As a pre-teen and
teen, I was always looking for a friend who would tell me about their church
and its beliefs. I was dissatisfied with the teaching and beliefs of my
parent’s denominational choice and hoped to find one that adhered to the
scriptures more closely, especially the New Testament church that Christ set in
order.
During this time, one of my boyfriends was RLDS and would take me to his church occasionally. After a few services, I began to see similarities between the New Testament church and the RLDS. I wondered if it would, eventually, match up with the New Testament church and pass the test I had for finding a church I could commit to and serve in. One by one, with each passing attended service and religious discussion coupled with church tracts that I studied, the RLDS church held true. I was getting excited about this discovery!
About the time my boyfriend was called into the priesthood, of which both calling and priesthood, I understood little, if anything, Wallace B. Smith was to be ordained President of the World RLDS Church. Since we lived in Independence, we had the opportunity to attend the ordination service at the Auditorium. I understood little about this event except that is was very special and carried great import for Church members.
My boyfriend picked me up quite early considering the time of the service and we drove to the Auditorium. It was packed. We ended up sitting in the very top row of the balcony, just about in the middle of the back. I could make out the faces of those on the rostrum if I squinted but I didn’t know anybody anyway, so it didn’t matter. I was there to continue testing the spirit and I was strongly rooting for this church to win.
I didn’t notice anything unusual about the service except that the singing was incredible. I had only been in the building for an RLDS service once before and that was a Center Stake Christmas program. The singing then was lovely but I attributed that to the Christmas season and good acoustics. The singing on the night of Wallace B. Smith’s ordination was powerful and saturated with the Holy Spirit. It almost took my breath away.
However, when Wallace B. Smith sat down to be ordained and the men came forward to ordain him, there was a definite change in the entire room. As hands were placed upon Wallace’s head, I could feel the cold, dead-like spirit of Satan enter and take over the service.
The RLDS church just lost the final test I had for it.
I was so disappointed and I wasn’t about to waste any time in that room with that spirit. I turned to my boyfriend and whispered,
During this time, one of my boyfriends was RLDS and would take me to his church occasionally. After a few services, I began to see similarities between the New Testament church and the RLDS. I wondered if it would, eventually, match up with the New Testament church and pass the test I had for finding a church I could commit to and serve in. One by one, with each passing attended service and religious discussion coupled with church tracts that I studied, the RLDS church held true. I was getting excited about this discovery!
About the time my boyfriend was called into the priesthood, of which both calling and priesthood, I understood little, if anything, Wallace B. Smith was to be ordained President of the World RLDS Church. Since we lived in Independence, we had the opportunity to attend the ordination service at the Auditorium. I understood little about this event except that is was very special and carried great import for Church members.
My boyfriend picked me up quite early considering the time of the service and we drove to the Auditorium. It was packed. We ended up sitting in the very top row of the balcony, just about in the middle of the back. I could make out the faces of those on the rostrum if I squinted but I didn’t know anybody anyway, so it didn’t matter. I was there to continue testing the spirit and I was strongly rooting for this church to win.
I didn’t notice anything unusual about the service except that the singing was incredible. I had only been in the building for an RLDS service once before and that was a Center Stake Christmas program. The singing then was lovely but I attributed that to the Christmas season and good acoustics. The singing on the night of Wallace B. Smith’s ordination was powerful and saturated with the Holy Spirit. It almost took my breath away.
However, when Wallace B. Smith sat down to be ordained and the men came forward to ordain him, there was a definite change in the entire room. As hands were placed upon Wallace’s head, I could feel the cold, dead-like spirit of Satan enter and take over the service.
The RLDS church just lost the final test I had for it.
I was so disappointed and I wasn’t about to waste any time in that room with that spirit. I turned to my boyfriend and whispered,
“Get me out of
here.” His reply of “Shhhh” only made me more insistent.
I whispered back,
“If you don’t get me out of here right now, I will make a scene, regardless of
the importance of this service to you or anyone else in this big
building.”
With a look that
said I was absolutely insane, he muttered, “Okay.” We began the awkward process
of exiting past people’s knees and apologizing as we went.
Once we were outside the room and walking down an endless procession of ramps, I let him have it. He said not a word, drove me home in silence and did not even say goodbye when I excited the car. I figured that relationship was over but I had retained the greater prize, in my opinion: the truth!
During my private prayer time that evening, I shared it all with the Lord: my disappointment, how the service transpired, the awful feeling when Satan walked into that service, my boyfriend’s blindness to the truth, the sadness of a people who were misguided. When I had spilled it all out, I told God I would continue to worship Him the “New Testament way” to the best of my ability as it seemed to me there weren’t any options left.
He spoke to me in His still small voice, “This is still My Church. Man will do what he will, but this is still My Church.”
Needless to say, within a short amount of time, I was baptized. The years of turmoil between the change in church policy allowing women in the priesthood and the loose formation of Restoration branches did not discourage me. I had already faced that before joining the church and was at peace with God leading His children, rather than man.
Once we were outside the room and walking down an endless procession of ramps, I let him have it. He said not a word, drove me home in silence and did not even say goodbye when I excited the car. I figured that relationship was over but I had retained the greater prize, in my opinion: the truth!
During my private prayer time that evening, I shared it all with the Lord: my disappointment, how the service transpired, the awful feeling when Satan walked into that service, my boyfriend’s blindness to the truth, the sadness of a people who were misguided. When I had spilled it all out, I told God I would continue to worship Him the “New Testament way” to the best of my ability as it seemed to me there weren’t any options left.
He spoke to me in His still small voice, “This is still My Church. Man will do what he will, but this is still My Church.”
Needless to say, within a short amount of time, I was baptized. The years of turmoil between the change in church policy allowing women in the priesthood and the loose formation of Restoration branches did not discourage me. I had already faced that before joining the church and was at peace with God leading His children, rather than man.
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