Member Spotlight

Family Background

 

The Boren family traces their origins primarily to England, with the surname evolving from earlier variations such as “Bouring”.  There are also possible Swiss connections, though the family primarily identifies with English ancestry.  Sister Boren’s maiden name is Rice, with German heritage on her father’s side and Swiss ancestry on her mother’s side which includes connections to the Hirschi family.

 

Personal History

 

Both Brother and Sister Boren grew up primarily in Las Vegas, Nevada, though Brother Boren was born in Provo, Utah and moved to Las Vegas before his first birthday.  They met as young adults in Las Vegas - she was 18 and had just graduated high school, while he was in his 20s and recently completed about 4.5 years in the Marines.  Both were born and raised in the Church.

 

They have four boys, creating what they describe as “a different and crazy life” in a positive sense of course.  

 

The family moved to Salem for Brother Boren’s four year medical training.  After completing the program, they decided to stay for an additional three years, but then decided to remain due to their oldest son entering his final year of high school.

 

One of Sister Boren’s favorite childhood memories involves frequent trips to the lake nearly every Saturday from May to October, where she “grew up on the lake”.   Brother Boren recalls a church-owned natural spring outside Las Vegas with a large house where his ward would go to stay and swim.

 

Family Activities and Hobbies

 

The Borens miss several aspects of Las Vegas, particularly:

• The large mountains

• Big city amenities (food, entertainment, sports)

• Outdoor activities in the area

• Oregon is also another beautiful place with plenty of outdoor opportunities

 

They also enjoy living in SW Virginia and after 7 years here consider it home. 

 

Favorite family activities together are:

• Camping and hiking

• Playing card games

• Beach trips

 

On beach trips they visit different beaches on the East Coast.  They also like to return to the same beach in California when visiting the West Coast.  Their favorite beach activities are surfing, boogie boarding, body surfing, and building sandcastles.  They have also encountered wildlife including starfish, sand dollars, crabs, and once saw a seal that had washed ashore.

 

Spiritual

 

When asked about scripture stories they would like to experience, they mentioned Christ visiting the Americas as their choice.  Regarding their testimonies, Brother Boren expresses temple work as something that he knows to be true, mentioning that he has had some “pretty neat experiences in the temple”.   Their sons expressed that they know that the church is true, that the Book of Mormon is true and knowledge of God’s love for us and sending his son Jesus Christ to atone for our sins.