MY CONVERSION STORY

I was born and raised in Croatia.  I immigrated to Australia when I was nearly 14 years old together with my parents and an older sister.  Upon our arrival here I was enrolled in a Catholic high school in line with my Catholic upbringing.  We were not a church going family as such but I had been tutored in my religion during my upbringing years and fondly remember the Christian celebrations from my youth of Easter and Christmas which were highly spiritual events for me. Whilst in St Bridges Girls' High, I attended mass every week and had further religious instruction from the nuns that lectured at the school.  By the time I was 16 I was out of school, working and beginning to wonder what this life was all about. Because of my faith in God I concluded that the answer to my question should come from Him.  Realising that the Catholic church offered no such answers for me I decided I would look into other religions.  My first step was to visit the library to see what other religions had to offer.  I had heard about the Mormon church through the Osmond Brothers who were highly popular in the 70's and who were very vocal about their family oriented church.  That appealed to my senses in a big way so I decided that the Mormon church would also be one I would invstigate. 

Amongst the library books I borrowed was The Book of Mormon and another book entitled "What of the Mormons?".   It was when I read the latter that I knew The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was for me.  I wanted eternal marriage, I wanted eternal family, I wanted God in my life, I wanted everything the Church had to offer.  It also had answers to all my questions through the Plan of Salvation.  I knew I belonged in this Church. I also knew, however, my parents would never approve, especially my father who was very strict and was not interested in anybody else's way of doing things. I tried to approach him about the issue but he didn't want to discuss it much and said under no circumstances was I to even consider being interested in another religion. This caused me much anguish but I felt driven.  I longed to be baptised and I longed to go to Church every Sunday and be gathered with the saints. I would often go to the telephone book looking for meetinghouses closest to where I lived.  When I could stand it no longer I decided that I would go and see a Mormon chapel for myself one Sunday.  I didn't drive in those days so I determined to catch a train and walk to the chapel from the station.  Sunday came and I nervously and secretly caught a train to the suburb of Allawah.  I found the chapel and walked up and down the street several times looking at it longingly believing I was not allowed in because I wasn't a member.  As I stood there on the outside looking in, the principle of tithing practiced by the Church came into my mind and I thought to myself:  "I would gladly give my entire earnings to the Church if I could just sit inside that building." 

I went home that Sunday and returned to the phone book to find someone in the Church I could write to.  I found a Stake President, Ian Mackie, and wrote to him asking to be baptised.  After a week I had not received an answer and could not wait any longer so I called him and he promised he would arrange for the missionaries to get in touch with me.  That same afternoon, an Elder Keeler called me and we arranged to meet the next day, being Sunday, at the Bankstown chapel for my first discussion. He asked what I knew about the Church and when I answered all his questions he remarked: "Wow, you are golden!".  I had no idea what that meant.

Once again I secretly caught a train and found my way to Bankstown chapel.  I was met by Elder Keeler who was waiting outside and who asked me if I was the investigator they were waiting for.  I didn't know what an investigator was so I replied: "I must be".  After my first discussion I attended the sacrament meeting.  The elders couldn't tell me anything more than I had already read about the Church.  I knew it all and wanted to be a member but my family stood in the way.  I was not quite 18 years old and would need their permission.  As my 18th birthday was fast approaching I decided that I needed to leave home in order to be baptized.  An older single lady, Elaine White, who was fellowshipping me during my discussions in Bankstown Ward approached a single mother in Sutherland Ward, Heather Davidson, and arranged for me to live with her. 

I could not risk being stopped in my tracks so I told my parents nothing about my plans to leave home.  My mother worked night shift at the time and came home at 7 am and my father left for work at 6 am.  In that one hour I packed all my belongings on the appointed day and left them in Elaine's car while I went to work.  It was the most nerve wrecking day of my life thus far.  I had left home and all my belongings were in the car of someone I had only met a few weeks ago. I knew there was no going back. While I was at work my sister called me to ask me what it was that I was doing while my mother was sobbing in the background.  My first night in a home of strangers, away from home for the first time, was heart wrenching.  I sat on my bed and cried for a long time. 

I was baptised on 19 April 1975 at South Harbour chapel in Sydney by Elder Brad Keeler.  When I came up out of the water, I was overcome with the spirit which reduced me to tears.  I knew I had done the right thing and that I was home.  My parents would have nothing to do with me for a full year despite the cards and flowers I sent home to my mother which were promptly discarded.  I sorrowed that they could not understand that I had to travel my own path but now I can see how frightening it would have been to them, strangers in a foreign land with their daughter joining what seemed to them some kind of a cult.  In time they came to understand and when they saw the good values I was living by they became very supportive.  Whilst I was on my mission, my mother wrote me most encouraging letters.  When I visited them in Croatia at the completion of it and happened to go out with some of my peers who were all drinking and smoking, my mother waved me off with an admonition: "Remember who you are". 

Shortly after I was baptised I was given a remarkable dream about the Saviour.  I dreamt that I was in a building with my parents when there arose some commotion on the street.  As we exited the building to find out the cause of this commotion, a strange white matter akin to snow fell on top of us.  My parents and I started digging our way up but when I emerged on top I never saw them again.  Instead I saw immense whiteness everywhere and when I looked to my right, I saw the Saviour in white walking towards me with outstretched arms saying: "Where are my children?".  This dream made me feel accepted by Him as I considered myself one of His children now that I was baptised in His name by proper authority. I was certain that the whiteness in my dream represented baptism and I knew I had done the right thing.

Since my baptism the Lord has blessed me immensely.  He has made up for my lack of family in numerous ways with lasting friendships, friends that I now consider family.  I have been looked after, supported and carried by these friends and I have lacked for nothing.  Through studying the scriptures and staying active in the Church I have endured some terrible storms in life and grown closer to my Father in Heaven and His Son who has atoned for my sins and suffered my sorrows.  I know He lives.  I want to serve Him all the days of my life to in some way repay the debt I owe Him for the incredible suffering He has borne on my behalf.  He is the light, the truth, the way; the only way we can overcome this world and return home triumphant.  He is the balm of Gilead who can heal us and dry all our tears and encircle us in the arms of His love.

Joseph Smith spoke of 'the believing blood of Israel', those who seek the truth and recognise it the moment they hear it. I think I have such blood.  I think I am one of the sheep of which the Saviour spoke when He said:

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me" (John 10:27