We can help others on their journey by understanding their background.
Every individual who has developed a relationship with God has struggled on his or her own precious journey. Johnny A. Bahbah, a Palestinian Arab, explains his conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in an article titled “Translating.”
His conversion started when he heard about students at Brigham Young University from his brother, who studied there. From across the world, Bahbah learned about the Church and the reputation of its members.
Bahbah decided to attend BYU, where he continued to learn about the Church. He was influenced most by friends and teachers who didn’t push religion on him but offered opportunities to learn for himself what impact the gospel could have on his life. Though his background made it difficult for him to accept the gospel, Bahbah recognized there was something different—something good—about it.
“For about a year,” he says, “I did not share my thoughts or feelings about the Church with anybody. But I kept on studying and searching for guidance from God as to what to do. Something deep inside of me said repeatedly that there was something missing in my life. One of the questions that I dared [to] keep asking myself was whether I should join the LDS Church.”
Bahbah did end up joining the Church, and his journey to conversion illustrates an important lesson. At a time when the Internet and ease of travel make it commonplace to interact with people from different backgrounds, we need to keep an open mind, be respectful, and strive to understand each other’s perspectives.
Read Johnny A. Bahbah’s full article, “Translating.”
Source: Religious Studies Center
—Amber Dalton, Mormon Insights
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