Lucy Mengmeng Lin had the hymnbook resting on her lap, already opened to the right page, before the organ sounded its first chord. The organ’s introductory tune began to fill the chapel. Lucy straightened up and scooted to the edge of the pew, her petite legs softly swaying back and forth to the music of the hymn.
Soon the entire congregation joined in singing:
“I know that my Redeemer lives. What comfort this sweet sentence gives …”
Lucy did her best to pronounce each English word as she sang. She had never attended church back in Hong Kong — not that there was a church even available to attend.
Here in Santa Rosa, California, everything was new. She hadn’t understood one word spoken over the pulpit during the entire hour. Lucy looked up from the hymnbook and watched the singing adults and children around her.
“He lives, and while He lives I’ll sing …”
It was nothing like Mandarin, yet Lucy felt something she could clearly understand. It was a feeling she had never felt before. It was peaceful. She knew she was in the right place.
Her face lit up with a smile. She turned her eyes back to her hymnbook and again joined in singing with the others.
“I know that my Redeemer lives!”
For Lucy, honoring her religious beliefs and her country’s law had always been important, even if it meant waiting until she was 18 years old to be baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“For most of my life, I grew up learning about the church without being a church member,” Lucy said.
It all started 18 years prior when Lucy’s father, Steve, converted to the LDS Church while completing his postdoctoral research at Stanford University in 1998.
As one of the first men from mainland China to be baptized into the LDS Church, Steve was concerned about remaining a faithful member in a country lacking religious freedom.
“When my dad went to General Conference in Salt Lake City, he had the special opportunity to meet with Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,” Lucy said.
It was there that Steve received comfort for his concern.
“He (Elder Wirthlin) told my dad to pray to Heavenly Father and be obedient to China’s local laws just like it says in the 13th Article of Faith,” Lucy said. “Elder Wirthlin said that eventually he would be blessed for his obedience.”
So with a heart full of faith and a suitcase full of English church materials, Steve returned to his family in China in 1999.
Even at age 4, Lucy remembers the great efforts from her parents to instill in her the gospel through music.
“Dad and Mom would play the hymnal and primary music all the time. They would use any and every opportunity to play the songs … even the ringtone for the alarm,” Lucy said.
Although they didn’t understand any of the words, Lucy and her younger sister grew up singing all the songs in the hymnbook.
“I played hymns on the piano, my sister and dad would sing and my mom — who couldn’t speak English — would just hum along with us,” Lucy said.
When Lucy turned 16, she moved to Santa Rosa, California, as part of a foreign exchange program. Amongst a ward of supportive friends, Lucy attended church meetings, youth activities, seminary and mission prep. She was even called to be the ward Young Women pianist.
“Everyone was super nice to me,” Lucy said. “I’m pretty sure they all wanted me to become a member, but they knew my situation so they didn’t rush me.”
Lucy wanted to get baptized during those high school years in Santa Rosa, but she respected the Chinese law, which requires citizens to wait until they turn 18.
A couple of years later, Lucy attended BYU and lived in the freshman housing at Helaman Halls. She was an active participant in the Chinese Club and Chinese Student and Scholar Association (CSSA) at BYU.
Lucy felt unaccustomed to the average Provo student’s way of life.
“Everyone seemed to know the church so well. It was kind of hard because it seemed like everyone was like, ‘Oh, my ancestor was a pioneer’ and I was just like, ‘I have no idea,'” Lucy said.
She may have felt personally unqualified of her gospel knowledge, but no one seemed to notice.
“I had no idea she wasn’t a member,” said CSSA vice president Wen Nikki Xia. “I always thought she had been a member her entire life.”
BYU student and Mandarin-speaking returned missionary Jacob Christensen described the diversity of the group.
“There are definitely non-LDS members of the CSSA,” Christensen said. “I have no idea what the exact ratio is of members to non-members.”
After a long and patient journey, Lucy became a member of the LDS Church. She was baptized Nov. 25, 2013 at 18 years old. Her mom and dad got permission to Skype Lucy on her special day.
“It was a huge blessing,” Lucy said. “My parents in China were able to witness the whole thing. They were really happy.”
Since then, Lucy’s younger sister has also gotten baptized and is preparing to serve a mission in New York City.
Lucy married Alex McCown at the end of her sophomore year at BYU.
According to Lucy, her family has been richly blessed, just as Elder Wirthlin had promised her father in 1998. She continues to hope for more religious freedom in China.
“Elder Wirthlin said that China would open someday. It’s been 18 years and China is still not open, so I don’t know what generation we need to wait for until it’s open, but I have definitely seen growth,” Lucy said.
Lucy strongly believes in the principle of compensation spoken of by Elder Wirthlin.
“God will compensate every loss you have in following the gospel of Jesus Christ, and my family is a strong witness of that principle,” Lucy said. “Just wait patiently and be faithful because everything will work out according to God’s plan.”