So, where do I begin, and how far back do I go to enlighten you on how I found this incredible ‘Work’ here in the far-flung regions of South-East Asia?
Well, let’s start with who I am. My name is George John Mellar and I retired here in Thailand in 2013. I moved here from England after having worked as a Civil-Servant for HMPS (Her Majesty’s Prison Service) for 20+ years. My eleven years here has seen me Build a house, marry, and settle down on the outskirts of a town called Ubon Ratchathani. I live a quiet, semi-isolated lifestyle located approximately one hours drive from Cambodia and Laos.
Due to inheriting spare-time as a retiree and having a somewhat inquisitive nature I accidentally came across this ‘Work’ in early 2015 whilst reading about what ‘researchers’ had found-out in trying to discredit the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith Jr. My internet-searches highlighted a so-called True Messenger called ‘Christopher’ and ‘A Marvelous Work and a Wonder’.
I was born to Catholic parents in Derbyshire (England’s Midland region) in 1956. My Hungarian father and Austrian mother met in England having both emigrated from their war-ravaged countries in the late 1940’s. I was the only son of six children. After being taught by (mostly) nuns in Catholic schools during my early adolescent years my parents and five sisters were converted to the Mormon faith when I was twelve years old.
My sisters and I were promptly kicked-out of our Catholic schools after the faculty Priests tried to (unsuccessfully) convince us that Mormonism was an evil American cult whose members practised polygamy and whose founder (Joseph Smith Jr.) was a charlatan and anti-Christ! And so our lives were completely turned upside-down as we were cast out of the world of Catholicism and entered the world of The Latter-Day Saints.
Now, as a young Mormon and Priesthood-holder I endeavored to be a good example of how a worthy follower of Jesus Christ should behave. Maybe it was a noble thought at the time … but boy was I naive… as I would later find out. I often reflect-back and ask myself “how seriously did I take the Mormon religion throughout my membership years?” Why was I serious and dedicated one minute, yet doubtful and uncertain in the next? What drove me to eventually serve on a two-year Mission, yet within two weeks of my ‘home return’ become inactive for the rest of my life?
A psychological perception of ‘being different’ has been with me for most of my life. It never goes, and is with me even to this day. Now please don’t think this feeling is one of aloofness or self-importance … no! … it is more a feeling of disconnect or detachment from those around me. I believed this feeling originated from my childhood (a foreign parental heritage whilst living-in amongst English families). This was bolstered by becoming Mormons amidst a Protestant/Catholic environment.
Unlike many people I have never feared change. This attitude has carried me through the many adjustments in my life. Adhering to ‘Latter-Day Saints’ doctrines and precepts weighed heavy on my mind as a teenager. The required ‘restrictions’ expected of a ‘Priesthood-Holder’ was detrimental to a good-looking, free-willed, party-going guy. I was constantly challenging my Mormon values. But while I managed to stave-off most worldly temptations a mild resentment of “why must I remain detached from ‘normal’ attractions” began to eat at my soul. To resolve this dilemma I determined to go on a Mission; if anything was going to put a stop to my wavering attitude … a Mission would settle it!
The Scotland-Edinburgh Mission is where I was sent for two years. I served my Mission faithfully and in accordance with expected missionary standards. I will not go into details of my Mission, only to say it was incredibly rewarding and unbelievably valuable. Its value lay in the final realization (for me) that my complete dedication and life-commitment did not reside with that of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. My Mission, together with my adolescent/teenage years left me feeling as though I had ‘missed-out’, that my true feelings of free-agency had been inhibited and taken from me. I felt resentful and in some ways cheated!
I gave my homecoming speech the second Sunday after my return. I spoke, I smiled, I shook hands, I hugged and kissed. Then I walked out of the building never to return to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints again. I have never been to a Mormon Church meeting of any sort since 1979.
However, what I had never given-up throughout ‘the wilderness years’ was my grass-root belief in the basic principles of church doctrine. This Mormon doctrine, imprinted onto my mental psyche is what carried me through the following 34 years and brought me to the point where I first became aware of the MWAW in 2015.
