This is a sweet conversion story, as well as comforting advice for parents of missionaries. It is shared by Deana Ross, who currently has a son serving a mission in Portland, Oregon. Here are her words:

My husband is a convert. He joined the Church while he was in Guam, serving in the Navy. This was over 32 years ago. How grateful I am for parents who teach their young men and young women to stand for the truthfulness of the Gospel.

Steve is the first of his family to join the Church. His sister and his parents still live in Kansas City and Windsor, Missouri. Over the years they have come to see the church in a different light than that taught in their own church.

Whether your children serve full-time missions or serve their country, they have such great influence on others. It was difficult to send our oldest son on his mission, but also a "relief". Now someone else could keep their eye on him.

He served well and did a lot of growing up. He and his dad kind of had power struggles and I was beginning to think the reason the Lord called missionaries at age 19 is so their mothers don't kill them (I don't look good in vertical stripes.) He served in the Adelaide Australia Mission and when you are half a world away and out in the "bush", it gives you time to think. The people he served were very poor, humble people, who appreciated everything the Lord blessed them with and he fell in love with the people and the culture. When Jeff returned he was a humbled young man, who had worked hard and there was no longer the power struggle with his dad.

That was ten years ago. He is now married and has two children and still serves faithfully. It wasn't as difficult sending our second son to the Auckland New Zealand Mission. Chris was always a hard worker and everybody's friend. He too fell in love with the people and the culture.

Now, we have sent our youngest son, Will, to the Portland Oregon Mission. This was very difficult! He was our companion, our "to do" list, our social life. I told my husband we need a jar titled "conversation starters" so we have something to talk about. Before it was always about what Will was doing or where he was or something.

Between these boys, we had two daughters. They are married with families of their own. So my husband and I are officially "empty-nesters." I can hardly wait to get home from work on Thursday's to read Will's email. I can only say, I am thankful for each experience each of our sons brought to us through serving their missions; and for our daughters and their eternal companions (husbands.)

For those of you with sons and daughters on missions, hang in there. This time will not only be sweet to you, but glorious to those who find the church through our missionaries. I was born and raised in the church and often took it for granted. When I married Steve, and listened to his conversion story (which I never, ever get tired of hearing, even after 30 years of marriage) and realized how dramatically his life was changed, I too became "converted."

The church is true. What comfort this knowledge brings to my heart. How humbled I am at the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. No matter were our sons and daughters serve, they take the teachings of our homes with them: our "traditions", our family home evenings, our counsels, our prayers, our love.

These experiences change people's lives, even if it's half way around the world or as close as Portland Oregon.

~ Deanna Ross

Today's conversion story is from Maggie Steward. She says her family calls it the "Cub Scout Story", and groans when she starts to tell it. Enjoy!

SHORT STORY : One Cub Scout asks another to attend scouts at church with him. People are converted who later serve missions in Montreal, Peru, Italy, Brazil (3), Texas, and Indiana. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir gets a general manager. I get an eternal companion and four children.

LONG STORY : When I was in my early teens and living in La Habra California, my younger brother was a Cub Scout, attending the school's pack. He had a best friend there. One day this friend told him that he would not be a part of that pack any more as his mom wanted him to attend the "church pack" (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormons) instead.

My brother came home and asked if he could attend the church pack with his friend. He started attending and then, shortly before he turned twelve, he came home and said "The other guys get the priesthood when they turn twelve, but I don't 'cuz I'm not a member, so I want to join the Church." My parents wanted to investigate what he wanted to join, and had the missionaries come and teach the lessons to the whole family. My brother joined shortly thereafter and served a mission in Montreal in time.

I did not join then, but was convinced to sign up for early-morning seminary for my second year of high school. After attending seminary all year, I gained a testimony and told my parents that I wanted to join the Church also. So, once again, the whole family took the lessons and I was baptized.

