by Seth

The Holy Scriptures are here for the benefit of those that will take the time to read, study, ponder, and ask God if they are true. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (mistakenly called the ”Mormon Church” by many) teaches the doctrine that the Holy Scriptures have been written and persevered for us today. How blessed are we to have the Holy Bible to provide us the words of the prophets and apostles of those who were on the earth during the time of Jesus Christ and before Him. We have a loving Heavenly Father who is fair and loves all of His children. It is because of this love that we also have the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (a companion book of scripture to the Bible), which is an account of some of the people who lived in the ancient Americas. It was important for us to know that they also had the opportunity to see the resurrected Jesus and to testify that He is the Christ. This book of scripture is not only a companion to the Bible, but also provides important clarifications of doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ which have been lost or taken from the Bible.

Holy prophets and apostles receive revelation for the people during their specific times on the earth. This is important, as God wanted to be sure that His doctrine was taught correctly and His followers were provided the best opportunity to understand all aspects of the gospel. Since God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Doctrine and Covenants 20:12), it seems only logical and necessary that today there is a living prophet to receive the necessary revelation to help guide God’s followers in the world we live in today. This is one of the important doctrinal aspects of the LDS Church that others have a hard time understanding and accepting. Members of the LDS Church are firm believers that Jesus Christ is at the head of His church and leads it through a modern-day prophet.

It was a modern-day prophet by the name of Joseph Smith who restored God’s only true church upon the face of the earth. It was through this same prophet that the Book of Mormon was translated so that we would be the beneficiaries of the teachings of those prophets and people who lived here in the Americas at that time. It was through the Prophet Joseph Smith that we also received the Doctrine and Covenants, which book is also considered scripture by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This book of scriptures is a collection of revelations given to the Prophet Joseph and others as they restored God’s church. We are also blessed that the Prophet Joseph Smith translated what is known as the Pearl of Great Price as additional scripture. It is within these three important books of scripture, along with the Holy Bible that all of the doctrines of Jesus Christ can be found and taught.

Many religions utilize some form of scripture to help guide their members, but often times it is left up to the interpretation of men and women who preach and or teach from the bible. It is this interpretation that can lead to confusion, frustration, and even a falling away. As members of the LDS Church strive to live as Jesus Christ and God want them to, they do so in large part by reading, studying, and pondering the scriptures and praying to know that the scriptures are true. They also show their love and support of the modern-day prophet by listening to his guidance and doing their best to follow his example. It is through the prophet, his two counselors, and the twelve apostles where the greatest of all modern-day examples of living as Christ are found. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints not only understands but teaches that these men who hold the Holy Priesthood of God are special witnesses of Jesus Christ. As they travel throughout the world and minster to both members and non-members of the church, they teach, preach, and testify that Jesus is the Christ, that His Father is God, and that the Holy Ghost is our comforter.

There is a special spirit that can be felt as one comes to find his or her own personal witness of the scriptures, the prophets, and apostles. It is a witness that comes through feelings in one’s heart. These feelings are the Holy Ghost testifying that what you are feeling is true and is of God. This is how every person who is converted to the LDS Church finds their personal testimony. As one comes to know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, he or she will also know that the Book of Mormon is truly scripture. Then individuals will know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is truly God’s church here on the face of the earth today. As it states in 2 Corinthians 13:1, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” Here we read directly from the Bible just how important it is to have multiple witnesses to ensure the true doctrine is taught and not left up to the interpretation of men. What comfort this brings to those who believe.

Additional Resources:

Mormon Beliefs

Request a Free Copy of the Book of Mormon

Mormon View of Jesus Christ

Seth Saunders is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon”). He is currently serving as Branch President of the Pembroke Branch.

by Rebecca

Meaning of Life on Earth

There is a lot that I don’t understand about my life, but I’m grateful to know the most important things about the meaning of life. These simple truths are taught as “the plan of happiness” within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called the “Mormon Church” by the media). I have found great happiness in my life knowing that there is purpose in my life.  We are each sons and daughters of God, and He sent us to earth for a purpose.

