From time to time the Church News receives correspondence that is suitable for publication in the writer's own words. Elder Ray L. Burns is currently serving in the Utah Salt Lake City Mission.

Most of my life I truly believed there was no God, and considered I could prove it - until I read the Book of Mormon.This change in my life began in the spring of 1988. A friend of mine who had been trying to fellowship me for years finally got me to join the choir at the institute of religion, adjacent to the University of Arizona in Tucson (even though I couldn't stand religious music). During the course of the next year, I was impressed by the happiness of the Mormon people and the strength of their faith, but I remained firm in my convictions that their teachings were false.

My father had been a "devout" atheist before me, and all the years I had been growing up in Tucson I learned not to believe anything unless it could be proved through science. He taught me well. Every time the subject of God came up, I was anxious to testify that there was no God and do my best to "undeceive" the people.

But the choir director became my friend and in March of 1989 he presented me with a copy of the Book of Mormon and asked me to read the book of Alma before we went on tour. I said I would.

He also showed me the promise in the back and asked me to ponder what I read. I said I would ponder it as a matter of course, but I would not pray. He bore me his testimony and told me I would feel the Holy Ghost as I read, and explained what it was.

The reason I accepted his invitation to read was because he had done a lot for me, and he was my friend. As I began to read, I was certain that it was made up by Joseph Smith, and I was looking for the inconsistencies I was sure I would find. But as I read, the Spirit worked on me, and I began to ponder the things I was reading and ask myself if they could be true.

I noticed that as I read, I felt a special good feeling that I had never felt before, and every time I put the book down, the feeling left. I began to wonder what this special feeling could be - could it be the Holy Ghost that my friend had told me about? I began to wonder if there could actually be a God, and I felt the Spirit even stronger.

We sang the next Sunday during two sacrament meetings and a fireside, and I felt the Spirit again and recognized it and knew that it was not just a special feeling, but that it was the Spirit of the Lord. I knew the things I was reading were true and that the Book of Mormon was true and was from God.

I was baptized a member of the Church in June 1989, and came on my mission - the Utah Salt Lake City Mission - as soon as I could to share this wonderful message with others.

I know the Book of Mormon is true and that it is given to us to convince all that Jesus is the Christ and that this is His Church. Great is the power of the Book of Mormon.