The following year my sister went through the same process. The whole family took the lessons again and joined the Church. My parents never joined, but have been very supportive. My mother died fifteen years ago. My Dad attends Church almost every Sunday with us and is considered a part of the ward, although he is adamant about not joining. Who knows why.

But that is only part of the story.

When I was a senior in high school we moved to Santa Barbara, California. The following year I went to BYU. When I came home on my first break my brother was in the backyard studying with a very beautiful young girl. I asked my mother who she was. Apparently, my brother met her in his math class. The two struck up a friendship and he told her about the Church. She and her family were taking the missionary lessons at our house.

Karen joined the Church shortly thereafter (her parents were not interested.)

My brother dated Karen for a while, but the two decided that they were just friends. Karen started dating a non-member from high school, told him about the Church, he took the lessons and joined the Church. Scott is now the general manager of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and served a very successful mission to Italy. His two oldest children served missions in Brazil, and his youngest child is waiting for his call.

A few years later, while attending Santa Barbara City College, Karen, again in math class, was attracted to a young man who was attracted to her. Craig tried to talk to her after class, but she had to run off to Institute. He got curious, wanted to know what Institute was, started attending, gained a testimony, joined the Church, and served a mission in Peru. He came home and married Karen and had four beautiful children. Two of the children have served missions (Texas and Brazil) and one has been called to serve in Indiana.

Unfortunately, Karen fell away from the Church after about fifteen years and divorced Craig, leaving him with the four children. After a few years, he started dating again. After a few "false starts" he asked me out and we were sealed in the LA Temple on August 5, 1998. When I said "I do" I instantly became the mother of four wonderful children including the elder I took to Provo in February to Missionary Training Center to prepare for serving in the Indiana mission.

One Cub Scout invites another to Church resulting in missionaries sent to four countries and various states. Eternal families are formed AND the Choir gets a manager.

Thanks for letting me tell my story.

~ Maggie Steward

• Elder Matthew Steward - Indiana Indianapolis 2-08 thru 2-10
• Sister Kristine Steward - Texas Houston (Spanish speaking,) wife of Kevin Cook, and mother of Stellan Cook, prospective missionary in 2025
• Sister Stephanie Steward - Brazil Brasilia - marrying in the LA temple July 19, 2008

But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom He hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance. (1 Nephi 1:20)

I have a rather unique mind with a vivid imagination. That's a combination that can get me into trouble on occasion. It also can paint scenarios in my mind that can take me on trips filled with hills, valleys and surprising curves, thus the topic of this blog came about.

If I had 30 minutes with Jesus Christ what would I do? Well, first I'd ask Him to stay longer, natch. But in all seriousness there is so much I would want to ask, so much I would want to learn . . . just to bask in the presence of our Lord and Savior, I cannot begin to imagine the incredible feelings which would wash over me.

From the time I was a small child I have always turned to the Savior for support when I needed it. I think I would spend at least half that time thanking Him for always being there when I needed Him.

I recall when I was 17-years-old and found out that I had a heart condition that would kill me if I didn't have surgery. Over the course of the next few months my health continued to grow worse until in August of 1981 I was wheeled into surgery. Elder Russell M. Nelson, then a world renowned heart surgeon and now a living apostle of Jesus Christ, performed that open heart surgery which saved my life. There was a brief moment, before the sedation took effect when fear swept through my entire body. Very sweetly and very kindly I heard, "Be at peace. All will be well."

Was that my Savior? I don't know, but I know no angels speak words that are not the words of Jesus Christ. So, in essence, it was my Savior assuring me I would survive that surgery and go on to live my life. I am now 44-years-old with no heart problems. This is one thing I would wish to thank Him for, face to face.

Through the last seven years as my husband has struggled with end-stage renal failure and drawn close to death over and over, I have continually leaned on my Savior for the strength to be the wife that I need to be, to love my husband as he deserves to be loved and to be the helpmate I promised to be before we came to this earth. I have leaned on my Savior as terror has swept over me as my husband was rushed from my side, blood pulsing from every part of his body. I have leaned on my Savior as my husband lay in a drug-induced coma, his stomach and abdomen still open from the life-saving surgery. Time and again, regardless of the situation, my Savior has granted me the strength and support I have so desperately needed to keep moving forward.

