 This May it's been two years since I went down to my local ward and asked for a book of Mormon Now make no mistake. I was a hardcore atheist and it was purely for academic purposes as I'm a religious studies student But that's what makes it so fascinating to look back at how far I've come these past two years We've got me thinking how amazing would it be to be able to send a letter back in time to myself to two years ago atheist me? So that's what I wrote. I wrote a letter to past me And that's what I like to share with you all today Dear pastarcy One day very soon you'll wake up one morning. I think it's just some normal day But you're gonna be given a book of Mormon and that book it's about to change your life Because on your third reading of the book of Mormon, you're gonna read second Nephi 2 which tells of Adam and Eve and Literally the last thing you'll ever expect is gonna happen You're gonna believe it almost like you're remembering it and Then you're gonna remember what it says at the end of the book of Mormon Marona's promise about how if you sincerely pray and ask God he will manifest the truth unto you and You're gonna do something that you never thought you would that you make fun of people for doing you're gonna pray to God and You're gonna get your answer God will reply And it will be the greatest fusion of love and peace and joy that you've ever felt and It will be the stopping and restarting of your entire being But the Holy Ghost can testify to you all the truth he wants to but ultimately You'll only hear it when you're ready to hear it And what just happened to you what you'll spend 18 months Denying happened to you It's gonna scare you You love always being right and having the answer in your stubborn So you're gonna dedicate the next 18 months of your life Every book you read every YouTube video you watch every daydream in your bedroom To defending your original hypotheses That is that there is no God and the church isn't true You're gonna have discussions with family members and friends about how the church isn't true You're gonna know every single anti Mormon argument there is and share it with as many people as possible You're even gonna run a pretty popular atheist blog online where you write posts about the book of Mormon and Joseph Smith And how he clearly made it all up But through all of that behind all those high walls you built up against God You'll be burying inside you what you know is the undeniable truth I'm the future you so I know your secret You're not really an atheist Okay, well in your mind you are but deep down in your soul You know you're not alone You know there's a God and deep down You want to let yourself believe in the restored gospel You're not just gonna be the lost sheep You're gonna be the wolf But Christ's gonna leave the 99 you anyway Here's the thing you need to know about Jesus He's faithful and He never gives up ever Even when you hate him roll your eyes at him or Call your call his restored gospel stupid or made up or crazy even then especially and He never gives up on you and then One random day You'll read Alma 32 in the book of Mormon which talks about planting a seed of faith and For the first time you won't try to dig your seed of faith up with hate and lies But you'll nourish it And that's how it happens. There's no pillar of light or vision on the road to Damascus There's just the unrelenting love of Jesus Christ You'll spend 18 months running as fast as you can away from God and Finally just be too tired to keep building up the lies. He's tearing down You'll just stop turn and face Christ and go. Oh, there you are. I've been looking for you my whole life So you'll get baptized and After you come out of that baptismal water Your arms will still be the same your legs will still be the same all the atoms in your body will still be exactly the same but they won't they'll have been drenched in the blood of Jesus Christ and They'll be braver stronger because of it You'll be stronger You'll finally be the person you were saved to be And that first breath you take after coming up. It'll feel like the first breath you've taken without being suffocated So pastarcy, this is gonna be your testimony Ensure it's complex and confusing, but it's what got you here It's gonna be a long and difficult road, but I'm glad it's long If it wasn't the message might not have been so clear to me And that is that I need to protect my seed of faith with everything I have Because if you think your life is good now You have no idea just how incredible it's about to become all the blessings are heading your way And all of that's just 18 months and one baptism away You're gonna go searching for one answer and discover another In your atheist quest to dis to disprove Mormonism You're gonna find out that it's true So right now pastarcy, you're just about to begin your research project, but spoiler here's the conclusion I know that the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's restored church and I do not say that lightly And I promise you that by believing in and following the restored gospel You will find a peace and love and joy incomparable Anything else the world has ever known and I say these things with all my heart and in the name of Jesus Christ Amen