It is a privilege for me to be able to share why I believe in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was raised by wonderful good parents in a home that tried to follow the teachings of this Church. I grew up being taught and raised by its teachings. My parents set great examples of faithfully serving in the Church and trying to fulfill their assignments and callings.

My testimony really began during my childhood and became stronger as I have grown up. When I was a child, our Church bordered the Brigham Young University Stadium parking lot and Canyon Road. It was torn down years ago and a new building sits there today. I feel like my testimony really developed there in that building. In the Chapel, behind the choir seats were 3 paintings…a large center one with two smaller ones on each side. The center painting was of the Sacred Grove, a place I know that Joseph Smith knelt and asked in prayer “which church to join?” I know that his prayer was answered and he was visited by God our Father and his son Jesus Christ. This was the beginning of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth in our latter day. As I would look at these paintings of the place where Joseph received this vision my belief in the Gospel started.

A second experience from my youth that influenced my testimony was when I was only 7 years old. A close girlfriend and I were asked to sing “Joseph Smith’s First Prayer” in sacrament meeting. We sang the first two verses as a duet and then the audience joined in for the last two verses. I won’t forget the feeling I had that day—as my testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith and receiving the first vision were true.

A third experience I had as an adult woman. I was serving in our church as our Ward Young Women President, working with our youth ages 12-18. I read an article in the newspaper about a stained glass artist Tom Holdman who was creating the stained glass windows for the Palmyra New York Temple. At that time he was relatively unknown. I felt strong impressions that I should call him and ask if I could bring our group of Young Women over to his studio to view the windows before they were shipped to New York.
I had a powerful conversation with Tom who has stutterer’s disease and it took a long time to get even a few words out of him. Because I was his first phone call (he later received hundreds) and because my impressions were so strong, he invited us over. We took the group over to American Fork. He shared his very spiritual experience of creating the First Vision in stained glass and how it came about. Then he had us actually clean the windows using a strong solution and little brushes to clean off the excess glue. I was SO nervous with our 12-18 year olds HOLDING these precious temple windows, but it was an amazing experience that I will never forget, and to hear Tom’s testimony—so hard to speak—each word taking so long. It was another time that my testimony was deeply touched and strengthened by the First Vision.

As I have continued to grow up and learn about the Gospel I have been guided and directed in my life by continuing to serve in this wonderful Church that I know is true. I know that my Heavenly Father lives and loves me and I can speak to him in prayer and He has answered my prayers. I know that He sent His son Jesus Christ to Earth to teach us all the way to live our lives and then he sacrificed his life in our behalf and atoned for all of our sins. Because of Christ’s atonement each of us can be forgiven for our weaknesses and be cleansed. Because of the restoration of the Gospel on the Earth today through the prophet Joseph Smith we have the blessing of the Priesthood restored to the Earth and Temples. I know we have a living Prophet and Apostles guiding our Church on the Earth today. We have the opportunity to be sealed to our families for all eternity. Through the Priesthood, we can receive personal Patriarchal blessings to help us in this life. My own Patriarchal blessing really strengthened my testimony of the Gospel. I know that Joseph Smith received by revelation, a book of ancient scripture, the Book of Mormon to guide us now in our lives. I am grateful also for the Bible and its teachings to apply to my life.

This testimony I have received of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is very important to me and guides the decisions I make in my life. I am grateful for it, cherish it, and hope to be able to share it with others.