When Did You Believe?

[prisonchaplain]

Feel free to share if you converted, if you had a crisis of faith, etc. If you grew up in the church, and it was at your baptism that you gained your assurance. Perhaps you gained your testimony at a certain point. Feel free to bare your testimony--but do so with personal story, rather than a recitation of what you believe. Thanks. I believe this will be enjoyable for people to read.

I'll go first. I was 10. Church people had come to our neighborhood, offering candy and balloons, and inviting us to ride the van to church. I went, and the teachers explained that Jesus would forgive our wrong-doings, and help us to be better children--and that he would be our friend always. After about three weeks, in November of 1974, I raised my hand, and prayed with the teachers. I knew that what they said was true, and have never waivered from it. At the time, my brother also went to church--but never accepted Christ (until some 30 years later). My parents and older siblings did not go to church.

[the_jason]

I selected 15-21, but I believe this poll is a bit misleading. Conversion is a process, not a single act. I grew up in the church and served a mission at 19. After my mission I fell away from the church for about 3 years. Since I returned I've had the strongest testimony I've ever had. I chose 15-21 because that was when I decided to serve a mission, but a true testimony is gained over time.

[Palerider]

I chose 15-21 ....I have been a church member all my life. Right after I went on my mission I discovered I had a testimony....I went on my mission when I was 20yrs old....I went cause I wanted to go...so I got cleaned up and went and found a testimony.....my testimony keeps growing.

[Acez]

I too chose the 15-21 age range. I don't think it was one moment where it was gained straight away. More of a slow trickle where, little and simple things were revealed to me and their accumulation gave me that feeling, "This is true." Just very grateful I was able to gain it so young and at a point where it can be crafted and things.

:) Acez

[prisonchaplain]

Interestingly, I've discovered a bias in my poll. I still believe it is valid, but, I come from a religious tradition that emphasizes "crisis-conversion." We talk often about "when we were saved." Usually there is an experience at the front of the church, where people come up and "invite Jesus into their hearts."

Those that convert will, nevertheless, find the question natural. Those who grow up in church--or who come from churches that are more sacramental (baptism, confirmation--similar, imho, to receiving Aaronic priesthood--etc.), will find the question somewhat clumsy.

Everyone is doing great with this--and I've learened something new about myself. :-)

[Gabelma]

I selected 7 or under despite it being 15 when I met the missionaries and got baptised.

I have personally had religious experiences all my life I think I was 5 and walking home from school when I first remember being teased for talking to myself I know at that point I was praying and it was at that time I asked my Aunty and Uncle to take me to their church. It was a Presbyterian one but they were Spiritualists. It was about that time I got my new childrens bible and saw the picture of Jesus being baptised and that was the point at which I desired to be baptised by immersiion - just took me 10 years to find someone who would do it.

I picked when I started looking for my baptism because for I have always known I was on the right path, I was being lead by Heavenly Father and Jesus (I have always seen them as seperate beings even as a small child)

My favourite picture is still the one of Jesus getting baptised it shows humilty all 3 members of the Godhead (well ok you have to listen to get Heavenly Father lol) and has that beautiful view of Galilee

-Charley

[Gwen]

i chose 9-14 though lol that's a bit inaccurate for me. my conversion took place more 13-16. i think i always had a knowledge of god and all that being true, but my first powerful/memerable experiance that said this chruch is true was at 13. (i think i've talked about it before so i won't bore you with that) but i didn't really gain an unwavering faith and testamony in the chruch till i was closer to 16. a good portion of the thanks i would give to some wonderful leaders who did a great job with the youth program in my area. i also give a lot of credit to my best friend at the time. she was not lds and never even attended church with me (went to one youth activity). but i went to many of her meetings with her. she asked questions all the time, she liked to debate things and so i was constantly having to figure out what it was i believed and how to explain it to her. for the record, she wasn't anti or bagering, it was geniuine and respectful inquiring. she was also in the process of figuring out what she believed and thus we would discuss what we were being taught, what we could accept. without her i don't think i would have really thought about it that much. in some/many ways i still waiver in my dedication to "the chruch" but the gospel i have never wavered on.

i think knowing the chruch and gospel is true and knowing what that means (how to make it work in your life) are different. my ability to truely utilize the gift of the HG and to know how to apply the doctrines in my life developed more 18-.... still growing. though i think it is different from testamony it is very much connected in the development of it.

