TWENTY FIVE

“I grew up in China and you don’t hear much about the church there. The things I did hear about the church I know now that they are not true.

I had friends ask me if I was going to be a polygamist because I applied to BYU. I decided to go to BYU despite that because I really liked the honor code and I thought it would be a safe environment. My plan was to just get my degree as quickly as possible and not to worry about the church stuff. There was not much to do on Sundays in Provo if you didn’t go to church, so I started going to church with my friends and learning about the church. After 3 months of attending and learning about church, I got the feeling that the church is true and I should join.

I called my parents and discussed my thoughts with them. My parents are buddhist. My dad is a very traditional Chinese man and was not very happy about me joining the church. My mom said she didn’t know enough about the church to give me any advice. It was a scary and difficult time because I was on my own in a foreign country trying to make one of the biggest decisions in my life for the first time without my family’s support. I asked the girls living in my hall questions about the church. They were all very patient and would pause their homework just to answer my questions. And most importantly, I prayed and asked Heavenly father. I got the comforting confirmation that this is the church I should join when I prayed. 10 years later, joining the church is still the best decision I made in my life. It has not only blessed me, but brought numerous blessings to my son and soon another baby. They can grow up with the gospel. That’s the opportunity I wished I could have had for myself.”