“I grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. My conversion is made up of little moments that compiled to become big foundation blocks.
My story starts when I was a baby and my parents divorced.
My biological father was abusive and so I often felt alone when I was growing up. I didn’t really feel like anyone could understand what I was going through. So I hid the hurt and pain and sorrow deep where I thought no one could see it.
However, I was blessed with a sweet, caring, and devoted mother that noticed the toll this trial was taking on me. She taught me that there was someone who understood me perfectly and understood everything I was going through. This person’s name is Jesus Christ. I learned that I could always turn to Him. Because of Christ’s Atonement I could not only change and learn from my mistakes but I could overcome any and all hard trials.
I no longer felt alone.
Jesus became my best friend, protector, confidante, guide and role model. I made time for Him in my life and, at age 8, I followed His example of being baptized. I continued to try my hardest to learn of my Savior and turn to Him.
By the time I was 17, I couldn’t take the abuse from my biological father any more. And so I did the only thing I knew how to do and had been doing my whole life.
I prayed.
I prayed to God, a loving Heavenly Father, to have this chapter of my life end and for all the hurt to go away. I told God that I wasn’t strong enough to continue, it was too hard. I poured out my heart and finally let all the feelings I’d been burying come to the surface. After praying, crying and kneeling for some time, I opened my scriptures and started reading where I had left off the night before. The words started popping off the page and making sense. It was like those few verses were written just for me. I knew God was answering my prayer.
My answer was to be patient and that someday soon it would all be over, but that I still needed to learn something and everything was happening for a reason. A couple of months later I learned the reason why God couldn’t take that trial from me when I thought I needed Him to.
Over the last few years I have seen God move mountains in my life. I have seen Jesus Christ work miracles to get me from a broken and abused child to a woman who feels whole and capable of being loved. Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints not only changed my life, but saved my life. Through prayer, scripture study, and church attendance I have been able to climb out of any ruts I find myself in. The path for my conversion hasn’t been easy, but I wouldn’t give it up for anything. I’m so happy to be able to say: I am converted!”
I Am Converted 