My Story

I was born and raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have wonderful parents that taught me the principles of the gospel and also how to just live a good, happy life. I however didn’t believe in the church. I did what I was supposed to, I went to church, youth activities, seminary, I would sometimes read the scriptures, and I just went about my life.

In my teenage years. I figured, “Well I don’t really believe this so why am I living this?!” I think that was probably the beginning of my falling away from the church spiritually. I became one the people who goes to church on Sundays and pretend that I’m doing what I should but did whatever I felt like the rest of the week. I was out having “fun”!

I say “fun” because while I was out with my friends just doing whatever we felt like I felt great. I was with my friends and we had no restrictions. What more could I want, right? Well things started to change. After I was out with my friends I would come home and I would think, “Why did I do that?” or ” That was really stupid of me.” In the end I would just feel terrible.  This went on for quite some time.

At the end of my senior year of High School everything changed though. I met a girl. She was cute, funny and I liked her. It wasn’t very long  before we were dating. Shortly after I figured that if I was going to date this girl I better start cutting some things out of my life. She was a good girl and she deserved the very best of me.

I didn’t notice right away but my life was better and I was happier. I was happy when was with her, obviously, but I was also happier when I wasn’t with her. Shortly after I realized that “wickedness never was happiness.” (Alma 41:10) At first I changed to be better for her but I started doing it for me.

There came a point in our relationship that she mentioned that I was going to go on a mission. Oh it was huge wrench thrown into my engine. I was not planning on a mission. I didn’t believe in the church, how could I go teach people to? I was in bit of a corner. I had two options in front of me. Go on a mission and keep the girl or not go on a mission and lose the girl.

Well I started to get my life in order by working on my mission papers and soon after quitting my job. A few weeks after getting it all done and sent them in, I was called to serve in the Florida Jacksonville Mission. To be totally honest I was not excited. I did not want to go! I had what I call a “twig” of a testimony. I know that doing good things made me happy. That was pretty much it.

On May 16, 2012 I entered the Missionary Training Center. It was a shocker to me. I struggled in there. I did something that I really never did. I prayed! I prayed more in those 3 weeks than I had my whole life.  I remember kneeling down at 1 am and really praying. My life changed, I felt the love of the Savior, I knew that I was doing what I was suppose to. I went forward in faith.

I read the Book of Mormon for the first time, cover to cover, and once I was done with it I couldn’t put it back down. I knew that it was from God! As I have been going through my mission I have continued to gain witness after witness of the gospel. I know that this is His work!

On November 4, 2013, just shy of my 18 month mark of my mission, the girl, the one that got my out here, and I stopped writing each other. Things happened and it was decided that we were done. Before my mission that was my biggest fear. I was terrified that this would happen. I thought that I would hate life and my mission.

The total opposite happened. I realized that I wasn’t out here for her, me, my family or anyone else anymore. I have a testimony and I am out here for my Savior.  I am happier out here than I was back there. Yes, I lost someone who I was close to, someone who I loved, but I have gained so much more here.

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 16:25)

I have lost my life, my old life, but I have found such a better one.