This event occurred near the end of my 11th grade year in High School. After going to the Mormon Church for a period of months and hanging out with kids my age, I felt I should become baptized.

With the support of a missionary and a number of friends in the church, I got into the white robe and was baptized by immersion. The missionary told me, "Larry, you will be filled with the Holy Ghost. It may not be right away, but it will occur." I felt no different, so I began to wonder if there was something wrong with me.

A few nights later as I was falling asleep, a strange thing happened. I felt a pressure on my chest, as if something was trying to get in. It felt as though the pressure was enough to move my bed cushion in a downward direction, as if an extra weight had been placed on the bed. For a moment I became a bit frightened, not knowing what was happening. However, the next few moments were anything but frightening.

My body tingled throughout and-this part I can't remember clearly-somehow I was transported to another location. Did I leave my body? Was the pressure actually me leaving my body? In retrospect, I feel this may be the case.

Next, I was walking hand-in-hand with this angelic being dressed in a white robe. I knew it was Jesus Christ, I just knew it. We walked along the shore communicating telepathically for a period of time that is impossible to determine. He was pleased with my actions and just wanted to let me know that he was with me. I felt nothing but love during this experience, so much so that upon waking I had tears falling from my face.

I was so excited I wanted to call the missionary who sponsored me, but it was two or three in the morning, so I waited. I guess he did not respond with much excitement, because I subsequently stopped going to church. I have always believed in The Golden Rule. I developed my own faith, the "good person rule," that if you are truly good to others, in your heart, that that is what God wants. I even remember debating with a Christian friend on my college campus about why religion wasn't for me. I told him I believed that being a good person to people was what mattered, but he kept telling me I had to belong to a religion. The whole time we were friends he was frustrated that he couldn't get me to his church, but I remained confident in my choice.

Larry M.
Posted 1-20-04