I have a testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I know the church is true. I know my Heavenly Father lives and loves me. I know His son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for me personally and was resurrected and lives today. I have read the Book of Mormon many times and know it is true. It was translated by a prophet of God, Joseph Smith, who sealed his testimony with his blood. We have a living prophet on the earth today, President Thomas S. Monson. I love and am grateful for him, his counselors, our other general authorities and our ward and stake leaders. I know and have worked with many of our local leaders and love them. They work so hard in our behalf.
I was not raised in the church. I first heard the missionary discussions when I was about twelve. Immediately I felt in my heart that the things they were telling me were true. It all sounded reasonable to me and I wanted so much to share it with my family. It broke my heart when I would tell them things and they didn't believe them. I had one uncle, in particular, who tried so very hard to talk me out of my beliefs. It really hurt my feelings. And it hurt me that my dad would let him go on and on at me the way he did. I thought Dad should have made him stop. It created a huge barrier between my uncle and me that existed for many years.
I attended church regularly for many years before I was baptized. My dad had said he didn't have anything against the church and I could attend, but he thought it was too big a decision for me to make at that age and that I should wait until I was 18. I respected that request and understood that he was probably right. He said that the Mormon church is more than just a religion, it is a way of life, and he was correct. My mother had been LDS, but she died when I was six days old. My dad's mother sold her home in California to move to Nevada to take care of me. I knew my mother's family, and knew they were LDS, but I was not raised around them. I remember thinking that when I grew up I wanted to be a Mormon, like some little girls want to grow up to be a nurse. I'm sure it was because my mother was a Mormon. I'm not sure I even realized what a Mormon was when I was young ,but when I heard the missionary lessons, it all made perfect sense to me.
So I attended church, went to Seminary when I could, went to Girl's Camp a time or two, and went to Mutual when I could. I loved it all. All of my best friends were LDS. I wanted to be married in the temple to a returned missionary, and eventually that happened. After one temple marriage that didn't turn out well, I knew I wanted to marry someone who had a testimony and would live it, not just be willing to die for it (there's a difference).
When I met Robert, he was serving a mission in my hometown. He had been in my former mother-in-law's ward first, and they were close. She took care of all the missionaries. She and I were very close. Robert didn't go on a mission until he was older, but I thought of him as "just one of the elders" that I fed. When he returned to go to the temple with a family he had baptized, he came to see me. I realized he had a testimony that was rock firm and that he daily lived the things he believed. His church attendance would never depend on mine; if the doors were open, he was there. He honors his priesthood, serves others and loves the Gospel. I have been greatly blessed to have found the good, kind, supportive husband I always hoped to have.
We moved to Texas, where Robert was raised. I know it was the right thing to do, though it was a big adjustment for me in many ways. We have had three precious children. Our oldest, Paul, is adopted. He has strayed from the church, which breaks our hearts, but we love him and his family dearly. His wife, Aimee, was raised Catholic. She has a large, wonderful, supportive family, whom we greatly admire and love. They have three precious children, who are the cutest kids ever. Our son, Matthew, has always been a straight arrow. He served a mission and is active in the church. His wife, Meghan, is a convert to the church. She waited for him as he served a mission and they were married in the temple. They have one son, Mason, who is so darling and so smart. Our daughter, Katie, was a darling, out-going, fun-loving girl. She loved church and everything about it. At 16 she became sick and was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease we had never heard of, HLH for short. I thought, "As long as it's not cancer, I can handle it." I had no idea there are things as bad as and/or worse than cancer. Katie lived another six weeks and died in June of 2004. Without our testimonies of the Gospel, I don't know how we would have gotten through that time or the days since. We have had Katie's temple work done. I know without a doubt that the promises she was made that day will come true. She will live again. We will be together as a family. She will have a family. We look forward to being together again and I know that living the covenants we have made with Heavenly Father in the temple will make that possible. We try every day to live the Gospel. I know it is true and love it with all of my heart. It has blessed my life in so many ways.
