From Skeptic to Seminary Leader: Brother Odgerel Ochirjav's Journey of Faith and Service

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Brother Odgerel Ochirjav's path to the gospel of Jesus Christ began with a mother’s love, a philosopher’s skepticism, and a scientist’s need for evidence. Today, after nearly two decades of full-time service in the Church's Seminary and Institute (S&I) program, he looks back and sees the Lord’s hand in every twist of the journey.

Born in Soviet-era Leningrad and trained as a forestry scientist in Russia, Odgerel returned to Mongolia as a committed Marxist—one who would soon be thrust into a new world as communism fell. In 1994, after his mother joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she invited him to attend a sacrament meeting. He agreed—reluctantly.

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“I was tired, hungover, and thought I just had to be registered,” he says with a laugh. “I told her, ‘Mom, you have other family. Bring one of the others next time. I’m a communist!’”

But the Lord had other plans.

It began with English classes taught by senior missionaries. Then came months of intense gospel discussions with Elders Pierson and Lynn—often ending in deadlocks. “I challenged everything—Adam and Eve, evolution, ancient artifacts. I pushed them hard,” Odgerel recalls. “One day our translator, Sister Soyolmaa, broke down in tears because we kept arguing. That’s when I said, ‘Okay, I’ll get baptized, so she won’t cry again.’”

He was baptized on April 8, 1995.

Though his conversion began out of kindness, it soon turned into conviction. As he studied the scriptures and engaged with senior Church leaders—like President Cox, who addressed his scientific questions about genetics and early human history—his intellectual resistance softened.

“I realized, faith isn’t the opposite of reason,” he says. “It’s another way of understanding truth.”

For the next 10 years, Odgerel built his scientific career, doing reforestation research and collaborating with top universities in Russia. “If I had stayed, I probably would have become a big name,” he reflects. “But that’s not the life the Lord wanted for me.”

In 2006, after multiple invitations from missionaries and Church leaders, he reluctantly accepted a call to direct Seminary and Institute programs in Mongolia. “I said, ‘I’m a maximalist. If I do it, I’ll do it full time.’ I didn’t know that statement would change everything.”

At first, the work was overwhelming—especially teaching returned missionaries. “They were like Delta Force spiritually,” he jokes. “I wanted to run back to the forest!” But when Elder Michael Stroud arrived from Arizona, everything changed.

“He taught me how to teach. His methods were simple, inspired, and effective. I copied his patterns and applied them. Suddenly, it worked.”

Now in his 19th year, Brother Odgerel has become a cornerstone of the S&I program in Mongolia. Thousands of young Saints have benefited from his dedication.

“Just like trees take time to grow,” he says, “so does faith. The Lord let me grow deep roots first—through science, struggle, and service. Now, I try to help others grow strong in Him.”

Odgerel Ochirjav was the first Stake President in Mongolia.