I have been overwhelmed with the spirit. I have been having feelings of sadness. Feeling that how i felt was something only i carried...a feeling that i felt guilty feeling. But with courage and great faith i shared my emotions and experiences and i have had quiet a few good friends reach back and shared their testimonies with me. I am grateful for those friendships of faith and courage. I was asked to share my testimony of my conversion into the church so here i will share it with everyone.
I have always had an understanding about the gospel. I don't think there wasn't a time that i didn't believe. I knew of a God, His son and the holy Ghost they shared. Whether they were 1 or 3 it didn't matter. I knew and felt they existed and i had a relationship with them. I would pray to God and to Jesus Christ and knew it was the Holy Ghost that i felt when i did. Through out my child hood we went to several different churches. Had fun going through a confirmation class with some of my friends. I think there was a time we weren't going every sunday. and my sundays were filled with rest. Ahhh how nice it was to sleep :) Any who when i was about 15ish my mom had us take a road trip to Southern Virginia to meet her friend. Where and when she met this friend i don't know. When we got to the home it was huge and her friend had a lot of kids. My family consisted of me, my sister and my mom. very small. So this family was huge. 10 kids i believe. 5 of their own and 5 adopted <----- this will be important. When we visited we were taken to this place where there was a huge beautiful white building. I remember walking past it and asking my mom what it was. She stated that it was a temple for the mormons (had no clue) and that only worthy members were aloud to go in. Well thats all i was interested to hear. it was good enough for me. We watched the live nativity play and looked at the beautiful lights. This would be the first time seeing the Washington DC temple.
I am not sure if we visited a second time but we did attend church with this family. The first impression i got walking into the chapel was wow there were no crosses. How odd. but shrug my shoulders and continued on. I knew it was weird that after the first hour there was 2 more to attend classes. like i said not sure about the time but i think either we decided to go back to the house or we stayed. The kids told my sister and I how they spent their sundays. Sleeping, avoiding playing games, and watching tv. Hey a day of sleep and no other responsibilities i couldn't agree more.
Now some time past and the June of 99 when i was 16 i started to notice my mom disappearing on sundays. I remember asking her where she had been going all this time. She told me to a church in the Smilie times building (North East Philadelphia news paper office building) and if i would like to go. of course i did. I remember my first day. Sitting in the YW class and that day the bishop was teaching. I remember being the only one answering the question and commenting. Couldn't believe that i was the only one who had anything to say (shocking right). After class the bishop asked if i was a member visiting. I said nope. I think he even asked who this girl was and my mom proudly stated she's my daughter. Now it was june when i started attending the Penny pack ward my mom had already been going since that january (not yet baptized, which is unusually long) and the people knew who she was. I remember being welcomed so warmly.
That summer i attended all the fun youth activities, camp, conference, dances. that is where i met the girls from Hunting park the ward in the City. they sucked me in even though my ward try to keep us apart. ;) they truly embraced me and made me apart of their little group. i loved it all.
one day my mom told me that the missionaries wanted to talk to me. I was so excited and wanted to know about what. she claimed she didn't know but i think she was fibbing. they sat down with me several times teaching me things that were easy to accept and asking if i was willing to make some changes in my life. i found it easy to accept and they asked if i was ready to be baptized and i was. November of 99. not sure the date (too tired to look) My mom and I were both baptized that day.
Remember the arrow from early about adoption. I later found out how my mom came about finding her friend from Southern Virginia. Susan was her name. Back in the day where there were chat rooms, my mom was in a room for people involved in some way in adoption. Susan had felt the prompting to tell my mom about this "mormon" Church. My mom curious looked on line about it and found the local ward and had started attending
The February of 99 the day after i turned 16 was when Angel built up the courage to talk to me. so the whole time i was looking into the church and then baptized he was in my life some way and through friendship the next year in june he too was baptized. and the the rest is history.
We have been in this church for 14 years. And its been an interesting road. 3 states 3 wards and 5 kids. I know it can get hard and lonely when not raised in the church and starting new in a new state far away from family but with our great faith and testimony i know that the church is their for me. I believe it has the fullness of the gospel and everything i need to reach the highest glory in the celestial kingdom. The the gospel with its principles is taught so well. The family is the main focus with Christ at its center.
And that is how i became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day Saints
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