I have a rich pioneer heritage on both sides of my family. My parents were even married in the temple, but before I was born my dad fell away from the church. When I was young, I would attend primary with my mom, but when I turned eight, my dad wouldn’t allow me to be baptized and gradually I stopped going to church as well. When I was a senior in high school, I began dating a guy who was a member but was not active. Halfway through the school year he moved in with his grandparents and they required him to attend church with them. Slowly I noticed a change in him and I did not like it at all. After graduation, he invited me to attend the Manti Mormon Miracle Pageant with him. I agreed but told him that I would not to try and convert me. As we were walking toward the pageant that night, I couldn’t help but notice all the different license plates on the cars and was amazed at how far people had come just for this pageant. As the opening prayer for the pageant was being said, I looked around me and noticed that everyone in the audience had their eyes closed and their heads bowed and I realized how much faith they all had to be there that night. I also realized that I didn’t have anything in my life I believed in that much. It hit me very strongly in that moment that this church is in fact true and I knew that I would never be able to deny it again. I went home that night and found an old Book of Mormon we had laying around and began reading. I spent about a month on my own studying scriptures and researching everything I could on Mormon.org. Around my 18th birthday I finally got up the courage to invite the missionaries over and begin discussions. The first lesson I was taught was on the first vision. As they missionaries told me the story of Joseph Smith, the Spirit again testified to me that this church was true. I accepted the invitation to be baptized that night and was baptized and confirmed a member of the church on August 14th, 2009, the weekend before I went to college. It has been nearly 8 years now and I have never looked back. If it weren’t for my membership in the church, I would not be where I am today. I have graduated college, been married in the temple, and have 3 wonderful children, all things I attribute to having made that first decision of baptism.