Last year, I went camping outdoors with some friends during the fall. I was surrounded by swirling autumn leaves and bright blue skies above the reddish mountain as I listened to Dieter F. Uchtdorf on the radio saying “Our Heavenly Father created the universe that we might reach our potential as His sons and daughters” (“You Matter to Him,” Ensign, October 2011). It’s hard to describe how close I felt to God while looking at His creations and the beauty around me, but I can say it was an overwhelming feeling of love, calm, and happiness. I’ve also felt this feeling as I’ve learned more about the meaning of life within the scriptures and as I’ve talked with Heavenly Father in prayer. I know for myself that He wants me to succeed in life and to be happy.

I’ve had many challenges in life, ranging from the death of my grandmother, a genetic terminal illness that took my mother, multiple surgeries, and of course just struggling through graduate schooling and the dating scene. Fortunately, the knowledge I have of the plan of happiness has given me a lot of hope and perspective as I’ve faced these circumstances. I would never wish such experiences upon anyone else, but I recognize that they were a necessary part of my journey here on earth and ultimately brought me closer to God. I was able to find happiness during such hard moments as I remembered the meaning of life—who I am and why I’m given such experiences.

Meaning of Life Taught during our Pre-Earth Life

Before we were born, we lived with God as His spirit sons and daughters. He presented to us His plan of happiness, which outlines the meaning of life. He offered us the opportunity to come to Earth, to get bodies, and to have experiences that could help us reach our potential as His children. Modern prophets teach us that “In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” 1995).

We don’t remember this part of our lives because that’s part of the test. One wouldn’t learn very much if a teacher told them exactly what was going to be on the final exam and they knew all the answers beforehand. We are living by faith and don’t remember our pre-earth life simply because God respects the right we have to make our own choices. I’m grateful that modern prophets and the scriptures teach me more about the meaning of life so that I can live by faith and choose for myself whether or not to return to God.

Meaning of Life: Happiness Achieved through Christ

Adam and Eve were the first children that God sent to the Earth. He told them to not eat from one tree (the tree of knowledge of good and evil) but knew that it was a necessary part of His plan of happiness for them to do so. Once they had eaten of the fruit, they were able to have children (allowing the rest of us to come to earth and also get bodies) and were able to experience joy and sorrow (2 Nephi 2:22–25). However, as a consequence of eating this fruit, they no longer had immortal bodies; they could die, and they were cast out from God’s presence for disobeying Him.

Fortunately, God prepared for the Fall of Adam and Eve, and it was all part of His plan. He sent us His Son, Jesus Christ, who came to earth and offered us two gifts. The first one is a free gift to all; everyone will receive a perfect, resurrected body. This means that the body and spirit will never be separated again after death and the resurrection (Romans 6:9). The second is the marvelous gift of the Atonement and the choice to use that power to repent so that we might again return to God’s presence, but this gift depends upon whether or not we choose to accept it. Christ is the center of the plan of happiness, and we can only return to God’s presence because of Christ’s atoning sacrifice for us.

After our earthly lives, our actions we will be judged as we stand before God. Those that lived good lives and chose to accept Christ as their Savior will have the opportunity to live with God again. My personal and favorite part about the plan of happiness is that I can also live with my family after this life. The meaning of life is simple: we were sent to this earth to be happy and to prepare to return to live with God again, progressing eternally. I can’t imagine the eternities without my loved ones and am forever grateful to my Savior for the opportunity that I may have to be with them after this life.

Additional Resources:

Mormon Beliefs

Jesus Christ in Mormonism 

More about Life before Life

Rebecca Bishop is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon” woman). She is in the process of being published in the Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies.

by Valerie J. Steimle

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often misnamed the Mormon Church), we all can recall our conversion stories about how we have come to be members of the Church. I’m no different, as I have told my conversion story many times, and I feel that this can help others understand why some people feel drawn to the Church once they have learned about it.

My conversion story starts when I was seven years old. I was born to two Jewish parents from Brooklyn, New York. My mother always felt that there was something missing in her life and even read the New Testament, which Jews are discouraged to read. In the Jewish Orthodox sect, it is forbidden.

