I spent the morning watching “I’m a Mormon” videos trying to brainstorm as to why I am a Mormon. That I have to watch videos about other Mormons to discover why I am a Mormon is, well, somewhat shameful, and I realized that I have not seriously contemplated my reasoning for being a Mormon in several years. I guess Alma was speaking to me when he said “if ye have experienced a change of heart, . . . I would ask, can ye feel so now?” (Alma 5:26)
I made the decision to be Mormon on July 4, 2004 when I was 18 years old. I had recently graduated from high school and was trying to decide if being Mormon was worth it. I had made plans to attend college where I would conveniently stop going to church and be able to forget the whole church thing. I was somewhat like Amulek who recalled that he “harden[ed] [his] heart, for [he] was called many times and ... would not hear; ... [he] knew concerning these things (meaning the truthfulness of the gospel), yet [he] would not know; [and] ... went on rebelling against God.” I knew the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints taught truth and was God’s Church on Earth, but like Amulek I would not believe. I was distracted by the world; the commandments were restrictive, and I wanted to [be] free from it.
July 4th was a Sunday, and I was lying in bed thinking about my plans to leave the Church when I received inspiration from God. I remember specifically hearing a voice in my mind that said, “Do not leave, I need you in this Church.” It was a strange sensation at the time because my mind was talking to me in third person, but when I think about it now, I realize that the voice speaking to me was the Holy Ghost. I learned in those few seconds that God knew me, that He loved me, and that He had a plan for me. Learning these truths changed my decision to leave the church and consequently the trajectory of my life.
Since that summer day, I have had other experiences that explain my decision to be a Mormon. I have read the Book of Mormon in its entirety several times and know that it is from God because of the guidance and inspiration I have gained from its pages. I have felt the redemption of the Atonement of Jesus Christ as I have repented, and I have seen how the commandments protect us from difficult experiences, allow God to provide us with blessings, and bring lasting peace to our lives.
While I may have spent a little too much time this morning watching the “I’m a Mormon” videos, I enjoy watching them because they inspire me. The videos allow me to see how other Mormons navigate life and how the Church influences their lives for the better. I hope you know off the top of your head why you are a Mormon. But, if you [are] like me, and the question leaves you scratching your head, I hope you take the time to sit down, ponder, and write down why you are a Mormon.
My name is David. I am a law student, a father, a husband, and yes, I am a Mormon too.
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