Opposition

My favorite scripture since middle school is 2 Nephi 2:11. "There must needs be an opposition in all things." The strength of my testimony that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was God's ancient church restored in these latter days came in response to opposition from anti-Mormon sources.

My dad taught school an hour away from where we lived. In high school, I went to that school, as well. As we drove, my dad would sometimes listen to "the Bible Answer Man" who was very antagonistic toward Jehovah's Witnesses and Latter-Day Saints. I had been reading the scriptures since middle school, so I was prepared against the accusations that were raised. I was frustrated at the obviousness of the lie. Some topics raised questions in my mind that I was able to resolve through reason and study.

Many years later I was personally and violently (verbal only) confronted by someone I had opened my home to. I knew what I knew, but all the logic and reason in the world did not seem enough. I could explain and correct every point of contention if I had been given the opportunity. It was all clear in my mind. But his arrogance nagged at me. To be certain that I was right, I had to be open to the possibility that I was wrong. I spent 2 1/2 hours in fervent prayer that night.

I offered to God that I would give up everything that I knew if it was an elaborate hoax; that I would surrender all that was real and comfortable to me if He would show me the truth. In a brief moment I felt real opposition. I knew in an instant what that would mean, and I rejected the darkness it brought to my mind.

I opened my scriptures and my eyes fell on Moroni 7: 13 "But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do ^agood continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and ^benticeth to do ^cgood, and to love God, and to serve him, is ^dinspired of God."

I was still unsatisfied with my answer and continued to pray. I was compelled to open my eyes and "look." I expected to open my eyes to some glorious being or vision. However, in the darkness of my small bedroom, I saw nothing but the shadow of the window pane on the wall from the streetlight outside. I turned to the other wall, where there were two more outlines of the same, single bedroom window. There was more than one source of light in the parking lot outside my window.

Exhaustion combined with peace and I finally slept. In the morning the answer was clear. There were no shadows at all. The Pure Light of the Sun streamed in my window. Even though the streetlights that had cast the separate shadows were still on, they had no presence in my room now that the light of truth overwhelmed the man-made light.

There is much more to this story and what happened over the next several months. It is the story of how, despite years of having a testimony, I finally experienced a "mighty change of heart." But it all started with opposition.