And so with my 30 minutes I believe I would express my gratitude, sit, listen and beg to be enfolded in His arms, cradled and protected from the onslaught of wickedness and evil so pervasive in our society. I would crave to hear, "Well done my daughter, thou hast served Me well." And then I would rest, assured that my Savior loved me and would walk the remainder of this mortal path with me.

I am a daughter of God. As such, I believe strongly that there is much I have to do in this life to prove to my Heavenly Father that He was right to send me to this earth that I might prove myself in this phase of eternity. Mortality.

The Plan of Salvation tells us we lived before we came to this earth. No, I am not speaking of reincarnation, which is a false doctrine, but of premortality, that phase of eternity where we lived as spirit children of our Heavenly Father. It was there we learned about the plan of salvation and the opportunity Heavenly Father would give us to come to earth, having proven ourselves in our first estate; having chosen the side of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the War in Heaven (Revelations 12:7-12) and been granted the gift of a physical body and the chance to prove ourselves in our second estate.

And now here I stand, a student of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and a fierce defender of the faith. I have been called a Mormon apologist and I am that. I have been called a defender of truth and righteousness, and I am that as well. I stand, shoulder to shoulder, with my brothers and sisters in the gospel as standard bearers to the world testifying with all the might, power and strength the Holy Ghost can give us . . . of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

I have known from my earliest cognizant memory that He was my Redeemer and my Savior. I have testified of this in churches and homes, across pulpits and tables, even on the couches of friends and family. And this I feel compelled to testify of once again.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He suffered that we might live . . . so much did He suffer that it caused Him to bleed from every pore. (D&C 19:18) And as He hung from that cross on Golgotha, once again the weight of untold numbers of worlds fell upon His pain racked body and every farthing was paid that eternal justice might be satisfied. Three days passed, and on that beautiful morning 1,975years ago He broke the bands of death (John 20) and became the first fruits of the Resurrection.

Because of Jesus Christ's willingness to descend from heaven, leaving His heavenly throne, to come into the world in a lowly and meek manner . . . we will live forever. Every single human being ever born will be given the gift of resurrection. Eternal life . . . that's up to you.

So I will be as an ensign unto the nations, proclaiming to the world of the literal Son of God, Jesus Christ. And as Alma of old I cry unto the heavens:

O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the atrump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! (Alma 29:1)

When we fully come unto Jesus Christ, are we born again?

Conversion is a process, not an event. Conversion comes as a result of righteous efforts to follow the Savior. These efforts include exercising faith in Jesus Christ, repenting of sin, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end in faith.

Although conversion is miraculous and life changing, it is a quiet miracle. Angelic visitations and other spectacular occurrences do not bring conversion. Even Alma, who saw an angel, became converted only after he "fasted and prayed many days" for a witness of the truth (Alma 5:46). And Paul, who saw the resurrected Savior, taught that "no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." (1 Corinthians 12:3) - (Gospel Topics: Conversion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, www.lds.org)

Lets examine these one by one . . . in order to be fully converted we must:

Exercise faith in Jesus Christ: Faith in Jesus Christ begins in one place. Is He your God, Redeemer and Savior? Do you accept Him as the Son of God, one chosen and foreordained from before the foundations of the world to save and redeem the children of God that we might continue forward in our eternal progression?

Once you have truly accepted those facts into your heart, a mighty change comes over you. You wish to be a better person. You wish to help others seeking, find Him. You change your thoughts and actions to be in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ. (Alma 13:12)

So no, you are not literally born again, but you are born anew as a son or daughter of God. In thus believing, you recognize that this mortal probation is about more than simply existing in the world, but is about growing, developing and triumphing over the world. That is faith in Jesus Christ.

