I have just finished listening to one of the greatest conversion stories that I have ever had the opportunity to listen to. For me, it was not about the awesome event of the baptism of a Catholic seminary student who converted to Mormonism. No, it was the ending that was amazing; that brought tears to my eyes; and that gave me hope for my mission. The following is simply audio of Bill Carpenter, the convert, and it is long; however, if you listen I can promise you that it will be the best decision that you have done today. Nothing is better than hearing truth and nothing is better than feeling the spirit through another man's testimony.
My own conversion story is different. I grew up in California. I was innocent and didn't fully understand my circumstance. For me, it was all normal and I had 29 foster brothers and sisters to prove that my world was normal. The attention given to me was intense. Who else got visited by social workers every week who brought gifts or wanted to play with me with my latest toy? Who else got to go see a therapist who had toys in her room? Who else got to go on fun and lavish visits every other week with their parents who they did not live with? Who else got to have two families? Who else got to have their own attorney? Who else got to have court hearings held in their honor constantly for five years? Did I feel special? No, it was normal to me.
One of my first foster homes wasn't the best of foster homes and from that I got to see the negative aspect of the system--the neglect. My third placement in my second bout of foster care by the age of three was a Mormon family. They fought for my siblings and I from day one. I remember the day that I met them. I had very few possessions--a barbie car and a few articles of clothing stuffed in a small box. You could sense their excitement of having kids for the first time.
See, the mom couldn't have her own kids. They had tried and prayed over and over about how to go about obtaining the family that they felt that they should have. They got into foster care. They checked out one agency and then got accepted into another. They then felt that they should switch to another agency which was a rare allowance as agencies don't always take foster parents from other agencies. That weekend, they got called in for training and were soon after given me and my oldest sister. I believe that that placement was a miracle.
My eldest sister and I were quickly introduced to the church. One of my brothers and my other sister eventually joined us in the home but the brother ended up eventually returning to live with our biological mother for reasons that are still mysterious to me. Other foster kids joined us--many brothers and sisters. My eldest sister got baptized when she turned sixteen and our biological father got sent to prison; thus, no one had parental rights over her and she chose to get baptized. She was adopted two years later. That happened a year or two before my adoption at the age of eight and a half when my then 13 year old sister was also baptized with me soon after
Throughout my childhood in that one foster home I became pretty accustomed to the church. I learned to read from seeing my older siblings reading the scriptures and wanting to participate. I learned to memorize scriptures and to play children's hymns on the piano. I learned the discussions backwards and forwards from having the missionaries over on a constant basis. In the summers, I volunteered in the church's vineyard and that was my favorite thing to do. I enjoyed working and getting dirty. I participated in every ward service project that there was--fixing up the zoo, fixing up a hospice home, fixing up a camp up in the mountains, and more. Of course, as a child I was there to eat the treats, play with my friends, and to occasionally help or to be apart of a volunteer-related activity made for us children. From that influence in my church, I learned service.
So, yes, I was very involved in the church from a young age. However, I came from a very staunch Irish Catholic family. When I was six years old I went down to Southern California to visit my biological family there. I stayed with the grandmother. I remember very little about that experience, but I do remember this: she and I fought over how I should say my prayers. I was adamant about saying them the "Mormon way" and refused to say them in any other manner. Like a child that I was, I threw a tantrum that sent the grandmother running from the room. I was furious and not at all happy. I was homesick for my foster home as well. I knelt down and prayed. I prayed for comfort and I prayed to know that the church was true because for the first time in my young life I felt conflicted by the differences of religion in the dual-worlds that I lived in. After I prayed, I felt assurance. I felt that everything was going to be alright in my life and from that point on I knew that one day I would be a Mormon, a member of Christ's true church. Even more, I felt that I had a purpose; that everything had happened for a reason.
Now, here I am. I am have been a member for almost 13 years. In 27 days, I will enter the MTC to serve a mission in the Oklahoma, Oklahoma City mission, Spanish-speaking. I am excited. I will be leaving behind a lot, but I have faith that it will be worth it.
My own conversion story is different. I grew up in California. I was innocent and didn't fully understand my circumstance. For me, it was all normal and I had 29 foster brothers and sisters to prove that my world was normal. The attention given to me was intense. Who else got visited by social workers every week who brought gifts or wanted to play with me with my latest toy? Who else got to go see a therapist who had toys in her room? Who else got to go on fun and lavish visits every other week with their parents who they did not live with? Who else got to have two families? Who else got to have their own attorney? Who else got to have court hearings held in their honor constantly for five years? Did I feel special? No, it was normal to me.
