One to Convert

I have spent most of my life in areas of the world where members of our Church are a small minority.
During that time I have learned that often when people learned of the restored gospel, they are impressed by it--many even want to join the Church.
But they are reluctant to disappoint their ancestors; they feel they should be true to the faith of their fathers.

I remember when I was a young man, one Sunday I noticed a new family in our meetinghouse--a young mother with two daughters.
It wasn't long before the three were baptized and became members of the Church.

I know the story of their conversion intimately because the oldest daughter's name was Harriet, and later she would become my wife.

Harriet's mother, Carmen, had recently lost her husband, and during a period of introspection, she became interested in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
After studying the doctrines, Carmen and her daughters knew the Church was true and made plans for baptism.

When Carmen told her mother about this decision, however, her mother was devastated.
"How can you be so unfaithful to the faith of your fathers?" she asked.

Carmen's mother was not the only one who objected.
Carmen's strong-willed sister, Lisa, was every bit as troubled by the news.
Perhaps troubled is too soft a word.
She was very angry.

Lisa said that she would find those young missionaries and tell them just how wrong they were.
She marched to the chapel and found the missionaries, and, you guessed it, Lisa was baptized too.

Many years later, Carmen's mother also received a testimony that the gospel of Jesus Christ had been restored to the earth.
One day she said to her daughters and grandchildren, "I want to be in the same heaven as you."
While in her mid-70s, she too entered the waters of baptism and became a member of the Church.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf -Faith of Our Father -April 2008 General Conference

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi