My name is Jonathan Larson. I am 21 years old, and I live in USA.

Since I have joined the Family I have known that it was the best decision I have ever made, and I have never been happier. I’m so blessed to be here and partake of the love and friendship that exists in Family homes. It’s easy sometimes to see the negative, the mistakes, the wrong, but compared to my life out of the Family, this is heaven!

I rejoined the Family 2 years ago out of my own volition. I joined because I wanted to give my life to Jesus and serve Him with everything I had within me. I know this is what I’m supposed to be doing because everything inside me says it is right. Also, when I was out of the Family something in my heart kept telling me that the Family is where I belong.

My childhood in the Family is a time that I remember to be full of love and happiness. There were sacrifices, yes, but the joy that came with it made it worth it all. The thing that prevented me from joining the Family sooner was my selfishness. Family life looked way too hard for me. I wanted a life of ease, where I could get what I wanted and get by real smoothly. I have now found out that one can only be happy when they’re doing what the Lord wants them to do. That is why I can say there is nowhere else I’d rather be and nothing else I’d rather be doing then living my life for Jesus, the one who will give me in return, blessings and rewards that will last forever. Now that is something worth living & dying for!

To those who try to tear down our lives and lash out against the Family, I say; have the foresight to look past today into tomorrow. What are your efforts going to bring you? As it has been said, “All of our efforts to exalt ourselves in this life will one day bring us humiliation.” The fact is, whether you claim to believe in God or not, when this life is over, we will all have to stand before Him and give account of our actions. When I think about those of you who are trying to stop us, I am terrified for you because I would not want to be in your shoes doing what you are doing, and then, at the end of it all, stare God in the face and have to answer to Him. For God’s sake, and for your own sake, endure the pain here and now of humbling yourself before others and admitting you were wrong, rather then having to endure the humiliation, guilt, remorse, and sadness, when you get to heaven, of knowing you failed God. You will be forever sorry if you don’t. I pray you will make the right choice.

Jonathan Larson is a second generation member of the Family International.