Christopher Gobie and his wife, Karen, of the Kissimmee (Fla.) Ward knew very little about the Church before missionaries came knocking at their door earlier this year.
Christopher, who now works at the Oceola County Children's Home, once intended to be a priest, and studied in a Protestant monastery for nine months. He left when "they couldn't answer questions about basic doctrine." He had met missionaries once when he was younger. Karen was reared in a strict denominational religion and had never even heard of the LDS Church.The Gobies were eating supper one evening when the missionaries knocked on their door. Christopher answered the door, saw it was the missionaries, and sent them away. He returned to the table but "something came over me. I jumped up from the table in my stocking feet and ran after them. I found them in the middle of the street."
They made an appointment to return, and he was given a copy of the Book of Mormon.
When the missionaries met with the Gobies, "We had a thick and heavy discussion about doctrine," he said.
Later, he read the Book of Mormon. "The Spirit told me it was true, that it was the word of God," he said.
He and his wife met frequently with the missionaries and had long discussions. After two months, they were baptized.
"The missionaries were pretty surprised that day when I finally caught up to them in my stocking feet," said Gobie. "I'm just glad they weren't riding bicycles."