One of my first foster homes wasn't the best of foster homes and from that I got to see the negative aspect of the system--the neglect. My third placement in my second bout of foster care by the age of three was a Mormon family. They fought for my siblings and I from day one. I remember the day that I met them. I had very few possessions--a barbie car and a few articles of clothing stuffed in a small box. You could sense their excitement of having kids for the first time.
See, the mom couldn't have her own kids. They had tried and prayed over and over about how to go about obtaining the family that they felt that they should have. They got into foster care. They checked out one agency and then got accepted into another. They then felt that they should switch to another agency which was a rare allowance as agencies don't always take foster parents from other agencies. That weekend, they got called in for training and were soon after given me and my oldest sister. I believe that that placement was a miracle.
My eldest sister and I were quickly introduced to the church. One of my brothers and my other sister eventually joined us in the home but the brother ended up eventually returning to live with our biological mother for reasons that are still mysterious to me. Other foster kids joined us--many brothers and sisters. My eldest sister got baptized when she turned sixteen and our biological father got sent to prison; thus, no one had parental rights over her and she chose to get baptized. She was adopted two years later. That happened a year or two before my adoption at the age of eight and a half when my then 13 year old sister was also baptized with me soon after
Throughout my childhood in that one foster home I became pretty accustomed to the church. I learned to read from seeing my older siblings reading the scriptures and wanting to participate. I learned to memorize scriptures and to play children's hymns on the piano. I learned the discussions backwards and forwards from having the missionaries over on a constant basis. In the summers, I volunteered in the church's vineyard and that was my favorite thing to do. I enjoyed working and getting dirty. I participated in every ward service project that there was--fixing up the zoo, fixing up a hospice home, fixing up a camp up in the mountains, and more. Of course, as a child I was there to eat the treats, play with my friends, and to occasionally help or to be apart of a volunteer-related activity made for us children. From that influence in my church, I learned service.
(The missionaries and I--age 6)
So, yes, I was very involved in the church from a young age. However, I came from a very staunch Irish Catholic family. When I was six years old I went down to Southern California to visit my biological family there. I stayed with the grandmother. I remember very little about that experience, but I do remember this: she and I fought over how I should say my prayers. I was adamant about saying them the "Mormon way" and refused to say them in any other manner. Like a child that I was, I threw a tantrum that sent the grandmother running from the room. I was furious and not at all happy. I was homesick for my foster home as well. I knelt down and prayed. I prayed for comfort and I prayed to know that the church was true because for the first time in my young life I felt conflicted by the differences of religion in the dual-worlds that I lived in. After I prayed, I felt assurance. I felt that everything was going to be alright in my life and from that point on I knew that one day I would be a Mormon, a member of Christ's true church. Even more, I felt that I had a purpose; that everything had happened for a reason.
Now, here I am. I am have been a member for almost 13 years. In 27 days, I will enter the MTC to serve a mission in the Oklahoma, Oklahoma City mission, Spanish-speaking. I am excited. I will be leaving behind a lot, but I have faith that it will be worth it.
6 comments:
Thanks for posting this! Brother Carpenter was my seminary teacher. He is amazing! When he told his conversion story in class the spirit was so strong. I am so glad to have found his story online so I can share it with my kids. Thanks again for posting! :)
Brother carpenter was one of my mtc teachers. He shared his story with us and we urged him to publish it. I think my class was one of the first to record it snd I just found that copy the other day. I am happy that it is being shared, its amazing.
Wow! Your own conversion story is inspiring. I am a foster mum of 4 children who all came to me when they were babies and I'm still fighting to adopt them. The children are now 12, 7, 5 and 4. I'm anxiously awaiting the day when we can adopt our children and go to the temple to be sealed together as a family. Thank you for sharing your story.
Please email me I am trying to verify Bill Carpenters identity and conversion story. Thanks.
Can someone who actually knows Bill Carpenter ask him where he attended Catholic Seminary? I listened to his conversion story on on youtube and the seminary he said he attended doesn't exist. Even the name of the catholic saint he uses doesn't exist. Just wanting to verify he is telling full truth before I believe it.
Enjoyed your story, thanks for sharing! I am a convert as well (joined church as a 17 year old) and have had many callings over the years, including Seminary Teacher and Seminary Supervisor. Two of my daughters served foreign missions. I too, would like to contact Bill Carpenter. Can anyone help me? Thank you!
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