Learning How to Float

My roots in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints reach back to the pioneer days of the mid-1800s.  Many of my ancestors sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe, crossed the country by wagon train, and settled in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah.  I was taught the gospel of Jesus Christ from an early age by my parents.   As a family we prayed, studied the scriptures, attended church meetings, and learned to serve those around us.  I was afforded a rich environment where my faith in Jesus Christ took root and grew.

A convert to the Church must come to accept doctrines and teachings they may not have been taught in the past.  Prior to baptism, they must gain a testimony, or conviction, that the truths taught by modern prophets and the Book of Mormon are, in fact, true.  Those of us born into the Church face a different task.  We too must gain a conviction, but we must come to believe that what we have been taught from childhood by our parents is true.

As a teenager, I attended a religious class our Church provides for high school students.  We met every morning at 6:00 AM before school.  There, on a daily basis, I learned from the scriptures and gained an understanding of where we came from, our purpose here on earth, and where we are going after this life.  I read the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon, and other modern scriptures.  I prayed about the things I learned, and by the influence of the Holy Ghost came to know the things I was being taught are true.

At age 18, I left home and began college on the other side of the country, away from the influence of my parents.  Like a newly constructed ship being launched into the water, it was here that I found out if my faith was strong enough for me to float, or if I would sink.  I quickly found that my desire to continue in the ways I was taught remained strong.  I continued to read, study, and pray.  I found myself reaching out to those around me and strengthening them.  At the age of 20 I embarked on a two-year mission for the Church and saw the gospel bless the lives of many people in the country of Poland where I served.

Now, as a father, I have the same responsibility my parents had.  My wife and I teach our children just like we were taught.  We help them and encourage them, but all the time realize that what we are really trying to do is help them come to a knowledge for themselves that these things are true.

Those born in the Church are not different from converts to the Church.  We may be introduced to the Church at an earlier age by our parents, but we must gain our own faith just the same.  We must study the same scriptures, pray to the same God, and receive a witness from the same Holy Spirit.  I have done this and I know that you can too.

Bill Warner
Chula Vista 3rd Ward