Steps of Conversion

Hi my name is Nelson Scully and I have just started blogging everyday. My religious beliefs prevent me from blogging just regular business on Sundays because I believe in keeping the Sabbath day holy. So instead of just not blogging on Sundays I have decided to start this blog, every Sunday I will post to this blog a spiritual lesson I have learned recently which I feel I need to write down. I had a Stake president talk about using the blogosphere or more specifically using current technology to do good, and to help to clarify misconceptions about the Mormon religion (I am Mormon), and I haven't acted based on his talk until now. So every week I will be posting here lessons I have learned pertaining to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The following paragraph is a lesson I learned while I was living in Vancouver, and this lesson profoundly changed the way I look at missionary work and my previous missionary experiences. I have been meaning to write it down for some time but simply haven't done it until now.

There is a process of conversion that each person must go through in order to fully understand the Restored church. Many times growing up talking to my friends about the church, I didn't take into account the different religious backgrounds of friends and in my naive approach I would try to teach doctrines that cannot make sense to anyone without first gaining a testimony of much simpler doctrines. The following chart is the chart that illustrated the process that each person must go through in order to come to a full testimony of the restored gospel.(I think the scriptures mirror this development of testimony and have put the corresponding books in brackets)

No Testimony of God - Testimony that there is a God (Old Testament) - Testimony in Jesus Christ (New Testament) - Testimony that Joseph Smith was a Prophet and an Ambassador for Christ (The Book of Mormon) - Testimony that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints has Authority from God today which was restored through Joseph Smith (The Doctrine and Covenants)

Each of these things build upon one another, if a person does not believe that there is a God then there is not much point in telling them about Joseph Smith, although they may be able to gain a testimony that there is a God through the story of Joseph Smith, unless they gain a testimony that there is a God they cannot gain a testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet. This comforts me because I had many I had friends who I had gospel discussions with and I simply couldn't understand why they didn't get it, and now realize that it was because of this progression that they were not gaining a testimony of the things that I taught. They needed me to focus on some of the the simpler doctrines. I thank Heavenly Father that he taught me this lesson last month, because I will be able to be much more understanding when teaching others who come from different religious backgrounds.

I am grateful for knowledge the Lord has blessed me with of the Plan of Salvation. For my testimony of Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and the Savior of the world. I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon and it's power to change our character, and it's power to draw us closer to Christ. I look forward to writing every week in this blog and sharing the lessons which I have been and will be blessed with.