have been formed throughout her life. I suppose it's now my turn to share
some thoughts with you. I was raised in a home that taught me that I was a
child of God. It wasn't a regular practice of my parents to attend church
on a weekly basis. There were periods throughout my childhood when attending
church each Sunday was pushed and enforced by my parents, but the majority
of my first 18 yrs of Sundays was not spent in the church pews but at home
with family. My parents did an excellent job of instilling moral values and
I'm very grateful for their teachings, but it wasn't supported by church
doctrine.
When I turned 18 yrs old, I was struggling with some personal relationship
problems. I felt like I was torn between my moral values and the natural
desires of my heart. I really struggled that first year of college. I spent
many nights weeping and I felt as if I had to be fake to my friends in order
to maintain my relationship with them. I often traveled 4 hours each Friday
afternoon going home for the weekend, and then another 4 hours on Sunday to
return back to college. One spring night I was driving back to college
after spending the weekend at home contemplating about my life and the
struggles I have been experiencing. I was driving down the long straight
highway in Wyoming when I distinctly remember a strong presence that came
over me. I think it was the first time in my life that I knew that there
was someone more powerful than any man that loved me. I remember feeling an
immediate peace and the worries floated away as if something or someone was
carrying them out of the car and they floated up into the dark big sky.
That moment changed my life.
Ever since that night in 1996, I have tried to dedicate my life to helping
others and to seek guidance from a loving Heavenly Father. I'm very
fortunate to say that I have experienced a heavenly love and peace many
times since that moment in my car. Ironically, I feel a Heavenly presence
more in my car than any other place, except for the temple. I still enjoy
driving down the highway with my windows rolled down and having the sound of
wind flowing around me; it is very peaceful to me. Do I question the
doctrine of my church sometimes? You bet! Do I have desires to stay at
home on Sunday and just relax instead of going to church? Probably, more
times that I would like. I may not be the most dedicated church member who
lives every doctrine of the church, but I can resiliently say that I know
that I am a child of God and that there is someone who loves me more than I
can imagine.
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