|
VIEW PERSONAL BELIEFS
|
|
POSTED BY:
|
courtneyjns
|
|
DATE:
|
29.11.2008 |
|
SUBJECT:
|
How my life changed |
|
LOCATION:
|
Wilsonville,
|
|
The best way to usually start getting people some what interested is my testimony and my conversion story. So here it goes.
I was a member of the Church of Christ. I went there every Sunday and every Wednesday. It was a small building so I got to know everyone there. I loved the people that went to that building. I had gotten along with everyone and everyone got along with me. Well, one day I had heard some disagreements in the church. One of the men were hired as a preacher but he had committed adultery and so quite a few people did not think that was the right thing to do, to hire someone that committed sin. Then I had heard that some of the people in the church did not believe that the New Testament did not start until after the book of Acts. It was starting to get really confusing so a group of us started to look to another church building to worship but nothing was satisfying to the spirit. So, as a final decision we decided to worship at one of the families houses. So that was what we did. After awhile I was no longer feeling the Spirit when I went to these meetings. It was the end of my Junior year in high school. I was just not happy with the church anymore but without not knowing what to do I just kept going but I also prayed for Heavenly Father's help. I knew that He will guide me into the right path. Well, I had two of my best friends come over to study for our finals. One of my friends (not going to mention any names) had some how saw that something was wrong and asked me what was up. I had told her about her about my church and I was just not happy. She then invited me to go to her church and I had asked her what kind of church. She told me that it was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I had asked what it was and she told me it was a Mormon church. Even though I never heard of this church before I admittedly said no. I did not know that it was a christian church. She did not bother me about her church until the last day of school. She had given me a present which I could tell that it was a book. She made me pinky promise her that I would not open it until I got home. I made the promise. When I got home I opened up the present and saw that it was a Book of Mormon. I was kind of laughing to myself that she would give me this book. I read her testimony and just set the book aside in my room not thinking much of it. During the whole summer I would always take a glance at the cover. Then one day I decided to read a scripture out of the book that my friend put in her testimony letter. When I read it I felt in a way that I never felt before. Also, I understood what I was reading and in my heart I knew that what I was reading was true. It had scared me and so I had put it back down and did not open it again that summer. When school started back up my friend had asked me about the book and I had told her what had happened. She had invited me to the seminary building for lunch. She then introduced me to the teacher who she apparently told him about me already. I did not show interest after a few weeks. Then the seminary teacher and my friend had me in his office and asked me a few things about myself and he started to talk to me about the church. They asked me if I would like the missionaries to visit me to learn more about the church. I said sure. I started to meet the missionaries at my friends house and taking discussions. I understood what I was learning and I was getting to the point that I felt and just knew that it was true. But before I did anything I had gone to my church on Wednesday night and I had made a mistake by asking them about the Mormon church because they seem to believe in the same things that we did. I said I had made a mistake about asking that question because then there was tension in the room and very negative thoughts and feelings were expressed. I could not believe what I was seeing or hearing and it made me very uncomfortable. I knew that this was not the way God would want them to react against another church. But they all had strong sayings about how bad this church was. I had gone home and spoke with my friend and apparently this was common for other church's to be against Mormonism. I did not say one more word my church about the Mormons and I continued on taking the discussions with the missionaries. But I continued getting emails from my church about how this is all bad and just all sorts of nasty things toward the church. I finally made my decision to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I knew that the church was the true church by a lot of praying and a lot of scripture studying. When I had made my decision and advised this to my other church they went ballistic. They were telling me that I was not going to walk through the gates of heaven and that this was the devil work...etc. Every nasty email I had received made me want to join the church and confirming that this was the right step because this church, the Latter Day church, did not talk negatively against any other religion and they were devoted to God and family. They were true christians. After I was baptized which was Dec 10th 2000 I had received a letter in the mail with everyone signature on it from my other church. On this letter it was stating that they will no longer speak to me unless it was about religion. They wanted nothing to do with me. It broke my heart because I loved these people and I still do.
During the time that I was joining the church I was tested and tried. I know that this church is the true church. I feel it when I attend service, in my prayers, and in the scriptures. My life had changed for the better when I had joined and I have come to know more about Heavenly Father and have come closer to His heart.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
|
|
|
|
FairLDS.org
LDS.org
MormonWiki
Mormon Encyclopedia
FARMS