[Canuck Mormon]

I chose between 22-35. I did this even though I grew up in the church, was baptised at 8, ordained an elder at 18, but then I fell away for the next 12-15 years. It was about 4 years ago that I started attending church again. Since then I have felt the Lord's pressence strongly in my life, and that is something I can never deny.

[snipe123]

My parents were not active as I was growing up and I started going to church with a friend from school...I was baptized at age 12 by my Grandfather in a river in Star Valley, Wyoming...as a teenager, In California, I attended seminary but the people I went to church with were the same ones that gave me a hard time at school so I stopped going...ran with a bad crowd...Met an LDS girl that I became friends with and started going to activities but never church...Can't remember why, but at some point I decided to go to church because I remembered that when I did, it felt better than laying around the house on a Sunday Morning...so I went to church with the attitude that I was going because it "felt good" to be there(I was a Senior in High School) ...after about 3 weeks we had a returned missionary speak in our ward(you know how they do the tour with a Stake High Councilman) that I had never met...It was tradition in our ward, that when a missionary has served a mission in a foreign speaking country that they share their testimony in the language they had been speaking for the past two years...As he shared his testimony in Portugese, The Spirit just really slammed me...I understood exactly what he was saying, not word for word mind you, but I knew what he was saying...not sure how to explain it...it was like he was speaking spirit to spirit in a language my ears did not understand, but my spirit did...anyway, started to cry and wanted to look away, but The Spirit whispered that I should not...So I sat there on the third row with tears just pouring down my face for the rest of the meeting...I exited in a hurry after the meeting and cried off and on all day, and for weeks after, every time I thought about it, I would cry with joy...anyway, as I sat there, I knew I needed to do whatever I needed to do, to do exactly what this missionary had done, so I spoke to the bishop and a few months after my 19th birthday I found myself in the MTC(where I met my wife by the way...:)).

After two months in Texas, my testimony was shattered by repeated, almost constant anti-attacks etc...luckily I was friends with a missionary who had been out 22 months when I first met him...he taught me how to study(we are still friends after 15 years and talk on the phone about once a week...brick layer in Navoo)...I read the Bible cover to cover twice, the Gospels about 10 times, over the next several months...I devoted myself to study, and spent all my spare time (which isn't much as a missionary)reading the scriptures...p-day, the end of the day, at lunch, at breakfast, at Zone Conference...I did not follow the missionary guide for study...I just read the scriptures with a notebook in hand where I wrote down questions and the answers as they came...The Spirit taught me...Questions and concerns just melted away as I found answers in the scriptures...It did not take long before I had a solid, firm testimony which abided with me until the marriage crisis that I have mentioned in other posts...

Now that I have remarried my x-wife and things are on track at church etc...I am finding that my testimony is perhaps a bit more humble than it used to be...its based less on intellectual things, and I find myself enjoying the weaping stories in the Ensign, and books about believing and following Christ, more so than Mormon apologetics, or books about the latest dig in the sand...Knowledge that I was sure was lost after three years of inactivity has been flooding back to me, and I marvel at how merciful God is...How he has restored that which was lost...It's all about God for me now, and trying to be a better Father, Husband, teacher, and learner...

[AnthonyB]

I decided first to follow Jesus when I was 15. After about six months of having a running fight with God, because the last thing I ever wanted to be was a Christian, I finally gave in.

My childhood image of God was a stern and unforgiving and very distant being. The whole "God loves me thing" just made no sense. The "Jesus" that I had seemed protrayed always seemed effeminate and religion was something women did. Christians I knew all seemed too prissy.

I really like the OT, cause people there seemed much more real than the NT people. It wasn't till I grasped who revolutionary Jesus teaching was that I started my slow path towards God.

