The line was only five minutes long. That is what it took to get Kathy Swinton of Cedar Falls, Iowa, into the Mormon Pavilion at the New York World's Fair on Aug. 29, 1965. She had been married just two days before at the East Hartford, Connecticut, Congregational Church. This was her honeymoon. It was oddly cold for August, and the sign at the Vatican Pavilion housing Michelangelo's stunning Pieta indicated an hourlong wait. Swinton did not really want to go into the nearby Mormon Pavilion because, "I just knew they would try to get me."
But it was cold, and so they went inside. They saw the replica of Thorvaldsen's Christus that would eventually grace the Temple Square North Visitors' Center, and they walked around the accompanying Bible murals. Feeling comfortable enough, they decided to watch "Man's Search for Happiness" in the theater.
"I walked out of that theater knowing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was true," Swinton recalled. All her life, she had believed that God and Christ were separate beings, but this was the first time she had heard it taught by a Christian faith, not to mention the first time she heard a clear doctrine about eternal families. She felt she had just been given the gift of testimony.
Swinton's husband, Wayne, liked the film, too, but only out of curiosity. Still, it was he who purchased the Book of Mormon for 50 cents and signed the guest book. Two weeks later, it was Wayne Swinton who opened the door to two missionaries, having taken an unusual day off from work to look for other employment. Kathy Swinton insists she would not have let strangers in if Wayne had been at work, even though they were about the same age as she was and she knew their church was true. Wayne made an appointment to meet the next Tuesday. Six weeks and six lessons later, the newlyweds were baptized.
After her husband died in 2013, Swinton thought about that honeymoon choice. "I'm sure my marriage never would have lasted," she said. "We didn't know anything about how to treat each other in a healthy relationship. The church taught us that." It made all the difference in their lives together and continues to comfort Swinton today.
"Maybe I would have found the church another way, another time," Swinton said, "because I had already been prepared a little bit." As a young teen, Swinton met a Mormon girl from Germany who had moved to her school. Teachers assigned Swinton to carry the girl's books after she broke her ankle ice skating, and their friendship soon led to invitations to church activities and Mutual. Swinton liked everything about going to church, but no one ever approached her about joining it. When her friend moved away, Swinton's interest faded. Until, that is, a cold August day at the World's Fair — when a five-minute wait changed the trajectory of her life forever.
Susan Sims lives in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Contact her at sims.susanm@gmail.com