"What Attracted You to the 'Mormon' Faith?"

 

The other day I was treating a patient and this question came up, "what attracted you to the 'Mormon' faith?" I have had similar questions before from many different people. However, this time I was caught off guard. I was in the middle of treating them when the question arose. My mind was elsewhere focused on a complex issue they were dealing with in their body. It took me a second to change gears.

My mind fumbled as my attention was pulled from treating dysbiosis to contemplating what I hold dear to my soul. It has been awhile since I have had an opportunity to testify of my beliefs. I am not sure I was very coherent at first and I had to take a literal step back to get into the proper mode of thinking. But when I did I talked about my beliefs, what I knew to be true, and other topics centered on the Gospel. I have since reflected on this conversation many times.

One thing I wanted to change from this experience was to be more precise and better prepared. Since it has been awhile since I had an opportunity like this I wasn't very prepared. It doesn't help that Church has only been with Nancyann and I essentially for the past several months. With the pandemic I am a bit out of touch talking about the Gospel with others. So I decided to make a plan to sit down and write about what attracts me to the Church.

This decision spurred further reflection on my beliefs. As I started to formulate an outline of what attracts me to the Gospel the Spirit started to bring more and more to the forefront of my mind. It is rather difficult to be concise here, I soon realized. Nevertheless, I wanted to see if I could make a more concise statement. 

Before I get into it let me first talk about the name of the Church. It is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is named after Him. This is very important to me. I may not always correct the name depending on the situation, this being one of them, but it is not Mormon's church. It is named after my Savior, it carries His name just as He leads it. This is a sticking point which deserves to be addressed under particular circumstances which each of us must gauge as it can be contentious if done incorrectly. Generally, those I converse with are aware of the real name and I can let it pass a time or two. 

So, What Attracts Me?

If I had to be concise it would be, I believe it is the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ. Brought back to the earth by God calling a modern day prophet and revealing anew His plan of salvation.

However, there is so much more to it. A simple statement can lack context and meaning. For, there are many reasons that attract me to the Church and they have only grown over the years. Originally, it was the search for truth I didn't know I was on. The longing I felt in my heart. I knew there had to me more but I lacked the knowledge of where to find it. That is one reason I was always curious about religion and liked to attend different churches. I didn't stray from Christianity, for there was always something deep in my soul that yearned for it. I knew it was true, but there was much that didn't make sense. 

Though various circumstances I was given a Book of Mormon, though I had seen it before I had yet to have the opportunity to read it. It was through reading, pondering, and praying about its message that my search for truth finally ended. But it was really only a beginning. 

I came to know of the mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Holy Spirit testified to me of its truthfulness as well as of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. I came to know with surety that this is the Lord's Church restored to the earth with apostles, prophets, and revelation just as in the New Testament times. That God still speaks to the world as He always has through living prophets. That He has given priesthood authority to act in His behalf. I could go on and on.

Central to all of this is Jesus Christ and His temple. The temple has become an enduring beacon for me of what attracts me to the Church. It is the House of the Lord. It is through making and keeping sacred covenants that I learn who Jesus Christ really is and to walk in His footsteps. It is through the temple I learn to love as He loves. If the scriptures are textbook, the temple is the laboratory.

So, what attracts me to the Church? Jesus Christ.