[tiancum]

Interestingly, I've discovered a bias in my poll. I still believe it is valid, but, I come from a religious tradition that emphasizes "crisis-conversion." We talk often about "when we were saved." Usually there is an experience at the front of the church, where people come up and "invite Jesus into their hearts."

Those that convert will, nevertheless, find the question natural. Those who grow up in church--or who come from churches that are more sacramental (baptism, confirmation--similar, imho, to receiving Aaronic priesthood--etc.), will find the question somewhat clumsy.

Everyone is doing great with this--and I've learned something new about myself. :-)

Many LDS believe the same thing PC. Including all the prophets. They always speak of being "baptized with fire and the holy ghost", and having the "mighty change of heart". Elder Bednar, elder oaks, etc...

It was Elder Oaks about 15 years ago that said, if you are asked if you have been saved, then simply reply "yes".

I was about 20...

since then....The hardest thing to to for me is stay on the straight and narrow, in other words... not "fall from grace". I try and do this by continual repentance, and showing Him that I love Him by trying to follow Him with all my heart might mind and strength......and failing miserably.

The second I start to rationalize my actions, make excuses for myself...etc, I come very close to denying what my Savior has done for me...and falling from grace. Continual repentance and succumbing to the will of My Savior has indeed "saved me".

What a beautiful question. Thanks!!

[Brother Dorsey]

My parents were not active as I was growing up and I started going to church with a friend from school...I was baptized at age 12 by my Grandfather in a river in Star Valley, Wyoming...as a teenager, In California, I attended seminary but the people I went to church with were the same ones that gave me a hard time at school so I stopped going...ran with a bad crowd...Met an LDS girl that I became friends with and started going to activities but never church...Can't remember why, but at some point I decided to go to church because I remembered that when I did, it felt better than laying around the house on a Sunday Morning...so I went to church with the attitude that I was going because it "felt good" to be there(I was a Senior in High School) ...after about 3 weeks we had a returned missionary speak in our ward(you know how they do the tour with a Stake High Councilman) that I had never met...It was tradition in our ward, that when a missionary has served a mission in a foreign speaking country that they share their testimony in the language they had been speaking for the past two years...As he shared his testimony in Portugese, The Spirit just really slammed me...I understood exactly what he was saying, not word for word mind you, but I knew what he was saying...not sure how to explain it...it was like he was speaking spirit to spirit in a language my ears did not understand, but my spirit did...anyway, started to cry and wanted to look away, but The Spirit whispered that I should not...So I sat there on the third row with tears just pouring down my face for the rest of the meeting...I exited in a hurry after the meeting and cried off and on all day, and for weeks after, every time I thought about it, I would cry with joy...anyway, as I sat there, I knew I needed to do whatever I needed to do, to do exactly what this missionary had done, so I spoke to the bishop and a few months after my 19th birthday I found myself in the MTC(where I met my wife by the way...:)).

After two months in Texas, my testimony was shattered by repeated, almost constant anti-attacks etc...luckily I was friends with a missionary who had been out 22 months when I first met him...he taught me how to study(we are still friends after 15 years and talk on the phone about once a week...brick layer in Navoo)...I read the Bible cover to cover twice, the Gospels about 10 times, over the next several months...I devoted myself to study, and spent all my spare time (which isn't much as a missionary)reading the scriptures...p-day, the end of the day, at lunch, at breakfast, at Zone Conference...I did not follow the missionary guide for study...I just read the scriptures with a notebook in hand where I wrote down questions and the answers as they came...The Spirit taught me...Questions and concerns just melted away as I found answers in the scriptures...It did not take long before I had a solid, firm testimony which abided with me until the marriage crisis that I have mentioned in other posts...

Now that I have remarried my x-wife and things are on track at church etc...I am finding that my testimony is perhaps a bit more humble than it used to be...its based less on intellectual things, and I find myself enjoying the weaping stories in the Ensign, and books about believing and following Christ, more so than Mormon apologetics, or books about the latest dig in the sand...Knowledge that I was sure was lost after three years of inactivity has been flooding back to me, and I marvel at how merciful God is...How he has restored that which was lost...It's all about God for me now, and trying to be a better Father, Husband, teacher, and learner...

