The Story of Deborah Choi

There are thousands of cases of those who have escaped, or have attempted to escape North Korea.  This is a very condensed account of just one of them.

 

In North Korea, Deborah grew up among a regime that is the most restricted in the world.  If anyone criticized them, it would mean a torturous labor camp or immediate death.  Food was very scarce, and many freedoms, including travel is outlawed.  Any belief in God was outlawed and of course having a Bible meant death.  Only the “great leader” could be worshipped.

 

Deborah was chosen for the “pleasure squad” as a teenager--a group of girls nurtured for the pleasure of their leader.  After 6 months nurturing, getting ready for the “great leader”, she was released and sent back home with no explanation.  At the time she was upset about this.

 

After secretly learning about how good life really was outside of North Korea, she decided to attempt the escape.  Successfully reaching China was only the beginning of the escape.  The Chinese, as well as other countries, are paid by North Korea to turn in escapees.  While there, and still in hiding, she was very lucky to learn what a computer was and learned about the internet.  She came across a South Korean pastor that was going to smuggle North Koreans out of China to America.  Miraculously, she found them the very hour they were leaving, even though most had been there much longer.  

 

Then was the long and dangerous over-land trip to Thailand.  She noticed the others reading the Bible and praying.  She quicky criticized them, telling them not to believe in fairy tales.  But she recognized that many times they came very close to capture when the pastor and the others could only turn to prayer. Again, they were faced with condemnation from her.  But as she saw their determination to pray every morning, her heart began to be softened. 

 

Their very last river crossing to freedom, from Laos (another country very willing to turn them in) to Thailand, turned out to be extremely dangerous.  They were forced to cross in broad daylight.  Even at night many would be shot in their crossing attempt.  Deborah had no choice but to cross with them.  In the daylight, with a very loud motor, Deborah finally just looked heavenward.  She said, God, if there is a God, please help us.  We have come a long way and just want to be free.  I don’t know how you can, but please help us.  As she was looking up, she felt a drop on her face, then another and another.  Then out of nowhere it began to absolutely downpour.  To the point that they could barely tell where they were going, and the sound of the rain overtook the sound of the motor.

 

She could not deny their escape was miraculous.  She eventually made it to the United States, studied the Bible and became Christian.  She is now married with 3 children.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RynC5IPnkRY&t=1554s

 

@deborahchoifromnorthkorea

What about other churches?

Joseph Smith’s first vision tells us, speaking of other churches, “all their creeds were an abomination in his sight, that those professors were all corrupt.” (JS History 1:19)

 

Those of other churches often take this very personal.  To them we are claiming their church is an abomination.  But that is not what this says.  Instead, it clearly states that their creeds were an abomination.  This is really a huge difference.  The creeds took away God’s fathership, but instead made him an essence, metaphysically combined with Jesus and the Holy Ghost.  This altered the very nature of God, presenting Him as an unreachable entity rather than a personal Father, and often included unscriptural concepts. We are no longer his children, but simply made out of nothing. They outlawed a belief in a preexistence, baptism for the dead, and created fixed theological boundaries, which prevented ongoing revelation.  This all caused widespread corruption, establishing false doctrines and created divisions that led people away from the gospel.

 

As for the corrupt professors, knowing Joseph’s history further tells us that these are the specific religious leaders that Joseph had communed with--not all religious professors. The word "those" is used rather than "the".

 

But all this does not speak of the churches themselves.  More specifically, the people of those churches.

 

Some revelations received before the church was organized are very telling.  For examble, D & C 10:55, “Whosoever belongeth to my church need not fear, for such shall inherit the kingdom of heaven.” This was written before the LDS church was organized.  It cannot refer only to LDS members as there were none.

 

Some will still bring up other scriptures to drive home the point of how we look badly on others.

 

 “There are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations.” (1 Nephi 14:10)  

 

Assumptions must be made to make this scripture look as they wish.  But Dallin H. Oaks, speaking on this very scripture, breaks it down for us.  He tells us that “churches” here is not referring to institutional churches, but instead those who belong to the church of the Lamb of God here, are “all who believe in God and seek to serve him according to their best understanding.”  Clearly, many others not of our faith are included in “the church of the Lamb of God”. See here to see his talk and learn other points.

 

To take it even a step further, The Book of Mormon teaches us that non-members can be considered to be even more blessed than members.  “The Lamanites… are more righteous than you.  Their husbands love their wives, and their wives love their husbands; and their husbands and their wives love their children; and their unbelief and their hatred towards you is because of the iniquity of their fathers; wherefore, how much better are you than they, in the sight of your great Creator?” (Jacob 3:5)

 

Do others have hatred toward us?  Or at least some form of enmity?  Absolutely.  I have witnessed it many times.  But as is the case with the Lamanites, in most cases it is simply what they have been taught that they tightly hold onto.  The Book of Mormon speaks on this.  In 2 Nephi 10: 5 it tells us the main reason that has driven this enmity from the beginning, that even blinded people from the truth of Christ. “Because of priestcrafts and iniquities, they at Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against him, that he be crucified.”  Here we learn that priestcrafts (paid clergy, and now paid social media) are often the ones driving this.  In addition, the need to hold onto iniquities.  This can also be the need to hold onto beliefs such as easy believism and their incorrect assumption that we are a works-based church.  Again, in The Book of Mormon we learn they are, “Humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.” (2 Nephi 28: 14) 

Of course I cannot make a final judgement, but it is my understanding that those humble followers of Christ will have the veil drawn from their eyes in the next life, and all necessary ordinances will be offered them.  We still very much want other followers of Christ to join with us, for there is more--much more.  “I do not bring it (my gospel) to destroy that which they have received, but to build it up.”  (D & C 10:52)