Basic beliefs and principles , testimony
2 min read
Editor's Note This is a story about the questions that shake us… and the God who won't let go.
Mike Hardey grew up in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For him, the gospel was more than a routine; it was his refuge. His youth was marked by spiritual experiences that confirmed God is real. But in adulthood, deeper questions arose… and with them, an honest struggle.
He began studying Church history and complex topics such as the various accounts of the First Vision, the translation of the Book of Mormon with a seer stone, the issue of plural marriage, the Book of Abraham, and past teachings on race. He wasn't looking to attack; he was looking to understand. But his findings shook him. And eventually, he walked away.
“I didn’t leave the Church out of anger . I did it because I could no longer reconcile certain things in my heart.”
For more than ten years, Mike lived “between two worlds”: inactive, but still yearning for the spiritual certainty he once felt.
A piano. A broadcast. A new connection.
In 2020, with the world on pause due to the pandemic, Mike received an unexpected spiritual prompting: to go on Facebook Live and start playing hymns on his piano. Him? An inactive man, without a calling or tithing? It seemed illogical. But the feeling persisted. Finally, he obeyed.
What began as a small act became a thread that kept him connected to God. For more than four years, every week, Mike shared sacred music. He didn't talk much about his faith—he was still healing—but he testified of God and Jesus Christ through his fingers and his notes.
“I felt that God, in His mercy, used my musical gift as the last thread to tie me to something I thought was lost.”
The temple, the return, and the new faith
Recently, for work, Mike was near the Los Angeles Temple—a place he hadn't been since 2010. Just as he was about to get on the freeway, he felt a strong urge to go back. He turned around and walked through the temple grounds.
Today, he has not only returned spiritually. He has a new wife and a new goal: to return to the temple, this time accompanied . Although some questions remain, Mike has learned that having faith doesn't require having all the answers.
“My testimony is no longer naive. It is one that has been broken, fought for, and rebuilt. And I believe that God honors that kind of faith.”
A God who doesn't let go
Mike testifies that although he strayed, God never left. He spoke to him through music, through people, through gentle impressions, and through mercies that he only now understands.
“The Gospel of Jesus Christ remains true. Not because the Church is perfect, but because He is. And that, for me, is enough to continue walking in faith.”
resorce Mike Hardey via Facebook
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