But as we were growing up (my sister and brother included), my parents continued to take us to the local synagogue for Sabbath services. They didn’t know where else to go.

At seven, I really wanted to go to the children’s Sunday school class which they held at a different time. My mother asked the Rabbi if I could attend and he said no. He said I was too old to start the Sunday school class at seven and that all I could attend would be the regular Sabbath service. It is amazing to me now how strongly I felt at the time when I was not allowed to go. I did not want to go back to the synagogue at all and wanted nothing to do with the Jewish religion. Two years later, my parents met members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and started taking the missionary lessons.

I was very happy to learn about another religion, even though I didn’t know anyone who was a member of the Church, nor did my friends know anything about that religion. It was virtually unheard of at the time in New Jersey (1969), but we listened to their teachings, and six months later we were baptized into the Church as a family. Now, I had grandparents who lived close by to us, and we visited them often, so my parents decided that it was too overwhelming to tell them and the rest of the family of what we did. So we were told to keep this whole church thing a secret. We didn’t discuss any kind of religion with any of my cousins or aunts and uncles, and there were many. Besides the bar mitzvahs and weddings that occurred each year, we had yearly family gatherings.

My parents knew the Mormon Church (The Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints) was the restored gospel on the earth; they just didn’t want our family to disown us. So it was like living a double life. We went to church each week and were active in the ward, but when a family event took place we attended and spoke nothing of the church. This seemed like a normal thing to me until I was an adult looking back on what had happened and realized how odd it really was.

When I was 18 and living at Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho, my parents went to a family bar mitzvah and the discussion turned to church attendance. My mother finally told her side of the family that we did join the Church and there were fireworks. They eventually accepted the fact that we had become Christians, and we were able to teach them about what we believed.

Now the main reason I converted to the church was not because I didn’t want to be Jewish anymore; the main reason I converted was because I learned then and know now that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and he set up His Church to be a guiding beacon in our lives. He was able to restore His true gospel through Joseph Smith so we can have peace in our lives. That brings me great comfort.

So let me explain further. When we think of the original gospel that Jesus Christ brought to the earth, we know there were apostles and prophets. There was the priesthood from Jesus to bless the sick and afflicted. There were also spiritual gifts, (speaking in tongues, prophesying, revelation, visions, etc.) and the church had volunteer church leaders (not paid ministry). Members had the opportunity to pay tithing, which is 10% of your income, to the Church. All of these things have been restored to the earth today with the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ in His church: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

After the original apostles were killed, the priesthood authority Christ gave to the apostles was lost. The dark ages were here on earth for over 1,800 years until a 14-year-old boy by the name of Joseph Smith went to a grove of trees in upstate New York in 1820, to pray about what church he should join. He had a great vision. This might be hard to believe, but I really do believe it. God, the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, came to Joseph Smith and told him not to join any church. He was told by these two Heavenly Beings that these churches “draw near to me with their lips but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof” (Joseph Smith—History 1:19).

So, Latter-day Saints (“Mormons”) believe Joseph Smith was instrumental in bringing the true church of Jesus Christ back to the earth—restoring it—as it was in the days of Christ. When my parents felt something missing in their life and needed to find a place of worship, they felt (and so did I,) that the true gospel of Jesus Christ is found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Mormon doctrine teaches that we lived in a spirit world with our Father in Heaven before we came to earth. We lived as a families there, so doesn’t it make sense that we would live as families here on earth and then live as families after we leave the earth? I think so. We believe this wholeheartedly and put family as our priority to keep intact. We research government records to find family members and keep a family history. This is all very important. We have our temple buildings in the Church where families are sealed together for time and all eternity.

I know Joseph Smith restored the true gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth. I know Jesus Christ is my Messiah, because I learned of the principles of Christ’s church and about the gospel the way it was intended to be taught by Jesus Christ. I have never taken the Church for granted, and I am happy to be counted as one who belongs to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Valerie Steimle is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon” woman). She has been writing as a family advocate for the past 20  years. She is the mother of nine children living in  southern Alabama and is the author of four books and a  weekly newspaper column, “Thoughts from the Heart.”

