Here is the next post in my series: How I Joined the Mormon Church

• Is there a God?
• Early Morning Seminary
• Missionaries and The Book of Mormon

I wanted to get baptized.  My parents said, “No!”   They would let me go to church (as long as my grades were good and my room was clean, etc) but they weren’t letting me get baptized.

So began my quest to “learn wisdom in my youth”  I clung to the words in Alma 37:35-36

“learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God. Yea, and cry unto God for all they support…”

I was alone in many ways in this waiting.

I had to stand strong in my faith, yet be flexible.

For instance, I went to church as many Sundays as I was able.  But if after church I came home and my parents were going out to dinner, I would join them. I had to balance Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy with Honoring My Parents.

It was a good learning experience.  It helped me to figure out what was really important in the Gospel.

LOVE – the Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about Love.

I learned that God would love me no matter what.  That I could go out to eat on a Sunday with love for my parents and that was OK.

I learned that I had to have my OWN testimony. 

Friends come and go, boyfriends come and go.  So I had to stand on my own.

Yes, my family was always there, but they couldn’t be my support for my testimony.  I really had to be independent with it.

This was great for so many reasons, I learned to depend on God, who will always be there.

The Church programs are powerful.

The things that helped me most along my travels through this time were:

• Hymns – There is nothing more powerful to me than positive music.  It fills my soul and gives me strength.
• Young Woman’s Program and Leaders – I loved my classes and especially having a night each week to also strengthen me.
• Sunday School Teachers – I had an awesome one, that was so inspirational.
• Seminary – Doctrine every day. Awesome!
• Friends – I had good friends that were members and that was invaluable.