Sometimes a dark night turns into a blazing sunrise. I
should probably tell you that I have bipolar disorder plus I’ve been a Mormon
or Latter-day Saint (LDS) for over 40 years. During a bout of bipolar mania nearly a
year ago, I came to the sudden and unexpected realization that I didn’t believe in the LDS
church. This was painful to me as I had
always strongly believed in the LDS church. This was my first time of spiritual doubt and I'm still recovering from the blow. During this time of upheaval, I made a new
friend who went to a non-denominational Christian church. My new friend invited
me to come to this church. On Sunday, December 8, 2013 I decided to give it a
try. I went to one service and stayed afterward for a welcome luncheon. At the
luncheon, I sat next to a few caring individuals. I told them of my current
concerns and they asked if they could pray for me with the laying on of hands.
Three of them each put their hand on me and one of them proceeded to pray. It
wasn’t long before I was crying. I’ve never heard such beautiful, heartfelt
words that seemed to ascend straight to heaven.
You should know I’ve prayed many times daily and heard
others pray in the LDS church thousands of times. But I have never felt the
intensity of genuine love that I sensed from these people who were strangers
just moments ago. The words in the prayer were spoken with confidence as if
this individual expected God to surely answer them. Yet the words and feeling were also humble. My new
friends asked me questions about my relationship with Jesus Christ and I found
myself weeping and giving my life to Jesus. Before I knew it, I was saved. Now
these friends were my spiritual brothers and sisters. This experience of
getting saved was singular and memorable. I had heard before of individuals
remembering the date on which they were saved. Now I understood why. December 8, 2013 is my special date. I felt I
could sing with the choirs of angels. I felt God’s love so powerfully. It was a
deeply moving experience. It was exhilarating to give my sins and burdens to
God and accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. Just thinking about it now makes my
heart beat strongly within my chest. As I remember this, I feel penetrating
light within me even when the rest of my life is dark.
If you haven’t been saved, you may want to
consider it. I can tell you this, you’ll never forget it and it will be one of
the happiest and brightest moments of your life.
