At Professor Roger Keller's instruction, The World Religions class initially sat quietly, but the silence of Zen meditation gave way, as students grew fidgety.

One girl in the back scratched her head. A boy in the front cracked his knuckles.

"Now, after six minutes, can you imagine what it must be like to do this for 40 minutes or even for several hours?" Keller asked, referring to the meditation of monks in Asia.

Keller knows what it is to meditate: He spent three weeks in a Zen Buddhist monastery. His time there is one of several experiences with world religions. Although baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a young man, Keller did not become fully active until later in life. Seeds of testimony grow slowly; life's journey took him across the globe to learn, and live among many religions.

Keller was baptized in the LDS church as a young man, but returned to his childhood faith and became a Presbyterian minister. Those experiences provided the foundation for the interfaith work he now pursues. As a BYU professor, Keller served as Richard L. Evans Chair of Religious Understanding.

"I believe the Lord prepared me for 20 years to hold that Richard L. Evans chair," Keller said.

Although he no longer serves in that capacity, Keller continues his interfaith work, teaching religions to understand each other. He directs BYU's military chaplains program and teaches world religion classes.

His staunch faith in the LDS Church, however, was long in the making. Keller was baptized, but felt unneeded.

"I didn't join the church to sit on the sidelines," Keller said. "There was nothing to do."

Keller asked that his name be removed from church records just before he became a Presbyterian minister. Eventually, he led a large congregation as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Mesa, Ariz. It was there, however, that tendrils of testimony began to grow as he befriended LDS members and invited them to explain their doctrine to his congregation.

Keller said a community was created that openly talked about religion. However, there was still tension toward LDS church members as a result of the newly released, anti-LDS movie, "The Godmakers." Keller watched the movie with an LDS friend and with disgust wrote an article in the newspaper. He called the movie "religious pornography."

He also wrote a book, "Reformed Christians and Mormon Christians: Let's Talk." Much of the book's research was conducted at BYU. It was here that Keller made friendships with professors, including Truman G. Madsen. Their influence began to turn his heart toward the LDS church.

When driving back to Arizona, he had a powerful spiritual experience telling him the truth of the LDS faith. He said he could not have anticipated the strength he would draw from that witness.

Due to pressures within the congregation because of Keller's interfaith activities, he chose to resign as minister.

Still maintaining his friendships with LDS members, he and his wife Flo Beth investigated the LDS faith over the next year and joined the church. Three months later, BYU asked Keller to accept a position as a world religions professor.

Religion faculty at BYU recognize Keller's depth of understanding as a result of his past experience as a Presbyterian minister.

"I think that because of his Protestant background and serving as a minister, it has enhanced his understanding of the Atonement through his earlier influence and the Restoration," said Don Cannon, professor of church history and doctrine. "I think he helps students understand other religions and cultures and increases their tolerance."

Cannon also said that both he and Keller have studied religions in nine Asian countries including South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, India and China.

Dennis Wright, associate dean of Religious Education, agreed Keller is a unique professor at BYU.

"Dr. Keller brings to Religious Education an in-depth understanding and appreciation for World Religion," Wright said. "With his background, he really has broadened our understanding...for other faiths for the role of Christ. He was converted to Christ even before he was baptized."

Students in Keller's classes also realize the unique strengths he has as a professor of world religion.

Jamie Batschi, a student from Bremerton, Wash., who is in Keller's World Religions class, noticed these strengths and said she enjoys the class.

"It's interesting to get the world aspect of world religion and what others believe to put your own faith into the context of others," Batschi said.

As Keller reflects on his life, he tells students that everyone, no matter what, has to be a convert to the church. He said God has a mission for all of his children, no matter what religion they are, and that he will always guide them to the truth.

"God loves all of his kids and doesn't leave any of them alone," Keller said. "Latter-day Saints have the fullness of the gospel. Through the other religious traditions, he prepares his children to receive this fullness in this life or in the life to come."

Copyright Brigham Young University 17 Apr 2007