Would I be a Mormon if my parents hadn’t raised me as a Mormon? Without my parents to take me to church every week as a child, would I go to church today? If my parents hadn’t set an example by living God’s commandments while they were raising me, would I be living them today?
I’ve asked myself these questions. I don’t think that anyone person of faith who was raised by faithful parents can avoid them if they want to seriously examine their faith and understand what it means to them.
But ultimately, the answer is a resounding, “I don’t know.” I can’t know unless someone finds a way to spy on some sort of parallel universe. But I think that the answer to all of those questions is, “Yes.” I would be Mormon, I would go to church, I would live God’s commandments. I think this—you could say that I know it as much as anyone can know anything that is unknowable, which is part of faith—because my faith doesn’t come from my parents. They were instrumental in directing me toward where I would find it, probably ensuring that I would find it a lot sooner than I would have otherwise, but they are not it’s source.
My faith comes from God. It comes from experiences I’ve had while seeking Him through prayer. I have felt the power of His spirit answer questions like “Is the Book of Mormon true?” “Was Joseph Smith a true prophet?” and most importantly “Did Jesus Christ atone for my sins?” God has answered all of those questions for me.
Without my parents to teach me and provide a good example for me, I may not have asked those questions so early in life. They might have had to wait until two young guys in white shirts and ties, wearing black name tags knocked on my door, but I would have asked them. And I know that the answers would have been the same.