Church Of Jesus Christ- Real Life Stories. Season Two.

Hello guys and welcome to the second season of Church Of Jesus Christ- Real Life Stories! I am going to start off this season by telling all of you a special story that I hold close to my heart. This is the story of Norman. Now I don’t think Norman has social media, but I received his story from a pamphlet he gave my family. On June 10th of 2021, me and my family were hiking on a mountain trail. Around the end of the hike, I saw an older gentleman with a walking stick in his hand wearing a blue shirt. When we get closer to him I was able read his shirt which said “I was converted by the Book of Mormon.” As we pass him he smiles at us and gives my father a pamphlet. We later read the pamphlet after the hike. The beginning of it was about Joseph Smith and part of the church history. At the end of the pamphlet, he wrote his testimony in it. This is Norman’s story. 

My name is Norman Clifton ( I was born in 1930). In 1959 two missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (better known as the Mormon missionaries) knocked on our door. My curious wife asked my sister who had just joined their church to send them over. My sister liked the missionaries and didn’t really want to send them to our house but finally did. I drank, smoked and cussed like a sailor and she knew there there was no chance of me ever changing. 

They gave us they called the first discussion. They said a fourteen year old boy had seen God the Father and his son Jesus Christ. They said later an angle named Moroni also appeared and talked to Jospeh and told him where some gold plates were hidden that has a history written in Egyptian. 

I had a question where are these plates now? One of them said Joseph translated them and this is how we got the Book of Mormon. That’s not what I asked. I wanted to see these plates, where are they. They said the angle Moroni took them back after they were translated. 

That’s all I needed to hear. They expected us to believe all of this with out one but of evidence. As they were leaving they asked if they could make another appointment. Before I could open my mouth my wife Martha said sure, come back next week. She had believed every word they said. 

They came back and started talking about authority. They were nineteen years old what did they know about authority? They said the preacher that baptized me in the Methodist Church did not have this authority. Well that really ticked me off. The elders name was Clyde Grover and he knew his scriptures but after that I found it easy to dislike him. His partner Wayne Gardner was not nearly as smart and didn’t talk much. What he did do on the first discussion was bear a strong testimony telling us that he knew Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and, he knew this church was true. I could tell he really believed even if I didn’t. 

They were back a week later and told us about the Book of Mormon. They asked us to reas it and pray about it. They said if we do this there is a promise made in the book that we will know the book is true and they left a book with us. I like to read and the book was fascinating and I read it every chance I got. Before I finished reading the book, I was out in my backyard. I can’t remember what I was doing but as I headed for my back door, I heard a voice in my mind as plain as I’d some one was standing beside me saying the book is true. This to me was truly a revelation and I believed it 100 percent. I didn’t go in the house but I stoped and thought about what I just heard. If this book was true all the other things they were trying to teach us were true. That Evening I knew I wanted to belong to this church. There was a problem with this. The church had this thing called the word of wisdom which I would be expected to keep. No coffee, tea, tobacco, alcohol. Well I was an alcoholic or well on the way to becoming one and the tobacco was also a problem. I smoked and chewed tobacco (Copenhegen) I had a can of this in my back pocket. I took it out right then and tossed it across the street into an irrigation ditch. I so wanted to join the church that I have up all of my bad habits and never drank again. 

I actually felt unworthy to join the church but they baptized me anyway and my life was changed completely. I feel these missionaries really saved my life because my drinking would have done me in. My wife Martha and I joined the church together and we have lived happily ever after. We were truly blessed. 

This has been written because I want to share it with others. Anytime you find something good you like, share it. Read the Book of Mormon and you too can receive the same blessings my wife and I have been blessed with. 

Welcome back to the second episode of this series. This is the story Ruby and her experience of prayer. Ruby is the founder of #thebookofmormonproject You can find her on Instagram @rubyvejar 

 Power in the pinky prayer

“True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that — it is a spiritual transaction with the Creator of Heaven & Earth”- Charles Spurgeon

Prayer can be defined as talking to God, but it is much more than that. It’s a heavenly connection & open bank where we give & receive everything.

The power of prayer isn’t in the words you say, or in how you pray. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you are & how far you have walked from the path. In all reality Jesus Christ prayed in the same way you & I do. He received answers in the same way we do almost every time. His prayers weren’t always answered through heavenly beings or clashes of lighting & multiplying of fish. His answers often came through other people & through small almost insignificant miracles such as feelings of peace & comfort. Whether it is a prayer done by Jesus or a prayer done by us each one is heard.

