Conversion Stories

[jl182]

Im just interested and curious if any converts to the church would like to share thier stories? I'm in the process of learning about it and would just like to hear how it was for any others.

How did the LDS church come into your life? What brought you to make the decision to become a member? How has it changed your life since then? How did any non LDS family members react?

This is just pure curiousity if anyone would like to share I think it would be really interesting to hear!

[dahlia]

If you look for my threads, I think dating from June or July, you will see my story here. Jason_J has also been upfront with his story.

Before I say more, why are you learning about converts? Is this for Seminary or something?

I don't think I've mentioned this before, but as to how family members felt, I had 1 sister who was unsure I should convert. She worked with a very bad Mormon, very racist, and that was her sole personal knowledge of anyone who was LDS. She had also seen something on TV about church history and wanted to know if I knew about polygamy, etc.! Since then, she's come around and thinks the church is very good for me and even admits to agreeing with some LDS tenets.

After a few months, I told my mother (mostly because she'd call on Sunday and I'd be gone and she was getting curious), but didn't tell her how serious it was until after baptism. She thinks it is a good thing, mostly because it gives me a social network here in a town where I don't know anyone except colleagues. We don't talk much about church doctrine unless she asks. For some reason, she thinks it's very funny to ask about food storage and if I'm going to get something out of storage to make dinner. She's 80; I give her a pass on most stuff. : )

[SeanButler]

If you'd like to hear mine, you can read this blog I posted. Blogs » My Conversion Story » LDS Social Network

[LDSVALLEY]

My wife and I had looked into different religions after our 1st child was born. Neither of us had been baptized anything. I believed in God but not organized religion, I had considered it when I was 13 and worked out that religions didn't make sense.

Randomly 2 Missionaries knocked on my (our) door, first time in 28 years. Told them they were welcome to teach us but I had my belief's and was not changing them. Nor could they brainwash me into their cult.

Everything they said fit my personal beliefs, but I am a big skeptic and question the motives of most everybody so I kept looking for their hook. Finally I did as they asked and prayed, no other religion had ever told me to ask God for the answer! When I asked if it was true it was like a warm blanket was draped over my shoulders, wife had the same thing. Still I did it three times before I figured I had better do as I was prompted.

I still say I was a new convert for 3 years until a member fully took me under their wing to guide me. Since then I have had too many experiences to question the truth of the Gospel. The family reacted as one might expect, we heard all the Mormon stuff, had some tell us to never talk about it etc. No family was at our baptism.

But time passes and the example is seen, most of our families have been at each of our 3 child's baptisms. They have watched or kids so we could attend church events etc. Mom has even taken food to Missionaries a couple of times. They might never join but they have seen the positive influence on our family.

As for me it is like a different life, not that I was living a bad one prior to baptism, but things are far better then they ever could have been without it. My wife and I most likely would have been divorced without the steadying influence of the church to help us with the rough patches during 17 years of marriage.

I have never regretted answering the door that day.

[Traveler]

I was born of goodly LDS parents so being a part of the landscape of LDS theology and doctrine was never foreign to me. It is hard to say that I was converted with any event but at the same time I have had several spiritual experiences that has brought be to an understanding of divine things. My first experience was at age of 8 I was in a distressful situation that was relieved in answer to my first meaningful prayer. Then again when I was 13 and reading the Book of Mormon I was introduced to unclean spirits and the importance of ancestry.

There have been many experiences while I served in the military and on a mission, building a church in a small branch and being in the Celestial room of a temple during a dedication. There have been many lesser (seemingly) spiritual experiences while traveling with my work, a plant shutdown emergency, and quiet times while camping alone or during a solitary century solo bicycle ride. Also a rather special experience at the Mormon cemetery at the Church historical site of Winter Quarters.

I have never been very far off course during my life. It seems that my “conversions” have been many to help me with spiritual things. For example: One Christmas season I was Christmas shopping with my children - a teenager and some younger. I received an extremely strong prompting to turn the car around and drive to a particular part of a parking lot of no significances. My teenager complained bitterly thinking I was just wasting time making them late for fun with friends. Then in a remote part of a parking lot we discovered an elderly lady that had fallen on ice hurting herself and unable to get up on the slick ice. She had been there for hours crying for help but no one heard so she began to pray fearing the evening darkness and that in the cold she would die before she was found and helped. We took her home in our warm car and got some of her family to ride back to get the lady’s car.

