Donny Osmond

When I was seven years old, my mother read us the Holy Bible for the first time while she's trying to put us in bed to take a nap in that afternoon. That's when I realized and learned that there is a God who made everything, the universe, the earth and gave me life. Since then I seriously want to learn more about God but my mother did not finish reading to us, she probably read us until Noah story. While growing up especially during my teen-ager age, I started wondering why there are so many religions? I was born being Roman Catholic and been doing a lot of youth activities like Choir member, attending Flores de Mayo every summer, and so on...I considered myself a very devoted one to that church. One time I was reading the Bible in my own language which was Visayan (a language in the south part of the Philippines) and I understand more and learned a lot. I was seriously asking my mother why are we worshiping the saints when there's one of the 10 commandments saying that thou shall worship the Lord thy God with all your heart and with all your might, thou shall not worship other engraving images and so on...but why are we doing this? My mother said, "because we very sinful and not worthy to talk to God that the saints are much closer to God, so if we pray to them, they will be the one who forward our prayers to Him." It still did not make sense to me so I started wondering what's going on? Some of my father's sisters where in different religion, they called themselves the born again and wereprotestants. They read Bible too but why are they against to each other and more against to Catholic? I listen to them, I even go to their churches out of curiousity and then I also tried Seventh Adventist because of my friend. Well, for some reason I still search for something else, none of them could really tell me what I am looking for and can answer my questions.

Year 2004, we moved here in Oklahoma and we lived in a place where we surrounded of big churches, our neighbors were houses of pastors in those churches. Everytime I drop my kids to school, it's just a walking distance, I started wondering which church should I try? Church of Nazarene, Assembly of God, First Baptist Church, Methodist or First Christian Church, it was like...they all sound good to me but which one? I don't want to go back to Catholic church after seeing the Inquisition in the History Channel. At that time I worked in night shift and just have my fourth baby, he was just six months old and I started feeling weak and sick and dizzy because of lacking sleep. I put my kids to sleep in full bed size, all of them right next to me. We sleep in a wrong side so that we could all fit. When they all fall asleep, I prayed to Heavenly Father that I want them all to grow up to be a good people, at least be responsible mother and fathers to their own family someday. I don't want them coming home one day with tattoos in their skin, peircing everywhere and drunk or got pregnant by same kind of person or doing drugs. I don't think I deserve that. So I cried and prayed to Heavenly Father and begged him to help me find the right church for us that they will know Him well because that's the only way they can become a good people. I can not teach them that because I myself want to know more too, what if they ask me and don't know what to answer, they might give up instead. After that prayer, within one week, the missionaries came and knock to our door. I did not understand when they said, they are the missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints, I did not know what it is but I did asked them if they are the Mormons. Elder Hill and Elder Hoffman took a deep breath and said, "yeah, we are the Mormon missionaries". They acted like they thought I'm going to reject them, however, I said "Oh come on in, I've been planning to be a Mormon". And Elder Hill was like, "really, are you sure?" And then they said, "how about we'll set an appointment, when do you think you want to be visited?" I'm like, "well, isn't that what you came for, I want to know now, or at least talk to my husband?" At that time, I was going to cry, I know they are the answer of my prayer. I have no idea what the Mormon church was going to be but I was just ready because I know, God sent them to me. I am so glad to be part of this church. When I asked God to ask if this church is true, I did not recieve any answer of sign but when I asked, what do I need to do in order to be worthy to join this church, that's when I recieve an answer through a dream and I know that it was not just any dream. I heard a wonderful strong but gentle and clear whisper, like if only the waves on the sea can talk to you, that's how it sound like. Later on, I know who's voice it was. And because of that experience, I can never deny it and can never be shaken or doubt not even a little shade or a shadow that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints is the true church of Jesus Christ in this world, wether you will like it or not, I know this even in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.