I remember in track we would always say pinky prayers & they changed my life. You might think, Why would a pinky prayer be that important? Did they help me win races? Was I safe from injury? Did I improve? The answer is, no. I never placed first, I still got injured & I still made a ton of mistakes. But to me each prayer was answered. I didn’t win in the world books but each time I reached my goals, I overcame obstacles & I never got too seriously injured. I wasn’t praying because I wanted something in these races. I already knew he would protect & help me put everything I worked for into play. I just wanted to show my Heavenly Father that I wanted him in everything. Even now I am reminded of these prayers in random moments.  

I’ve learned to carry a prayer in my heart & to hit my knees even in the easiest of trials. Mark Patterson said, “Prayers are prophecies. They are the best predictors of your spiritual future. Who you become is determined by how you pray. Ultimately, the transcript of your prayers becomes the script of your life.”

In other words, who you become, the circumstances in your life & the core of your character are all determined by what you talk to God about.

Hello guys and welcome back to the newest episode of this series. This is the story of Hayley and her experience with COVID on her mission. You can find her on Instagram @hayleypl. 

My mission has been far from I thought it would be but way better than I could have ever imagined! At the beginning of COVID I was having a really hard time because I just wasn’t exactly sure what to do or how to be a missionary.

One specific morning, during the peak of it all, I was just having an off day. Everything seemed to go wrong and I just felt so insignificant and worthless. And the only thing I knew to turn to was prayer. I knew that I could turn to my Heavenly Father and rely on His strength in my trials! After quite of bit of time on my knees, I felt the strength that I needed to carry on and to do my Heavenly Fathers work! It definitely wasn’t the easiest day of my mission but I made it through and I am stronger because of it!

I know that as we continually turn to our Father in Prayer that we will have the strength to press forward and find peace in our Savior Jesus Christ!

Hello and welcome back to the next episode of Season Two Of Church Of Jesus Christ- Real Life Stories. This story is about the husband of @ldsrprlpodcast. You can find him on Instagram @jed_s.c.jr. This is Jed’s story on how he became a member of the church! 

Hi my name is Jed Colvin. I am married to Stefanie Colvin who does LDS real people real lives podcast. I was baptized in 2013. When I met Stefanie she wasn’t active in the church. We had many good talks about faith and the spirit, although I didn’t fully understand what the spirit was and how he spoke to us. But, during these conversations, I look back, and now understand it was the spirit guiding those conversations for both of us. When stef and I decided to stay together, I felt it was time for me to find out more about her family’s faith and religion being Mormon.  What Stefanie was saying seemed and felt true during our conversations even though she wasn’t active. She always believed. I was journaling and reading and pondering……reading books picked up from her family’s library and I remember everything I read felt right and true. It just felt good.

Eventually I had an experience while sitting at her parents’ dinner table. While reading, studying and pondering the articles in the Ensign, I felt a warmth come over me like a warm blanket. And I felt that burning in the bosom, something in my chest, and heard the words in my mind, “you’re home.”  Very simple yet pointed, powerful, and life changing. And I knew at that time I was exactly where I needed and wanted to be. I was ready to take the discussions from the missionaries and to be baptized quickly. I will forever be grateful for the mercy of the Lord to bless & guide my life even when I was living such a worldly life at the time.

Hello, and welcome to the fith episode of Season Two Of Church Of Jesus Christ- Real Life Stories. My name is Spencer aka @Latterdayhelp and I have a special story for all of you today. This is the story of @yagirlquincy. At the time is of this writing she is currently serving as a missionary for the LDS church. This is her story of God confirming to her that she should serve a mission.

God talked to me! Through other people! I woke up on May 24th of 2021 feeling SO discouraged. I was questioning if I really believe the things I do. I was also questioning if a mission is the right thing for me to do because I’m not very knowledgeable on everything, I still have so much to learn. Satan really does work harder than he ever has on you once you turn in your papers! While the sacrament was being passed, I said a prayer to my Heavenly Father helping me to get rid of these nasty thoughts and feelings. One of the speakers today in my ward was recently returned sister missionary! She talked about all of her experiences she had on her mission with so many amazing people! It was a sign for me, that a mission is the right thing I’m supposed to be doing!! And then in relief society, we talked about finding our way home. In my ward we have quite a few converts and in our discussion today, they were the main ones sharing their input. One lady said that the sister missionaries who taught her all of the discussions are big lights and examples in her life and helped to bring her home. 

Her words reminded me of why I’m so excited to serve a mission: to help others come closer to Christ!! Today I am feeling very grateful for my Heavenly Father listening to my prayer in a time of need. He knew who I needed to hear from today, and He lined it up perfectly so I could be motivated once again to do His work. Prayers work! He DOES listen to you when you need Him!!

