All About Mormons

I’m a Mormon – but I wasn’t always one.

I was raised in a home where my parents didn’t think much of religion or Jesus. But when I think about my youth – I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know God. I have always known him. I have always felt his spirit and known that he did, at least exist.

My family didn’t pray together. My parent’s didn’t teach about God. I didn’t even own a Bible nor had I seen one until I was 14. But then they sent me to a catholic elementary school and the nuns taught me about “the creation.” I remember that I recognized the nuns’ teachings as truth and I knew that the earth and all it’s life was created by God. I don’t know how I knew – I just felt it inside that it was right. Years later, I studied aerospace engineering. My school mates laughed at my faith in God’s creation. I set out to investigate my beliefs. I thought, “I’m a scientist – I can find information that will support these ideas!”

I was in the library many a night. In fact, I spent most of my time there. I would get to school at 8 A.M. and head to my classes and then in between them be in the library until that evening at 10 P.M. When I would head home to sleep. As I studied, I saw a woman who had tutored me in calculus. We were friends. I knew that I could bounce my ideas off of her and she could tell me if she thought I was way off.

I quickly began explaining my ideas to her. After asking her for her thoughts, we began speaking about the creation and she started to tell me things about the creation that I had never heard. I felt God’s spirit testify to me that the things she was talking about were true – they were perfect in logic. Perfect in every way – I was astonished. You see, from the time I had received a Bible when I was 14 years old – to that time, I had become quite a scholar of scriptures. I read every day, I’d read the Bible several times and much of it I could quote. But much of the truths that she shared were not in the Bible – although there was a remnant of some of them – bits and pieces of a larger, more complicated puzzle. It was as if she were handing me the missing pieces of this puzzle. Filling in the gaps of the ancient text. I was intrigued. We talked for over 4 hours – I was firing questions at her and each time she responded with an answer that I knew was true and that fit logically with the rest of my studies. It was a perfect marriage of doctrine and logic – it was pure absolute truth. I was blown away at all she had explained. I was out of breath. Finally, after what felt like a mental rollercoaster ride, I jumped up from the table and I exclaimed, “Where did you get all these answers?!”

She responded non-chalantly, “Oh – the Book of Mormon. “

What?! I thought, It can’t be! She’s got to be crazy! That’s that gold Bible I heard about! How could it possibly contain all that spiritual truth?? And how can she be so non-chalant about this?? She’s just laid out some of the greatest truths I’ve ever heard!

“I have to see this book!” I insisted.

The next day she gave me a copy. She told me that this book was not meant to replace the Bible but was a companion text and that it was written by prophets – just like the Bible had been and was additional scripture that God wanted us to learn from and live by.

I knew that this was a book that was very controversial but I was also convinced that if this book was a hoax I would be able to tell. I knew I could unravel this mystery.

So I started to read, I didn’t just casually read it, I cross referenced scripture after scripture. I poured over this book – I dissected each phrase to see if it really was additional scripture. I needed to know if this book supported the truths in the Bible. I was ruthless with the Book of Mormon – I took pages of notes with questions relating to doctrine. I look back now – and I realize that to my parents or other onlookers I must have looked obsessed – I read this book all night and all day for weeks – searching for something that would prove it was a hoax. Yet, no matter how hard I looked – I could not find anywhere that the doctrine in the Book of Mormon conflicted with the doctrine of the Bible! In fact, it shed a tremendous amount of new light on Christ’s ancient church and on the ancient Christianity of the 1st century! I was frustrated! I was elated! I was so completely lost as to what I should do now that I had experienced this. This book’s truth had changed me – it had opened my eyes. It taught one of God’s great plan of happiness, it taught about Christ’s atonement for our sins. It taught how one could be worthy of exaltation. It taught how one could be with your loved ones for all eternity. It contained a road map to heaven and back to God!

“What now?” I thought, “Now that I have been given this great knowledge – what am I to do? I cannot live as I used to. I must take these principles in the Bible and Book of Mormon and start living them. It’s the only way back to my Father in Heaven and back to my Savior, Jesus Christ. It’s the only way I’ll be truely happy.”

This book was the greatest discovery of my life.

It has inspired me, changed me from the inside out. It has encouraged me when I had no hope. It has taught me of the infinite depth of my Heavenly Father’s love for me and for my fellow men. It has shown me how to be a true Christian, complete in every way. The truth in it and the Bible have filled that hole that was inside of me.

So I was baptized… 12 long years ago. I made a promise to God that I would keep his commandments. At times it’s been really hard, lonely and difficult to keep going. But when I pray or a read those scriptures – somehow I have the strength to go on. I know that it is God helping me.

And so, here I am now – having faced many persecutions from unbelievers and skeptics even facing some of the most awful hardships… Nonetheless – God is real. He does exist and the Book of Mormon and the Bible are truely his words. I have never regretted living the doctrine in those books. I have only ever regretted when I did not live it.

I don’t know if anyone will ever read this but… I wrote this because I wanted my children to know that their mother loves the Lord and that she knows that God loves her. I want my children to know where to turn for truth when they don’t know what to do.

To my children: study the scriptures, my darlings, and God will show you what you should do. You will be guided by his hand. Ask for truth, as I have, and God will answer. But remember – he will expect you to act on your guidance.

This is my testimony. I know that the Bible is holy scripture. I know that the Book of Mormon is holy scripture. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet – I know it because only a prophet could have brought forth such a miracle that is the Book of Mormon. If you ever have a chance to read this book – it will change you. It will help make you a better person, it will teach you what you must do to have happiness.

I know that Christ lives and that he is our Savior.

If you want to know for sure – just do what I did – check it out.