Leer en español: Perseverando en la búsqueda de la verdad de Puerto Rico a Nueva York
PALMYRA, N.Y. — Kevin Rodriguez recalls seeing commercials for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a child growing up in Puerto Rico. He didn’t know much about the Church and its beliefs at the time, but the ads sparked something inside him. Kevin wanted to know more about the Church, but more than anything else, he wanted to find truth.
Years later, Kevin’s path crossed with the Church numerous times, from meeting missionaries while playing soccer with friends to seeing videos made by the Church. However, he didn’t find the truth he was looking for until he joined the military and relocated to New York.
As an officer in the U.S. Army, Kevin has many things that people are looking for in life: a good job and good friends. But even with these good things, Kevin felt a spiritual emptiness that he wanted to fill.
“I believe that you can be normal in life — you can have everything you want — but if you don’t have God in your life, there’s going to be an emptiness,” Kevin said. “I believe that anyone who feels that emptiness can fill it with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Kevin felt that fulfillment when he attended The Church the first time by himself. The peace and happiness he felt during the Sunday meetings was exactly what he had been seeking for for many years.
“That day was very special to me,” Kevin said. “I think about how the people treated me and how everyone welcomed me into the church, and from there I kept going until I got baptized.”
As Kevin continues to learn and seek out truth — even after baptism — he relies upon prayer and the Book of Mormon. Through these sources, Kevin knows that he will find answers and guidance in the questions and experiences he has every day.
“I believe that we’re always going to have questions, and we’re always going to have doubts,” he said. “But, if you keep praying and you keep reading the scriptures, you can find those answers.”