This is Mark’s story on the sacrament. His personal account is @itsmabry and his church account is @reflectionsofchrist. Make sure to follow both of this accounts on Instagram! 

I confess. I struggle to stay interested during communion, or sacrament, each week at church. 

(Mom always told me to “think about Jesus”)

Like how though? Do I imagine a scene in His life? A painting? A scripture? A song?Honest. That does nothing for me. So often I just sit there faking a ‘thinking-about-Jesus’ face. Come to think of it, I HATE that face. That face is a huge problem in churches today. 

Jesus stood in the Jordan River, soaking wet, next to John The Baptist. Feeling awesome. And it only got better. The Holy Spirit came down in the form of a Dove. The ACTUAL VOICE OF GOD came from Heaven. 

Jesus had plenty to think about… 

So he went ‘to the wilderness’. 

Why though? 

Probably to reset, focus, recommit to God’s plan… kinda like what I wish I was doing during the sacrament! But wait? Jesus was face to face with the Devil in the wilderness.Getting tempted with all sorts of things. And the whole time Jesus never took His eye off the devil. There’s a difference between confronting Satan and confronting temptation. 

To achieve peace in our hearts, we must stare down the Devil at some point. Jesus taught his disciples to recognize the devil so they could cast it out… you can’t hit what you don’t see! You gotta look for the devil. To be clear… FIGHT the Devil. But RUN from temptation. Satan has a line into our mind and hearts. He plants thoughts. He changes environments. He tells lies.

Satan is STRONGER than any person on earth…

Now back to the sacrament. 

What if next I time take the bread in my hand and before eating, I close my eyes and say, “Here we go Jesus” Then I dive deep and search for traces of the Devil in me. 

THAT’S RIGHT. I’M SEARCHING FOR THE DEVIL DURING SACRAMENT. 

Then when I see him, I don’t run. I STARE. I LET HIM SCARE ME. 

And right there, in front of the Devil and his angels, I lift the bread to my lips, smile a little, and EAT IT… I play the Royal Flush that has been in my hand the whole time. I drive Him out in the name of MY SAVIOR. 

NO ONE CAN ENTER A STRONG MAN’S HOUSE AND PLUNDER HIS GOODS, UNLESS HE FIRST BINDS THE STRONG MAN. AND THEN HE WILL PLUNDER HIS HOUSE. – Jesus Christ

This is the story of Momo aka @sassydaysaint and how she was able to find the truth during General Conference in 2018. 

For the first time since I became a member, I seriously dedicated my time to listening to conference. In the past, I had tried and failed and tried and failed some more. This year, after all I endured, I decided to be attentive and focus on the messages.

Unlike previous years where I had written down a bunch of questions, I wrote nothing down. Still there was a burning question on my heart. That question was on whether I should stay in the church I had come to hate, in a gospel where people like myself dont fit in and endure in a space I didnt want to be in.

This conference was exactly what I needed to recharge and reconnect with the gospel. I found myself reverting back to that girl from general conference in 2018 who felt the spirit so strongly thousand of miles away from home.

I realized now that it’s not my role to fit in. Neither is it to make anyone feel good about their missionary service. It’s about me and my decision to see God and to feel him working in my life. Conference allowed me to do exactly that.

Hello and welcome back to the series! This is the eight episode of the second season and I am Latterdayhelp. This is the story of  Hannah ( @Hope.through.thesavior) and how she was able to come to the knowledge of the gospel. Make sure to stay tuned for the next episode because it is going to be about the story of her friend,  Natalie. 

It was an ordinary start to a new school year, or so I thought. I’d attended the same school in Hawaii since kindergarten, but on the first day of sixth grade I noticed a new student. There was something different about the way she carried herself, and I decided to get to know her better. Her name was Natalie. My friends and I started eating lunch with her and quickly realized that she was a fun person to be around. It was through these school interactions that I learned that Natalie was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and cared deeply about her faith.

I never realized the impact that Natalie would have on my life. Throughout the next few years, I learned a little more about the Church and the Savior from her. When we first became friends, I noticed that she wouldn’t hang out on Sundays and that she carried her scriptures around at school. It was just these small things that introduced me to the Church and helped me learn a little bit more about her faith.

In 2019 there was a series of events that changed my entire life. I was at a carnival with Natalie, and I said, “I want to join your Church.” I’m not sure what Natalie was thinking at the time, because it came out of nowhere, but from that point on Natalie began sharing more of her faith with me.

Later that year, I went with Natalie to youth conference. At the conference we were separated into “families,” where two adults served as our parents for the week, and we went to all our activities together. I come from a small family, so having all these people supporting me made me feel like I belonged somewhere. That was one of the things that I was really searching for when I started investigating the Church.