Great story Issac...or should I say great testimony....maybe we'll run into eachother in the Portland Temple sometime!

[Andy_Plsn]

i chose 15-21 im 18 and met the missionaries about 5 months ago.i took the discussions, it had seemed if i had already knew the basic principles which they taught ,as if i had heard it before. during my first lesson (the restoration, joseph smith and the vision) the spirit was soo strong at the time i didn't know what it was and it was soo amazing. as i continued to take the lessons i found more truth in what they were teaching and it was really cool. i really didn't know until i fasted and prayed about it, one day i was sitting home alone on my sofa and had just got done praying it was during my fast and i had a great spiritual experience one that can only be toped by the day i got to baptize one of my best friends. i knew it was true and here i am and i have almost been baptized for 3 months. i can tell you the decision to join the church was the right one and that the church is true and if it wasn't i wouldn't be here today. i love this church and i have had many trials already and all it does is strengthen my testimony.

andy

[MormonGirl02]

I learned that Mormonism was the truth at the age of 24. I am now 25. :)

[Dale]

I never had an i know kind of testimony. I used to mouth the word's when young, but i was to uninformed to use the word's. I would say i have developed degree's of confidence in what i think is true.

I have been in my life exposed to a vast wide variety of Anti-Restoration materials. My first Anti-Mormon book i read that shook me up my confidence in my religion was Mormon Claim's Answered by Marvin Cowan. I re-read the book in recent year's and so much of the content i see as answerable these day's. But when i was young i assumed that since i was totally stumped at the time that maybe the critic's were right.

Since i was young i have found fully satisfying answer's, partially satisfying answer's, and learned to live with no current answer. I have learned to live with ambiguity in religion. I have learned to live with area's of church history i might not like. No church is perfect doctrinally, or otherwise. But if i awaited perfection i would be a member of no church.

With Joseph Smith i cannot honestly say i like all his teaching's. But whatever item's i doubt him on i find many more aspects of his prophetic teaching to be truly excited about.

What give's me hope Joseph Smith was a true prophet is i feel he survive's his religious critic's.

Apologetic and scholarship has a use in helping those who are struggling find some answer's. I don't see Moroni 10 as preventing the application of logic and reason also in developing a testimony.

As a Community of Christ/RLDS person I see our two denomination's have much to affirm in common. We also believe the church restored in 1830 is true. Maybe my part of church was wrong after 1844. The church of 1830 is still true though.

[Guest JLHyde]

Feel free to share if you converted, if you had a crisis of faith, etc. If you grew up in the church, and it was at your baptism that you gained your assurance. Perhaps you gained your testimony at a certain point. Feel free to bare your testimony--but do so with personal story, rather than a recitation of what you believe. Thanks. I believe this will be enjoyable for people to read.

I'll go first. I was 10. Church people had come to our neighborhood, offering candy and balloons, and inviting us to ride the van to church. I went, and the teachers explained that Jesus would forgive our wrong-doings, and help us to be better children--and that he would be our friend always. After about three weeks, in November of 1974, I raised my hand, and prayed with the teachers. I knew that what they said was true, and have never waivered from it. At the time, my brother also went to church--but never accepted Christ (until some 30 years later). My parents and older siblings did not go to church.

_________________

Ah, but the "real" question is "When did you begin to NOT believe? (And, thus necessitate a re-adjustment)"

Little children ALWAYS have believed! It is in their very nature, to believe: until Santa taps them on the arm and says, "I'm not really who you think I am."

[selek]

I was eight when I accepted Jesus at a Baptist Bible Summer Camp. I was in my early twenties when I found his authorized Church and became a member. Conversion isn't a single instance, nor is it usually (at least in my humble experience) made only under duress. Not everyone has to hit rock-bottom before they can see the hand offered them and the light guiding them home.

There certainly are those who do, but in my experience, they tend to be something of a minority.

