“I Had Been Looking for God Since Childhood.”​—SHINJI SATO

YEAR BORN: 1951

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: JAPAN

HISTORY: SHINTO PRIEST

MY PAST: I grew up in a country town in Fukuoka Prefecture. My parents were very religious; they raised me from childhood to revere the Shinto gods. As a young boy, I thought often about my salvation and had a strong desire to help people who were in trouble. I recall a time in elementary school when the teacher asked the class what we wanted to do when we grew up. My classmates had very concrete hopes, such as becoming a scientist. I said that my dream was to serve God. Everyone laughed at me.

After high school, I entered a school for religious teachers. During that training, I met a Shinto priest who spent his spare time reading a book with a black cover. One day he asked me, “Sato, do you know what this book is?” I had noticed the cover of the book, so I answered, “The Bible.” He said, “Everyone who wants to be a Shinto priest should read this book.”

I went right out and bought a Bible. I put the Bible in the most prominent place on my bookshelf and took good care of it. But I did not make time to read it, as school life kept me very busy. When I finished school, I began working at a shrine as a Shinto priest. My childhood dream had come true.

I soon discovered, however, that being a Shinto priest was not what I had expected it to be. Most priests showed little love or concern for others. Many also lacked faith. One of my superiors went so far as to tell me: “If you want to succeed here, you must talk only about philosophical matters. Talking about faith is forbidden.”

Such remarks caused me to feel disillusioned with the Shinto religion. Although I continued my work at the shrine, I began to investigate other religions. Yet, none of them seemed to offer anything better. The more religions I examined, the more discouraged I became. I felt that there was no truth in any religion.

HOW THE BIBLE CHANGED MY LIFE: In 1988, I met a Buddhist who encouraged me to read the Bible. I thought of the Shinto priest who years earlier had urged me to do the same. I decided to apply the advice. As I started reading the Bible, I quickly became absorbed in it. Sometimes I would read all night long until the morning sun peeked through the window.

What I read moved me to want to pray to the God of the Bible. I began with the model prayer outlined at Matthew 6:9-13. I repeated this prayer every two hours​—even while performing my service at the Shinto shrine.

I had many questions about what I was reading. By this time, I had married, and I knew that Jehovah’s Witnesses teach people about the Bible because they had visited my wife in the past. I sought out one of the Witnesses and plied her with questions. I was impressed when she used the Bible to answer each of them. She arranged for the Witnesses to study the Bible with me.

Shortly thereafter, I started attending the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I did not realize it at the time, but among the Witnesses present were some to whom I had been very rude in the past. Even so, they warmly greeted me and made me feel welcome.

At those meetings, I learned that God expects husbands to show love and honor to their family members. Until that point, I had focused so much on my work as a priest that I had neglected my wife and our two children. It dawned on me that I had listened intently to what people who came to worship at the shrine had to say but I had never once listened to what my wife had to say.

As my studies progressed, I learned many things about Jehovah that drew me to him. I was especially touched by such verses as Romans 10:13, which says: “Everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.” I had been looking for God since childhood, and now, at last, I had found him!

I started to feel out of place at the shrine. At first, I worried about what others would think if I left the Shinto religion. But I had always told myself that I would leave if I found the true God elsewhere. So in the spring of 1989, I decided to follow my conscience. I left the shrine and put myself in Jehovah’s hands.

Leaving the shrine was not easy. My superiors berated me and tried to pressure me into staying. Even harder, though, was breaking the news to my parents. On the way to their house, I felt so overwhelmed with anxiety that my chest hurt and my legs were as weak as noodles! I stopped many times along the way to pray to Jehovah for strength.

When I arrived at my parents’ house, I was initially too afraid to broach the subject. Hours passed. Finally, after much prayer, I explained everything to my father. I told him that I had found the true God and that I was leaving the Shinto religion in order to serve Him. My father was shocked and saddened. Other relatives came to the house and tried to change my mind. I did not want to hurt my family, but at the same time, I knew that serving Jehovah was the right thing to do. In time, my family came to respect me for my decision.

Physically leaving the shrine was one thing; mentally leaving it was another. The life of a priest was deeply ingrained in me. I tried hard to forget it, but everywhere I turned, there seemed to be reminders of my former life.

Two things helped me to rid myself of these influences. First, I searched thoroughly for anything in my home that was related to my former religion. Then I burned them all​—books, pictures, and even expensive memorabilia. Second, I sought as many opportunities as possible to associate with the Witnesses. Their friendship and support helped me a great deal. Little by little, my past ways faded from memory.

HOW I HAVE BENEFITED: I used to neglect my wife and children, which made them feel very lonely. But when I started to spend time with them, as the Bible teaches husbands to do, we became closer. In time, my wife joined me in serving Jehovah. Together with our son, our daughter, and her husband, we are now united in true worship.

When I think back to my childhood dream of serving God and helping other people, I realize that I have found everything I was looking for​—and more. Words cannot express my gratitude to Jehovah.

[Picture on page 13]

The Shinto shrine where I once worshipped