Many years ago, when I was still a new member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I took a trip with my eleven-year-old brother from Indiana to New York. The purpose of our journey was to witness the Hill Cumorah Pageant and visit the Sacred Grove, a site with special significance to the Latter-day Saint community as the location where Joseph Smith received the glorious First Vision of the Father and Son.

The power of the pageant is impressive: the volunteers practice and prepare so faithfully that the public is able to view the power of God through their performance. When the destruction scenes come with thunder and lightening, the special effects seem beyond the skill of man as if the Lord is providing his own fireworks.

My first visit to the Sacred Grove was no less impressive, though not accompanied by such a thunderous display. Instead, the power was simple and personal.  I proceeded to look for the place where Joseph received the marvelous First Vision of our dispensation. Somehow I missed the signs leading to the guided path and I accidentally entered the Grove by another way. I enjoy walking in the woods, especially when it is green and the sun is shining. There is unmatched peace in such a setting but this day was even more remarkable to me.

As I walked further into the Grove, I came to a particular spot where I stopped completely, feeling a spirit of peace and calm that testified to my soul that I had reached the place where Joseph had knelt in prayer and God had in fact answered this unpretentious farm boy. I knew without any man telling me, without the benefit of sign or marker, that this was indeed the place that God and his Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith. I was no more convinced when I found the posted signs leading to the exact location.

I received an impression much stronger in my soul and my heart than any manmade sign could give. It was the witness of God through the Holy Ghost, the residue of the presence of divine beings in that sacred spot. I will never forgot the feeling I had those many years ago. What God writes into the heart of man is not so easily erased as speculations, conjectures, and theories. When spirit speaks to spirit, there is no doubt or confusion.

A Brazilian girl named Taci finds Christ in Mormonism.

Part 1

Part 2

Jean is from the Congo, joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called Mormon or Mormon Church) in Switzerland, then moved to Ecuador where he married in the temple and served as a bishop.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

In May 2007, Time magazine had a cover story on Mitt Romney, and PBS ran a four hour special on Mormons. Although both purported to be ‘fair and balanced’, I didn’t quite find that to be so. Time had the following quote, in regards to Mitt Romney and his Mormon beliefs:

Slate editor Jacob Weisberg threw down the challenge after reviewing some of Joseph Smith’s more extravagant assertions. “He was an obvious con man,” Weisberg wrote. “Romney has every right to believe in con men, but I want to know if he does, and if so, I don’t want him running the country.”

I wanted to tell you briefly why I believe in Mormonism. When I was a boy of about 11-13 , I had a singular experience. I went to church, and the lesson was on how everyone must be baptized to go to heaven. It seemed true, but at the same time deeply disturbing. What about the billions of people in India and China that haven’t even heard the name Jesus Christ, let alone had the chance to be baptized. How could God be fair if this was true? With this on my mind, it was either the same day or the week after, my two older brothers expressed similar doubts. One said something like ‘if God is God of the whole earth, why did he only speak to people in Israel?’, and the other said ‘what bothers me is, in the Old Testament, God is a vengeful god, even ordering the extermination of entire cities, while in the New Testament, he is described as a God of Love. That sure doesn’t sound like he’s an ‘unchanging god.

Over the next several years, I became an agnostic as a result of these doubts. When I came in contact with Mormonism years later, I found it had plain and simple answers to these questions. If you are interested in what I believe those answers to be, I have links below which explain my beliefs.

I agree somewhat with Mr. Weisberg: either Joseph Smith was a con man of the first degree, perhaps the greatest on record, or he was who he purported to be. There can be no middle ground. Jesus said ‘beware of false prophets’, then went on to say ‘by their fruits, ye shall know them’. Most, if not all churches interpret this to mean that there would be no more prophets at all, but clearly, this is not what he said. The Book of Mormon is the fruit by which we can know the truth of Joseph Smith. It is convincing evidence that he was truly a prophet of God.

