M E R I D I A N     M A G A Z I N E

Led From Agnosticism to Light
The Conversion of Walter Schoenheim

My amazing odyssey from darkness to light, nothing to everything and ignorance to knowledge.

I had been a non-believer, an agnostic, all my life. My parents, too, had been non-believers and there had never been a Bible in our home nor had we ever gone to church.

In September of 1993, when I was 63, the doorbell rang and there stood two young men, Elders Harris and Transtrum, in black pants, white shirts and ties, smiling broadly and telling me that they were from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and would like to talk to me about Jesus Christ. I replied, "You're wasting your time. I do not believe in God." For some unexplainable reason I continued to listen and after a few minutes, invited them into my house.

For the next hour I found what they were saying both curious and unreal. I had been brought up to only believe in matters of the five senses. The world of the spiritual was as yet unknown to me. They asked if they could come back and give me a Book of Mormon. I replied: "If you want to waste a copy, sure."

Missionaries Return
Dutifully they returned in a couple of days, talked more about God, Jesus Christ and the Gospel and asked me to read the introduction to the Book of Mormon,

3rd Nephi and Moroni 10:3-5. I agreed, mostly so as not to disappoint them. I skimmed through the passages, not really comprehending, or caring , what was on the pages. They again asked if it'd be OK if they came back. I agreed, feeling as if it were someone other than myself who gave this approval.

Over the next few months the missionaries faithfully stopped by, taught the lessons and one day asked me to be BAPTIZED! I was taken back and said, "I don't believe in anything you have been teaching me, so how could I be so hypocritical as to agree?" Disappointment showed in their faces but also the determination to continue with this heathen.

Time Passes Now almost two years had passed since the first missionaries had tracted me out. Ever since, I had wanted to find out what it was that gave these extraordinary and devoted young men their faith and belief. I had so many questions to which I had no answer: Was God real? Did Jesus really die for our sins? Was Joseph Smith a prophet? Is the Book of Mormon true? Who or what is the Holy Ghost? How does one pray to get answers? What is exaltation? Is there really a heaven and a hell? What is immortality? And on and on.

As I thought about these many questions, I also pondered why I was continuing to see the missionaries. I then realized that probably many months ago I had known that what they were teaching was TRUE, but my lifetime of denying and rejecting God prevented me from admitting I had been wrong and was the reason why I was always looking for spurious reasons to deny what they were saying.

As if in answer to a prayer not prayed, the next day a new companionship stopped by who obviously knew what had preceded their visit. They challenged me to seriously read one chapter daily in the Book of Mormon from beginning to end. I told them that, "I want to find the truth" and because I had acquired a great deal of faith in the sincerity and devotion that the missionaries possessed, I agreed.

I kept a log of what I was reading and after several days began to read more than one chapter daily and found it quite interesting. In five or six weeks I had finished the Book of Mormon. The missionaries, of course, were quite happy. I had been investigating the church for almost two years now, when one evening they came about 8:15 looking more serious than usual-- and just before they left, at 9:00 o'clock, they asked me, "Will you get on your knees tonight and pray for an answer." They felt a strong presence of the Holy Ghost. I said, " How can this be if I am sitting a few feet away from you and feel nothing?"

At any rate, I decided this was it—either I get an answer tonight or I'd discontinue the missionaries' visits. The missionaries wrote down the proper format of a prayer and left. I felt an unexplainable anticipation. About 10 p m, with my laundry list of questions in my head, I remembered two passages: 3rd Nephi 9:20 ("...and whoso comes unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit him will I baptize with fire and the Holy Ghost...") and Moroni 10:3-5 ("...if ye shall ask with a sincere heart and real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth unto you..."). So, with as much faith as I was capable of I knelt down and began with "Our Heavenly Father..." That was as far as I got with my prayer when the Holy Ghost came over me with such an overwhelming force and power that I was stunned. Tears began to stream down my face like I had never known before. Had I been standing, I think I would have buckled. I never had a chance to ask my questions—yet in that split second, that twinkling of an eye, I had become a believer—done a 180-degree turn from my agnosticism—and all my questions had been answered. I knew that I wanted to be baptized.

The following morning I left a message for the missionaries to the effect: "Elders, I think we hit paydirt!" When they came in the afternoon I wished I'd had a video camera to record their looks of total disbelief, incredulity and absolute amazement!!! It was priceless!

We set September 30, 1995 for my baptism. It was wondrous! Elders Smith and Holyoak performed it. A year and three days later I went to the Temple for my endowments and my life has been one happy experience after another ever since. I've been blessed with great callings; among these Ward Mission Leader and currently, ward executive secretary.

-------
Walter Schoenheim was born in Leipzig, Germany on July 11, 1930 and came to live in New York City with his parents in 1947. He joined the US Air Force, attended college, and went to work for Volkswagen. In 1966 he became General Manager of a VW dealership in Tucson and was also in real estate management. Of his mother and his conversion Walter said, "If there is a place in heaven for saintly mothers that didn't believe, I am certain my mother will be among them. One of my biggest unanswered questions is how my mother would have reacted to my conversion (she died three years earlier) and if she would have taken the discussions. I guess I have to wait till I get to the other side of the veil."

Click here to sign up for Meridian's FREE email updates.