Teri Beatty was raised in the Catholic Church but married a 4th generation member of the RLDS church. She and her husband Clyde lived in West Palm Beach, Florida for several years before moving to Independence, Missouri. Teri’s daughter began sharing with her the problems and contradictions in RLDS doctrine that she had found. As a result Teri stopped attending the RLDS church. She visited Eastside Baptist Church where her daughter attended and during a Bible study she accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. About the same time she was miraculously healed of an eleven year bout with manic-depression and she praises the Lord daily for His mercy and love. This is her testimony.
Independence, Missouri
I was born in April of 195l, in Opa Locka, Fla., the youngest of six kids. When I was seven days old I was baptized into the Catholic Church. When I was three, my family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida. I considered myself a pretty good Catholic. My future husband moved to Florida from Independence, Mo. when he was eleven. I met him when he was turning seventeen and I would soon be sixteen. He was RLDS and was attending church at the YWCA in West Palm Beach. I went to church with him sometimes. We dated for two years and were married in the RLDS church in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Aug. 1, 1969. Soon after we were married our church moved into a new building about six blocks from our house. We were very active in the church even though I was not yet a member. I attended “cottage meetings” on how to become RLDS and when they were completed two priesthood members came to me and said, “You’re ready to be baptized.” Even though I didn’t feel ready, I was baptized. I remember feeling uneasy about the whole thing, even as the baptism took place. The elders laid hands on me and confirmed me and afterwards my husband asked if I felt anything as they confirmed me and I’ve always wondered what I supposed to feel?
Our daughter Lori was born seven months after my baptism. We remained very active in our church—a very close-knit, loving group of people—like one big family. I felt like I was very close to Jesus and had lots of good times with our group at all of our services, camps, pot-lucks, etc.
In July of 1977 we moved to Independence, Missouri so my husband could be near his parents and younger brother who had returned to Independence two years earlier. We attended different RLDS churches, but the people in the “Centerplace” didn’t seem to welcome new people like our West Palm Beach group had. We soon moved to Blue Springs and two months later our son Brad was born. We continued visiting other churches and finally ended up at the Colburn Road Church.
In Sept. of 1987, my husband and I separated temporarily, and as a result, I was admitted to the hospital after not eating or sleeping for eleven days. They diagnosed me as “Bi-Polar” or Manic Depressive. After three days of all kinds of tests, I was put on “lithium” which I took three times a day. The Dr. talked like the pill would solve all my problems. Basically all the pill did was keep me from staying up around the clock. It didn’t help the depression. I always wanted to “help myself.” I would buy self-help books and I tried to be positive, but still I found myself depressed most of the time with occasional manic episodes. I would lock myself in the bathroom with knives or sharp objects or a bottle of pills, trying to get up the courage to end my life. Many times when close friends found I had a depressive illness and was in the care of psychiatrists and psychologists, they would confide in me as if I could help them with their problems. After years of counseling I did get pretty good at counseling others. Sure I could talk the talk but when it came to myself, there was nothing that would take care of the depression. I would always pray about it. I never felt like I let go of God. I thought about going to the priesthood for administration (laying on of hands) but this little voice inside would say “Oh, you don’t want to do that”! Over the next eleven years there were suicide attempts, but the worst was when I stepped out in front of oncoming traffic. The Lord sent a guardian angel to watch over me that day or I would not be writing this today.
When RLDS World Conference occurred, my husband and I would go to the auditorium in hopes of seeing friends from Florida. During one conference our pastor from West Palm Beach came to our house to visit us. At that time there was a lot of talk about women being called to the priesthood. But it was just talked about at that time. As we were discussing this subject the pastor said, “I’ll stay in this church until something better comes along!” I carried those words around with me for years!
Then word came through the “prophet” of the church that we would have women in the priesthood. Some of our friends joined restoration churches but my husband said he was staying with the church even though he disagreed with women in the priesthood. I began to pray that the Lord would show me where he wanted me. In answer to my prayers the Lord showed me that I was not to be in the RLDS church at all!
