To preface this post, it is a little different than the usual “I Am Converted” stories.
This story comes from my husband’s sweet Grandfather who went back to his Heavenly home this past week. He is a convert to the church, and I feel deeply moved that his wonderful wife wanted his story to be shared.
The photograph is not one that I have taken, and permission has been granted by family to use it.
His story comes from a journal entry made in August of 1976.
“I have felt motivated to make a record of my indebtedness to my wife for the inspiration and testimony which gave me the strength and desire to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by the elders of his church.
During the summer of 1969 we had been contacted by two Mormon missionaries. Working shift work caused that I should be at home during the day. On several occasions, two young men came to our door and I was either sleeping or getting ready for work. On one sunny afternoon I was in the side yard cooking dinner on a grill when they appeared. I had thought to put them off but all of a sudden I recalled an incident which had occurred about 10 or 11 years before… A man I had worked with made this comment, “I always listen to everyone because I might just learn something from them. ” This thought came to me and I figured these two guys might have something of value (boy if I had only known!). They were carrying one of those blue paperback Books of Mormon and I felt prompted to see what was in it and asked if I could “borrow” it to read. They smiled and said they’d be glad to loan it to me and said they’d be back to pick it up in a few days.
We began to read and the elders returned and began to teach, explaining the church and its beliefs. One morning as we were preparing for breakfast, I noticed my wife was very quiet. She finally turned to me and with a very concerned or troubled look asked, “If I told you the Book of Mormon was true, would you believe me?” She related a special witness she had received during the night, she knew the witness was true. So did I. We were baptized on September 20th, 1969, the whole family.
About four weeks later I had the chance to attend the closed-circuit broadcast of the priesthood meeting held for General Conference. Elder Thomas S. Monson was speaking and describing a small young Canadian missionary. After a door-knocking rejection, yet strengthened by faith, the missionaries returned and testified that Jesus Christ was the son of God, that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that the Book of Mormon was true.
As Elder Monson was describing the missionarys’ testimony, the Holy Ghost came to me and witnessed to me of the truthfulness of that testimony. It began as a warm, burning sensation within my bosom gradually becoming warmer throughout my whole body. Never in my whole life have I felt such peace or joy or surety of anything as I felt at that time. I bear witness that this account is true, that Christ is the son of the living God; that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God; that the Book of Mormon is a true account; and that Jesus Christ’s church is here on this earth today being the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In Jesus Christ’s name, amen.”
I Am Converted 