While reading an article in the September Journal entitled, "The Cheerful Giver," a broad sense of giving was opened to me wherein I saw that I had not paid the tithe of testimony through our periodicals. Surely I have been abundantly blessed and should freely acknowledge the same.
My early religious education included a deep respect and love for the church and all its work. As my expectations therefrom were great, I found myself earnestly searching the Scriptures for something tangible, but as I only saw what to do and not how to do, it seemed as though a stone wall confronted me every step of the way; but I shall never cease to be grateful to the friends in that church, because in their earnest effort to gain a knowledge of God they encouraged me to press on. Finally the cloud burst and the light broke through, but in a way wholly unexpected.
Through sickness I was led to look for help outside of materia medica, and with each effort came an increased desire for something wholly reliable. At last Science and Health was put into my hands. Although I read it eagerly, I thought I did not grasp its meaning, and yet I did see that it gave a positive knowledge of God and His creation. Later, while visiting the reading room in Chicago. I met a practitioner with whom I talked but a few moments when such a sense of peace and assurance came over me as I had never known. Then I felt that what had seemed to be beyond my reach was really here and now. I knew that I had found God, although I could not explain what God was. I remember when friends in the church urged me to keep away from strange doctrines and be satisfied with the religion of my forefathers, and I felt unable to explain to them the light which had dawned upon me, these words of Martin Luther came, "Here I stand. I can do no otherwise;" my faith could not be shaken.