There are many, many criticisms of Mormonism, but it all comes down to whether the Book of Mormon is what it claims to be, or if it is a fake. It is the keystone of our religion – if it is a fake, so are all of our beliefs. The opposite is also true. I encourage people to be as skeptical as humanly possible when reading it. I tell them to ask themselves with every page, whether Joseph Smith, or anyone else could have made up the book, then ask God if it is true, and that somewhere between the first and last page, they will come to know with absolute surety that it is a true record. There are many theories as to the origin of the Book of Mormon. Had Joseph or anyone else written the book from ‘whole cloth’, it would have been infinitely more miraculous than the account of its divine origin, as given by Joseph Smith. As one man said ‘A wicked man couldn’t write such a book. A good man wouldn’t write it, unless he was commanded to do so.’

If you are interested, here are the answers to my questions:

What about the requirement that you be baptized to enter heaven? (Mormons believe in baptism for the dead, which is performed in our temples. Everyone will have the chance to hear and accept the gospel in the next life, and accept or reject these ordinances done in their behalf. See 1 Cor. 15:29 )

Why did God only speak to people in Israel ? (This is the message of the Book of Mormon , a record of his dealings with people in the Americas – see http://scriptures.lds.org/en/3_ne/15/14-17,21#14 )

How can God be the same yesterday, today, and forever, yet order the extermination of cities in the Old Testament, and be a God of Love in the New Testament. (see http://scriptures.lds.org/en/1_ne/17/32-45#32 , When nations ripen in iniquity, the Lord destroys them. ( 1 Nephi 17:37-38, 2 Nephi 1:7 , Alma 45:16 , Ether 2:8-12 ). Before destroying them, he sends prophets to warn them ( 2 Nephi 25:9 see also Amos 3:7). In the case of the Canaanites, parents were sacrificing their own children to false gods, and there was no hope for breaking this cycle. God is a gardener, of sorts, and he sends prophets to weed those gardens, but when the weeds totally overcome the garden, he uses Roundup. The same principle applies in our day, especially with reference to the Second Coming. )

If there is a God, would He be a fair and just God if he wouldn’t provide a way to prove that He existed? Likewise, if the Book of Mormon is scripture, wouldn’t God provide a way to know of a surety that this was truly scripture? (see http://scriptures.lds.org/en/moro/10/3-5#3)

The Book of Mormon makes the audacious claim that it would contain many plain and precious teachings that were once in the Bible, but were removed, either deliberately, or by error. There is an article on the internet that lists over a hundred of these plain and precious Book of Mormon teachings. (see http://www.fairwiki.org/index.php/Plain_and_Precious_Book_of_Mormon_doctrines )

I know this is the work of God. Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet of God. The Book of Mormon is convincing evidence that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and that the Church has been restored to the earth.

Brian Palmer

Miracles have long been misunderstood to be a parting of seas, or the booming voice of an omniscient deity. The scriptures are a source of many such miracles, but not all miracles are so apparent in the lives of contemporary Latter-day Saints. I testify of the smaller miracles; the workings of our beloved Heavenly Father that prove He is all around us. I testify that the smaller miracles, the personal witnesses that only mean something to us individually are the ones that are most important.

As a daughter of an alcoholic and abusive father, I’ve seen my share of horrors in this life. The greatest of all was my loss of my ability to cry. I stopped believing in sensitivity, and being conscious enough of my own feelings to weep. My defense mechanism cost me dearly, and I soon began to be swept away in a life that I could only perceive as a tragedy. I could not feel God’s embrace when I needed it most, and I tried to fill my void in any way I possibly could. It led me down a path of promiscuity and self abuse. I needed a change in my life, but I had no idea where to turn.

I testify of donuts; of Heavenly Father’s ability to know even our basest desires, and to use them to find us. I was invited to come to church with a Baptist friend of mine when I was a freshman in high school. At first I declined, until she countered with the free donuts they always had with their morning services. So began my spiritual quest for peace.

I testify of tears; a gift from our Father in Heaven, they signal to us when He is nearest. As I began to attend the Baptist services, I realized that their services were lacking something I needed. Something I craved. Unfortunately, my search wasn’t over, but I was out of places to go. I had only ever known Protestant and Catholic Christianity. Neither felt complete, and I mourned that realization for many weeks. I willingly shed the first tears I had cried in years, and I knew my God was with me. I knew He would guide me to what I was searching for, which was the first of many miracles I would experience. Hold on, the Spirit pleaded with me, and I went quietly.

