I was raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but I had to experience a conversion just like everyone else. It happened in University when I decided one day to read the Book of Mormon, a book I had read several times before. But this time I couldn't put it down. I read it and read it and read it. And the more I read, the more it all made sense, and the stronger a feeling of warmth, enlightenment, love became until I could look at a chair in the room and say, I may not know that that chair is real, but I know that this is real. I know that these feelings come from God. Even years later, I could not deny what I had felt. Sometimes I struggled with being a good Mormon, but I had no choice but to pick myself up again, and change, and follow what I knew was right. The more I learn about my religion, the more it makes sense in my mind and heart.
It's not something I know because I'm somehow special- everyone, everywhere can know the same thing. And it's true. That's the best part! It's real. The beauty of it continues to bring me joy and hope and purpose.
It is real.
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Thank you.
When I was in university I studied literary theory. Later theorists talked about how all our reality is constructed, that we invent stories about reality in order to understand it and live in it. I started to look around and really question what was real and true - it was like everything I knew kind of strobed, flickered... maybe those theorists had a point. Just like the chair you mentioned... But the restored gospel of Jesus Christ was like a rock. I knew that no matter what, it was true. It never wobbled. It was real and solid and I knew I could measure everything else in the world by it.
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