Miracle of moral and spiritual development

These events occurred in about a four-year period, from ages 5 to 9.

One morning my father heard me hammering away, driving nails, in the back yard. He went out and told me that I wasn't supposed to be doing such work on Sunday. I replied, this isn't Sunday, it is Easter! My father was saying, "remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."

On another day I went over into my friend's yard, picked up a toy and took it home. When my mother saw it she told me to take it back, knock on the neighbor's door, tell them I had stolen this, and that I was sorry. My mother was saying, "You shall not steal."

One day I was playing in the back yard, and saw my mother and sister go to the outdoor toilet. This toilet had an open space in the back, underneath the seat inside. I proceeded to take a look at the bare bottoms of my mother and sister. This was a "three holer," and my mother saw my shadow in the third hole. She punished me and told me how horrible it was for me to do what I did. She didn't say this, but the inference could have been that I was violating the commandment not to commit adultery or fornication.

Still later, after I started to school, my teacher made a speech to all the boys in her class. She said that she was told that we boys were using a lot of bad words around the school toilet. She wanted those guilty to raise their hands. Assuming that she knew I was guilty, I held up my hand. (I assume that part of the bad language was taking the name of the Lord in vain.) I was scared that she would tell my father, and I would really be in trouble (she didn't).

All of the above confrontations by parents and teacher made quite an impression on me.

One Sunday morning during the church service, the pastor gave the "invitation" to those who wanted to have their sins forgiven by asking Christ into their hearts. I was convicted of the need for this, and I went forward and accepted Christ as my saviour. I was baptized that evening in a baptistry just outside the back door of the church. The next day I told my teacher at school about my conversion experience, being baptized, and how excited I was to have Christ and forgiveness in my heart.