. . . it seemed that nearly everything I read in the Bible destroyed, rather than defended, my beliefs as a Mormon.
from the Bible. God was faithful and along with the desire He sent Christian friends to invite me to attend their services. When Mrs. Barsuhn came to my door, it was just to make a business call. I didn’t know then that it was Divine business. She came to discuss my furnace, but, before she left, we had discussed faith. That day also, she gave me an invitation to attend the services of her church, the Calvary Bible Church of Benton Harbor. She even offered to stop for me on the way to church so that we could attend the service together. My visit to an evening church service with the Barsuhns became one of other occasional visits to Gospel services. While I was, by no means, ready to abandon my Mormon beliefs, I did find the serv ices enjoyable and I reasoned that perhaps some day these people would come to understand and accept the “ rest of the truth,” that was now held by the Church of Jesus Christ o f Latter-Day Saints. Finally, however, I found myself in greater conflict o f soul than ever before. At first, my study of Mormon literature in preparation for my duties in the church had served to answer most o f the questions being raised in my mind, but now it became necessary to spend days bolstering my faith in Mormonism. To make matters more difficult, it seemed that nearly everything I read in the Bible seemed to destroy, rather than defend, my beliefs as a Mor mon. I remember especially well the day that I turned to Galatians 1 :8 and read: “ But though we, or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” I thought o f Joseph Smith’s supposed interview with the angel which Mormons claim brought about the writing of the Book of Mormon. I tried desperately to put the application out o f my mind. How could I forsake the beliefs that I had nurtured for five years? What kind of reaction would an “about face” bring
in my family and friends? What about my Sunday School class at the Mormon Church? I frantically struggled with these questions and I became more miserable each day. It was on the last Sunday in August that I expe rienced one of my now more frequent urges to attend a Gospel service. That night I chose to visit the North Lincoln Baptist Church of St. Joseph. Pastor Weiss of that church had called in my home and I had appreciated his sincerity and manner. As I made my way home after the service I felt guilty for having enjoyed so much a service in a Baptist church. That certainly didn’t seem proper for a Mormon Sunday School teacher. Sleep eluded me that night. I could not rest with so many important questions unanswered. Of one thing I became certain: I simply could not con tinue in such an unsettled state. I felt that I had to know what to do that very week, and so I made that my prayer. I prayed that God would show me that week just what He would have me to do. On Wednesday afternoon o f my “ chosen week o f decision,” a telephone call came from Pastor Campbell o f the Calvary Bible Church o f Benton Harbor. I had not heard from him for some time, and I had concluded that he had given up the hope o f ever leading me out o f Mormonism. He informed me that his church was having a “Missionary to the Mormons” as a speaker that evening, and he asked if I would consider coming to hear him. He further suggested that I might enjoy visiting with the missionary after the service, concerning Mor mon teaching. I can remember wondering, as I held the tele phone in my hand, if this call was the answer to my prayer. I thanked the pastor for his call, and I determined that if it were at all possible, I would be in that meeting. I would give the Lord the oppor tunity to either confirm my Mormon beliefs, or re move them entirely. As I listened to Rev. Richard Manion of Poca-
JU LY, 1966
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