Testimony of Jennifer!

Jennifer is someone that came on Mormon.org to chat with the missionaries and we were privileged to have been able to talk to her. When Elder Spencer and I started talking to Jennifer, we could tell that she had been prepared by the Lord to receive His Gospel. After we talked to her on Mormon.org, we started teaching her over the phone. We also contacted the local missionaries so they could visit her. After several visits and lessons over the phone, Jennifer quickly gained a testimony of the Gospel and was later baptized. When ever we would talk to Jennifer she was always positive about everything. She was always happy and excited to learn more. I always love sharing the testimonies of those we teach; Jennifer was kind enough to share her amazing conversion story and testimony for us:

The story of my conversion really starts as an infant. I was born into a very catholic family as a rule all children were baptized as an infant. So as little as 3 months old I was catholic. I don't know what happened and why my family stopped practicing but that was all the religion that I had been a part of until I was a teenager. When I was a teenager I had a best friend who was a Christian and sometimes I would go to church with her. I never felt like that was something that I wanted or I could understand. 15 years would pass until I would step foot into another church. When I was 22 I got married and thought this was going to be the way my life was until I died. I thought I was going to live with this person and have a family but as most of you know life doesn't go according to how we plan. About 5 years into my marriage I wanted to start a family but I was alone in that thought, so I put those thoughts in the back of my head and said maybe one day. At that time I would frequently pass my local catholic church and think I wonder if there is something I'm missing in my life. I would often think about going but yet again I was alone in that thought. So again I pushed those thoughts to the back of my head.  March 12, 2010 on the day I turned 29 my husband walked out on and that would be the last day he would ever live in our house.

The Book Of Mormon Is True!

While serving my mission in the Referral Center I have been ask many times why I am a Member of this church, and why I believe in the book of Mormon.  There have been many people who have tried to convince me that this church isn’t true and that the book of Mormon isn’t true.  And ask me to give them some kind of evidence that it is all true. My answer to those people is simply that I know that the book of Mormon is true because I have read it and prayed to ask God if it was true. And I have received an answer and I know that it is true. I know that anyone who reads the book of Mormon with real intent, having faith in Christ can also come to know it is true. I love the powerful testimony of Elder Holland. I know that he was called of God to testify of Christ and the truthfulness of His Gospel and of the Book of Mormon.

 In the Introduction of the book of Mormon in the second to last paragraph is say’s: “We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is his revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s Kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah.”  I know that the book of Mormon is true!  I know that by reading it, it can change people’s lives, and it has, and it has and will help people come closer to Jesus Christ.

A Fresh New Start!

Since I have been here I have met a lot of great people and have been privileged to have been able to help teach them. One of those great people is Megan When I got to my mission Elder Spencer had already been teaching her and helping her understand the Gospel better. And I have been greatly privileged to have been able to help teach her. The people that we teach have always strengthened my testimony as they share their testimonies with us and there great stories of how they came to know of the church and the great faith that they have. Megan was recently baptized and is now a member of the church. I could try to tell about her conversion story but I think that it is better for her to tell it in her own words. She was kind enough to write out her testimony for us, but, before I would like to share my testimony also.

 I know that this church is true I know that the book of Mormon is true, and because I know that the book of Mormon is true I know that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day saints was restored back to this earth by our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith. I know that we can come to know if these things are true by reading the book of Mormon and by praying and asking God if they are true. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God that leads this church today.  And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. And now here is Megan’s testimony.

 As little as nine months ago, I would have described myself as a devout atheist.  Having been raised by my two young parents and an Irish Catholic grandmother, I had many confusing, conflicting, and harsh feelings surrounding religion, faith, and God.  Going to church was always seen as a chore that was saved for rare holidays where we were forced into it by our grandmother.  Most of what I knew of God, Christ, and religion had to do with guilt, constant sin, and feeling afraid.  Needless to say, I did not relate well to this and clung to both my logic, scientific inclination and my compassionate, humanistic feelings.  

Do Our Steps Match Up?

These past couple of weeks Elder Spencer has been teaching me how to put together a Rubik’s cube. There are many steps to putting a Rubik’s cube back together so that all the colors are matching up. As you are doing one of the steps if you make one wrong move and you keep going it can ruin the whole thing, so you have to stop and look at what step you did wrong and go back and fix it right away. And then keep going. If you don’t go back to fix what you have done wrong the problem can get bigger.  As I was learning how to put the Rubik’s cube together I would always mess up and have to stop and find out what I did wrong and fix it and then keep going to the next step and as I kept messing up a thought came to me of how putting the Rubik’s cube together is like Repenting. I know it is a weird way to think of it but let me explain.