This is the Truth Network. Welcome to Passion for Christ, a ministry of Utah Partnerships for Christ. In Acts 26, 18, Jesus said, Paul's purpose was to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light. and from the power of Satan unto God. That they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
We hope you'll join us for today's testimony of lives changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Now let's begin today's episode. Welcome to Passion for Christ. This is Russ East, your host, and I want to thank you for joining us. I want to thank Kevin McGehey for his instrumental music that he provides for us on each of our episodes. On this episode, we're going to be hearing from Earl Erskine and Sam Fredrickson.
Earl is a former Mormon. He's going to be interviewing Sam Fredrickson on a program called Ex-Mormon Files.
So sit back, and I hope you find this encouraging as we hear about the testimony of Sam Fredrickson. Learned from Sam last time that he's had challenges in his life. He's a young man still. What else? You're very active in the church, your family's very active, temple workers and a bishop, your father and But Sam just, there were things that were challenging in living the commandments, and so he didn't feel like Mormonism was a good fit.
Still had the hope maybe that Mormonism was true. Yeah. And that maybe somewhere along the way you'd come back and see the light. But you end up again with some challenges and into a care facility or a hospital for a little while, and kind of after hitting rock bottom, as we learned. And so along comes Jimmy.
Yeah, so go back to telling us he had been sedated because he was going to have to leave the hospital because of insurance issues. But he comes in, sits down, and opens up. Just talking, and so, like I had mentioned last time, I was in this kind of pseudo-proto-apologist stance of. You know, well, Jimmy, just because this is happening doesn't mean God loves you. And we just talked and talked and talked for hours, really.
And we. ran the gamut of those really I feel like base Core questions that a new believer would have to the point where I was tapping into to something within myself that at this point I'm not sure if It was just me talking. Does that make sense? But converting him to Mormonism? No, not necessarily.
Just trying to shore up his belief in God because I was like, he's not going to survive out there in this current state. And if he loses that, Who knows?
So here God's giving you an opportunity to witness to Him. Exactly. It's almost as if, you know, in the Gospels, when Caiaphas says it's better for one man to die than for a nation to perish, nation to perish, and John says that he didn't say that of his own accord. He was prophesying in that moment. And I almost sometimes think of it like that.
I was saying these things and I was thinking them, but I was speaking from a position of faith that I didn't know I still had. And so it was a wild time. It really was. And so we spent all night talking. He goes to bed, I go to bed, and the next morning, this is.
What just blew my mind is the next morning he is still told he has to leave. And it goes, and it's no big deal. And I say, Jimmy, you were like a raging bull. Like, they had to put you down. What's changed?
What's happened? And he said to me, and I remember this clear as day through the last six years and everything that came with it, he said to me, I just guess I I guess I just did what I came here to do. You know, I guess I've just got what I needed. And he left. And I was like, what does that mean?
This is insane. What are you talking about, Jimmy? Did he feel like an outgoing? I don't know. He certainly was at peace, though.
He was peaceful. He was ready for it. Whatever the next thing was, he was ready for it. Maybe whatever you said calmed him. It's possible.
And it was. It was a cryptic piece of a puzzle that later, as I went on, my life kind of fell into place because I left the hospital a day later and I came out. I said, I'm not going to steal, I'm not going to lie, I'm not going to do drugs, I'm not going to drink at least for two or three months and go from there, even though I was only 19 at the time. I'm just going to try to make it from here, you know. And I wasn't going to live morally.
I didn't think I needed any moral or ethical code. I just knew that what I had been doing was bad for me. And so, I was working the drive-thru at this restaurant I worked at, and I hated the drive-thru, as many people do. And I had decided it was a bad day, and I had decided I wasn't going to look or acknowledge the people in the drive-thru. I was my own little bubble.
Everybody's been through a drive-thru with this kind of an employee, I guarantee it, where they're just done for the day, and they're just there to be a robot and take your money and give you your food. And that's what I was doing. And so when this truck pulls up and I see somebody get out of the truck and start bending down and then coming up and bending down, I just kind of shook my head and was like, what is going on here? And so I opened the window. And I'm not looking at this gentleman.
And he speaks to me in a really, I mean, he's got a very distinctive voice, it's very, very deep voice, and he says, I got some pennies for ya. And I was like, what? And that's what he had been doing. He'd been down on the ground to ground. And yeah, he had dropped his change, or somebody else had.
