The Assistant to the President of BYU-Hawaii drew parallels yesterday between how people's lives in America were changed by the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and how lives are changed through the spiritual conversion process.
Speaking at the Sept. 11 devotional in the Cannon Activities Center, William Neal and his wife, Dianna, explained how a BYU-Hawaii graduate and a current student "were changed by their experiences that day."
"I was lucky to make it out alive," the graduate, Maurice Matsumori, wrote in his journal that he passed on to the Neals. "...Understanding that I might not make it, there were only two things on my mind...first, that you never know when life is going to end; and second, be sure you're clean before the Lord."
The current student, Elder Manu Mauri from Tahiti, was in Denver on his way to start his mission in New York City when he saw reports of the attack on TV. "My heart melted when I saw the people around me crying. Most of them were American. I felt the spirit of love. I said to myself, 'We have work to do,' and I knew that the Lord had sent me there for a purpose."
Nine days later Elder Mauri and his trainer watched firemen retrieve bodies at Ground Zero. "Since that day I have wanted to do what the Lord wants me to do," he said.
Sister Neal explained such significant changes of heart, or conversions, sometimes "catch you totally off guard, as 9/11 did. Sometimes instead it is a slow, step-by-step process that isn't even recognizable while it's happening." She added the latter was descriptive of the Neals' conversion to the Church 24 years earlier.
"Membership in the Church and conversion are not necessarily synonymous," she continued, citing Elder Marion G. Romney, who also noted that "being converted and having a testimony are not necessarily the same thing, either. Conversion is the fruit or the reward for repentance and obedience."
"If we are losing our desire to do evil, we are progressing toward our heavenly goal," she said.
"For the most part, conversion happens over a period of time of study, prayer, experience and faith," Brother Neal said. "Each of us has our own conversion process."
For the Neals, that process began in their home state of Iowa where he was raised a Methodist and she was a devout Catholic. They met while teaching, which eventually led him to pursue a doctorate in Virginia, where "Dan and Nancy Litchford were the first two Mormons we ever met," he recalled.
"They seemed quite normal," she added, pointing out they previously thought Mormons were "not Christians" and led an 18th-century lifestyle like the Amish or Mennonites they had known in Iowa.
"They were great examples and member missionaries, and very patient friends," Sister Neal said of the two years they spent together. She and her husband had several positive experiences, and even took the missionary discussions; but it wasn't until he accepted a teaching position at Utah State—and spent another two years of fellowshipping, study, and missionaries that they decided to join the Church.
Sister Neal, who by then was expecting their first child, said prior to that they realized they needed to make a decision "so we could raise our children in one faith."
Brother Neal recalled they made a list of the things they had learned, including the centrality of Jesus Christ, about the pre-Existence and the plan of salvation, the emphasis on the family, patriarchal and priesthood blessings, the sealing ordinances, and emphasis on eternal life. The list also included the Word of Wisdom, home and visiting teachers, Seminary, "and the day-to-day association with good members of the Church."
"In our experience, we learned that this true conversion process was a line upon line, day-by-day endeavor to strive to keep the commitments and commandments, and continue to change and improve our lives," Sister Neal said.
"Commitment becomes a necessary by-product of true conversion in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Brother Neal added, noting the examples of Paul, Alma and Joseph Smith. "They each understood that commitment to the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ was essential to their eternal joy and happiness."
He quoted President Hinckley, who said, "There is motivation that comes of true conversion. It is conversion that makes the difference."
Referring again to the 9/11 attacks, Sister Neal said, "The events of that day also resulted in many examples of commitment, even loss of life in some cases because of commitment to family, country and even to assist those persons they didn't know."
Brother Neal said as he pondered the "principles and programs that have blessed our lives, you may have wondered why it took so long for us to get off the fence. I think it was because we wanted to be truly converted and totally committed—a goal we're still working on."