how did you come into the truth?

I wasn't raised in the truth, but I was raised "around" it. My grandama and my cousins and most of their parents on my mom's side have always been Witnesses, and my mom was raised in the truth, too. (Long story there....basically, she became inactive when she married my dad.) Anyways, my parents got divorced when I was 10, and a few years later, my mom decided we all needed some spirituality in our lives. She got in contact with the Witnesses in our area, and my brother and I started studying again, and my mom did what she needed to, in order to get back on track spiritually. Both my mom and my brother took to the truth right away, and progressed quickly. I, on the other hand, was very wishy-washy. I knew the information, and knew it was the truth, but I didn't want to do anything about it at the time. I was 14, a Freshman in high school, and religion was not "my thing" at the time. I studied with 2 different sisters during my teens, and I never really finished studying with either of them. A few months before I turned 18, I stopped going to meetings altogether. As soon as I was 18, I started going with my worldly friends to clubs, hanging around with not-so-great association, and putting myself in multiple dangerous situations for a young girl to be in.
About two months after I turned 18, I discovered I was pregnant. This was a devastating shock to me, and I was scared to death to tell my mom, who I was constantly fighting with at the time, due to my rebellious behavior. The biological father didn't want anything to do with me or the baby, and he did his best to stay out of the picture. Thankfully, my entire family was very supportive, as were a lot of the friends in the hall. I knew that the life I had been leading wasn't ideal, adn it was very damaging to my health. After all, I couldn't be selfish anymore....I now had another life to think about before my own. I started studying again when I was a few months pregnant, and I really took it seriously this time. I was at every meeting, and I went out in service regularly, too. My son Tyler was born on July 13th of 1999, and I was baptized almost one year later, on July 1st, 2000.
Since then, I've made what I consider to be great progress in the truth. I got married January 4th, 2003, to a very spiritual brother who was raised in the truth, and who I had known since I was 14, and he loves me and my son very much. He loves my son so much, actually, that he officially adopted him this past winter. I feel so fortunate to have this "second chance" at a good life. I have come to feel very close to Jehovah, and I am thankful every day that I was given the opportunity to become his friend. I am also thankful that my son loves Jehovah, and makes every effort he can to please Jehovah.
I truly believe that, even though it wasn't the most ideal situation at the time, having my son saved my life. It helped me to realize the life I had been leading was going to eventually hurt me, and he gave me the incentive to stop. And because of that, I was able to focus on the important things, like developing a relationship with Jehovah. I can't express enough how much my situation has allowed me to really appreciate the things our wonderful Creator does for us, and how much he loves us and is there for us. I took for granted the opportunity I had as a young teenager, to show that appreciation. I am just glad that I had this second chance.

I was raised in the truth by my mother from age 5 and on. My father has always had one foot in the truth and one in the world. As I reached my teenage years I slowly became disinterested with the truth. When I was 17 I left for awhile. I never felt part of the world even when I was in it. I then met a girl when I was 19, whom I became romantically entangled with. Around this same time I started studying with a brother. A short time later the girl got pregnant with my child and suddenly a switch clicked in my brain. I realized that this lifestyle I was leading was not a good one. Now I had to worry about an unborn child. I did not want him to turn out the same way, so I became more serious in my studies. When I got to a certain point in that study, a light shone in my mind revealing to me that I indeed was taking in the truth. 7 months later I was married and a week after I turned 20, I had a baby boy to take care of. In the spring of 2000 I was baptized. In 2001 we had a second child, a girl, and after that things with my marriage went downhill. But, since I've trusted in Jehovah, even though I hurt at times, I'm able to get through it. And I would like to say my children are what inspired me to lead a more wholesome life. Now the path laid before me is a clear and straight one to follow. Unlike in the world where the path is crooked and treacherous.

I was born in the truth so growing up thinking not like a witness was taboo to me because I knew it was the truth. I was raised and always beleived it to be the truth because it was what I was told and instructed and what I beleived. I was baptized at 12 and knew from then I wanted to serve Jehovah and do what was right. Then I met a girl and my life was flipped upside down. ;) When I was DF'd I never felt I fit in with the world, even when I tried to. Their morals and values were completly different from mine. While they were ok with sleeping around (for example) I knew I always just wanted one woman in my life. So eventually I woke up and came back. But to be honest the truth never really hit me like it did this past year. Like I said I've always beleived it to be the truth, but I don't think I took things to heart the way we really should. It was the trials I went through over this past year that really helped me to appreciate how much Jehovah really loves us. I mean, yeah, he helped me a lot when I was working towards reinstatment and it was awesome, but I never felt his help, the strength he gave me until this past year. There were nights when I was balling my eyes out in prayer because I honestly didn't think I could take it anymore. I really wasn't sure how much longer I could go on with my circumstances as they were. But I kept reminding myself that we will not be tested beyond what we could bare. Jehovah really picked me up and carried me during those times. That just helped instill in me just how real this is, how important the truth is. And it's studies like the one we just had (Chapter 20) in the Worship book that show how close to the end we are.

