Kenny's Conversion

This is the firsthand account of the conversion of Kenny, a young man who I met and worked with in Kalispell, Montana. He hopes to serve a mission someday soon! See http://johnstonkenny.blogspot.com/.

L/R Elder Lanham, Elder Miner, Richard, Kenny, and Wendy Johnston

"Last February, I was texting my friend Kyla Allred to see how things are going and what she's up to today. She was saying, "I'm at church right now. Oh boy you are missing out big time Kenny." Then she said, "You should come next Sunday?" She was just being sarcastic but what she was not expecting was a text saying, "Sure. Why not, it might be fun."

So all that week I was getting texts and calls from Kyla saying you should wear this, this and this and be at the church at this time and do not be late. So Sunday comes along and I get ready to go to church. I actually get their 5 minutes early. I walk in and I do not know what to do. I can not find Kyla. She was a little late to Sacrament meeting so I sit in the very back so no one would see me. Then Kyla walks in and sees me and we go sit right up front where I did not want to sit. But oh well.

So after Sacrament I felt pretty good. We went to Sunday school, and then I went to Priesthood and Kyla went to Relief Society. When church was done I found Kyla and as a joke she invited me to go to seminary and again she did not expect me to walk in 5 minutes late to the Senior seminary class the next day. Everyone was really surprised that I got up that early and came to a church class. Anyways, I really liked seminary so I went back every day 'til graduation. But before graduation, Sister Guest (The seminary teacher) asked me if I would be willing to meet with the missionaries. I was kinda iffy on it because I had heard some good and very bad things about the missionaries but I thought to myself, "If I have been to church and seminary, what would meeting with the missionaries hurt?" So the next day I gave them my number and right after school I got a call from them asking if they can come over that Saturday. I said "Sure why not."
So that Saturday, the Missionaries Elder Miner and Elder Baumgarten, and then Elder Lanham, gave me a lesson about the church and Joseph Smith. After the lesson we had a word of prayer and I asked them if they could come back over, and of course they said yes. So actually the next few weeks they came over and gave me the rest of the missionary lessons. Around April I started praying about if the Book of Mormon is true, if this is the true church of Jesus Christ, if Joseph Smith was really a Prophet, and if Thomas S. Monson a true prophet today.
Then on May 26, 2010 I finally got my answer through a dream. I was in this big house, and a young lady came up to me and said, "Isn't it time to teach the Book of Mormon to your children?" I said, "Yes it is." So I started reading the book to them and after the last few verses in the Book of Moroni, one of my sons asked me how he can get baptized, get a Patriarchal Blessing and get his priesthood. Then I woke up and asked Heavenly Father if that was my answer. I went back to sleep and had it again and again and again. Then I woke up and said "Alright Heavenly Father, I get it. This dream is my answer." The next day was the last day of seminary, that's when I told everyone that I decided to get baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
On June 19, 2010 Elder Miner baptized me into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ever since that day I have felt renewed and reborn. Now I am almost 19 and I got my Patriarchal Blessing, my Melchizedek Priesthood, and I have decided to go on a MISSION. I am so grateful that the gospel came into my life. I am so excited to go on my mission because I know in my heart that I will teach the gospel to people that are eager to listen just like I was.
I know this church is true. I know the Book of Mormon is true and is another testament of of Jesus Christ. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that Thomas S. Monson is the True Prophet today and I know that he will not lead us astray. I know that my Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ lives today and he loves me and knows me by name. And I says these things in the sacred name of Jesus Christ. Amen.