Discovering Truth for Myself

I was blessed to have been raised by parents who were faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).  Raising their children in the gospel was important to them because each came from homes where one or both parents were not active church members.  They wanted their children to enjoy all of the blessings of a gospel-centered home, many of which they had missed out on as children.  As a result, the gospel was an integral part of our family life. 

I cannot remember a day of my life without the gospel.  One of my earliest childhood memories is of attending Sunday worship services and running a toy car along the top of the back of the pew.  A few years later my family was a member of a married-student congregation.  My siblings and I were the only “primary” aged children (ages 3 to 11) in the congregation so my mother was asked to serve as our “primary teacher.”  I specifically remember one lesson she taught about 2000 young warriors whose lives were spared because of the faith they placed in their mother’s faith in God’s power to preserve them.  And like the “Stripling Warriors,” who relied upon the faith of their mothers, I believed the gospel because my mother told me it was true.

Then at age 14 I happened upon a verse of scripture contained in the Book of Mormon which reads, “And when ye shall receive these things (the Book of Mormon), I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost (Moroni 10:4).”

Upon reading that passage it occurred to me that I did not have to rely upon the faith of my parents, that I could know for myself whether or not the Church were true.  I decided then and there to read the Book of Mormon and put Moroni’s promise to the test.  I began reading that night and over the course of several weeks read the entire Book.  After finishing, I set the book aside, knelt at the side of my bed and offered a prayer to God, asking if the Book of Mormon were true. 

I hoped to see an angel, like young Joseph Smith, or to receive a dramatic spiritual manifestation as an answer to my prayer.  What I did receive was, a sweet, peaceful reassurance and a calming confirmation that what I had believed all along was true, that God lives, that Jesus is His Son and our Redeemer, that the Book of Mormon is true and the Church that Jesus Christ established through Joseph Smith is His Church.

To this day, that spiritual witness burns within me so that like my parents, I too can testify that this Church is true.

Adam Dunford
Chula Vista 3rd Ward

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