At the time when I began the...

Amelia Hansen Hood

At the time when I began the study of Christian Science I had been going to a medical doctor twice a week for about a year and a half for treatments for a severe backache which had brought me to the verge of a nervous and physical breakdown. The treatments did me no permanent good; I was considerably under normal weight, and an insurance doctor turned me down during that time as a poor risk for life insurance. With all this I had an unhappy home life, and I suffered so much, mentally and physically, that life did not seem worth living.

I had almost come to the conclusion that there was no hope for me and that there could be no God, since there was so much suffering in the world, when a friend who knew of my poor health asked the Literature Distribution Committee of the Christian Science church which she attended to send me some literature.

Some copies of the Christian Science Sentinel were sent me, and I tried reading articles in them several times, but did not read far because I did not understand them and had no faith that they could help me. However, I felt I should make an effort to read these periodicals because my friend had been kind enough to have them sent to me, and one day I turned to the back of a copy of the Sentinel and found testimonies of healings which were very convincing, and which were perfectly understandable.

I had a copy of the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, which another friend had given me several years before, but at that time I had merely read a sentence or two in it, which I had not understood, and had given up the attempt because a member of my family had been very much opposed to Christian Science. When I began reading the textbook this time, along with the Bible, and with my friend to help me, I soon grasped the truth of what I was reading. In fact, it was so interesting to me, and I was so overjoyed to find a religion which could explain the Bible, that I could not read enough of Mrs. Eddy's writings. I had been very religious as a child, but had stopped going to church after I grew up because the promises in the Bible did not seem to be fulfilled and because I could not find anyone who could explain in a rational manner its many puzzling passages. When I began to understand Christian Science, I knew that at last I had found a logical religion, and the Bible became an open book to me.

After only a few weeks' study of Christian Science and a few treatments by a practitioner, I was healed of the backaches; soon my health was restored, and I found that I could be happy no matter what my outward circumstances seemed to be.

All this took place eighteen years ago, and since that time I have never had a doctor and have never taken any medicine. I have had other healings, too—some with and some without the help of a practitioner—of such ailments as colds, ptomaine poisoning, constipation, eyestrain, and the need for wearing glasses for reading. Other problems have also been solved, among them that of finding remunerative and congenial work during the so-called depression, when there seemed to be so few opportunities.

I feel that I can never be grateful enough to Mrs. Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science.—(Mrs.) Amelia Hansen Hood, Washington, District of Columbia.

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