What I Believed Before I Converted
I was a member of the Dutch reformed church, I am from Krugersdorp South Africa. I come from a divorced home, I was raised by my mom, and we lived with my grand parents. They were good people, I went with my Mom to church often, and enjoyed church. I am Afrikaans and was never exposed to other religions, but when I met Tony my husband, the first time I went to church, I loved the fact that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had families sitting together. The church I belonged to taught that the Godhead is one and not 3 separate beings
How I Knew the Church Was True
My husband led me to the truth, he just came out of hospital, he survived an accident where 2 cars rode over him, of which one was his own. He was fixing his car next to the road it was an Anglia, he heard a car coming so when he looked through the window he saw the car coming straight for him, it was a drunk guy he thought to stay on the road he will follow the car in front of him. My husband could have jumped back nothing would have happened to him, but his sister was in the car so he ran around the front to try and get her out, but when he got in the middle both cars went over him. He had a cracked scull, punctured lungs, broken leg and many more. His sister only had whip lash and a minor injury on her knee. The drunk guy like usual no injuries. He was in the Pretoria hospital for 5 months, he was 18 at the time. He had a near death experience where he could choose to stay and carry on or die. He felt that he would like to stay and find a true church where he can grow and make things right. He prayed and asked for guidance, the day he got home 2 missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints knocked on his door. They were about to be transferred to another area, but they gave Tony's name to the new missionaries. So Elder Condon and Elder Rick Highland (whom we found but he's got no contact with Condon) started to teach him. His leg was in plaster and was only suppose to come off in another 3 months, it was broken in three places. So they taught him the gospel one of the things was the word of Wisdom (health code), it is basically, no smoking, no alcohol, no tea or coffee that contains caffeine, promise is that you will walk and not grow faint, marrow to your bones, run and not be weary. This was enough for my husband to then say the following "if this is true, I will live the word of wisdom for 2 weeks, then I will cut my plaster off, cause you say 'marrow to your bones" which means that I will then be able to walk. The poor missionaries, now looking back must have fasted and prayed for 2 weeks non-stop. End of 2 weeks came he took a drill and made holes in the plaster then he took a hacksaw blade and cut the plaster off. He started walking on the leg, he went to the doctor, the doctor almost fell of his chair he explained that if he put any weight on that leg, it will collapse, he closed his file and said you don't need me. He was baptized and then 2 years later we met I also joined the church.
Advice
- I know that Heavenly Father wants us to return to him, our Savior has paid the ultimate price and wants us to enter into the eternities, we need this mortal experience to get through to the next life. It is true every bit of the Gospel, read the Book of Mormon and you will feel how the Spirit testifies of its truth. It's a marvelous work. I had no idea at that time 28 years ago, that my life would turn out so great, we are not rich, our riches are our children and that's all that matters. We have 5 children, we got sealed as a family in the Johannesburg temple in 1985, it was the most beautiful experience ever.
