“I was fortunate enough to be born into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. But, I wasn’t born into my testimony. There was never one pivotal moment that helped me become converted, it is more of a collection of moments that all together created my conversion.
When I was about 6 or 7 years old, my family was tubing down a river and to keep us all together we tied a rope to all of our tubes. I was complaining about how slow we were going because we were all tied together. But soon there was a bridge with a cement pillar in the middle of the river and my family drifted to one side and I to the other, we were stuck. My dad tried to pull my tube out from around this pillar but the current was too strong. So the only option was to cut the rope tying me to my family.
After we cut the rope my family was swept down the river instantaneously, I on the other hand was stuck and could not progress down this river with my family. My dad yelled to me saying “It’s going to be okay, I will catch you when you come down.” I sat watching my family float out of my view and I remember feeling very alone and afraid.
A wave soon came and it was strong enough to push me and my tube to out, and I started down this river by myself. At first it was a little exciting being by myself. I felt independent, but soon when I came across those rapids it quickly shifted to fear. Tears were streaming down my face as I sobbed, I was so afraid. I decided to pray. I prayed to my Father in Heaven.
I asked him to help me find my family and to help protect me and let me be safe. After I finished my prayer I started to sing songs I had learned in Primary. I was overcome with peace and I truly felt the Holy Ghost comforting me and helping me not feel afraid. Soon I started to approach rapids again, but I didn’t feel the fear I did before. As I came into the rapids, my dad lunged off and grabbed onto my tube. He had left the rest of my family to come find me. He helped me get to shore and all was well.
This experience is special to me for multiple reasons and I have learned hundreds of lessons about the Gospel from this story. But the part that played an epic role in my conversion was that first prayer I made. This would be the first of thousands of prayers I would make and this would be the first of thousands of times I have felt the Spirit in my life whether it is by comforting me or testifying of truth to me.
It is all of those moments of peace and comfort that have helped me become converted.
It is the power of the scriptures that have touched my heart and filled my soul to the brim with joy that has helped me become converted.
It is serving the most amazing people I have ever met on my mission that has helped me become converted.
It is the knowledge of a Savior that loves me so much that he would leave the 99 to find me that has helped me become converted.
And it is our loving Father in Heaven who has loved me and tested me so much that has helped me become converted.
My conversion wasn’t a pivotal moment, but it has been and will be a pivotal change of my heart.”
I Am Converted 