In Commemoration

Today marks 5 years since I was introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It marks the day that my life changed immeasurably for good. During the Sacrament today I could not hold back the tears of gratitude. I began to contemplate in Jimmy Stewart It's a Wonderful Life fashion how different my life would have been if I had not gone to Church with Heidi for the 1st time or had I not prayed to know if it was true or not or had I given up because of the difficulty of the way.

I would not be here at BYU, that's for sure.

I would not have met so many people that have brought joy to my heart. People that I've felt time & time again were meant to be a part of my life at each certain point in time.

I would not have served a mission.

I would now know that I have Pilgrim ancestors & also Pioneer ancestors that joined the Church in Wales back in the mid-1800s.

I would not have known my purpose in life & therefore, I would not have overcome my battle with depression.

I would not have known how to cope with the death of my Grandmother, or exactly how to face my own health issues (the Word of Wisdom is amazing).

I would never have felt comfortable speaking or singing in front of other people.

I would not have known the love that my Heavenly Father has for me, nor my worth as His child.

I would have been a completely different person in completely different circumstances, surrounded by completely different people, & I would have hated every minute of it because I would have felt the lack of something more substantial.

I am grateful, more than anyone could possibly understand, for every step that's led me to where I am today. To each person that I have met as a direct result of my decision to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I want to say thank you for the fullness you've brought to my existence.