And so he gave me the pennies, and I said, Thank you, and I grabbed his card. And when I was little, I was in a Wendy's, and the cashier had taken my mother's card and read her name from the card. And then, when she gave it back to her, she addressed her by her name. And to me, that was magic. And so that's what I always tried to do: to learn people's names, even when I was in a bad mood, so I could say, you know, oh, here's your food, Bob, or whatever.
And so I look at the card. And it's Jimmy's first and last name. It's James, I'm not going to say his last name just for privacy in case. And I am just Okay. Awestruck.
I don't know what's going on. And that he's sitting there in this. He's sitting there. It's a beautiful truck. It's like a brand new truck.
And I finally say, I need to look at this person. And so I look over and. There is a man there who's about six foot four, 300 to 350. He's got gray hair, but it's not long and wispy. It's a full head of hair, and it's combed.
He's got all of his teeth, and his skin looks great, and yet, When he spoke to me, I was able to put it together that, that was Jimmy's voice that I had been sitting with for hours. And I looked at him and I had not told him my name. I can swear to that. And he looks me in the eyes and he says, Howdy, Sam. And I just Like, backed up, and I gave him his card back, and I gave him his food.
And he said, I'll be seeing you. And I just... Froze. And as he drives away, I see his license plate. And it's the license plate with the cowboy on it.
I think it's a Wyoming license plate. And he had always talked about how his best days of his life were as a cowboy. And he even made us all watch Lonesome Dove just to prove how much he loved cowboys. At the hospital. At the hospital, yep, it was on cable, and we had a wonderful, it's like a two and a half hour movie.
It was a wonderful time. And I just stopped. And the entire world just stopped. And I looked at my manager and I said, I gotta take a break. I'm really sorry.
I gotta go. Did you try to chase the truck down? I didn't. No, I just, I had to get out of there because I knew what my next step was. And my next step was to call the only person that I knew that really believed in God, that I was really close to and could be honest with.
And that was the woman who had become my wife, Katie. She was the only good Christian in my life. She was the only person that I felt I could really bear myself to at that time. And so I called her and I said, Katie, I think I just saw an angel. I don't know what just happened.
And I told her the whole story. And at that point, I mean, I don't even think I had mentioned when I got out of the hospital, I didn't tell anybody about Jimmy. I didn't tell anybody about our heart-to-heart because it had been completely, you know, it was an incidental thing. And As I told her all of this, she paused for a second, and she said So, well, when I was about 17, 16 or 17. You've known Katie since middle school.
Oh, yeah, since middle school. We'd never been romantically involved because she would never date a non-Christian, because she is a good Christian woman. I love you. And... But when I was 16 or 17, when we knew each other and were talking, I had gone through a very dark time as well.
spiritual evil or mental illness or combination. And she told me that since Those days, two years ago, two or three years ago, her mother had prayed every single day. That an angel would come and visit me. And I was pushed Down. I was pushed to my knees in the parking lot, and at that moment, I didn't know the first thing about being a biblical Christian.
I didn't know the first thing about knowing a biblical God, but I knew that the God that her mother had been praying to was the God who had brought Jimmy into my life. We'll be right back for the rest of today's testimony. Please know we at Utah Partnerships for Christ have been planting seeds of the gospel in Utah for over 24 years. We welcome any questions you may have and invite you to visit our website to obtain a list of words and definitions that would help you understand how Mormons think and how to be able to better witness to your friends who belong to the Mormon Church. That website is www.upfc.org.
That's upfc.org. We'll be right back. Welcome to Passion for Christ, a ministry of Utah Partnerships for Christ. In Acts 26, 18, Jesus said, Paul's purpose was to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light. and from the power of Satan unto God.
That they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. We hope you'll join us for today's testimony of lives changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Now let's begin today's episode. And the entire world just stopped. And I looked at my manager and I said, I gotta take a break. I'm really sorry. I gotta go.
Did you try to chase the truck down? I didn't. No, I just, I had to get out of there because I knew what my next step was. And my next step was to call the only person that I knew that really believed in God, that I was really close to and could be honest with. And that was the woman who would become my wife, Katie.
She was the only good Christian in my life. She was the only person that I Felt I could really bear myself to at that time. And so I called her and I said, Katie, I think I just saw an angel. I don't know what just happened. And I told her the whole story.
