The creator of Charlie Brown and Peanuts
let his faith fuel every decision in his life---that's why he so often shared his values with the nation through his comic strips. But did you know the famous cartoonist also had a touching connection to the LDS Church?
Charles Schulz's faith and relationship with his daughter took on a new dimension when she decided to join the LDS Church.
His daughter joined the church because of a boyfriend. She loved what she heard and was taught by him. Although she didn't marry him she loved that she was introduced to the gospel. She served a mission and while serving her father always sent her comic strips in her letter. He was completely supportive and even talked at her farewell. Charles was a christian man, but not really affiliating with a specific church. He believed and taught good things. He taught through his comic strips many of the gospel principles even though he wasn't a member of the LDS faith. He even included scripture.
"I remember my dad said, 'Your church is either true or it's a hoax. And I think it's a hoax.' I remember at the time thinking how profound that was, that he could put things so simply--just like he could put something that would normally take four paragraphs to explain into four simple frames in a comic."
Years later, long after her father's passing, she heard those same words echoed over the pulpit at general conference. "Each of us has to face the matter--either the Church is true, or it is a fraud. There is no middle ground," President Hinckley said in the April 2003 conference.
"I about fell off the couch," she recalls. "I had heard that before. It was a weird, eerie feeling. But I knew they were both right. The only difference between what my dad said and President Hinckley siad was the President Hinckley knew the truth."
The Christmas she was away from her father while serving her mission, he wrote...
"Don't be sad that we're away from each other; let us rejoice in our love of Christ."
"We were just talking about stuff and he said to me, 'Americans want decency. They want decent entertainment. And I've always believed that. I always felt that if I ever did anything crude or raunchy, that God would literally strike the fingers off my hand.' This is the man people say didn't believe in God!!...
"Think about if every single person in any form of entertainment believed that---that if they ever did anything crude or raunchy, God would strike the fingers off their hands? That's a pretty big way to lay down the pen each morning!" Charles M. Schulz knew from where his talent came. And he always styed true to the source of that talent!! He died February 12, 2000...
What an inspiring story. I don't know about you, but I love to learn about other people's stories and what they were really like and who they really are.
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