My parents were members of an orthodox church but...

Inga A. Johnson Lyon

My parents were members of an orthodox church but had drifted away from it as not filling any need in their lives. During childhood I had attended different Sunday schools. The Bible seemed full of mystery and not much related to everyday life. There seemed to be a great gap between its teachings and their practical application in the lives of professing Christians I knew.

When my search for a satisfactory explanation of all the mysteries of life was just beginning, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy was brought to our home by a brother, with the remark that it threw new light on the Bible by its spiritual definition of many words as found in the Glossary, and he gave us a few examples. His statements interested us, and my mother and I began reading Science and Health. This was a great awakening and the beginning of the study and application of the rules of Christian Science. I found all my questions answered satisfactorily, and from that time on I was, as Peter recommends, "ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you."

As I took up this study early in life, it has been more preventive than curative. My first real application of its rules for myself was in connection with the care of my children. They were all born under Christian Science treatment, and conditions were considered by those caring for me as being unusually harmonious both before and after the births.

As I lived a large part of the time in mining camps far from practitioners, I was early forced to depend on my own application of the truth. I know now that this was helpful to my progress. My children passed through most of the epidemics of childhood untouched, but on the few occasions when disease was manifested it was quickly destroyed through the application of Christian Science. One of my children earned the record of attending school four years and a half (the length of our residence in the district) without a single half day of absence, though nearly every year there were the usual epidemics; and she missed only a day or two during the balance of her grammar school attendance.

As my husband was not interested in Christian Science, he was at first unwilling to allow treatment for the children when a need arose. He was always given his choice of treatment for them. Our eldest child became ill when he was six months old. The doctor who was called in seemed unable to diagnose the case. After ten days of medical treatment, which included a long list of drugs given, the child's condition was very critical, and the doctor when questioned by my husband admitted that the child's recovery was very uncertain. Then it was proved that "man's extremity is God's opportunity." Thoroughly alarmed, my husband dismissed the doctor and consented to have Christian Science treatment. I telephoned the nearest practitioner, twenty-five miles away; and, taking the child, who was then in a stupor, we traveled by means of team and buggy to the practitioner's home. My husband, still fearful, remained until next day; but he was then satisfied to return to his business, as the bodily functions, which had been suspended during the time of medical treatment, had resumed natural operations. In a week I returned home, with the child well on his way to complete recovery.

I witnessed the healing of my husband of erysipelas after all material means had failed.

Through the thirty-six years that I have been a student of Christian Science I have had countless opportunities to prove the truth of Mrs. Eddy's teachings for myself in the healing of various forms of sin and sickness. But more precious to me than all the physical healings for myself and my family, is the great spiritual benefit I have received, as evidenced by more harmonious human relations in every di rection, and a peace of mind that "passeth all understanding." Of the unlovely traits that I found falling from me like an outgrown garment, the hardest to give up was resentment. But when I learned to impersonalize error, by seeing it as neither person, place, nor thing, as we are taught in Christian Science, I was able to replace resentment with compassion, and thus free myself from one of the greatest hindrances to my progress heavenward.

I am very grateful for the practitioners who have helped me along the way by their loving ministrations and their kindly counsel. It has been my great privilege to receive class instruction, and to serve as First Reader and in other capacities in our society. Words cannot adequately express the great love and gratitude I feel toward our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, whose revelation to this age has enabled us to make practical the teachings of the Master. It is becoming more apparent to me each day that Christian Science does bring "to light Truth and its supremacy, universal harmony, the entireness of God, good, and the nothingness of evil," as Mrs. Eddy says (Science and Health, p. 293).—(Mrs.) Inga A. Johnson Lyon, McDermitt, Nevada.

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Testimony of Healing

I should like to relate how wonderfully I found the way...

February 18, 1933

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