FOURTEEN

“As someone born into the gospel, my upbringing was that of a typical latter-day saint youth. Church on Sundays, serving in youth callings, getting baptized when I was eight, learning church hymns, listening to talks from church leaders and attending church youth camps. I had always, as any child, done all this because it was what my parents asked me to do. And as most kids, I would complain about it sometimes.

As I grew older my family never strayed from the church, we were there every Sunday. But I did tend to do just the minimum that was asked of me, to keep my parents happy. During my high school years, I became very busy with school, sports, friends and work. I started to miss church sometimes because of work or soccer games that would be during church hours. My parents of course would remind me of what things were important and what things weren’t, but because I was older, they allowed me to make more of my own decisions in hopes that I would remember what I was taught. I wish I could say that I made all the correct decisions right away but I didn’t. I kept missing church until one day I got hurt at a soccer game in a way where I couldn’t play for months.

Later I lost my job, which at the time for a high school kid was actually a really good job. I was also struggling a bit in school with grades. As all these things were happening to me one thing was always on my mind, the thought of “You know what you are supposed to be doing and this is not it”. I felt that this was my low point in my short 17-year-old life, as silly as that sounds, but I decided to make changes, beginning with church. I began going to church every Sunday and slowly getting more and more involved, as I did this I felt a peace that I hadn’t felt in a while, I looked at the signs I was given and I decided to act. I’m grateful for the example my parents always set for me I truly believe it is because of them that I was able to make the decision to change things in my life. I have always thought that if something isn’t working then you need to change what you are doing or how you’re doing it, which is precisely what I did and continue to do.”