I testify that Christ lives, and because he suffered for all of us, we have His Spirit to be with us. His Spirit led me down a path that I never would have found on my own. I met the first LDS members I had ever seen, and they were the most remarkable and peculiar people. They didn’t swear. They didn’t drink caffeine. They were kind, considerate, and generous. Love radiated from their actions and countenances that touched the marrow of my bones, the void in my soul. They had what I needed, whatever it was, and I knew I needed to find out more.

I testify that actions speak louder than words. I was bombarded with words as I attempted to find out more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Words from my pastor and Sunday school teacher, words from my Baptist friends, from my LDS friends. Words from all sides made it hard for me to even think. But what spoke louder than everything else was the openness, the kind-hearted spirit that the Saints extended to an outsider like me. I felt accepted I had gotten past a boundary with these people that I hadn’t gotten through with the Baptists in the months I had been with them. I didn’t understand why. I only knew that I was getting a message that I couldn’t accept. Mormonism was growing on me, and if there was anything I had learned, being a Mormon was not an easy thing to be.

I testify that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church of Christ, and that His Spirit presides over their meetings. I attended a Sunday service in an LDS church in March of 2006, and for once I was not a bystander. The Spirit finally touched me! I cried tears of joy that I recognized the second they touched my face. “I’m home! I belong HERE, and I’m never going to leave!” Before I heard talks from any of the speakers, before I learned anything about the Book of Mormon, about LDS doctrine, I knew without a doubt that the church would be my home all the days of my life.

I testify that baptism is a miracle, and that baptism into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a covenant for all eternity. I testify that because of my baptism, I was clean for the first time in my life. It has taken me my first year as a faithful member to accept that the scars I accumulated and created before my baptism were truly washed from me. I no longer need to look back and be turned to a pillar of salt. And because of this realization, I do what I can to teach others that they too can be clean.

I testify of the Prophet Joseph Smith, that “we don’t have to meet him to know he’s a prophet.” I have come to know him so completely because of my own trials. The persecution, a feeling that there MUST be something more than what the world has to offer, the added opposition of being a teenager; I have known those struggles. The faith despite terror and sacrifice; I have known it. And because a 14 year old boy said a prayer over a hundred years ago, thousands of people walked across a continent, and my life 3 generations later will never be the same! I love the Prophet Joseph Smith, and I look forward to that day when I might meet him on the other side of that veil.

I testify of the Scriptures, the Bible and The Book of Mormon. I have had my life touched by both. The Bible has demonstrated to me that to write is truly a miracle because of the hope that can last for thousands of years and countless generations. The Book of Mormon has espoused the loving voice of my Heavenly Father ever since I started reading it, and I know that it’s true.

Finally, I testify of prayer. Prayer might just be the biggest miracle of all, the most important miracle that man has ever known. Imagine; an all powerful, all knowing, all seeing deity cares enough about me to listen to me personally. He loves me enough to hear my plea, so that He can bless me with peace. All because he WANTS the chance to love a sinner like me. He’s joy is with our joy, and He only wants to take us there; to the place of joy we cannot fathom.

I testify of miracles, Brothers and Sisters, because without them, none of us would believe.

At the end of 1984, I was almost 20 years old. By that time I had dropped from school, since I had realized that the physics taught at the University would not help me find what I was looking for. Most of my friends and relatives couldn’t understand exactly what was going on with me and some of them tried in different ways to help me but without any concrete result. The problem was that I knew what I didn’t want, but I was not sure about what I wanted.

Nobody around me seemed to have the answers I was looking for. However, I had the feeling that I was in the right path. I had faith that by following the best principles I had learned and trying to improve my life by getting rid of what was not in harmony with my ideals I would finally find the answers.

On a certain day close to the end of the year 1984, I was in my home, reading a book, when I felt the sudden urge to go for a walk in downtown Asti, my home city, in Italy.

