Episode 63: The Gift of Truth
Three questions I am frequently asked by listeners are, "How did you come to join the church? Why did you fall away? And what was it that made you return?"
These are loaded questions! But they're also awesome questions!
We've seen this quote time and again on social media and heard it on podcasts, "My story is my superpower." And you know what? I'm a believer. My stories create the tapestry of who I am today. And I love that person. Flawed? Of course. Still stubborn and prideful? Occasionally. Okay, maybe a little more often than I'd like to admit. A woman with a past riddled with mistakes and missteps? Um, yeah.
But all these things have given me experience and the Lord has miraculously made them work for my good -- just as He promises He will in the scriptures.
In this episode, I share how the gift of truth led me to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I've share repeatedly that I was not raised in a religious home. And that's absolutely true. Despite this fact, however, I've come to understand the powerful role my parents played in preparing me to receive and embrace the message of the gospel. They taught me tender truths very early in my upbringing that planted in my heart the seed of faith--and then they gave me the opportunities to nurture those seeds.
After a great deal of reflection, I recognize just how blessed I was to be given the gift of truth by my parents--not, perhaps, in the traditional sense of religious upbringing, but in a very real sense nonetheless.
I invite you to walk with me a moment and into my story--back to where my search for God and His Heaven all began.
Enjoy.
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DO ONE THING
For this week’s DO ONE THING invitation, I want you to think about your own story of conversion to the gospel. Even if you were born into the church, you still had to find out for yourself if it is true. Did Joseph Smith really see God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ that day in the Sacred Grove? Did Joseph really commune with angelic messengers?
If you haven’t already done so, write down the story of your conversion. Consider all the events in your life that led you to know the Savior and choose to follow Him by covenant.
You might be surprised by how many truths preceded your conversion through the witness of the Holy Ghost. And it may surprise you to discover the divine design that brought you to where you are right now. And if you are stuck in the shadows right now, just hold on! And know that God is infinitely aware of you and He will not forsake you. And in the words of Brad Wilcox (and I believe adapted in part from Max Lucado), “God loves us as we are, but He also loves us too much to leave us this way.”
I hope you all have a wonderful week, and wherever you are in your spiritual journey, remember to do something each day that edifies you!