It has been 9 years since I left The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or more widely known as the Mormon Church or LDS Church. It has been an amazing journey since then and I am continually amazed at the Grace God has given to me. Let me tell you a little about what God has done in my life.
I was born and raised a Mormon. I was a typically Mormon girl; I would say the worst things I did growing up were drink regular coke, with caffeine. My family and I went to church most Sundays. I participated in the Young Women’s program on Wednesday nights, and I took seminary which is an early morning class that teaches Mormon Doctrine, before school. I completed my young women’s book and have all the medallions. I went to church camp and did baptisms’ for the dead in the Temple. I was a good kid. I did not date until I was sixteen and only had one boyfriend before I met my husband. My dream was to grow up and get married in the Temple, have six kids and live happily ever after in the celestial kingdom with my family.
I married my husband when I was 20. He is not a member of the Mormon Church, so needless to say my family was not happy with this decision. I was convinced that I would convert him and all would be fine. I understand now why God says that we should not yoke to unbelievers. (I was the unbeliever not knowing this at the time). My husband and I had the Mormon Missionaries over 1 a month to share the gospel with him. When they couldn’t convince him they would send members of the Priesthood over on a regular basis to talk with him at my request. We had made an arrangement that he would go to the Mormon Church in the morning with me on Sundays and I would go with him to his church in the afternoon. I prayed often because I had so many questions I felt God was not answering – why he couldn’t see the truth, why was I depressed and scared even though I was doing everything the Mormon Church was telling me I should be doing. I was very confused. So after 3 years of this I decided that nobody was right and I was not going to go anywhere. So I would stay home and he would go off to his church by himself. This made me madder than a hatter I have to say. During this time I would cry myself to sleep most nights and pray. This was my prayer over and over: God I have been taught this my whole life this is what I believe, if this is not the truth then show me what is and the way there. During this time I got pregnant. And I prayed that prayer over and over, and I just keep hearing this: if you don’t know me your children will not know me. I heard it over and over through out my whole pregnancy and up until my daughter was 9 months old. And, I finally said fine. I told my husband that we would find a church together but it couldn’t be mine and it couldn’t be the church he was attending at the time.
So that began our journey to find a church. We ended up at a local Christian church in the area, and I just felt that that was where God was telling me to be. So we had some members of that church come to our house and talk with us. It was then that I accepted the Lord Jesus in to my heart and found that it is by his Grace Alone that we are saved, not of ourselves or what we can do, it is only by what he did on the cross for us that saves us and guarantees are place in heaven with him. The moment I accepted Christ my life changed I can say I am not the person that I was before. I do not suffer from the fear, anxiety, or depression of trying to be perfect and earn my way to heaven. Salvation cannot be earned or given to you by anyone; it is a free gift from God to all that will accept it. As it has been said “The truth will set you free”, And I thank God every day that he has. John 3:16 says:
For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him will have eternal life.
And Ephesians 2:8-9 says:
For it is by grace that you have been saved and, this not of yourselves so that no man can boast.
My prayer now is that those of the Mormon Faith may come to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.
By Grace Alone.
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