Why I'm a Mormon

 I wrote this as an email on my mission 7 years ago.  My writing style has changed a little since then, but the ideas haven't :)

Why I am a Mormon
By Celeste Mahlum

Well I'll be honest, I am a Mormon because my parents are Mormon and raised me in the church. This however is no trite statement. This thought fills my soul with love and gratitude form my wonderful parents who let me experience years of family prayer and scripture study, Family Home Evenings and church services. Most of all, they shared their testimonies with me and lived by example. I knew that they knew and this in a large means carried me through. I would not be a Mormon if they didn't know. I owe everything I hold dear in life to them—both who they are and how they raised me. I cannot adequately express my gratitude for them both.

No one can survive however on borrowed light. I can remember, in my days as a lifeguard—my fellow guards there found it humorous to imagine me at college, on my own, mistakenly accrediting my mormonistic ways to being under my parents 'rule.' (they obviously weren't well acquainted with my parent's parental methods…) They jovially predicted me letting down my hair, painting the town red and other otherwise worldly, nonmormonly pursuits. Yet when I experienced the freedom of living 4 states away from my parents, I found myself continuing to go to church every Sunday, reading and praying everyday, refraining from even a sip of alcohol and I mean c'mon I even walked away from R rated movies. Ultimately accumulating in sacrificing a year and a half of my life to live in this weird European country just to tell people about it. (not to mention the creation of this email) Why on earth would I do that just because my parents were Mormon?? What a good question… why would I do all that? Either I've been pretty well brainwashed, or…. an actual light has been struck inside of me, not a one time strike, but growing and growing- eventually resulting in all these sacrifices for a cause of truth that I can not deny.

I would like to say, like we sometimes like to say to our investigators that my testimony started with me getting on my knees and praying about Joseph Smith, but it didn't, in fact I was largely unsure of the whole 'angelic visitation' business and conveniently left that part out upon any discussion of my faith with my nonmormon friends. Instead, the light of my own testimony began to burn as I tried out principles taught to me in church and from my parents and saw that they actually worked. I prayed and got the things I asked for. I read the Book of Mormon and got that peaceful feeling promised. Simply, as I was obedient, I was happy and when I wasn't, I wasn't. This perhaps 'selfish' motivation started me out on my mormonly ways, but with time my motivations changed, I wanted to do what God wanted me to because through the years, I had developed some type of idea, fuzzy though it was, of who God is and thus desired to do the things He wanted me to do, out of both a love for Him and an understanding that He knows best. As this understanding began to be driving motivation behind my decisions, I grew and grew both in testimony and faith. Simple process really- hear it, try it, see that it works  believe and grow in faith.

So now that we've affirmed why I am a mormon, lets clarify why I have remained one. This leads us back to that bit about Joseph Smith. In some way this whole Mormonism deal all leads back to one question—was Joseph Smith called by God as a prophet or not? This answer came far from overnight for me. Instead it was the accumulation of years of reading the Book of Mormon. At first, I understood maybe 7% of what I read, but still remember the nice feelings I had while reading it to fall asleep at a young age. With time I began to feel literally that through the book, God speaks to me—I mean directly to me. I received answers to my personal questions and prayers- advice and guidance I needed. Mostly I just felt good, peaceful and even tingly sometimes, which I came to later recognize as the Spirit. Eventually I came to realize this meant that the Book was true. And if the Book was true and of God, Joseph Smith, who obtained and translated the record must have been called of God. There was the answer. Finally, I had come to find out for myself that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that through Him, God restored His one true church on the earth to spread the fullness of the gospel of Christ, so we could all have the knowledge, authority and ordinances necessary to return back to our Heavenly Father. With time and continued study, prayer and commandment keeping, my testimony has grown and grown and today, I relate with Joseph Smith as he said—I know it. I know that God knows it, and I cannot deny it.

Ok, so that's my story. I write this not to prove my piety, or so you all will think 'oh, what a nice little story Celeste has typed out for us,' rather I felt I had write it, because this testimony burns inside of me to the point that I have to share it. I don't think that God has given the knowledge or experiences He has, just so I would be a better person or something. He has given it to me so I can share it, so I can let others know the truth. So, now you all know that I know that this church is true and all it claims to be. I'll be honest, I really really want all of you reading this to become Mormons, active ones. And not just you, I want everyone to become a Mormon. Not just because I think is the best comparatively of all religions, not just because I would get amusement out of everyone having lots of kids, making funny jellos and wearing out-of-fashion turtlenecks, but because I know that it is the only path that will lead us fully into God's kingdom and all of His blessings forever with our families. Because of God's mercy, one day, you will all know all about it, but it would be best if you start that journey of knowledge now because the feelings and assurances of peace given by the Holy Ghost when we really come to know God (which is what has been restored with Joseph Smith), is worth any reading, prayer, church service or commandment keeping we can do. So, what I'm getting at is that I really want all of you to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it (You can get one free at www.mormon.org.), and then you can know all these things for yourselves. Wouldn't that be nice? It's worth it, I promise.