I think I'm rambling now, but I'm in the truth because of Punk Princess' father. He witnessed to my parents, and while my father never got baptized before he died, my mother took to the truth.

I just have to say again, how much I love reading these stories. I didn't have the privilege of being raised in the truth, but I am now trying to give that privilege to my son, and it's really encouraging to see how things can turn out for young ones growing up in the truth. :)

I was born in the truth also. My father was an elder, and my mother and sisters were pioneers. I had a few friends whose parents were also Elders, and we basically just hung around each other, possibly too much. We were looked up to, and respected by a lot of the other friends in the area, not because of spiritual efforts on our part, but just resting in the name and reputations of our parents. As we grew up, we somewhat devoloped an elitist attitude, thinking that we were better than others in respects. "Pride is before a crash and a haughty spirit before stumbling". After crashing hard, and stumbling very hard, the world had their arms open. "Come on in...We'll take you to heights you never have been before. In the opinion of other worldly people, I had some pretty good offers. But I knew that I had nothing tangible going in my life spiritually. As i was contemplating how I would live, and what I would do, I picked up the NWT and came across Prov 3:5,6. "Trust in Jehovah...Do not lean upon your own understanding...Take notice of him, and HE HIMSELF will make your path straight". On one hand, I had the world's offers, on the other I had Jehovah's. I decided that I would give Jehovah a chance.I would really try to make the truth my own, Bringing all concious thoughts, actions and beliefs into captivity, within myself, making them obedient to the Christ. 2 Cor.10:5. The way in which Jehovah helped me change my life for the better, it manifested to me the realness, faithfulness, and truthfullness of Jah. The goodness he and his organization displayed was exactly that; good! My life took a 360 degree turn in all respect. Everything changed after I simple decided to whole-heartedly change.

Wow...I love hearing everyone's stories. I wasn't "born in the truth" like most of you (but I came around much later), but it is great to hear everyone share their story. Very encouraging. :)

this thread is encouraging to me but in a different sort of way. so many overcame adversity at a young age and stuck to the truth or realized the importance of it later. a sister in my hall has custody of her 4 very young grandchildren. i study with the oldest & only girl who is 7. Family life is still messed up b/c her parents, who lost custody b/c of drug abuse, are still very involved w/ her. Her mother is one of the most horrible and selfish people i've ever met. not only that but she works to undo any bible training her grandmother and i give her or she gets at the meetings. i'm scared that if her mother ever gets custody again (which DYFS keeps saying will be soon) she won't be allowed to study or go to the meetings again. We only do the Bible Story book but i've been trying to teach her as much about the new system and obeying Jehovah as I can. She gets it but she is young and unbeknownst to her in a very difficult situation. I am just hoping that whatever she is taught sticks in that good little heart of hers and will be manifest when she is older no matter what happens. knowing that so many people overcome similar bad circumstances (besides the fact that Jehovah can see her heart conditions)gives me a good hope for her.

well, i can't say i grew up in the truth, cuz my parents just started studying again when i was born. wat i'm about to tell is not to degrade anyone cuz without them i wouldn't be where i am.

we moved houses a few times around here, so we had lots of brothers/sisters study the bible with my parents. i remember when an elder came by to study with my dad, i'd sneak in the study and listen in. the elder's wife studied with my mom and i'd sneak in there too. i remember one nice illustration she showed me, the one where you hold the bible with your 5 fingers, and each finger represents a meeting, and if you miss all 5, you lose hold of the bible.

we were off and on with the meetings tho. i even remember my first comment, which was "Jesus' doers" but i said it like "Jesus doors" haha. i felt happy tho. that was the Middlesex congregation. when i was around 7-10 years old, we moved to the North Plainfield congregation. but even then our attendance was still iffy. so i went with my grandpa to the spanish meetings and some field service.

i don't remember much from the spanish, i don't remember any friends. then i think i just stopped going there cuz i didn't understand much spanish. i go to the english congregation and that's where i am now. my congregation has changed a lot, people come and go. but i met the most influential family there, and they really helped me the most. it was my first best friend (4 years older than me) and his mom.

my friend started studying with me with his mom, they'd come over or sometimes i'd go over. eventually they invited me to sleep over every saturday to do field service. i was real happy about that, but i never actually witnessed door to door before, so i was nervous, but i felt safe around them. sometimes my friend and i would get into lame fights and we'd stop the study a few times. then i remember seeing him get baptized, and man did i wanna get baptized too. we finished studying and it was time.