[Elgama]

Hard one to answer- I was baptised LDS at 15 but had spent at least 9 years looking for that baptism. I know I prayed at about 4, and at 6 my desire for baptism by immersion started I saw a picture in a childrens bible - investigated faiths and just knew the way the Lord had lead me that the missionaries who were sitting on Mums couch were there to baptise me. LOL didn't realise what I was getting myself into.

The only slight twinge I get is I wanted to be a minister/vicar/nun - I was sure when Ifound my church Iwanted to serve fulltime- I know I am serving just by bringing up my kids but...

-Charley

[MorningStar]

I knew before I was 7. :) I used to play in my room, talk to Jesus, and show Him my toys. I believed He saw me and was interested in everything I had to say.

[cloud9]

I learned that Mormonism was the truth at the age of 24. I am now 25. :)

So exactly how did you learn it was the truth? One can feel or think something is true all they want to, but once one actually LEARNS the truth then it just can not be disputed! Well it can but logically the truth is still the truth, and the disputer is just one who still believes in a myth.

For years our European ancestors believed, they didn't "KNOW", they believed the world was flat. Then along came little old Columbus who decided to challenge that theory. He was able to prove that the world was not flat and that when they reached the horizon that they indeed would NOT fall off the face of the Earth. That then became a TRUTH.

Mythbusters are a prime example of truth seekers. They don't just blindly accept someone else's version of truth (aka a myth) they set out to prove whether or not it is buster, plausible, or confirmed!

Many former Mormons initially believed what they were told about church history. Then one day they learned the truth. At first we were stunned and didn't know what to think. We initially didn't believe it. So like any good truth seeker we tried a different resource, but found the same truth. For many just a couple of resources wasn't enough. We didn't stop at just one or two resources; no we found several. Time and time again the truth prevailed.

Once you learn the truth, you really can't unlearn it. Truth is truth! If 1+1 equals 2 don't try to convince me it's still 3! Don't try and spin the facts. Don't try and tell me you KNOW that 1+1=3 because you prayed about it, because you felt the spirit when you read the figure, because you "just KNOW" it's true. It's not! It's what you believe to be true, when the truth is that 1+1=2.

Truth is NOT a feeling. It NEVER can be a feeling. Faith is the hope that your belief is true, but it does NOT make it TRUE just because you have FAITH!

Reality is reality, and once that is accepted then TRUTH can prevail. Believing Mormon's still choose to believe that 1+1=3, and that is a sad truth. I am just sick and tired of being told that the truth is false. How delusional does one have to be to continue to accept the false statements? I am no longer delusional for seeking out the truth and accepting it. I am smart and I am intelligent enough to know when I have been deceived and I am intelligent enough to admit the fact that I was deceived because in all honesty, it was not my fault I was lied to. I was lied to so others could gain control of me. I was born into the lie, so I didn't have a choice. For those who converted the lies were worse, as they twisted and contorted the lies until you believed them.

[Canuck Mormon]

Why are you here Cloud9? Did you read the rules? I'm deleting your post because it violates the rules of the board. Continue to do so and you will be banned.

[HiJolly]

<snip>

Many former Mormons initially believed what they were told about church history. Then one day they learned the truth. At first we were stunned and didn't know what to think. We initially didn't believe it. So like any good truth seeker we tried a different resource, but found the same truth. For many just a couple of resources wasn't enough. We didn't stop at just one or two resources; no we found several. Time and time again the truth prevailed.

"we"? ROFL. You make it sound like this is the only way it ever goes down - and you are not correct. Bummer. You must not get around the 'net much, to think that the 'truth' has this effect in such a blanket fashion. As I learned the truth, my testimony of 'truth' was increased, and I have loved the Church more and more.

Once you learn the truth, you really can't unlearn it. Truth is truth! If 1+1 equals 2 don't try to convince me it's still 3! Don't try and spin the facts. Don't try and tell me you KNOW that 1+1=3 because you prayed about it, because you felt the spirit when you read the figure, because you "just KNOW" it's true. It's not! It's what you believe to be true, when the truth is that 1+1=2.

