My religious transformation

I grew up in a religious home.  My parents weren't real devout as far as going to mass every Sunday but they were good people who were trying to do good to their neighbor.  They believed in God.  They di

d try to send us pretty regularly to church and I am so very grateful they did.  I learned prayers that I tried to repeat with as much feeling as I could.  I also learned, from my mother, that prayers could also be personal in that if someone was dying or sick you could pray and ask for them to get better.  There were times I remember talking with God.

I remember at about age 12 reading about this thing called "the Jesus movement" in Time magazine. I remember a young woman was quoted as she talked about her "relationship" with Jesus Christ.  This is what I had been looking for.  I wanted to know the Savior better.  I could tell that she "knew" the Savior.  I knew that I didn't and at the time, it caused me some sadness.  I kept that thought in the back of my mind for many years until I met Cheryl.  We were in the 9th grade.  I was new to school and she had arrived not long before me.  I felt she was a kindred spirit.

We ended up talking one day about faith.  I realized that she was also someone who "knew" the Savior.  I was really interested in talking to her and trying to figure out how I could come to really know Him too.  I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for putting Cheryl in my path.  She truly taught me how to pray, how to recognize the spirit, how to read and to appreciate the scriptures.  This was such an important step in my eventually coming to know Him even more.  I am so grateful for her.

I began reading the scriptures.  My prayers changed from recited set prayers to personal expressions of love and devotion to the Lord. As I read the scriptures I started changing inside from the old me to a new person trying to live the way the Lord would have me live.  It was a great time of awakening within me. I am still humbled to think that the Lord reached out to me to invite me to come unto Him.  I truly feel almost chosen.  I can see His hand in many things that led me to where I am today.  Who I am today, my life I have lived, the experiences I've had all hinge on this time in my life.  This is where things changed for me.

I had another friend, Alison at this time.  We became fast friends and we decided to read the Bible together.  During lunch we would discuss things that we read. This was during high school.  These were wonderful days of uplifting each other and of learning together.  Another major event for me.  During this time Alison met missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I had never heard of the Mormons.  They had teachings that were similar to my own and yet some were different.  I didn't know what to think of them.

Cheryl, my spiritual idol, said that they were bad and of Satan.  Wow.  I was surprised at her reaction but I trusted Cheryl.  I never talked against them to Alison but I was openly skeptical.  Over weeks and months I met members of the LDS church through Alison.  I came to know for myself that they were not "of Satan".  I was impressed with many people I met but still kept my distance.

I was sort of blowing in the wind at this time as far as a church was concerned.  I had separated myself from my family's church.  I just didn't get what I felt I needed there.  Cheryl suggested a Baptist Church and I enjoyed attending there.  There was no drive though to become Baptist.

One night an LDS friend I met through Alison invited me to go to her house and visit with the missionaries.  It's hard to explain in retrospect but something was driving me to go to her house that night.  When I was finally walking there I stopped and thought, "Oh no, those Mormons are going to all gang up on me and Alison's not here to temper them".  I was a little concerned so I started to pray.  "Please Lord, bless me to stand firm against these Mormons".  "Please be with me".  At some point in my prayers, they changed.  A thought worked it's way into my mind and my prayers, "What if this is the path I need to follow?"  I was a little surprised by the change in direction.  "Could the message be true?"  "Is this church where you want me?"  "Did Jesus Christ restore His church to the earth again?"

All of a sudden I needed to know the answers to these questions.  I felt driven to find out.  I had to know. My only desire has always been to follow the Lord.  If this was His path I wanted to know.  I wanted to do His will.

During our discussion that night, I felt the confirmation of the Holy Ghost to my heart, to my soul, to my mind... this is true.  Yes, I want you to learn all you can.  Yes, yes, yes.  I was baptized three weeks later.

There are no words to express how blessed I have been for finding the restored Church of Jesus Christ.  I am so very grateful for all those who were a part of my conversion and baptism.  Cheryl and Alison continue to be dear friends even today.  We are all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS.  Yes, even Cheryl, who thought we were of Satan.