For about five years I have been studying Christian Science, and during that time have received so many blessings I could not begin to name them all. I was not at all interested in anything pertaining to religion, very rarely went to church, and knew practically nothing of the Bible. Today I count as my greatest blessing the knowledge of God and of man's relationship to Him that I have gained through a scientific interpretation of the Bible. I had often ridiculed Christian Science, or rather my conception of it; now it is more interesting to me than anything else. I first became interested in this religion through reading the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy. I had been reading it only a few days when the conviction suddenly came to me that Christian Science is the truth. I have not taken a material remedy since.
My first physical healing was of stomach and bowel disorder, for which I had been taking various remedies for several years. This trouble disappeared in a short time without any special effort on my part, simply as a result of reading the Christian Science literature. Then I discarded the glasses I had been wearing for reading and have never felt any need of them since. I had been an inveterate smoker for ten years, considered smoking my greatest pleasure, and had no desire to give it up, but after studying Christian Science a short time tobacco began to be distasteful to me, and it continued to become more and more so till I finally gave it up. The taste for alcoholic drinks left me in the same way.
Shortly after the United States entered the war I volunteered to enlist in the Army but was rejected on account of my heart. Three physicians agreed that it was in a very bad condition and my entering the Army out of the question. I immediately went to a practitioner and asked for treatment. Two weeks later I again applied for enlistment. I was obliged to tell of my former rejection on account of the heart, so the examining officer gave me a particularly careful examination in that respect, but said he was unable to find anything wrong. Shortly after enlisting I learned that I would have to pass another physical examination in a few days, and the fear of being discharged caused a recurrence of the symptoms, but with the help of a practitioner the fear was overcome and the examination passed successfully. I was in the Army nearly two years and at times experienced hardships and hard work, but in all that time I never answered "sick call" and never missed a duty call because of sickness. My knowledge of Christian Science was a great help to me every day and delivered me from many of the troubles experienced by the other men.