We-e-e-ell, sort of. There is more than one way to learn truth, and logic (and/or reason) is the most inferior of them. Epistimologically speaking. It would be much better if one could just start with 100% correct premises...

Truth is NOT a feeling.

I agree with you on that.

It NEVER can be a feeling. Faith is the hope that your belief is true, but it does NOT make it TRUE just because you have FAITH!

Your BELIEF on faith is not scriptural, unfortunately.

Reality is reality, and once that is accepted then TRUTH can prevail. Believing Mormon's still choose to believe that 1+1=3, and that is a sad truth.

No, it's not truth, it's opinion - *your* opinion.

I am just sick and tired of being told that the truth is false. How delusional does one have to be to continue to accept the false statements? I am no longer delusional for seeking out the truth and accepting it. I am smart and I am intelligent enough to know when I have been deceived and I am intelligent enough to admit the fact that I was deceived because in all honesty, it was not my fault I was lied to. I was lied to so others could gain control of me. I was born into the lie, so I didn't have a choice. For those who converted the lies were worse, as they twisted and contorted the lies until you believed them.

I'm sorry you have been messed up so much. I hope that someday you can learn better to correctly judge your own experiences. I guess you can repeat the same sentiments to me! What fun.

God bless you in your efforts to know the truth.

HiJolly

[HiJolly]

Ok, I guess it's time for me to come out and confess that I'm the one respondent that answered '8 years old'. But it's true. I was born again in the spiritual, mystical sense at my physical baptism/confirmation. It was very cool, though I didn't realize how cool at the time.

Cloud9,

It's funny how different experiences (and thus, assumptions and opinions) can be. I used to think that there was nothing as important as TRUTH. It looks like you are there in your own life at this time. It's a good, but fairly harsh, place to be. Especially if you are fair and not a hypocrite, and apply it to yourself as much as you do everything else.

There is a better place, but only after you have genuinely found truth. That better place is LOVE. Keep pursuing truth, and don't accept half-baked assumptions in its place. God will lead you there, if you are teachable.

God bless,

HiJolly

[MormonMama]

I chose 22-35. I am a convert. I wasn't interested in any religion until after my first two daughters were born. I started wanting something more for them than what I'd been raised with (which was just a basic faith in God and Jesus, but nothing stronger than that). I investigated and visited a lot of different churches, read books, asked questions of people of different faiths, etc.

I really felt drawn to the LDS faith, but I was not thrilled about that because I knew my family would have a fit. But I ended up asking my best friend, a life-long member of the church, questions about the faith and she told me that the person I really needed to ask was God. She gave me a copy of the Book of Mormon and told me that I should read it if I really wanted to know about her faith, but that most importantly I needed to ask God.

So I did what she said, and though I didn't get an answer right away I kept feeling more and more strongly drawn to the Church. Finally, after a few months of prayer, it just hit me that the Church really was true, that it was right, and that I'd known it for a long time but had been afraid of how others would treat me if I accepted it. So I asked her to contact the missionaries for me, took the missionary discussions, and was baptized in October 1995.

I've never regretted it, even though my family has given me hard times about it (which was nothing compared to what I had to go through with my mother-in-law when she first found out that I was a Latter-day Saint and that her son, my fiance at the time, was going to church with me). I know this church is true, and I am so grateful for the wise counsel my friend gave me. Instead of just telling me, "Yes, my church is true, you should join it!" she told me to ask the one person whose opinion mattered the most: Heavenly Father. And I am so glad I listened to that advice!

[VisionOfLehi]

19 was when I was baptized. I'm not sure when I believed. I believed in God a couple months before that... But I think my testimony of Christ has come over the past year.

Cloud9 amuses me. I've seen many "Truth" sources, myself. In fact, my first couple months of investigation of the Church involved such material. Aside from having holes, misconceptions, purposefully twisted "facts" (that even as an investigator I was able to see were flippant), they have such a spirit of... contention to them, that I can't see how they're filled with the Light.