Repent of our sins: We must cast off our sins and glory in being clean and new. The Atonement of Jesus Christ has given us the gift of being able to repent of our sins.

The full scope of the Atonement is something rarely understood, even by Mormons across the globe. If the weight of all the children of God's burdens caused Jesus Christ, even the Son of God, to bleed from every pore, how enormous was that burden? We, as mortals, will never be able to understand the depth and breadth of that price, but I invite you to understand a little more about what you've been given. Elder Bruce R. McConkie said,

"Nothing in the entire plan of salvation compares in any way in importance with that most transcendent of all events, the atoning sacrifice of our Lord. It is the most important single thing that has ever occurred in the entire history of created things; it is the rock foundation upon which the gospel and all other things rest." (Elder Bruce R. McConkie as quoted by Tad Callister in The Infinite Atonement, Salt Lake City, Deseret Book, 2000 4) - (Candace E. Salima, At-one-ment: Mormon Understanding of the Atonement, 2007, http://ldsblogs.com)

In so paying this enormous and incomprehensible price, Jesus Christ ransomed us, paying for our sins, sorrows and illnesses, that we might shake off the natural man, have the capacity to repent of our sins and walk with Him into eternity.

A greater gift I cannot imagine, and all we must do is repent of and forsake our sins.

Be baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost: The waters of baptism are an amazing thing. I was baptized when I was eight-years-old and while I don't remember the specifics of the occasion, I do remember coming up from those waters, held safe by my father's strong hands, and feeling clean.

Now I hadn't sinned much in the first eight years of my life, not many children do, but neither had I been perfect. For that brief shining moment I was clean of all my sins and it was the most powerful feeling. The burdens of mortality were lifted and I was given a gift, the gift of beginning again, when I was old enough to make decisions, to live this mortal life as I had intended to when I was looking down from heaven.

and,

After baptism, those with priesthood authority laid their hands on my head and bestowed the gift of the Holy Ghost to be my constant companion as long as I remained worthy of his presence in my life. What an incredible blessing that has been. In times of great danger I have felt the soft whisper of warning in my heart, altered my course of action and been preserved. In times of questioning and seeking for knowledge I have felt the confirmation of truth and the Holy Ghost testifying of divinity of Jesus Christ that I might know with my whole heart and soul that He lives and Has paid that price that we might live also.

Elder Henry B. Eyring tells us,

First, receiving the Holy Ghost takes faith in our Heavenly Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ. The memory of a great spiritual experience in which that truth was confirmed to you won’t be sufficient. You will need to be sure of your faith in the moment of crisis, which may come at any time, day or night, when you plead for the influence of the Spirit. You must then be unshaken in your confidence that God lives, that He hears your cry for help, and that the resurrected Savior will do for you what He promised to do for His servants in His mortal ministry:

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.” (John 15:26) - (Henry B. Eyring, “Gifts of the Spirit for Hard Times,” Ensign, Jun 2007, 18–24)

Endure to the end in faith: And finally, enduring to the end. That seems to be the hardest part for everyone. Mormon history is filled with story upon story of individuals who endured to the end, despite all odds. Many of us face obstacles that seem insurmountable at times, but that is merely an illusion. There is nothing given us that cannot be overcome and done so with great eternal glory.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf told of difficult times in his own life:

We all go through different life experiences. Some are filled with joy, and others with sorrow and uncertainty.

I remember a time when things didn’t look good for our family when I was a child. It was in the winter of 1944, one of the coldest during World War II. The war front was approaching our town, and my mother had to take us four children, leave all our possessions behind, and join the millions of fleeing refugees in a desperate search for a place to survive. Our father was still in the military, but he and Mother had agreed that if they were ever separated during the war, they would try to reunite at the hometown of my grandparents. They felt this place offered the greatest hope for shelter and safety.

With bombing raids during the night and air attacks during the day, it took us many days to reach my grandparents. My memories of those days are of darkness and coldness.

