This year, on December 16th, I celebrated my 11 year anniversary of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
I had just turned 14 and was in the 8th grade. I had my first boyfriend (who was not LDS) and I was living with my dad for the first time, who had just been transfered to Austin. My sister, who was living with my mom and now ex-stepfather, was invited to church by her friend, Derek Pando.
I was the annoying younger sister who wanted to tag along and do everything my big sister was doing.
We went to church together and started taking the discussions from the missionaries. We were baptized a week apart.
Deciding to be baptized came easily. I saw all of the things that I wanted in my life at that time and in my future.
I wanted happiness. A purpose. An eternal family. I wanted to feel whole and unconditionally loved.
Recently in an interview with my stake president, I was asked what it was that kept me active through my teenage years after my conversion. He told me that 1 in 5 teenagers who join the church without their family remain active. The only answer that I had at the time and after giving it more thought, is that I have others to thank for helping me to get through those years.
I will always be grateful for members of my ward who warmly greeted me, for the youth who became my friends even when we weren't at church, for leaders who not only taught me, but invited me into their homes for dinners and family home evenings and scripture study. And for the family that invited me to sit with them every sunday after my sister left for BYU and I had to go alone.
I am also grateful for my sister, who led the way and has always been an example for me to follow.
Certainly not least, my family has always supported my decisions, even if they believed differently. I couldn't ask for anything more from them.
www.mormon.org
I was the annoying younger sister who wanted to tag along and do everything my big sister was doing.
We went to church together and started taking the discussions from the missionaries. We were baptized a week apart.
Deciding to be baptized came easily. I saw all of the things that I wanted in my life at that time and in my future.
I wanted happiness. A purpose. An eternal family. I wanted to feel whole and unconditionally loved.
Recently in an interview with my stake president, I was asked what it was that kept me active through my teenage years after my conversion. He told me that 1 in 5 teenagers who join the church without their family remain active. The only answer that I had at the time and after giving it more thought, is that I have others to thank for helping me to get through those years.
I will always be grateful for members of my ward who warmly greeted me, for the youth who became my friends even when we weren't at church, for leaders who not only taught me, but invited me into their homes for dinners and family home evenings and scripture study. And for the family that invited me to sit with them every sunday after my sister left for BYU and I had to go alone.
I am also grateful for my sister, who led the way and has always been an example for me to follow.
Certainly not least, my family has always supported my decisions, even if they believed differently. I couldn't ask for anything more from them.
www.mormon.org
