In the following article, married couple Vijai and Deborah each tell their side of the story of Vijai’s conversion to the gospel and how his baptism brought them together.
Vijai Tunukoju
I grew up in Telangana, a city in southern India. I never thought coming to the US for college would be an option. But to our total surprise, things worked out, and my parents were able to send me to the States. I picked the University of Utah because it was one of the top universities for the program I was interested in.
When I arrived in Salt Lake City in 2019, I slowly began to learn about the Church. It wasn’t anything formal. I’d learn a little bit here and there from members I met and from walking around Temple Square. I later just happened to move to an apartment complex where a lot of the missionaries serving in the city lived. They invited me to come and see what church was like.
I was drawn to the idea that God has a plan for everyone. My parents raised me Hindu and I learned a lot of good lessons and morals from the gods in Hinduism. But I always had this sense that I didn’t know what exactly I should do or believe in. The restored gospel of Jesus Christ provided a clear path.
Learning that God has a plan also helped me connect the dots and realize He had brought me to Salt Lake City for a reason. I had revelations that He wanted me to be baptized, so I was on Christmas Day in 2022.
I met my future wife, Deborah, on my baptism day. She was in my ward and encouraged me to continue studying the scriptures and to join ward activities. Spending time with her deepened my understanding of Jesus Christ. We later started dating and were married in the Newport Beach California Temple in 2024.
My favorite verse from the Old Testament is Proverbs 3:5–6 because I have such a strong testimony of what it teaches: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
I’ve reached a point in my life where I just know God has a plan. Coming to the US, being baptized, meeting Deborah—I know that was all His hand. I live my life without fear because I know I can trust God.
Deborah Kinikini-Tunukoju
Watching Vijai walk into the waters of baptism changed me. Though we had only met that day, I felt a deep conviction to be his friend and support him in his spiritual journey. I didn’t want him to feel isolated or lose connection with his newfound faith.
I also felt a renewal of my faith at the baptismal service. For two years, I’d wrestled with feeling spiritually blind—often unable to recognize God’s presence in my life. Balancing life’s priorities while trying to steer my career forward became increasingly overwhelming. I was still active in the Church and served in callings, but inside I felt inadequate and unsure. I was questioning who God was and my relationship to Him.
I grew up on O‘ahu in Laie, where the Church is very strong. In my own family, my grandfather set the example; he would sing hymns and read the scriptures to us every week, often in ‘Ōlelo, the indigenous language of Hawai‘i. I later put my faith to work as I served my mission in South Korea. It was a wonderful experience to witness others come unto Christ.
When I got home, though, life became more complicated. I felt distant from God and couldn’t sense the Spirit the way I once had. But at Vijai’s baptism I suddenly felt a renewed trust in the basic principles of the gospel. In the months that followed, my testimony was built back up as I watched his conversion deepen. Looking back, I really believe God sent us to each other to help us individually come to Him.
I don’t have to think twice about which Old Testament scripture is my favorite. It’s Micah 6:8: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Life is still hard, but this verse reminds me that the Lord knows what is good for me. As I keep trying to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God, He will always guide me back to Him.
Editor's note: This article first appeared in the January/February issue of LDS Living magazine.
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