“I was born into a home where my parents were strong and active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They were dedicated to the gospel, strived to serve as much as possible, and loved and sacrificed for our family. My mother is Japanese-American and grew up in a family whose activity in the church was spontaneous, at best. Albeit, my mother always knew the restored gospel was true and eventually got baptized a little later in her youth. My father did not grow up in the church, but due to his love for my mother and a spiritual experience, he was converted and baptized into the church just prior to getting married. Neither my mother nor father graduated from college. Their marriage, as an interracial couple, was still considered somewhat taboo in the 1970’s. My father’s family, when they found out he married a “Mormon,” was not happy with my dad’s decision. They had a lot going against them, however they moved forward with hope, hard work, and dedication in order to make a life for themselves. Looking back, I can see how something as simple as faith in each other and in the Lord can allow two people to create something strong and lasting. A big part of my testimony is in seeing the example of my parents, their sacrifices they made for my brother and sisters, and never giving up when things got hard. I attribute their example of faith to what I see in their family today – all four of us children are active and faithful to the Lord, his church, and our families. The strength I see comes from my parents.
Probably the greatest building block of my testimony is knowing that Jesus Christ lives and that he is my personal Savior. When I was 15 years old, I remember thinking a lot about my life. I happened to attend some youth activities, one of which was a big youth conference called Especially for Youth, and another was one called a Wilderness Youth Conference. In each of these experiences, I came away with a deeper commitment to the Gospel, a change of heart to be more loving and loyal to my family, and a strong desire to serve God with greater devotion. The Spirit touched me so strongly in these experiences that it lead me to do several things. First, I decided to read and finish the whole Book of Mormon and I ended up reading it within a relatively short amount of time. Second, I had two spiritual experiences with prayer. I prayed to ask God if the Book of Mormon and the church was true, and second I asked God to forgive me of my sins. I received answers to both of these. The experiences I had, left me with an undeniable witness that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God’s church on earth, and second, that Jesus Christ lives, that he knows me, and he wants me to come unto him. I came to know that he is my Savior and that we can truly be forgiven of our sins. I testify that the peace and purity that God promises us is real. The joy we can have through repentance and the Savior’s Atonement is the most powerful cleansing thing we can experience. I love my Savior and I know he loves me. Truly, Jesus Christ can and does save us.
I have come to know that God will continue to walk with us in life and that he will bless us and our families if we have faith, strive to listen to his Spirit, and serve him with all our heart and strength. As a grown married man, I have quickly found out how hard and challenging life becomes. My wife and I have experienced hardships and trials with work, children, and the community that have humbled us and brought us to our knees in prayer. There have been times when the only source of strength and comfort we can turn to is our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ. I testify that in all these experiences, God has never left us. He has always delivered help and inspiration at the time we most needed it, which was not always the time we thought it would be. I can also testify that we just need to do our very best to follow him, serve and believe. As we have done this, his miracles have come, and I can attribute them to the efforts and faith we offered.
I have a very strong faith and belief in God. I have come to know that I have a personal Savior and that Jesus Christ is there for me. God inspires, comforts, and humbles me by his Holy Spirit and I can connect with God and know his will for me through it.”
I Am Converted 