The Doctor’s continued to try and help me with my illness. At one point I was on fifteen pills a day! I felt that no one cared at all for me, but I always knew my daughter and son loved me. After burying my oldest brother and dealing with another terrible tragedy in our family in Florida, I had a third breakdown. My kids tried everything to get me to go to the hospital. I finally gave up and went when the police came out and put handcuffs on me and put me in the back of a police car. They took me to Research Psychiatric Hospital. After a year of out-patient therapy, my Doctor said, “there’s nothing more I can do for you.” I had lots of Christian friends praying for me, but I remember thinking, “I’ll have this the rest of my life, I might as well get used to it.” Then one night on the TV I saw Pastor Paul Brooks from the First Baptist Church of Raytown. He was talking about how to defeat depression! The sermon was excellent and he used many Bible verses. He recommended doing four things: 1) change your diet, (2 get adequate rest at night, 3) read the Bible everyday, and 4) have church leaders place hands on and pray for healing. I told my husband about the program and he advised me to go to the RLDS priesthood. But I did not want to go to them for administration, I would rather have lived with the depression.
About this time, my daughter began witnessing to me. She had left the RLDS church six years earlier. A neighbor had recently given her the book “RLDS Church: Christian or Cult?” We rode around in her car one day for miles while she talked and I listened. Then one day she called me and we stayed on the phone for six hours. Before I hung up I asked her for the book. One day my son walked in and I showed him what I was reading and he said, “Oh, it’s true Mom.” The next time I was alone I took the book and Joseph Smith’s “Inspired Version” of the Bible. The Lord immediately opened my eyes. At that time my daughter and I were having a garage sale, during which we were invited to four different Christian churches. I took some money from the sale and told her I wanted to go buy myself a “real” Bible. She said she would take me to the store where they carry the book “RLDS Church: Christian or Cult”. We both decided we wanted to find a Bible believing church. I bought my Bible, and bought a little picture Bible for my Grandsons. For the first time in a long time I was feeling true happiness. As we were checking out the lady behind the counter invited us to her church on Sunday. We agreed we would go. As we walked to the car, she came to the door and said, “Teri and Lori, come Wednesday night too, it’s at seven o’clock.” As I turned back toward the car I felt this wonderful electricity go through my whole body! Not painful but a sweet feeling—”the Lord letting you know you’re heading in the right direction” electricity. The next Sunday my daughter and I began attending Eastside Baptist Church and we have been going there ever since.
We got into a Bible study class the pastor was teaching and one night in the class, I prayed to receive Jesus as my personal Savior. Now, each time I go to our church I feel so at home there. Soon after this I went to a prayer service where former members of the RLDS church met. There were nine people there (eight of which had come out of the RLDS church and a husband who had never joined.) We sang, we talked, we prayed. Then a man named Austin Morse asked if anyone needed prayer. I said, “I do, I’ve battled manic-depression for eleven years.” They all gathered around me and laid hands on my head and shoulders began to pray. As we prayed I felt Jesus’ Spirit like I had never felt it before and He healed the Manic Depression. I felt the weight of the world lift from me. I felt like a totally different person! I don’t take medicine anymore and I don’t have any depression. I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my whole life.
After I was born again in the Bible study at church, I couldn’t wait to be baptized. Soon afterward, on a Sunday, I was baptized and I remember the wonderful feeling that was with me as I stepped into the water— it was perfect. I didn’t feel uneasy like I did at the first baptism. When I was RLDS, I felt like I might go to heaven, but now I know that I will because the Bible gives us that assurance (I John 5:13.). When I was RLDS I had head knowledge of Jesus, but now He lives forever in my heart. I have Him as my personal Savior. I have Him and His truth—the Bible. He’s there with us always and He’s patiently waiting for you to come to Him.
I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind but now I see! (Isa. 41:10, Is. 26:3, Psalm 103:1-3, Psalm 147:3).