My name is Chuck, and at 62 years young, I feel I am just beginning. I say "young" because I have only truly known God and His Son, Jesus Christ, for the last 15 years. Although I was born into a good Jewish family and celebrated my Bar Mitzvah at 13, I spent most of my life without a relationship with my Heavenly Father. By my early 40s, I openly identified as an atheist or agnostic. My early life was marked by mistakes; I was a drug dealer until the age of 29 and believed I was a person God could never forgive.
I was wrong. I eventually came to know, deep in my soul, that I am a child of a patient, loving, and omnipotent God. He gave His Only Begotten Son for the atonement of all mankind, allowing us to repent and learn that
Having Faith in Christ makes us stronger, not weaker.
My life changed forever in 2017 when I met my wife. Shortly after we married in 2018, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 throat cancer. Through the grueling process of 33 radiation treatments and intensive chemotherapy, I began to investigate
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In my weakest moments, I made a promise to God: if He would heal me, I would boldly proclaim Him and His Son as the foundation of my new life.
I promised that if I were given a second lease on life, I would never look back. God kept His word, and I have kept mine. I left behind my old habits and was baptized on July 13, 2019. Since then, I have been blessed to be ordained an Elder and receive the Melchizedek Priesthood.
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are powerful to bless the lives of all repentant children. I believe that when you give Him the glory, He gives you so much more in return. As it says in
Moroni 7:22,
"For behold, all good things come of God."
