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by Hope Shelley
Managing Editor
One of the hardest things Jacob Weeks had to do was leave behind his restaurant in 2017, that he put so much of his work into, but it has led to a life that is filled with happiness.
Weeks has always been a hard worker. It started when he was young working and growing up on a raspberry farm in Paradise, Utah. This hard work carried into his adult life where he has had many jobs. Leading up to him starting his own restaurant called Jake’s Place.
This restaurant was located at Bear Lake. It started with just shakes and sandwiches, but it grew over time.
“[Customers] would get off the lake in the afternoons and you would just get mobbed, talking like hundreds of people, and they all just want their shake, and they want it in 5 minutes,” Weeks said.
It was only open for a few seasons, so in winter he would get different jobs for just that time period. Some of these include roofing and working on the oil fields.
These jobs have helped him develop good work ethic and consistency.
“Every job I’ve ever had I’ve always been there, been on time, showed up and did what I was supposed to do,” Weeks said. “I think that’s huge to build that kind of character.”
Even through those hard working jobs Weeks believes the most challenging job he has had is being a seminary teacher.
“There is the constant battle of feeling like you’re preparing an inspired lesson and reaching the students,” Weeks said.
Although it can be a challenge, he loves his job and knows this is what he is supposed to be doing with his life. It is his favorite career out of all the ones he had.
He first got the impression to be a seminary teacher before he went on his mission. He had an institute teacher who inspired him. Then he went on his mission and forgot about it. Once he returned he got married and started the business, but after doing that for a while he kept getting the feeling of being a seminary teacher.
He then dropped everything he was doing and came to be a seminary teacher at NS. One of the biggest influences in his life is Jesus Christ and the gospel is everything to him. Christ changed the whole direction of his life.
“When I was 22 I started reading the Book of Mormon and it really just hit me, the connection with the Savior,” Weeks said. “For me, it was profound and powerful because I was alone in my room, and there was nobody else there. Just having that experience where I felt His presence, I knew it was real.”
After this experience, he decided to go on a mission, whereas before this experience he wasn’t interested.
He went on his mission to Zimbabwe. There was a lot of poverty in the area, but the people there had very pure hearts and they made an impact on Weeks.
“I remember when I got home I couldn’t look at grocery stores the same,” Weeks said. “I couldn’t look at all these blessings we have, because over there especially in Zimbabwe at that time, they were empty. You would go in and just have a hard time finding anything.”
Weeks lives his life according to the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Since the church supports getting a good education, he went to school after his mission. He is also currently a full-time student as well as a full-time teacher.
“For me, he is really an example of dedication,” said Brian Lindow, a seminary teacher at NS. “We all spend our time somewhere, but he definitely is a great example of dedicating his time and effort to things that matter most.”
He loves to do anything with his family and kids. He has three boys and one girl. He thinks children are very fun and pure.
“I love family life right now,” Weeks said. “One of my favorite things to do right now is go home and be with the kids and spend time with them.”
When he was younger, he loved sports, dirt biking, and painting. He really got into dirt biking for a while, but as he got older he stopped doing it.
“That was my life; I loved it,” Weeks said. “I mean I did it for ten years. Just every day I would be on my bike; I was doing it as much as I could.”
Weeks just started painting again. It’s something he does in his free time, and he has tried learning how to do portraits recently. He has always enjoyed art and drawing his whole life.
Whenever Weeks does something he is very loyal and does his best to make it as amazing as he possibly can. Whether it be his family, a career, or a project, he gives it his all.
“If there is one thing that students should know about him is that he cares,” Lindow said. “He cares about them and he loves Christ. And he is really working honestly to do the best he can.”