And at that point, I mean, I don't even think I had mentioned when I got out of the hospital, I didn't tell anybody about Jimmy. I didn't tell anybody about our heart-to-heart because it had been completely, you know, it was an incidental thing. And As I told her all of this, she paused for a second and she said So, well, when I was about 17, 16 or something.
So, you've known Katie since middle school. Oh, yeah, since middle school. We had never been romantically involved because she would never date a non-Christian, because she is a good Christian woman. I love you. And.
But when I was 16 or 17, when we knew each other and were talking, I had gone through a very dark time as well. spiritual evil or mental illness or com combination. And she told me that since Those days, two years ago, two or three years ago, her mother had prayed every single day. that an angel would come and visit me. Am I was pushed.
Down. I was pushed to my knees in the parking lot, and at that moment, I didn't know the first thing about being a biblical Christian. I didn't know the first thing about knowing a biblical God, but I knew that the God that her mother had been praying to was the God who had brought Jimmy into my life. Well and As I've gone these few years, I know this sounds entirely crazy. I'm totally aware of that.
I think it sounds fantastic. And I've gone through and I've played it over in my head, and I've said, is it the same guy? Did I maybe get his last name wrong? Or what's going on? Maybe I did say my name when he rolled up to the.
And what it comes down to at this point in my life is that if it wasn't an angel, That makes it almost more unbelievable to me. That every single thing worked out exactly how it needed to to get me on my knees in a parking lot after two years of being extremely lost. And only God could do that. And only God could do that. I realized that I've always said I don't believe in coincidences, and this was the only thing in my moments of doubt that I would say, well, maybe this was a coincidence.
And I said, why am I doing that? Why can't I just believe? And so. Especially when. Mom-in-law has been praying for an angel.
I am so blessed by my in-laws. They have been an amazing. Just This they have just been amazing Christians who have taught me what it is to be. What happens after this? Do you start to do you tell Katie, of course, about what it is?
Literally, so I am still on the phone as I'm on my knees in the parking lot. Really? And I said to her after a moment or two of silence, I said, Can I come to church with you? And she was like, Yes, please. Yeah, she.
Had she ever invited you before? Yes.
So when I was in, when I was very young, or not very young, 17 maybe, I had gone with her to a youth group gathering. And It was amazing. I mean, I was just sobbing the entire time. The music was playing, and it was so powerful, and the lyrics were so powerful. And we talk about feeling the spirit as Mormons, you know, we feel the spirit move within us, and it prompts you, and that was.
The point I had felt the spirit most strongly in my entire life. I could not stop crying. One of my friends, also from high school, was there. His name's Ian. And Ian came to me and like wrapped me up and was like, It's okay, man, I understand.
God's so great. And I was like, I don't even know if I believe in God. What are you talking about? And it was amazing. But other than that, I had never gone to a Christian church.
I had never gone to a Christian service.
So you go to one?
So I went to, I, well, I went to the Hastings. I don't know if, do you guys have, did you have Hastings here? They were just like a bookstore. They shut down. It's tragic.
And I went to the Hastings and I bought the first Bible I found, which was the New King James Version.
Okay. Because I had always read the KJV and I was like, I don't want that, but I don't want one of these Bibles that just talks like a normal book.
So I'm going to go for the New King James Version. And I started reading my Bible two or three hours every day. And there were days when I, there was one day specifically when I overslept and I had missed my opportunity to read my Bible that day. I was so distraught and I called, and then two minutes later I got a call from my assistant manager who said, hey man, we're pretty slow. Why don't you just come in two hours early today, or two hours late today?
Gave you a chance to read it. Gave me a chance to read. And so from there, I went to church and I read my Bible. And I did have like your typical born-again moment. I had the moment of reading.
I was reading in, I believe it was Ephesians 2 and talking about the reconciliation of the old man into the new and this and that. Grace is in there too. Yes, and grace is in there too. Katie had mentioned you know If you want to be saved, you pray this prayer. And so I didn't really know what it was.
All I knew was that I was supposed to say to God. I want to be saved. And he would do the rest. And I was reading my Bible at that point, and I was like, I think this is it. I think I'm ready.
Yeah. And so I knelt down and I prayed. And another thing that led me to that point is that as so. This was such an amazing time because Katie and our friends would come. I lived in the basement of this house, and I had a little piano, and we would just sit and we'd play piano, and we'd read the Bible, and we'd talk about God for just an hour or two every other day or so.
