As my father was dying, he begged me to come back to our traditional family religion. He claimed that since all religions were about the same, it wouldn’t make any difference. Though I knew it would mean so much to my dad, I didn’t do it. Why?
To answer, I must go back to my college days. I lived just down the hill from the University of California at Berkeley. It was in the late 1960's, the age of Hippies, and “Flower Power”. Youth were questioning. They were tired of just being admonished to do as you are told. They didn’t want to merely follow some traditional religion. They wanted answers. They wanted to know the meaning of life. Some sought “enlightenment” in Far Eastern religions, and some in LSD (not LDS!) drug highs. For most it was just a “fad”, but for me it was not.
I studied the major world religions and found some truths there. I looked at Christian religions and found some truth there. But it was not enough for me. I wanted more than beliefs that some people had decided would make good guides for life. I was looking for more. I wanted truth, what was real. I was looking for something that felt right.
One day I began to study The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I found again the real God, a loving Heavenly Father, whom I had known as a child until I became lost in all sorts of religious “mysteries”. I learned that my life had purpose - to learn, grow, and become like my Heavenly Father, and that our Savior could help me reach my full potential. I had always felt that loving relationships could not just end, and was thrilled to hear that we could continue in families after we left this life. It all felt right and true. It felt like I had rediscovered truths that I had always known.
It was like going from candlelight into the sun. After years of searching, I had found not some man-made set of beliefs, but the truth I was seeking and could never leave.
Why I Became a Mormon
When I was eighteen and living close to Berkeley, California, I was looking for some teachings to guide my life. I wanted a happier life than I'd seen in my family. I looked into all sorts of religions, even Far Eastern. Nothing felt right and many of the things they said didn't seem just - such as if you were a little bit better you went to heaven or a little bit worse and you went to hell. About this time I met a nice girl in a high school summer class, and we became friends. I was very impressed with the love I saw in her family. I had never seen anything like it before. I began to ask her questions, and she suggested I talk to some missionaries. As I read the Book of Mormon, so many questions I had were answered. Ideas just rang true. They felt like things I had always known, but had forgotten. Finally, two years and many, many questions later (I had to be sure, for I knew this was the biggest decision I would make in my life), I finally joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My parents weren’t very happy with my decision, but I was. Through the years, these true principles have helped me to build a happy marriage and a strong family, and to see my health problems as opportunities to grow. I have never regretted my decision one moment.
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