Ava
Chris, when did you realize as a Mormon that – what you had been taught, believed, and practiced all your life, was a lie?
Chris
Well, Ava – I had returned from an LDS mission, got married in the temple, was very active in the Church, when I began to feel that something was missing in my spiritual walk. That something, I recognized was a greater relationship with my Savior. I decided one day to read the New Testament but this time with fresh eyes. I started with the, Gospel of John and remember asking God to help me understand the truth of who He is. I barely got through the first three verses in chapter 1, when an awakening started to happen within me.
Ava
What did those verses say?
Chris
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
Ava
So, what kind of awakening were you experiencing?
Chris
I realized the significance of those verses: In the beginning – from before anything else – the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And – ALL things – were made or created by Him THAT caused me to stop and ask – EVERYTHING? What does everything mean? (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 44:24; Ephesians 3:9; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2).
Ava
And why was that so astonishing?
Chris
That meant the Word – who I soon realized in this chapter was Jesus – had always existed. He was uncreated. He didn’t start out as a literal spirit child from heavenly parents in the pre-existence as I had understood in Mormonism. He didn’t earn His status as deity. He has always been God. And, if He created all things, then The Word – God – preincarnate Jesus – created Lucifer and all of us. That meant that neither Satan, nor human beings could be spirit children of heavenly parents. Nor could Jesus be our elder spirit brother. Jesus is equal with YHWY, yet He is distinct from YHWY.
Having considered myself, a student of the Scriptures – how did I miss this! How did I read these verses before and never understand what they meant?
Ava
Probably because you had always viewed scripture through the lens of Mormonism.
I think when we read the next couple of verses, it might make sense why you missed the true message about Jesus. It says in, Verses 4 and 5 of John “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and darkness comprehended it not.”
Could it be that the darkness of lies and deception of Mormonism blinded you from seeing and comprehending truth?
Chris
Oh, absolutely! Like the blind man who Jesus healed in John chapter 9, I realized that God had given me new in-sight. Once I had been blind – now I could see. As I read in John 1:4, He is the giver of life since He is the Creator. He also gives Eternal Life to all those who believe on Him. The light of Jesus as it says in John 1:5, penetrates and enlightens the hearts and minds of men and women. When Christ’s light shines, we can see our sin – and His glory. We can also refuse to see the light – and remain in darkness.
“I have to go but next time I want to tell you the rest of the story.”
Ava
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