Donny Osmond

I don't remember a time I did not believe in God. I was raised Lutheran as a child. After my parents divorce when I was 9 and went to live with my mother, we stopped atteneding church. My mother, who had been raised Greek Orthodox, did no longer believe in God whom she believed did not answer her prayers. So she basically turned her back on Him. However, she did not pass this negative attitude onto her children, thank goodness! She kept her feelings to herself. So, my belief never waivered....

After moving to Jamestown, NY in 1971, I became a fan when a school friend, who knew I was an artist, asked me to draw her a portriat of Donny for her. I gladly obliged since sketching was my favorite thing to do! I was not a fan yet as I was still into Bobby Sherman...but that interest was waning since he was not as popular as he used to be and Here Come The Brides was off the air. But in order to draw Donny properly I would need a picture of him to look at. So I went out and bought my first teen magazine..."16". And as I had to stare at that gorgeous face for hours while I sketched...well the rest is history! :) As I delve into anything Osmond after that, with records, memerobilia, and magazines, I found articles that talked about the Osmond's beliefs...they were something called "Mormons"...a religion I never heard of. As much as I admired their family clossness and strong values, I didn't have any interest in thier church. But I was feeling spiritually unforfilled. At 14 I started attending a local Community Church off and on. And I began praying more often, usually at bedtime. But something still seemed missing....I didn't know what. In the summer of 1976, after I graduated from high school, me, my mom and my two brothers, moved to San Franciso. I still remember something that happened during our little trek out west....we were driving across the states to get to California. We stopped in Salt Lake City to get something to eat. I was feeling a little excited about being "close to where the Osmonds live"....as we left the KFC I looked out from the parking lot and could see the tall spires of the Salt Lake City Temple. I went around the corner to get better view. There I saw this magnificent structure looming up before me! It literatly took my breath away! And I didn't even know what the buildling was! But I felt this strange connection to it...I was in awe.

