I worked as a co-host and producer on a syndicated radio program 7 to midnight in Charlotte, NC around the time of the Salt Lake Winter Olympics in 2002. The Nite Show – as it was called – covered local and entertainment news programmed with music. Inevitably, the host of the show started a radio “bit” about polygamy and we (like every other member of the entertainment community) joked about the church’s former practice. Privately, I knew a little about “Mormons” because I dated my now-husband and he had been an inactive member of the church since he was about 12 or 13. So I knew a little about it.
So On the other end of the line was a guy who was driving through an area far north of where the radio station was. He said he was a member of the LDS church and heard me on the air. He asked me why I was making fun of the Mormons. I remember responding something like “Hey! My husband used to be a Mormon – why aren’t you guys riding your bikes up to my door?” The caller told me if I wanted someone at my door he would arrange it. We talked a few minutes and he was very nice so I gave him my cell phone number.
In hindsight, it’s weird that I would have felt comfortable enough with a stranger on the phone to hand out my personal number. I now believe it was the promptings of the Spirit that made me want to know more about what he was talking about.
After that, the radio show went on and I forgot about the call by the end of the night. A few days later the missionaries called and I surprised my husband by telling him I wanted to know more about the LDS church. The missionaries started teaching me about the Restored Gospel and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I had lots of questions like, “Where do we come from?“, “Where do we go when we die?“, “Why are there so many world religions?”, “Does God exist?“, “If he does, why would God provide prophets in the Old and New Testaments, but not for us today?“. The missionaries answered these questions (the plan of salvation gave the answer to all these) and more and it was like a puzzle coming together. The Book of Mormon made complete sense to me. Even though – admittedly – I had yet – at that early time in my conversion – to gain a strong testimony of Joseph Smith’s work, the Book of Mormon spoke to my heart.
“Believe in God; believe that He is, and that He created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that He has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.” (Mosiah 4:9)
The amazing message that Jesus Christ’s church had been restored was humbling – I thought I knew so much about church. Even so, I still felt like a significant daughter of God who received the message He had sent. I was baptized a few weeks later.
I’m grateful to say that since joining the Church, I have gained a testimony of Joseph Smith as well as a testimony of the Atonement and it seems to continue to grow and unfold as I go.
I recently was in a Fast & Testimony meeting and a young man stood up and went to the stand. He told us he was visiting from another ward. He testified how small inspired decisions can make big changes for good. He told us of a night when he was driving his car, listening to the radio and was prompted to call the DJ to ask why she was making fun of the Mormons. He said he had heard that she had been was baptized and became a member of the LDS church. My husband and I looked at each other in disbelief. After that meeting I went up to and introduced myself to the man who made that one little decision to call me which ultimately brought my family back into church.
I know God loves me because coincidences like this have occurred more than once in my life. He gives all of us the inherent ability to recognize sweet gifts of the Spirit and the LDS Church encourages us to strengthen it for ourselves.
“That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth . . .” (Ephesians 1:10)
