Hugs for Béla Bodacz-Nagy

Please allow me to start from the beginning of time….

“Yo listen up here’s a story about a little guy that lives in a blue world…everything he sees is just blue..blue is his house with the blue little window”, oh wait a minute, that was Iron man 3. Let’s start again….

There was a little guy that lived in a red world…everything he saw was just red, red and red.
Unfortunately, Hungary was occupied by the Soviets after the World War II and regardless of any effort to gain our freedom, we were left alone and we paid a very heavy price … However, due to 1956’s rebellion or let’s call it now, freedom fight, we did not become a communist state, just a red social state. Why is it important? You will see. Now, there was a very important difference between the real communist country and red social state country: Religion.

You were kind of killed in the real communist country by attending Church or believe in “God”. On the other hand, you could attend Church and believe in God in the red social state, you just could not become some “leader” and member of the communist party….etc.

Now, my parents grew up and lived most of their life under red socialism, nevertheless they did not deny God, especially my mom. I remember that I was around 7-8 years old when my mom took me to the closest Catholic church on Sunday and we participated in the sacrament. Also, I received a book which had many biblical story with pictures. It had impressed me a lot. I knew in my heart that God is real. So I decided at age 8-9 to attend church alone. Meanwhile, school has started and the local catholic church had a special agreement with the school district that if we choose, we may attend religious courses twice a week in the afternoon  – instead sitting in the school and do home work. OF COURSE, I had chosen the courses. Skipping home work was really motivating!

Now, weeks and months passed and something happened. One of the catholic seminary lessons was about the Trinity. The priest presented the idea of the godhead and that “they are in one”. While he tried to demonstrate this part of the story, I raised my hand and I started to ask questions. The answers were not satisfying and since I had a pretty good biblical knowledge compared to the other kids and may be to adults, too, I do not recall exactly my questions, but I remember the feeling I had, I just simply testified to the priest that GOD, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are not one physically, they are only one in purpose. Even he was showing us three different picture about them.

The consequence was severe. He hit me. And then I was “exiled” from the classes.

Well, it was a long way to home that day, but I knew that what I felt was real and the knowledge I had was true too. Also, I realized from that point that the Catholic church cannot be God’s church. It is playing an important role, but God does not live in that temple for sure. I did not say this to my parents, neither I told them that I will not go to Church anymore. (I still wanted to excuse myself from home work.) So “officially”, I always went to seminary. Actually it was true physically too. However as soon as I entered to the property, I turned right, rather than left, and I was playing soccer in the garden alone or sometimes seek and hide with one of my friend.

Then, another unforeseen events happened in my life. The Iron Wall came down and my parents separated when I was 10 years old. The broken family moved from this little community to a “big” city. I did not attend church, neither read the bible often anymore….but in my heart, I always knew, God will come to show me his church.

I remember it was a really bad and awful day in the end of September 1992. School just started, my mom was really mad too. We had financial problems and my little sister was sick continually. It rained that day. A lot. It was cold too. I felt alone. I was sitting in the doctor’s office when my mom took me and my sister to go home. As soon as we stepped out, the rain ceased. We walked 10-15 meters and I was just looking at the ground. And then…. I looked up to heaven and turn my neck to one of my street on my right.

And there they were, I noticed them. They were walking, and walking with “speed of light”. They were just smiling and smiling. My first thought was, why they are smiling? It is a very bad day and life…. I just stopped walking. My mom immediately yelled at me, “ We have to go!! Move!”

I was looking at them even though they were far, far away, 30-40 meters. And something unexpected happened again…….

I told to my mom that there are two men in white shirts and they are smiling. They are coming, and will stop us. My mom said: “No, Move!” The two missionaries noticed our little chat and they started to “run”, and finally they stopped us. I remember clearly what they said:

“ We are God’s messengers. We have message from him to you. Can we meet to share it with you?”

My mom: “Yes, tomorrow come over”.

Elder Plunkett and Elder Jones came over and shared the first vision and the book of Mormon with us.  Probably I could not tell their stories the next day to anyone, however there were two important questions at the end of the discussion, which changed my life for eternity:

“Will you read the book of Mormon and pray to God to find out that it is true or not?”

“Will you pray to God to find out that Joseph Smith was a prophet or not?”

Then they left. They scheduled to come back to us in 4-5 days.

Day one.: I was looking the Book of Mormon and I started to read all recommended verses. I did not pray.

Day two: My mom and I spoke and we decided to read the entire Book of Mormon and pray about it.

Day three: I read the Book of Mormon from 1 Nephi to Alma and something unexpected happened….

As I was reading book of Alma 32 the following verses opened my eternal eyes:

18 Now I ask, is this faith? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe for he knoweth it.

 19 And now, how much more cursed is he that cknoweth the will of God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath cause to believe, and falleth into transgression?

21 And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.

22 And now, behold, I say unto you, and I would that ye should remember, that God is merciful unto all who believe on his name; therefore he desireth, in the first place, that ye should believe, yea, even on his word.

35 O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is light: and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good; and now behold, after ye have tasted this light is your knowledge perfect?

After reading this part, I stopped. I kneeled down and took the Book of Mormon to my heart and I prayed to God and I asked the simple question: “My Heavenly Father, is this book true? Will you give me the light?”

And before I could say Amen, the answer came to me more clearly than ever before. “ This is my word, Joseph Smith is the prophet. They are my servants, hear them, listen them and follow them.”

I was just kneeling there and I did not know what to say. So I said, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

The next day or so, the missionaries came back. They were teaching the basic principles of the gospel. When they turned to baptism, we/I asked them when we could be baptized. They said any time. So we did. In two weeks, 17 October 1992 in a hospital physical therapy pool, I made my convent with God and remembered that He did not forget me, He really showed me his church through his servants.

In brief, this is my story. Of course to be converted takes a lifetime as you know, but that’s how I started my path.

Since then, I gained more knowledge, more truth, more light. I received many blessings. I served my mission in Provo, Utah from December 2001 to January 2004 and most importantly, I got married with my lovely wife in the Freiberg temple on the 19 February 2008.

 Also, I recommend to read this

~ Béla Bodacz-Nagy ~