Growing up, I was a free thinker though my family members were inclined towards Taoism and my late Grandma was a Buddhist.
In the mid-1980s I was a seafarer and met Leong Fong How (3rd Engineer) when we sailed together. One night while we were crossing the ocean, Brother Leong Fong How asked me why I did not drink coffee. I had not drunk any coffee since I was about ten years old when my mother stopped buying it. “Simple as that,” I told him.
Brother Leong shared with me the stories in the Book of Mormon and I was able to relate to the story of Lehi and his family crossing the deep waters to the promised land!
It took a number of years before I quit the sea and landed ashore back home.
Brother Leong called me when he came back for home leaves in between sailing. He brought me to the church where I learned from him as he was the Sunday School teacher in the Singapore Branch. Over a couple of years, I also learned much from other inspiring teachers in the Elders' Quorum meeting. I investigated the church for a couple of years before the Spirit began to prompt me to ask myself: 'Why am I here on earth?'
It was unmistakably the prompting of the Holy Spirit that I strongly felt. Bro. Leong Fong How was never pushy and his patience was rewarded when I was baptised by Elder Douglas Braiser on Christmas Day 1992, after taking the missionary discussions.
I am grateful to Bro. Leong Fong How for being God's instrument and to the Holy Spirit for confirming the truth of the gospel to me.
Brother Irvin Yew Cheow Boon