It was amazing. It was unlike anything I've ever had before or after. During these times, I just continually felt that this is the right place with the right people. And as I look back, And I say, why didn't I go back to Mormonism? You know, once I was sure there was a God, once I was sure that Jesus Christ had died for my sins, why didn't I go back to being a Mormon?
And I think it was that fellowship and that community. That as a Mormon I had always been told that these people have some of the truth, but not all of the truth. Or Christians. Yeah. Or they're worse scenarios where they're the church of the devil.
And I just said, That can't be. It cannot be that what I'm feeling is only part of what God wants me to feel. It's only part of the joy He wants for me because this is greater than anything I've ever. Have you understood grace as a Mormon? No, it was I it was very transactional, you know?
It was very very very you do good and you get good and you do bad and and Heaven forbid, you get bad, you know? And one of the most life-changing things I've ever read. Have you ever read anything by A.W. Tozer? Yeah, so he, he, in his book, The Meditations on the Trinity, he wrote, if God is love And if God is loving, it means He is endlessly loving.
If God is patient, it means He is endlessly patient. And I suddenly just realized that this. Fought. That there was gonna come a day that God got sick of it, and that God said, No more, you've made the same sin 52 times. 53 is out.
I'm not forgiving it anymore. That was something that, for whatever reason, that's what I came out of Mormonism. It's endless, yeah. But I remember in Mormonism thinking, I can only make the same mistake so many times before he turns from a loving father into an angry father, you know? And that was a really life-changing.
thing. I mean, I'm sure most people watching this have have felt something like that. And it's so you still at this point did you had a um You didn't really So what you are just listening to Was an interview between Earl Erskine with the X-Moor Man Files, episode 348, and Sam Fredrickson. I never met Sam Fredrickson. I do know Earl Erskine.
I don't know where Sam is today, but this interview was done back about six years ago. But I just thought that. As I'm listening to this, this gives you a peek inside the mindset of one particular person who was Mormon. And God was clearly getting a hold of this individual. And things can be rather complex and a little messy, but look how God brought in.
His to be future wife.
So amazing What a blessing And then now he's sharing his story. on this Christian platform here on YouTube.
So, I want to encourage you: if you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, know that. No one has a spirit of contention towards you here at this station, at this ministry of the Utah Partnerships for Christ. We just simply. do love and care about you, and we want you to know The Jesus of the Bible, who He is. Because Jesus said, unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.
So I'd love to hear from you. My number is 801-645-7433. That's 801-645-7433.
Now, if you're listening and you're A believer in Christ. You put your faith and trust in what Christ did for you on the cross. You're born again. And you'd like to talk about how you can better reach out to Mormons, or maybe you're a former Mormon and now you're a born-again Christian, our website upfc.org. U is in Utah, P is in partnerships, F is in 4, C is in Christ.org.
We've got some resources there that I think can help. We can mail you some things as well. I've got plenty of books I could send you for free. Just let me know what you would like. If you'd like to help support our ministry so that we can do mission trips that we organize and train and facilitate here in Utah, I'd love to talk with you about your church.
uh c bringing a team out here to Utah sometime. Um If you need materials, get in contact with me. If you're in the Utah area here, we have a little Bible history museum with a bunch of exhibits. I can pack them up in my rolling case and I can take them to where you are. I can meet you at a restaurant or a church or something if you want to talk about the reliability of the Bible or set them up in the lobby of your church.
But if you'd like to help support us, we'd be so grateful. Appreciate your prayers. in your friendship. And if you'd be led to provide a financial gift, just know that we'd be so grateful so that we can continue. Doing this work here in Utah.
We have some, I have about six or seven. kind of a series of of um kind of like sessions for those coming out of the Mormon church that I'd Love to share with you. It's at our website. You can take a look at that. We're going to Ghana in September.
Uh we're going to be reaching Mormons there, so we need some funds for that trip. And that leads us up to me having to say we're out of time.
So I want to thank you for joining us here on Passion for Christ. And we'll see you again right here on this good station. Thank you. If you'd like to be on Passion for Christ, please send me an email. Russ at upfc dot org.
Before we sign off for today, please know that all of us here at Utah Partnerships for Christ appreciate your prayers and support. We are also available to do Zoom call workshops or personal coaching on reaching Mormons for Christ. Contact us today at upfc.org. That's upfc.org. Thanks so much for joining us on another edition of Passion for Christ.
