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A Temple-Attending Conversion
Isaiah 42:16 reads, “And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.”
I am Raja Munusamy of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. This is my testimony. Before joining this church, my family and I belonged to another religion. In August 2014, I had a cardiac arrest and was hospitalized for few days. Post the discharge I rested for 20 days from my work, and during that time I was introduced to sister missionaries, Sister Shelly Arora and Sister Fernandez. They visited our family regularly and prayed for us to receive comfort and for me to recover soon.
I also felt the Spirit and peace of mind during their course of teaching about Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ, but soon I was thinking that they were planning to convert us. Thinking so I requested them not to come back to teach the gospel. Nevertheless, they were so valiant in the gospel. They didn’t want my family to lose the blessings. They constantly came to us. One time I felt the Spirit was strong when they asked me to pray and “ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true” (Moroni 10:4). That night we prayed as a family and went to bed.
Nearing midnight I suddenly woke up from my bed and asked my wife, “Are the missionaries teaching correct principles?” She replied that they were teaching correct principles and added more strength to it by affirming that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are living. This answer made me think, and I had faith. The next morning, I asked her what she said last night. She replied that she didn’t know because she was in a deep sleep. Then I came to know this was the answer to our prayers that we received through the Holy Ghost.
That day we decided to join the church. On the 21 September 2014 we were baptized as a family: my wife, Usha Raja; son, Siddharth Raja; and daughter, Sangamitra Raja. My faith and character made my mother Kanaga Munusamy decide to be baptized on 7th December 2014.
I shared the gospel with my sister-in-law, Deena Balraj, and I baptized her in April 2015. Her faith caused her mother, Kanchana Balraj, and her younger sister, Priya Balraj, to come into the fold. Deena married a church member named Jerald Kesari on 7th November 2016.
In September 2015, I was called to serve in the branch presidency as a second counselor. I magnified my calling and now I have been called as an Elders Quorum President in the Chennai 3rd Branch.
With the help of our beloved mission president, President Mortensen, our branch president, Joseph Anandraj, and Elder and Sister Smith, we prepared as a family for the temple and they taught us about temple ordinances and helped our family get temple recommendations. It is the blessing of our worthiness.
Malachi 4:6 reads, “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”
Our family history consultant, Sister Elizabeth Chelladurai, helped us collect all our ancestor details and prepared us to do the temple ordinances. She also took efforts to get connected to us while we were in the Taiwan Taipei Temple.
We went to the Taiwan Taipei Temple on 26th December 2017 and we did our temple ordinances. The next day, we were sealed as a family to obtain eternal life.
When we entered into the holy temple, we were excited and felt that this is the place where God dwells. The Holy Spirit guided us through the temple sessions and the temple workers helped us select the white temple clothing. My pants were too long and when I was busy tying my white tie somebody was folding my pants. When I looked down, I was surprised to see that it was the temple president. That was indeed a great act of humility.
My son and daughter did lot of baptisms for our ancestors as well as other Chinese. I thank my Heavenly Father for this opportunity.
While I stood as a proxy for my father in baptism, my mother saw my father’s face. Myself and my son performed the baptism for my father-in-law, and we felt his presence.
We also were sealed to our ancestors to obtain eternal life and to live with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the celestial kingdom.
While we were in the Taiwan Taipei Temple, we enjoyed the fellowship of many other Church members. The temple president and his counselors and other temple workers helped us spiritually and physically to finish all our temple ordinances.
The patron house organizer, Sister Shoo, was so caring and humble. She took good care of our family all through the days we stayed in the temple patron housing.
Sister Joy Huang and Brother Kyle helped us physically and spiritually. They loved our family and they helped us go to the Taiwan Museum. They helped us travel in a public bus and to feel the life experience of Taiwan. My son and daughter accepted them like a mother and father because of their love and affection.
We also thank Elder and Sister Funk, Asia area president, for their wonderful service in the temple; they have taken good care of our family in doing the temple ordinances. They also took our family for lunch. We enjoyed Chinese food. We also met a wonderful Filipino family in the temple patron house. They showed immense love towards our family and they spent their valuable time with us.
I request all the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to go to the temple and do temple ordinances for their eternal life.
I strongly believe that the temple ordinances are true. Jesus Christ is living in the temple. I know the Bible and the Book of Mormon are the true word of God. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we are cleansed from our sins. I testify this in the matchless name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, amen.