Jozsef Botos was 19 when he heard of the Book of Mormon for the first time. Born and raised in a small village in Hungary, he hadn’t heard of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at that point either. But once he had, his life changed forever.
“When I started to read the Book of Mormon, I felt the Spirit like I never had before, and every hole in my understanding of Christ’s gospel was filled in. Scriptures from Isaiah made more sense. And as I applied the teachings of the book to my life, I was able to overcome things that I never thought that I could overcome. I was able to change and help others in a way I never expected to do,” Jozsef says.
His first time at church, there were only three people at the meeting. But that didn’t matter. “I remember I was sitting alone, and these people came and sat next to me and asked me about myself and welcomed me. They even hugged me,” Jozsef says. “I remember thinking, ‘Jesus Christ established this because this is where love is.’”
Amid all the goodness the restored gospel brought to Jozsef, he faced a major problem: if he continued to pursue this new faith, he’d lose almost everything he had.
Giving Up the Path to Catholic Priesthood
Jozsef was a year and a half into his training to become a Catholic priest. He’d essentially “grown up next to the altar,” serving as an altar boy for 16 years. Ever since he was young, Jozsef had felt God calling him to serve. So, despite the sacrifices involved with becoming a priest, Jozsef pursued that role after finishing high school.
If he stopped now, he’d lose his job, his housing, and even his car, as they were all provided by the Catholic church as he trained. His family would also be affected.
“In our small village, it is a great, even glorious, honor to become a Catholic priest. To drop out would be seen as shameful. If I quit, it would be very tough on my family, who have been Catholic for probably the last 300 years,” he explains.
Jozsef wrestled over what to do—and the opposition grew. He asked one of his classmates if he’d ever heard about the Latter-day Saint church, and his friend told him it was a cult. When his Catholic leaders found out he was meeting with missionaries, they urged him to stop and repent.
“But every time I met with the missionaries or learned things at church, I felt better. I felt these were the answers I’d been praying for years to know,” Jozsef says.
As part of his priest training before he learned about the Church, Jozsef had lived in Rome and studied the Bible in great depth. As he did, he couldn’t shake the conclusion that he wasn’t living according to what Christ had established during His mortal life.
“I had a huge weight on my heart for months. I prayed to God to know what to do because I felt that I needed to be close to Him. And the only way I saw to do that was to become a priest, so I kept doing that,” he says.
The onset of the 2020 pandemic sent Jozsef back to Hungary. He continued his priest training, but he also had more free time to spend on social media—and it was there that Latter-day Saint missionaries found him.
He was part of a Harry Potter fan page for Hungarians on Facebook. Two missionaries had also joined the page and posted something that Jozsef “liked.” Soon after, the missionaries sent him a message, which led to them meeting for a lesson. The elders provided answers to the deep questions Jozsef had.
Next, he had to decide what to do with the truth he’d found.
‘I Would Live as a Liar If I Didn’t Embrace It’
A turning point for Jozsef came when the missionaries taught him more about the plan of salvation.
“My brother died in a car accident 17 years ago, and now, I finally had answers about families and life after death. The conversation that day answered, really, every single huge question in my life,” Jozsef says.
“So, after weeks of praying, I told my Catholic leaders I was going to be baptized as a Latter-day Saint. I knew the restored gospel was true, and [I] would live as a liar if I didn’t embrace it. With my baptism, I received the biggest gift of my life, and it was the best decision I ever made.
“Even though I lost a few things, I gained way more because I gained Jesus Christ, whom I had searched for.”
Jozsef’s family didn’t understand his decision or have any interest in his new faith. He moved forward, finding a new job and a place to live while growing in his new discipleship. Then, one day, he had a special question for the missionaries: “Can I serve a mission?”
The missionaries told him he could and helped him meet with the branch president to start his application. At age 20, Jozsef was called to serve in the Scotland/Ireland Mission speaking English, a language he didn’t know at all.
‘Was That English or German?’
He stayed at the England Missionary Training Center for just three weeks before heading out. Jozsef learned a little English at the MTC, but the Scottish accent provided an additional challenge.
“I remember thinking, ‘was that English or German or something else?’” he says. “I didn’t understand anything they were saying, and that was a big challenge for me; I had something inside to share, but I couldn’t share it with others.”
But he worked hard, and by “a miracle,” he was able to talk with and understand people in a few months.
“I realized that God sent me there because Ireland is a Catholic country, too. I was able to talk with priests and Catholic people about the restored gospel in a way they understood better. I saw many of them convert and be baptized,” he says. “My mission was especially just a really good experience to learn about myself and learn how the Atonement of Jesus Christ can change your life, how the Savior can transform you.”
The Lord’s Work in Hungary
Since returning home to Hungary, Jozsef has worked at a blood transfusion center. He has also been participating in BYU–Pathway Worldwide and hopes to attend BYU–Idaho soon.
But above all, Jozsef continues to pursue the call he’s always felt to serve God. He worships with his branch, though they meet an hour and a half away, and he works closely with the missionaries and Church leaders to share the gospel. The gospel conversation skills he learned on his mission have helped him explain a bit more about his beliefs to his family.
In June 2025, ground was broken on the first house of the Lord in Hungary. And Jozsef watches how the Lord is preparing the people there for the temple.
“I see the Lord’s work going forward so quickly. The work is hastening in Hungary. We have more baptisms, and more teaching is happening. Our members are becoming more converted,” he says.
Jozsef had to drive 10 hours to the Freiberg Germany Temple to participate in ordinances for the first time. He’s also been to the Preston, England and Rome, Italy Temples, but he looks forward to the chance to perform more work for his ancestors in their homeland.
“Everyone in the Church needs to be part of this work more deeply, be more engaged,” he says. “As we do everything that we can and be an example of the Savior’s love and teachings, we will see not only miracles in others’ lives but in our own lives. I know that because I’ve seen miracle after miracle in my own life.”
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