Hours later when the teenager had missed a party we finely got home. This ended up being a major turning point in the life of my teenager. They asked how I knew about the lady. My response was that I didn’t - just a very strong spiritual prompting to go to the parking lot.

The Traveler

[Mute]

I was born of goodly LDS parents so being a part of the landscape of LDS theology and doctrine was never foreign to me. It is hard to say that I was converted with any event but at the same time I have had several spiritual experiences that has brought be to an understanding of divine things. My first experience was at age of 8 I was in a distressful situation that was relieved in answer to my first meaningful prayer. Then again when I was 13 and reading the Book of Mormon I was introduced to unclean spirits and the importance of ancestry.

There have been many experiences while I served in the military and on a mission, building a church in a small branch and being in the Celestial room of a temple during a dedication. There have been many lesser (seemingly) spiritual experiences while traveling with my work, a plant shutdown emergency, and quiet times while camping alone or during a solitary century solo bicycle ride. Also a rather special experience at the Mormon cemetery at the Church historical site of Winter Quarters.

I have never been very far off course during my life. It seems that my “conversions” have been many to help me with spiritual things. For example: One Christmas season I was Christmas shopping with my children - a teenager and some younger. I received an extremely strong prompting to turn the car around and drive to a particular part of a parking lot of no significances. My teenager complained bitterly thinking I was just wasting time making them late for fun with friends. Then in a remote part of a parking lot we discovered an elderly lady that had fallen on ice hurting herself and unable to get up on the slick ice. She had been there for hours crying for help but no one heard so she began to pray fearing the evening darkness and that in the cold she would die before she was found and helped. We took her home in our warm car and got some of her family to ride back to get the lady’s car.

Hours later when the teenager had missed a party we finely got home. This ended up being a major turning point in the life of my teenager. They asked how I knew about the lady. My response was that I didn’t - just a very strong spiritual prompting to go to the parking lot.

The Traveler

That's a good reason to believe that there may be a supernatural force out there. It's actually one of the best I've heard. If I had an experience that happened as you say yours did, then I would quite possibly believe or at least try to figure out why I had that happen.

Edited March 16, 2011 by Mute

[Mute]

One Christmas season I was Christmas shopping with my children - a teenager and some younger. I received an extremely strong prompting to turn the car around and drive to a particular part of a parking lot of no significances. My teenager complained bitterly thinking I was just wasting time making them late for fun with friends. Then in a remote part of a parking lot we discovered an elderly lady that had fallen on ice hurting herself and unable to get up on the slick ice. She had been there for hours crying for help but no one heard so she began to pray fearing the evening darkness and that in the cold she would die before she was found and helped. We took her home in our warm car and got some of her family to ride back to get the lady’s car.Hours later when the teenager had missed a party we finely got home. This ended up being a major turning point in the life of my teenager. They asked how I knew about the lady. My response was that I didn’t - just a very strong spiritual prompting to go to the parking lot.

That's a good reason to believe there may be a supernatural force out there. If I had a similar experience that happened as you say yours did, then I would quite possibly believe or at least try to figure out why I had that happen.

[Madriglace]

I was raised in the church, my folks are converts. When we moved to So California I wanted to go to church with the little Catholic kids next door, mom told told dad it was time to find his kids a church.

However I have always felt that at one point or another no matter what our status at birth we all have to become converted. I have always known the gospel was true and had no problem with any of the doctrine. I think I finally became truly converted when several years ago while studying to teach a lesson I was able to understand my responsibility for the Saviors suffering during the atonement. That hit me like a ton of bricks ... I caused my Savior to bleed because of the pain ... the atonement became about me. He took on my sins and my pain and suffering and He loves me anyway ... what a blessing. Now as I grow line upon line I can work everything through my knowledge ... no matter how limited ... of the atonement and it just makes more sense. My latest is the concept of being fully willing to bend my will to that of the Father ... tough thing to do but the changes have been amazing ... as of yesterday when I ignored a prompting ... my goal is to listen and act. Line upon line ... when I finally got it the lines started falling into place. My goal ... to have my Savior take me in His arms and tell me ... well done.