I shall always be grateful to the young college student who later became my son's wife, because she brought Christian Science into my life. I had been in an automobile accident and was suffering from shock and concussion. She came to my home and read to me from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy every day for a week. I didn't understand much that she read, but it did soothe me; and I was able to be out of bed and care for my family. Since that experience I have relied on Christian Science alone for healing.

One statement read to me stood out from all the rest: "Know thyself, and God will supply the wisdom and the occasion for a victory over evil" (ibid., p. 571). I took up the study of Christian Science because I longed to know myself and to understand man's relationship to God. I was at the same time seeking a solution to an unhappy situation in my home.

However, I came slowly into Science; there were many false beliefs and traits of character to be overcome. After two years of devoted study and the help of a practitioner, the home situation was resolved in a way that proved a great blessing to all concerned.

Since that time, through my own understanding, members of my family have experienced many healings, such as those of burns, colds, headaches, appendicitis, upset stomach, eye infection, torn ligaments, and sprains. With the help of a practitioner I was also healed of three serious illnesses. These were never diagnosed.

One healing that blessed me without measure was the instantaneous healing of a heart condition of long standing that suddenly grew worse until I was not able to care for my home properly. Several times it seemed I was passing on. I tried to pray for myself as we are taught, since there was no practitioner in our city at that time; but when I steadily grew worse, my son came and took me to his home and called a practitioner to come and treat me. During her visit in the afternoon, it was revealed that I was harboring resentment and self-condemnation. Ever since I was a child, I had felt a close member of my family had treated me unfairly. I resented this but at the same time condemned myself for not loving this relative as I thought duty demanded.

The practitioner kindly reminded me that self-condemnation was a deadly sin and that I must replace all resentment with divine Love. I was still new in Science and asked, "What is divine Love?"

Smiling, she said, "I am sure you know the meaning of divine Love. Your son and daughter-in-law have told me that you have always been an unselfish and loving mother. And pure mother love is the nearest thing to divine Love on this earth; but God, divine Love, is infinitely greater."

This simple explanation flooded my consciousness with a great light, a glorious radiance permeated my being. This radiance stayed with me for weeks. My world was beautiful. I blessed everything my eyes looked upon. I loved the relative as never before, and our relationship was harmonious and loving from then on.

At the time, the heart condition was so completely erased from my thought that I did not realize I was healed until I was joyously helping my daughter-in-law prepare dinner that evening and she suddenly asked, Mother, are you healed?" And we gratefully thanked God together.

Not long after that, the way opened for me to join The Mother Church and a branch church. A few years later I was granted the sacred privilege of class instruction. I am grateful for the opportunity of serving a branch church in various capacities and at the present time as Second Reader.

While I am grateful for the many physical healings, my greatest joy comes from the peace and serenity that knowing myself has brought into my life and that of my family. "The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage" (Ps. 16:6).

(Mrs.) Rosa G. Hoffman, Fort Collins, Colorado

As a small child, the first testimony I remember hearing closed with these words by my paternal grandfather, "... and so you see. Christian Science healed me, educated me, and gave me a business." Since that early healing, Christian Science has been healing and educating our family out of a false concept of man as mortal into an increased understanding of the spiritual nature of life.

One of these experiences has been a great enlightenment to me. I had a position in a large university laboratory where the work was very demanding and required long hours and tight schedules. However, the work was also interesting, and I became more and more absorbed in it. Although I continued my daily study of Christian Science, it played a secondary part in my life.

Then I became ill with a throat infection. When the symptoms first appeared, I ignored them because I was engrossed in completing a piece of work. By the end of the week I had collapsed with a high fever. A Christian Science practitioner was called. For a week I was critically ill, only conscious a few moments each day. But through the deeply consecrated and firm metaphysical work of the practitioner and also the prayers of my parents in overcoming fear about the situation, I was completely healed in two weeks.

I was very anxious to return to work and did so for one day. I came home from that day almost as ill as I had been previously. In great distress I called the practitioner and said, "I was healed; I know it. Why does this all appear again?" I was told that what was needed was for me to ponder the healing and see what had done the work.

Humbly I began a prayerful study of Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy by using its Concordance. I found myself looking up references on God as Mind, intelligence, as explained in the chapters, "Glossary" and "Recapitulation." Suddenly I saw that what I had to be healed of, and was healed of, was not physical disability but a personal sense of responsibility for my work. I now saw clearly that Mind is all-acting, the only intelligence. With this revelation all the effects of relapse disappeared, and I was really well.

And then an interesting thing happened. When I returned to the laboratory, the section head brought me a job I had completed some weeks before and had not seen since. He said he was sorry but that some new information had to be included and therefore a major portion of it would have to be done over. He had scarcely finished stating the problem, when I found myself outlining a simple solution that required no redoing of the work. It was a plan I probably would have arrived at after some study, but there was no sense of looking for a solution. The problem was presented, and Mind produced the answer without human effort.

Instead of a sense of personal elation over the accomplishment, I was uplifted by a great feeling of the reality and presence of Mind. I saw the truth of Mrs. Eddy's statement: "The divine Principle, or Spirit, comprehends and expresses all, and all must therefore be as perfect as the divine Principle is perfect. Nothing is new to Spirit" (Science and Health, p. 518).

Although I have had to prove this truth many times since, the experience has always been a sure guide. I am increasingly grateful for Christ Jesus, our beloved Way-shower, and for Mrs. Eddy, the Discoverer, Founder, and Leader of Christian Science.

(Miss) Nancy Joy Perkins, Cambridge, Massachusetts