I began listening to Christopher’s podcasts and watching the MWAW videos, followed by reading some of the MWAW books. The first books I read were ‘Human Reality… who we are and why we exist’, followed by Joseph Smith’s biography ‘Without Disclosing my True Identity’, then ‘666 The mark of America Seat of the Beast’. Not only did this information encompass my core beliefs but many of the Mormon inconsistencies were being explained and countered in a logical way. The more I listened, read, and learned, the more convincing it sounded.
Now don’t get me wrong, my discovery of a MWAW was not a blinding-flash of awareness and comprehension … no … instead it was a gradual unearthing of mysteries that had not been explained before in a logical, analytical, and coherent way. Real Truths were gradually being laid-bare to me as I delved deeper into its disclosures. I was open and willing to accept these revelations provided they made sense. (This, I believe, is how a resolute acceptance is manifested in you … it is built upon … brick by brick, precept on precept.)
Letting go of what I believed ‘before’ gave me a sense of freedom. I had to demolish some bridges in order to move forwards. Leaving my previous life, family, country, and now beliefs took time. I was leaving that which was recognizable and comfortable and had entered a territory of unfamiliarity and strangeness. A slow progression ensued over the next few months and years.
Slowly and steadily the gradual erosion of ‘Latter-Day Saints’ philosophy and ‘practised doctrine’ began to wear away as each Real Truth revealed by The True Messenger was laid bare. My letting-go process was difficult; ego and pride held me back on numerous occasions as I clung to what I thought was truth and reality. It hurt me to let go. Letting go means detachment, it meant I had to submit to the fact that I had been wrong. I had to admit to myself that for all of my life I had been fooled, I was duped, I had been sucked into a belief system that was wrong and false.
When I think back to what I believed, and how I now view things I feel embarrassed, foolish and even ashamed. I had stigmas and negative attitudes towards sexual preferences, racial outlooks, political movements, and other religious dogmas. My opinion mattered, and arguing my points of view gave me a feeling of smug self-importance. (I think I lost some valuable friends due to my ego, conceited arrogance, and perceived self-esteem). What a fool I was.
Well, that was then and this is now. My letting go has brought me to the place I now reside … both physically and mentally. My new motto is: “Never ruin a good day by thinking about a bad yesterday!” I now know yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose. The George Mellar of the past is now gone, I let him go. What time I have left will be of my own making. Resisting a natural unfolding of things is not an attribute I will continue to impose on myself.
So, what is it that I am trying to convey by writing these words in my Testimonial?… I am at this present time a follower and believer of this Work. I can accept no other truth other than what is found in A Marvelous Work and a Wonder. Finding this Work was possible because I am here in Thailand. I have an opportunity to not only to believe in these Truths but to get to know them and try to understand them. You see, my journey of learning is not finished, it will continue until I die.
My greatest hope is that the poorly crafted words of my Testimonial will somehow encourage the reader to further investigate this Work, and in so doing remove the filters of your present understanding thereby allowing-in the ‘Real Truths’ of A Marvelous Work and a Wonder. You have to become comfortable with what you learn and the answers you discover.
The truths I have found in this Work give me a strength and resolve that I never had before. I truly experience everyday life by looking at it in a different light. I begin to see mortal life for what it is, for what it really is in the grand scheme of things. It becomes a dream, an experience we are all going through resulting in an understanding and confirmation of who we really are. I discovered that nothing in this world is true reality.
I am the supreme judge of my behaviour, deeds, and actions, and I will try to follow the true precepts found in this Work.
As I continue to press the keys of this computer-keyboard I will try to further my understanding of who I am and why I am here. My self induced semi-isolation allows my mind to open-up and explore humanity from an insulated viewpoint. I can only hope my limited comprehension will improve and be sustained for the remainder of my stay on this planet. I now know why I exist, where I came from, and what I will return to after my death. My life ahead (for the most part) rests in my hands, the changes and challenges it places before me, I aim to meet with optimism and hopeful expectation.
So until change once again dictates my course … I thank you for reading my story.
George Mellar.
e-mail = gmellar@outlook.com
Phone no = +66 887235057
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