My father returned to us unharmed, but our future looked extremely bleak. We were living in the rubble of postwar Germany with a devastating feeling of hopelessness and darkness about our future.

In the middle of this despair, my family learned about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the healing message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. This message made all the difference; it lifted us above our daily misery. Life was still thorny and the circumstances still horrible, but the gospel brought light, hope, and joy into our lives. The plain and simple truths of the gospel warmed our hearts and enlightened our minds. They helped us look at ourselves and the world around us with different eyes and from an elevated viewpoint.

My dear brothers and sisters, aren’t the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and our membership in His Church great reasons to rejoice?

Wherever you live on this earth and whatever your life’s situation may be, I testify to you that the gospel of Jesus Christ has the divine power to lift you to great heights from what appears at times to be an unbearable burden or weakness. The Lord knows your circumstances and your challenges. He said to Paul and to all of us, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” And like Paul we can answer: “My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) - (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Have We Not Reason to Rejoice?,” Ensign, Nov 2007, 18–21)

I testify to you that Jesus Christ meant every word when He said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) In this life we were never intended to carry our burdens alone. Therefore enduring to the end was never meant to be attempted with the aid, comfort and support of our Savior Jesus Christ.

And so, in living these principles in our lives we are fully converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to Him as our Lord, Savior and Redeemer. The Son of God who paid the ultimate sacrifice that we might be born anew, able to fully rejoice in the light and love of the one who ransomed Himself for us.

Yesterday, I talked a little bit about the ways in which the Mayans first knew, and then corrupted the gospel of Jesus Christ. Today, I'll talk about how this came about. It's a story of sacred records that starts in Jerusalem.

Lehi was a prophet living in Jerusalem at about 600 B.C. It was a time of wickedness for these people; the prophets who urged them to repent and return to righteous living were cast out or killed.

After trying his best to call the people to repentance the Lord sent Him a warning in a dream. He was warned that he must take his family and leave Jerusalem before those who sought his life could carry out their plans. He obeyed and put his life in the Lord's hands, not knowing what his path would be. He packed supplies, left behind all his non-essential worldly goods and journeyed into the wilderness.

It wasn't long, however, before the Lord reminded Lehi that he had forgotten something crucial. He had forgotten to bring the genealogy of his family and their record of the gospel. His sons were sent back to obtain them. Though it was not easy, it was necessary because the Lord had plans for Lehi's family. They would need a sacred record to guide them now and for generations to come. These records were carried across the ocean with Lehi and his family to a new and Promised Land. Nephi and the prophets after him continued to add to the record of the people. Other people came to the America's carrying their own sacred records and recording the workings of God among their people.

These records are what would eventually become known as the Book of Mormon in the Latter-days. In the meantime they served as a guideline for each generation in keeping the commandments of God, just as the Jews did on the other side of the world. After Christ came among their people, their scriptures changed to fit a higher gospel as outlined by Jesus Christ. How then, if they had these records did their beliefs become so confused? Like all people, they had periods of righteousness and unrighteousness, but they did not completely fall until their scriptures were lost and the priesthood was no longer among them.

When the plates came to Moroni for safe keeping, he faced a difficult task. He was alone, the last man of his people and hunted by his enemies because of his beliefs. He wandered this way for many years until he came to the place the Lord had led him: a tiny hill called Cumorah in upper state New York where he would hide the plates and one day give them to Joseph Smith with the commandment to send Christ's true gospel out among the people once again. Had he stayed, been found out, or killed by his enemies this record would have been lost or destroyed. Had he hidden it in places he knew, it likely would have been found by his enemies or the Spaniards who destroyed the Mayan's own religious records in order to instill their own beliefs of the gospel without interference from their own beliefs.

A sacred record was preserved from 600 B.C. until it was revealed in 1827 to be translated by the power of God and sent out among His people again. Our lives had been dark, without a pure record of His gospel. A new age of righteousness was able to begin because of the addition of the Book of Mormon to the word of God found in the Bible. We now have the records we need to live as He would have us.