i will admit that i wasn't ready to get baptized, i was pressured. won't get into that tho, but i never regretted getting baptized, it has kept me away from trouble - didn't go out and do crazy stuff with skool kids. but, one thing really hurt me tho - the family i studied with, i stopped sleeping over, stopped studying together. i felt so empty, and i was even betrayed by my friend. he moved to cali for a while, and it took me a while to get over the lost friendship cuz he'd always just hurt me. i felt like i was used just to give him a good reputation, i dunno. and his mom left to another congregation, i felt lonely.

anyway, i started slowing down spiritually from there, but not so down that i left the truth, i knew this was it. i knew there was something there for me. i'm still struggling, but doesn't everybody? i have progressed a little tho, giving #4 talks, the sound system, prayers, and on my own personal study and bible reading. but mainly, i'm really trying to appreciate Jehovah deeply, who he is, what he's done. one of my goals is to join the pioneer skool before i get married. i'm gonna go for it when i can.

sorry for making this story long, but i feel comfortable sharing it here.

Like many people who have responded to this thread, I was "born in the truth". My parents were actually in Bethel at the time of my conception, and I was the reason they had to leave. A couple of years later my brother, Michael, came along. When I was younger I really disliked being in a witness family. I dreaded going to meetings and out in service. It was always my brother who was the "good" kid in the family. He ended up getting baptized when he was 12 years old and I still wasn't even a publisher though I was 14 at the time. A few years later, when I was 16, we had to move to the San Diego area. It was soon after that that it finally clicked with me that this was the truth and I had better make a stand, so I became a publisher and finally got baptized on June 30, 1996. Around that time my family, in fact the whole congregation, began having some real problems, and much of the next two years I have really tried to forget. During that period my brother met a girl at school who he started studying with. She eventually became a publisher, but after a while she decided this wasn't for her. My brother disassociated himself and ran away with her. I got really discouraged during this time and almost completely stopped coming to meetings or going out in service. That lasted for a while, even through our move up to the bay area, until, recently, A couple of my cousins in Massachusetts had weddings that, since I was getting really homesick, I decided to attend. While I was there I remember being struck by the love that my relatives had for the truth, and I decided that I had been dormant for far too long. I started reading the Society's publications, going to meetings, and going out in service in earnest again. I can't even imagine now why I ever allowed myself to fall so asleep, and, with Jehovah's help, I hope to never allow that to happen again. So, if you read this far, I'm sorry I bored you with my life-story, but I didn't feel I could answer the question without giving this much information.

I was kinda born in the truth. My parents started studying when I was 1 or 2. When I was 3, they got baptized. I grew up in the model family but behind the scenes there was no family study and lots of fighting. It wasn't until I spent an entire summer auxillary pioneering that I really made the truth my own. Two pioneer couples in my hall were my spiritual parents. Now they are CO's. About three years ago, my Dad was publicly reproved and removed as a servant. Two weeks later, my brother disassociated himself. Shortly after that, my family stopped going to meetings entirely. They went to the memorial that year, but haven't been back since. There are so many issues involved. And since my Dad kicked me out last spring, I have been living with my unbelieving g-parents. I can't wait to live in a spiritual home again.

my father (not a JW) made me study with my brothers g/f (both, baptised,pioneering) as a punishment, when i was 17 b/c I had ran away from home.(1974) He wanted me to "staighten up". It didn't work right away. I got bapstised (finally!!) 6 yrs later, now married, with my husband!(1979)at Belmont Raceway on LI.

i was born in the truth, but when I was 12 or 13 I wasn't really planning on staying in it for the rest of my life, I was stupid. I kind of hating going to meetings and studying and going out in service. Then when I was 13 I went on an Unassigned Territory trip and it completely changed my outlook on things. I realized that spiritual stuff could be fun, and being around cool, spiritual people for 2 weeks made me want to be one too.So in all it was kind of positive peer pressure that helped me.

my parents tried to start a study w/me when I was born...I was a little reluctant @ first, not understanding language, and not knowing how to read or write...but, slowley, I started to come around

It was dark, and there was this great light that i was being pulled towards. IT was very bright and i didn't want to go. Then the doctor pulled me out and said, "IT'S A BOY"!

I was "born in the truth." There came a time when I wanted to take my stand for Jehovah and identify myself as someone who had dedicated her life to serve God. At this point in my life, I was experiencing a lot of opposition in school for being one of Jehovah's Witnesses. This was the start of a separation between me and some of the kids that I grew up with who I had been "close" to. However, after I started studying with one of the girls...the others began to ask me more questions about the Bible and how I applied it in my life. To this day, these girls have a high respect for me and my family. I was thinking about this in connection with last week's Watchtower study. You never know how Jehovah will work things out-you just have to put your trust in him.