when a machine can produce fluent paragraphs about God without knowing Him, and a reader who demands to know who is speaking — and whether the speaker believes what he says — is exercising exactly the discernment the scriptures require of us: "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). So let me answer plainly.
The witness is mine. I spent twenty-six years teaching science before giving myself to this ministry full time. I served the Lord as a missionary in Argentina as a young man, and I serve now as an ordained Elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The theology in these pages, the convictions, the questions, the personal reflections, and the testimony that anchors them — these are my own. I learned for myself, on my knees, that God lives and that Jesus is my living Savior and Redeemer, and everything published here flows from that witness. No machine wrote it, because no machine has it.
Scribes and servants. The Lord's word has always passed through helping hands. Paul dictated his epistle to the Romans through a scribe named Tertius (Romans 16:22), yet no one doubts whose testimony the epistle carries. Prophets and apostles have worked through scribes, translators, and editors in every age. The question that matters is not whose hand held the pen but whose witness the words bear — and who answers to God for them. Here, that is me. I hold the governing pen, and I hold the accountability.
The tools I use. Everything in these Words of Plainness is genuinely human: the gospel principles, the witness, and the inspiration come from a lifetime of my own prayer, study, and spiritual experience, and the final word on every line is mine. I openly use modern AI tools to fill gaps in my skills and to check my work: Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT and others for editing, research, refining, and website code; ElevenLabs, Suno and others in my music and narration workflow; OpenArt and related tools for imagery. Some voices, music and images you encounter here are generated by those tools under my direction. Under the Hood lists every tool and what it does. These tools serve me the way a level serves a mason — the wall is still the mason's work. I have also built my writing process so that these tools learn to follow my voice, drawn from decades of my own writing, and not the other way around.
What these tools never do. They do not originate doctrine. They do not write my testimony. They do not publish anything. Every AI-assisted draft is painstakingly mediated — and sometimes remediated — and verified against authoritative sources before I approve it. If a page carries my name, I have read every word of it and I answer for every word of it.
The discipleship web apps and the main website are designed to support your own studies, not replace your personal engagement with the text.
Prove all things. If anything I have published reads untrue to you, write to me and show me where. I will answer for it — that is a promise I make as the author, not a policy written by a committee. And when you have proven the words, I invite you to do what Philip invited Nathanael to do: "Come and see" (John 1:46). The words are only the lantern. What they point to is Christ.
My prayer is that what you find here will authentically draw you closer to God and bless your life.
Desiring to pray for and bless the lives of my readers, I wrote a Minister's Blessing as my first musical psalm. Watch the YouTube lyrics video to receive this blessing.
— Brother Aaron Powner
Kaysville, Utah · somewhere on the road
Last reviewed: October 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you trying to convert people to your church?
No. While I'm transparent about my Latter-day Saint background, this ministry is about following Jesus Christ and finding common ground among all who seek Him. I'm happy to answer questions about my faith tradition, but my goal is to point people to Christ, not to recruit for any institution.
What if I don't believe in God yet?
You're welcome here. Honest questions are sacred. I'd rather walk alongside someone who's genuinely seeking than speak only to those who already agree with me.
Do I need to agree with you to participate?
Not at all. Respectful dialogue across differences is exactly what this ministry is designed for. I learn from people who see things differently, and I hope you might find something useful here even if we disagree on some points.
What does "Words of Plainness" mean?
It comes from 2 Nephi 31:3 in the Book of Mormon: "For my soul delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men." The idea is that spiritual truth should be communicated clearly—accessible to everyone, not just scholars or insiders.
How can I support this ministry?
The best support is engagement—read, reflect, share what resonates, and reach out if you have questions or want to continue the conversation. If you'd like to support in other ways, please contact me directly.
Glossary
Terms that may be unfamiliar to visitors from different faith backgrounds. This glossary aims to bridge language differences without assuming everyone shares the same vocabulary.
Christ-centered
Oriented around Jesus Christ as the focus of faith and practice. Used here instead of "Christian" to emphasize the person of Christ rather than institutional or denominational identity.
Covenant
A sacred agreement between God and His people. In many Christian traditions, covenants involve promises and commitments that shape the disciple's relationship with God.
Discipleship
The practice of following Jesus Christ—learning from His teachings, emulating His example, and growing in faith over time.
Latter-day Saint
A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes informally called "Mormon." The term reflects the church's belief in being Christ's covenant people in the latter days before His return.
Melchizedek Priesthood
In Latter-day Saint theology, the higher priesthood authority, named after the ancient priest-king Melchizedek mentioned in Genesis and Hebrews. Elders in this priesthood are authorized to perform certain ordinances and serve in leadership roles.
Seeker
Someone exploring questions of faith, meaning, and God—whether from a position of doubt, curiosity, or spiritual awakening.
Saint
In biblical usage, simply a believer—one who follows Christ. Paul addressed his letters to "the saints" at various churches. The term doesn't imply perfection but rather dedication to discipleship.