In September of 1978, the Osmonds were coming to Oakland CA for a fireside with Paul H. Dunn. By that time of course I had read the book he wrote about the family. However, I couldn't care less what the reason was, DONNY was coming to town! lol I really didn't know what a fireside was either, except that it was some kind of church meeting. So I put on my best dress and went! At the last minute my mom decided to go with me. She didn't want me running around Oakland by myself at night. We took a commuter train from SF since the place the fireside was being held was near the station. By the time we got there, the place was jammed packed! I grabbed my mom by the arm and pushed my way thru, determined to get as close as possible to the front! I saw the whole front area taken so I charged up to the balcony with mom in tow ( I think she believed her crazy daughter would rip her arm out!) I found a spot way up to the front on the left side where the balcony hung right over the stage. I could see all the Osmonds right in front of me! Donny was a newlywed so that was my first glimpse of Debbie. All of the Osmonds spoke..even Debbie! I was enthralled! But when I got my excitment under control, I started to really listen to what they were saying....despite the fact that Jay, who was sitting closest to our end of the balcony, kept looking up to where I was sitting and giving flirty smiles to the all the girls! lol This was my first time hearing the Osmonds themselves speak about thier church, live in person. Fortunatly, I got to hear all the family speak and hear one hymm they sang before we had to leave. We had to leave in the middle of Paul H. Dunn's talk because the last train back to SF was about to depart. I remember sitting in the train station just pondering what I had heard...of course all my mom could say was..."I think they're too religious.." But not me. Something touched me inside...although I still couldn't quite put my finger on it. Shortly after, there was a local program on TV called "Turnabout" that I saw in the TV guide that Donny and Marie were going to be guests. Of course back then, I was audio tape recording every single TV show I could that had the Osmonds on it! "Turnabout" was a topic discussion type program. This time they were discussing religion and how young people of today were more and more going back to church. They interviewed Donny and Marie first. They just discussed some of their basic beliefs and such. A lot of what I had heard already from the fireside. Now I was thinking this was really pretty cool...but nothing struck me...yet. Then in the other half of the show, they interviewed several young single adults in the chuch along with some brother and sister missionaries. Then it hit me!! This was the first time I had heard anyone but the Osmonds talk about the LDS church!! I never knew anyone else who was Mormon! Here were these young people ..MY age....talking about the church, their singles activites...their LDS freinds...these were REAL people....not celebrities like the Os..... Suddenly I was hanging on every word! When the interviewer asked one of the girls what she would do without the church in her life....and I never forgot her response..."I think I would shrivel up and die.." And I thought...WHOA!...what an answer! I don't know what it was about her, but was very impressed...! There must be something to this church I don't know about. I couldn't beleive I heard the Osmonds talk about their church for all these years and it didn't really sink in until I listened to these young people!! How strange, huh? Go figure.... Well, that was what it took! Next day I looked up in the phone book to see if their were any LDS churches in the area.....I was surprised to see how many there were! I found an address that was the closest to my home and called them up to find out what time services were. I admit...I was a bit nervous about going. In fact...don't laugh...but I went and checked out the chapel the week before I went just to satisfy myself that the building looked normal! I went that Sunday...and lucky me I walked into a Fast and Testimony meeting! A kind couple must have took pity on me seeing I was new and I had a I'm-trying-to-be-cool-but-look-petrified expression on my face! They offered to let me sit with them and another girl about my age who was also investigating that day. After the meeting, we were introduced to some of the other young adults in the ward. They took me right under their wing! They made me feel so welcome and so accepted right from the start! They say people are "loved into the church" they ain't kidding! Well the next 3 months was whirlwind of learning about the church and attending church services and activites with the young adults. It was fun and exciting as well as spiritually uplifting! I had found my niche! That part of me that was missing was no longer gone. Even so, being the skeptic that I was, I wanted to know for sure that this church was everything they said it was. I did a lot of my own investigating, praying and fasting, which the missionaries encouraged me to do. That's what impressed me most....no one in the church wanted me to "follow blindly"..they were very supportive of me finding my own answers . One of the missionaries giving me my discussions told me....."you don't have to believe what we tell you..YOU pray and fast and ask the Lord yourself if it's right or wrong!"....Well that's what I did....and I got my answer. No, it wasn't as thrilling as a 'burning bush'or anything....but when you feel the spirit of the Lord upon you....well there's just no doubt! :) When I decided to be baptised and set the date...I decided I should also tell my mother! lol I was still living at home while I was going to college. So, I broke the news to my mom....she hadn't realised that all that time I was going to church on Sundays I was going to the LDS church! All she knew , I was still attending the Episcopal church with my neighbor, which I had been for several months before I began to investigate the LDS church. My mom was a little shocked and thought I was crazy! But once I sat her down and talked to her and told her I knew this was right, she clamed down. I was 21...what could she do? When I told her my baptisum date was that Saturday, she threw a fit! I was like, ..what?? She asked why she wasn't invited? I was flabbergasted! I knew she didn't want anything to do with religion, I told her. Why on earth would she want to be there? Well she continued to be offened and so I told her, well of course you can come!! Anyone can come! I just never thought in a million years you'd WANT to! Then she'd complained I would have to wait so she could be there...she had just had her foot operated on and couldn't walk on it yet, not for another week at least! So, to make her happy, I told her I'd change it. Crestfallen, I got right on the phone and tearily told the missionaires we'd have to postpone my baptisum and why....I thought they might be upset, but they were very nice about it and said okay, let's just do it next Saturday, no problem! So I agreed to make it that day instead and they said they'd take care of all the arrangements. So I got off the phone and went to the calendar to change the date to.....December 9,1978! I was shocked! In all the fuss, I hadn't even looked at what day next Saturday was! lol .....so there I was...clothed in my white jumpsuit...sitting in the Relief Society room....on Donny's 21st birthday.......with my mom, my older brother....and the girl I sat with that first day in church! It ended being a double baptisum with the both of us! The other girl...who happened to be Jewish...was there with her supportive Jewish mother in attendance! It was a day I would never forget!

I thank the Osmonds so much for introducing me to the church! I would've never even heard the word "Mormon" if it hadn't been for my love for them. I know the church is true with all my heart! I've been a member now for almost 25 years and still going strong. The church has helped me soooo much through the years and got me through some very trying times....I know Jesus is my Savior...and that we have a living Prophet guiding our church today. I am thankful for all the blessings that have come to me and hope I will continue to live worthy of those blessings... and be able to share my testimony with any who want to hear...