My journey began as a young child. I was raised with Christian values and was an Evangelical Christian. Didn't read the Bible much and didn't understand a lot of things. Didn't really go to church much but I had religious principles. Different time, and I was different as well.
I have 2 major religious influences in my life. One was my Memaw and the other... well, the other will be anonymous. Things started to get tough. Life threw its curveballs and I was always dealing with a lot of things. I began to feel as if my struggles were from God having forsaken me because I felt I had no worth. My other religious influence was quick to call how the LORD, our God loves us all and wants us to succeed and be closer to him. "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." D&C 18:10 is what she shared. I didn't know of her church doctrine at the time but I admired her faith in it. I still struggled with the thought for a while.
I didn't know what to think of her church's doctrine, prophets, and history but I did know that they loved God and people. "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31.
As time went on, I felt a better connection with God, but not by much as I had a lot to do. Then one day, I was gifted the Book of Mormon by that same person. I read the witness testimonies and I read the Book of Mormon with an open mind, for the person who had given it was a sibling to me and felt that it would help me in life. It read like the Bible and made me appreciate the Bible more. "My soul delighteth in the scriptures" 2 Nephi 4:15.
To conclude this, I must say that this has been an emotional journey... I'm proud to have come to where I am today, even if I have a long while to go. I've been through so much, and I'm so glad to have the truth in my life. "Then you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." John 8:32