While I was walking in Corso Dante (one the main streets of the city) I saw two young men, two missionaries, walking toward me. One of them later told me that he didn’t really want to talk with me, but I looked at them and they looked at me and we stopped and started to converse. I remember that they asked me what I believed about the Savior. I can’t remember what I answered them, but they left me with a pamphlet about the Mormons, and asked for my home address.

A few days later, the same missionaries rang at my doorbell. My mother answered, and since they asked for her husband, she said that he wasn’t there. The missionaries then left before I could talk with them. I wasn’t completely ready yet.

A few more days passed and I finally reached the right point. I can remember that I was laying down on my bed, tired of my apparently fruitless search. I offered a simple silent prayer, in which I basically said, “I have done all that I knew I should do… now I really need help since I don’t know what to do next…”

As soon as I expressed my thoughts to God, I started feeling an incredible peace and I felt as if heaven was close to me. In that exact moment, the doorbell rang. This time I was alone at home. I went to answer at the door and the missionaries were there. When they entered the living room, and shook my hand, I knew that they had the answers I was looking for.

Later, I realized that what I was looking for was not just a set of doctrines or a nice church, but the feeling of the Spirit. When they entered my home, I felt that they brought with them that nice Spirit, even if I didn’t know what it was at that time.

I understand now that the Lord gave me several experiences in which I felt His Spirit. Those experiences were so sweet that I was always looking for that feeling, even if I couldn’t name it.

The missionaries’ teachings fit perfectly together with my understanding. They were answering my questions about where we come from, why we are here, and where we will go after this life.

As I have written elsewhere, when the missionaries showed me the filmstrip of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s First Vision, it was difficult for me to contain my tears. I felt that the story of his search for truth was in some ways similar to my own. My search had lasted longer, while his had been probably more intense. Moreover, he had been chosen to have the glorious vision of the Father and the Son while I had to content myself with two missionaries. However, those two missionaries were like angels to me, bringing with them the answers to my deeply heartfelt questions.

However, in spite of all these feelings, I still didn’t have a solid testimony. It was the reading of the Book of Mormon that brought to me the confirmation of the truthfulness of all those teachings and experiences.

Early in our discussions, the missionaries mentioned the practice of fasting. They didn’t stress that point too much, but for some reason I began to read the Book of Mormon while fasting at the same time. My later experience in teaching families and individuals with other missionaries showed me that it is not easy to find someone who accepts the challenge to fast while reading the Book of Mormon. However, those experiences also convinced me that when people do it, and they are sincere in their search, it is almost impossible for them not to receive an answer. And, in fact, that happened with me.

In less than a week, I read the entire Book of Mormon. I would fast for 24 hours, then have a lunch, and then fast for another 24 hours. My mother really thought that I was behaving strangely. At some point in that process, I decided to kneel down and ask if those things I was learning were true. I did it, and, after my prayer, an incredible feeling of peace surrounded me, a feeling similar to the one I had just before the missionaries came to my home, but much stronger. Together with those feelings came the answers to my specific questions about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and of the Church. I received a confirmation by the Spirit of God that all that the missionaries were teaching was true. From that moment, to paraphrase the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith, “I had a testimony; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither wanted I do it”.

I knew that the Church and the Book of Mormon were true and I was eager to learn all that was possible about the Church. However, my mother was not at all happy with my new “discovery” and, although the missionaries tried to teach her the day they challenged us to be baptized, it became clear that she was not interested like I was. Her opposition created some problems that led me eventually to leave my home.

However, I had finally found what I had been looking for after many years and this was what really counted. More than 20 years have passed since that day and I have had many experiences that reinforced that initial testimony.

So, why do I believe in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Simply because I know that it is true. The Spirit of the Lord testified it to me over and over again after that first experience. I don’t believe what I do because the Church is a wonderful organization, I don’t believe because I have friends, I don’t believe because the doctrine is clear, understandable, and sound, I don’t believe because someone told me so, but I believe because, in fact, I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true.

After all we can say and do, each person will have to honestly search, ask, and receive an answer directly from God about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and of the Church. I searched, asked, and received my answer, and therefore I can honestly say that I know that these things are true.

This story was first published in my blog at Giuseppe Martinengo’s blog

Giuseppe Martinengo: before I met the missionaries of the Mormon Church