I knew that I had the truth and that he and his companion had brought the truth to me! Why would he, the messenger of God, tell me to stay with my mother, who denied me baptism?
Russ, my missionary, turned to the Bible and read in Exodus 20:12 if I recall rightly,
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
I submitted without further resistance. Not only had he used the scriptures to cool the passion in my heart, but also he spoke with the authority of the one who introduced me to God.
He told me, “You will have to wait until you’re 18 years old and be prayerful about it to the Lord.”
He convinced me that I was wrong though deep in my heart I already knew that I was not …show more content…
They asked me to give up tea, and I love tea so much I do, I gave up tea. I wanted to be like them. Mother told me that she liked the person into which I was turning. She saw the good influence that the missionaries had on me with this church. I was so happy to have that obstacle removed before it even had a chance to take root. God again had answered my prayer to Him! I knew that God had influenced Mom to change her heart because she was a sensitive person to the spirit.
March 29, 1992, I entered the waters of baptism by the hand of Russell Sheridan. I have one picture from that day and I am amazed at how young I was. I made a life-altering commitment at the age of 15 years when most people my age were thinking about other things. Truthfully, I thought about those things also. I just did not allow my mind to dwell. My thoughts needed to be pure, which for the most part they were. I remember standing in the Tifton church building and stating before those in attendance to my baptism that I knew I would not have to fight any more. I knew that I had come to the right place. The people showed great kindness to me as I nervously entered their world but that nervousness left me. The congregation welcomed me with arms wide open. I cannot recall the lessons taught or the speakers who spoke. I do remember the feeling. The feelings that attended me when the missionaries taught me pervaded the building. There was no way I could forget …show more content…
I think Dexter knew that I was impressionable in that manner, so he was careful in how he approached me with the gospel. That music became my lifeline many times because of its simple and humble message. I grew to love Eugene Greco’s music so much and relied on it for many years thereafter. Regarding the church, however, and possibly evident to Dexter, there existed and underlying current in my motive for joining the church in addition to finding God. I knew that everything the elders taught me was true, but I could not resist the opportunity joining this church afforded me to mingle with White people. I was a poor Black kid with little worldly experience. I did my best to impress the White people so that they would like me. I began trying to be White. It was not even the Southern White to which I was familiar that I mimicked. It was the Utah White. It came with the church from the local members who transplanted to that area I mimicked.
I tried to be White by changing my speech pattern. I changed the type of clothing I wore. I changed the friends that I had. This happened over a four-year period and colored my life
Russ, my missionary, turned to the Bible and read in Exodus 20:12 if I recall rightly,
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
I submitted without further resistance. Not only had he used the scriptures to cool the passion in my heart, but also he spoke with the authority of the one who introduced me to God.
He told me, “You will have to wait until you’re 18 years old and be prayerful about it to the Lord.”
He convinced me that I was wrong though deep in my heart I already knew that I was not …show more content…
They asked me to give up tea, and I love tea so much I do, I gave up tea. I wanted to be like them. Mother told me that she liked the person into which I was turning. She saw the good influence that the missionaries had on me with this church. I was so happy to have that obstacle removed before it even had a chance to take root. God again had answered my prayer to Him! I knew that God had influenced Mom to change her heart because she was a sensitive person to the spirit.
March 29, 1992, I entered the waters of baptism by the hand of Russell Sheridan. I have one picture from that day and I am amazed at how young I was. I made a life-altering commitment at the age of 15 years when most people my age were thinking about other things. Truthfully, I thought about those things also. I just did not allow my mind to dwell. My thoughts needed to be pure, which for the most part they were. I remember standing in the Tifton church building and stating before those in attendance to my baptism that I knew I would not have to fight any more. I knew that I had come to the right place. The people showed great kindness to me as I nervously entered their world but that nervousness left me. The congregation welcomed me with arms wide open. I cannot recall the lessons taught or the speakers who spoke. I do remember the feeling. The feelings that attended me when the missionaries taught me pervaded the building. There was no way I could forget …show more content…
I think Dexter knew that I was impressionable in that manner, so he was careful in how he approached me with the gospel. That music became my lifeline many times because of its simple and humble message. I grew to love Eugene Greco’s music so much and relied on it for many years thereafter. Regarding the church, however, and possibly evident to Dexter, there existed and underlying current in my motive for joining the church in addition to finding God. I knew that everything the elders taught me was true, but I could not resist the opportunity joining this church afforded me to mingle with White people. I was a poor Black kid with little worldly experience. I did my best to impress the White people so that they would like me. I began trying to be White. It was not even the Southern White to which I was familiar that I mimicked. It was the Utah White. It came with the church from the local members who transplanted to that area I mimicked.
I tried to be White by changing my speech pattern. I changed the type of clothing I wore. I changed the friends that I had. This happened over a four-year period and colored my life