How to Be a Member Missionary

I don't remember when I knew that the Mormon Church was true, but I knew. For me, there wasn't any single defining moment when the truthfulness of the gospel was made known to me. Perhaps, the testimony of my parents brushed off on me. Perhaps, it was because I had a very happy childhood and much of my childhood is tied to being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Perhaps, I saw the blessings that came with living the gospel and that convinced me of the truthfulness of the gospel. Perhaps, it was a number of different things. Whatever it was, I knew. I just don't know how I knew! But let me begin at the beginning.

I was born and raised in a strong Mormon family. Growing up, I did all the things that Mormon children did. I attended Church every Sunday with my family, active in Primary and the Young Women's program at the appropriate times. I attended and graduated from Brigham Young University-Hawaii. My life up to this point was probably pretty typical of many other Mormon kids and young adults. It was a very good life without any major twists and turns. I wasn't perfect by any means. I made some bad choices but they weren't anything life altering and I'd immediately repented and gotten back on track.

Like many other young women my age in the Mormon Church, I had dreams and plans to marry a return missionary in the Temple. I even had a list of things I wanted in my future companion that I kept in my journal. I was pretty much living the life that I had planned for myself. And then I met the man who was to become my husband. He had all the requirements that were on my list except one thing - although he believed and worshipped God, he wasn't a member of the Church. In fact, he was a very active member of the church he attended at that time.

To make a long story short, we fell inlove and were married a year and a half after we met. Needless to say, it wasn't in the Temple like I had planned. Our life together was wonderful. We were very happy together. He was and is a great husband and father. Our home was filled with love, but, somehow something was missing and I knew what it was. Since my husband wasn't a member, I found myself becoming less and less active even though I still had a testimony of the Gospel in my heart. I wasn't inactive because I had lost my faith. I still firmly believed in the truthfulness of the Gospel. It was just easier not to attend given the fact that I would probably have to go by myself. Because I wasn't attending Church regularly this meant that I wasn't partaking of the Sacrament and renewing my covenants weekly. We also visited other churches at this time. While I enjoyed the ceremony in some and the elaborate programs in others, I just did not feel the Spirit.

It was during this period in my life that I became fully and completely converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This sounds really odd since I wasn't fully active in Church at this time. It is almost as if I had to lose the blessings of the Gospel in my life in order to be fully converted to the Gospel. Because I no longer participated fully in its blessings, my heart and soul hungered for what I remembered, for what I knew was waiting for me whenever I chose to partake of it again. It was at this point that the true meaning of being converted to Christ and to the truthfulness of the Church became more than just words to me. A person that is truly converted has to live that conviction fully and completely every single day. True conversion brings with it certain obligations such as renewing covenants, service to God and others, active participation in the Gospel and many more. With this realization came the next one - I had to get back. I knew now what it felt like to not have these blessings in my life and I desired to return home - to the Church. I prayed and fasted like I had never done before in my life. I asked the Lord for his help for myself and for my husband. I asked him to prepare a way for my husband to accept the gospel.

The Lord did hear my prayers and the prayers of all those who prayed for us. He did prepare a way and my husband accepted the gospel and was baptized. The day my husband was baptized was a joyful occasion second only to the day we were sealed in the temple a year later. Those days will live forever in my heart.

Looking back, I can honestly say that I am thankful for my trials. I think if I hadn't had this experience, my testimony and conversion would not be so firm or so fulfilling. It also helped to prepare me for other things that the Lord had in store for me later in my life. Today, my husband and I continue to enjoy tremendous blessings as we work hand in hand in the Gospel. We've always been blessed with love in our relationship from the very beginning and now we know that we will be together as a family forever.

When I walked into Church that first Sunday after my husband was baptized, I felt a sense of peace and joy come upon me. I knew that I was finally Home to stay!