One of the last activities at the youth conference was a testimony meeting. I had never experienced something like that. I grew up going to Protestant churches, and there was never a time where all the youth would go up and voluntarily speak to the congregation. Natalie shared a special testimony that also motivated me to want to learn more and to keep coming back. If I could pick one thing in my entire spiritual progression that changed the course of it, it would be that day. I could just feel that this is where I belonged and that this feeling was going to encourage me to stay on the right path.

With the help of Natalie, her family, and my new ward friends, I continued to learn more about the gospel. During the process, I prayed to Heavenly Father, pleading, “Please tell me that this Church is true, because I need it to be true.” As I continued to search and gain a testimony, I knew it was all true. Later that summer, I became a member of the Church.

Although I was baptized in the Church, I realize that success in sharing does not necessarily mean someone gets baptized. It’s more about being a good friend. If you have good intentions and righteous desires, then anything you do to participate in Heavenly Father’s work is going to be considered a success. Even if someone says no to an invitation to an activity, your friends still know you’re thinking of them, and that can strengthen your friendships.

President Russell M. Nelson said, “Anytime you do anything that helps anyone … take a step toward making covenants with God … you are helping to gather Israel.” Having a personal experience with being invited to church has really inspired me and motivated me to share the gospel with other people, because I know that my life would have been much different without it.

Hello Guys and welcome back the to next episode! This is the story of Natalie (@love.through.the.savior), the friend of Hannah. This is Natalie’s story on her experience with how Hannah was converted to the gospel. 

I am grateful that Hannah helped me through my sixth-grade year after I switched to a new school. She ate lunch with me and introduced me to new friends, but I never realized that at the same time, I was helping introduce her to principles of the gospel.

Over the next few years, Hannah and I became close friends, but she still surprised me occasionally—like the time we were at a carnival in 2019. Out of the blue, she told me she wanted to join the Church. Surprised was an understatement; I was shocked and even a little hesitant. My first thought was “I’m not sure if she knows how big of a commitment it is.”

I wasn’t sure what to do, but I give a lot of credit to my parents. They said, “She’s interested in the gospel. You should invite her to ward camp.” I thought it might be overwhelming for Hannah to spend the entire week with us and meet so many new people. But I took their advice and invited her, and she had an amazing time.

And then I invited her to youth conference. During a testimony meeting, I just felt like Hannah needed to hear my testimony even though public speaking was one of my biggest fears. She knew that I was afraid, and she admired the fact that I was willing to do it because I believed in the gospel.

I’m an overthinker, so whenever I considered inviting her, I thought, “She’s going to think that I want her to join my Church and I’m going to pressure her into things.” I knew those were irrational fears. People like to be invited to things, so I knew she’d enjoy it. In the beginning I had a lot of fears, and I was scared to invite her. But I think as time went on, I was more comfortable with sharing how I felt with her.

Sharing the gospel is about love. The Savior said, “Love one another; as I have loved you” (John 13:34). You never know how much you’re going to impact other people. When I share the gospel with friends, I know it won’t always have the same outcome as it did with Hannah. But down the road, they may have an experience where they’ll remember my invitation and act on it.

There is so much joy to be had in sharing the things you love and cherish the most. Hannah’s journey hasn’t just changed her life; it’s also changed my life and strengthened my testimony. I saw the change that the Savior made in her life, and it helped me recognize the Savior more in my life.

Welcome to the final episode of season two! It was a fun journey to share these stories with you all. If you haven’t seen season one or have seen the other episodes of season two, you can find them on the spiritual crusade website. The person that sent me this story wanted to remain anonymous so we will call this person Maxwell. This is Maxwell’s story of one of his experiences on his mission. 

I was unsure what I wanted to do in life before my mission… I grew up in the church but lacked faith, after some good influences and help I was able to change. The first week was rough, I was homesick but it’s been a lot of fun and I’ve loved every minute of it since!

At the beginning of January of 2019, I went caroling with several other missionaries. Of course, there were rejections but I will never stop trying. This is because knowing the message that we have and the joy that it can come into someone’s life when they do accept it. It will all be worth it for them in the end. 

I was prideful early on in my mission and through that, I knew more than I actually did. on this mission, I learned a lot about my savior Jesus Christ. I know that God lives and Christ is our savior. He’s the life, light, and hope that people have come to learn.

My hardest rejection happened just a few weeks ago when a person ripped into us for 20 minutes just for knocking on his door. We tried to leave as respectfully as we could. I am thankful for the experiences I was able to have on my mission and even though I faced some tough times, my testimony was able to grow.