WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE MORMONS?

As I and my siblings approached adulthood we had received only cursory religious education consisting of infrequent attendance at Sunday School and one or two summers of bible study. One of my brothers, Terence Lee Day, was in the Air Force in Japan when one evening he set out for the base snack bar and was hailed by another airman who said, “Wait up, I’ll go with you.” My brother cheerfully agreed and offered to buy the other airman a cup of coffee, to which he replied, “Oh, I don’t drink coffee.” So my brother, ever willing, said, “Fine I’ll buy you a cup of tea.” And the reply was, “I don’t drink that either.” Then he asked the magic question, “What do you know about the Mormons.” This led to a spirited conversation at the snack bar and an introduction to an officer who was an official of the Church on base. Two weeks later my brother entered the waters of baptism. He wrote of his conversion and it was published in the Improvement Era, Vol 66 #7, July 1963, under the name of that question, “What Do You Know About the Mormons”. The Improvement Era was replaced by the Ensign Church magazine many years ago and is not available online. However, if any of you desire a copy of the article I will provide it for you. In the final paragraph of the article, my brother opines about how many might be affected by this chance encounter.  Inspired by a similar thought by President Russell M Nelson, I decided to try to quantify that question. The answer will be given at the conclusion of this blog post.

Doesn’t this scenario resonate with the concept of small worlds? What a coincidence one might say. But in the Kingdom of God upon the earth in these last days there is no such thing as a coincidence when it comes to the spirit of the gospel and the plan of salvation. God will bring forth His gospel and bless the Saints in accordance with His own will and in His own time. Nothing related to the gospel of Jesus Christ is accidental or coincidental. Nothing that helps to understand the great aspects of the Savior’s plan is conveyed to His followers in such an accidental or haphazard manner. Of that we can be certain.

Was my brother Terry’s conversion a single event in the life of our family. No! It was not. Within a year or two, the exact dates are unknown, another brother who was in the Army, received a similar introduction to the gospel. He was also converted. What, you might ask is going on? Well, it was just getting started. Remember there are seven of us plus my mother. The conversion of three of her sons must have resonated with my mother. She began to study the gospel more carefully and she also joined the Church. She revealed to me years later after my own conversion that she began reading the Book of Mormon and praying about its authenticity and she received a witness in the form of still small voice that said, “That Book is true.” Her heart and mind were full with the testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ in all of its aspects. My grandfather and grandmother (see her conversion story in another blog post on this site) were overjoyed.  Now there were still three of my siblings still at home and they became members in that fashion.

I was the only one of our original family left. I was married and had a family including two young boys. I was not so anxious to be convinced. I was not outright antagonistic, but I was definitely an unbeliever. I tended not to criticize so much as to make small of the Church’s beliefs. At my brother’s invitation I attended a sacrament meeting at which my brother spoke. He later informed me that upon seeing my presence in the congregation he changed his talk and delivered what he hoped would enter directly into my heart. But my heart did not, at that time, have a space for the spirit to leave that message. Consequently his talk missed the intended mark and I can not recall anything about it. Never the less, the Lord works in his own silent and marvelous ways. A few years later my brother, Terry, was getting married in the Salt Lake temple. Although I was not a member and could not attend the ceremony,  I and another brother, Victor, road with my grandfather and grandmother to Salt Lake City for the wedding where we enjoyed visits with family members and toured the Church visitor center on Temple Square for the first time. On the long ride home my grandmother told us the story of her own conversion. Her conversion story was very heartfelt and spiritual.  It is included in another blog on this site. Her story did not immediately change my mind, however, it did soften my heart. I believe that it created the space for a testimony to be received.

Fast forward a few years and I met a returned missionary from Brazil at work. We both worked nights and were the only two people in the entire building after 5PM each night. How interesting is that? His name was Darrell Mitchell. I have subsequently lost contact with  him and have been trying without success to locate him wherever he might now be. During my conversations with Darrell I was encouraged to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. And to my everlasting good fortune I did receive a testimony. I heard the voice of the Lord say to me, “That book is true.” In later conversations with my mother I learned that she had heard the exact same words verifying the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I was converted and joined the Church on May 5, 1965, at the age of 28.

But the story does not end there. My conversion did not sit well with my wife. She was very upset and threw me out of the house. She was so bitter about it that she would not allow me to visit with my two sons aged 4 years and 6 months old. But the Spirit of Christ was not done. Despite my having moved to Seattle some 240 miles away, my two sons were also converted through the Church basketball program. They joined the Church as teenagers. one of them served a mission in France. Our family had been denied our birthright and the knowledge or circumstances to fulfill the purpose for which we were ordained in our pre-mortal existence. But the love of our Father in Heaven and the power and strength of our lineage brought about the fulfillment of the promise of our mortal probation. What a powerful testimony the story of my family is to me. It is with great pleasure that I also note that my children’s mother who had so adamantly opposed the gospel and my conversion to it was converted and baptized a number of years later. How great must have been the joy of my sons when that also happened?

Now let’s return to the question that my brother asked in his Improvement Era article. How many souls might be affected by that young Airman’s question, “What do you know about the Mormons.”. I went through the family tree of I an my six brothers and sisters including my mother, plus all of our children and grandchildren. A very conservative figure of family members and a few close friends who were converted through our ministering efforts includes a total (actually it is a minimum number) of more than 60 people. Among therm are a Stake High Councilman, a Bishop, a Branch President, several Relief Society Presidents, an Elders Quorum councilor, Gospel Doctrine class president, and Gospel Doctrine and Elders Quorum Teachers, and 6 or 7 missionaries. As our family progresses in the Church and our numbers grow it is impossible to know the full extent of that airman’s question. I’ve often pondered that question and know that the final number will be a testament to mind and will of our Father in Heaven.

I want to bear my testimony of the power and strength of the lineage that we acquire through our pre-mortal existence. And the love that our Father in Heaven has for each of us. So much so that He does not forget us even in our seemingly lost and uncertain journey through our mortal existence. I and my brothers and sister, and each of you as you read this are loved by our Father in Heaven and by our brother, Jesus Christ. We are remembered and cherished and helped along the path of righteous endeavor that will enable us to return to Him. I am so thankful that I was not forgotten, and you will not be forgotten either. I write this and testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.