002 - Judaism to Christianity

In this episode, Donald Kelly speaks to Stake President, Andy Lustig, about converting from Judaism to Christianity. 

-The Stake President not only ministers to people but also oversees and administers with bishops the general dealings of the stake. President Lustig was one of 20 people interviewed and was prayerfully chosen to be given the position of Stake President. 

-President Lustig grew up in Jamaica, Queens, New York, and went to a Jewish school. He was raised in a conservative Jewish home and like all Jewish men was bar mitvahed at age 13. 

-At 17, President Lustig became disillusioned when his synagogue was sold to another synagogue. His father didn’t go but he and his mother still met his sister, who was married. The feeling of uneasiness came, however, when he saw the synagogue was focused more on the business and earning money more than it was about ministering to the people. This is when he and his mother continued Jewish traditions but stopped going to synagogue. 

-President Lustig’s mother passed away when he was 33 so in 1990 he migrated to Florida. It was here that he would meet his wife and get married in the synagogue. Even then, it was about money when they were asked to pay to use the room even though they were members. The couple would continue to go for 3 years but never really felt the spirit. They would eventually leave and several years passed before they had a pivotal encounter. 

-One day, President Lustig was working in one of his client’s homes as a piano technician and the wife gave him a Book of Mormon. During that time, their daughter was in a special program in Utah where everyone was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Upon graduation, she was baptized, non-sectarian and the couple went to her baptism a few days before Christmas in 1999.

-While visiting the St. George temple, President Lustig gave their names when asked where the missionaries could visit. Two weeks later, the missionaries came to visit. Just before they came, however, they went back home with their daughter for Christmas and she wanted to go to a church. Not wanting her to have to go by herself, they went to the church that was just a couple of miles from their home. There the Bishop of the ward (congregation) greeted them at the door and it was his client whose wife had given them the Book of Mormon!

-By the time the missionaries came to visit in the second week of January, President Lustig was searching for spirituality but not finding it in the books he was reading. One especially compelling book, however, was The First 2000 Years by FBI Director of Salt Lake City, Cleon Skousen. During his visit with the missionaries, they had the answer to these 3 questions: Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where do I go after I die? As they told him about the plan of salvation he remembered that as an 8-year-old he suffered a devastating loss when his grandfather died. He was inconsolable but was visited by a being who told him that he would be with his grandfather again and it would all be okay. With this memory, a bell went off in his head that what the missionaries told him was true. March 25th, he and his wife were baptized and on March 26th, they were confirmed. 

-President Ludwig shares that whether or not you believe in the Savior Christ before, if the spirit touches you and you kneel humbly and pray to know if what the missionaries are teaching is true, you will get an answer. Since becoming a member of the church he has witnessed thousands of miracles and heard countless testimony.

-President Ludwig acknowledges that the initial decision was hard but he is still a member of the House of Israel. He is a member of the church but has not given up his heritage. Once you know you’re not giving up your heritage, it’s much easier. 

-When asked about reconciling the knowledge of Jesus from his Jewish upbringing, President Ludwig recalls that he was taught that Jesus was a Jewish boy who became a carpenter and that was it. When he read the New Testament it was a revelation to him and in response, he knelt in prayer to receive the truth. 

-President Ludwig acknowledges change has taken place. He has gone from a person who was focused on himself, his career, and what it could do for him to being someone who is concerned for other people. It’s not that you put yourself on the back burner but it’s important to give freely of yourself to help other people. And in this way, we can emulate the Savior. 

To get in touch with President Lustig, you can email andylustig@me.com.

MUSIC CREDIT: Audio Jungle

(Note: This podcast is not an official podcast of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)