"Mormons"

Tessa went to a birthday party with a few friends last night (none of which are members of our church). They went to the birthday girl's house for pizza and then fruit & chocolate fondue, then they went to a movie ("Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs"). On the way to the movie theater, they drove past our church building (which is also right next to another church building). The birthday girl said, "That's the church I go to (the other one)." And Tessa, said, "Oh, that's the church I go to." The other girl said, "Oh, isn't that a Mormon church?" Tessa said it was. Then the girl said, "Oh, my mom doesn't like Mormons, because they add stuff to the Bible." Then she asked Tessa what religion she was. Tessa didn't hesitate--she said she was "Mormon." She said that the girl seemed a little embarrased about what she just said. It makes me really sad when people develop a negative opinion about our church without getting the correct information. I was SO proud of Tessa for not being afraid to admit that she was a member of the church that the girl's mom "doesn't like." It will be interesting to see if this friend invites Tessa over to play again. I hope so, but either way, Tessa wasn't afraid to say that she belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (The Mormon Church). I hope she (and my other kids) will always be bold enough to say what they believe, and stand up for what they know is right & true, even if it's hard sometimes. Tessa was a great example and I love her so much! :)

There was a long time in my life that I was not active in the church, and didn't really believe in anything or have faith in anything. It was not a good time in my life & I was struggling with other issues as well. I was very sick & very depressed. It went on for years. Most of my friends were not members of the church, and I didn't have any desire to be associated with the church. Finally at a point where I had hit rock bottom and things couldn't get much worse, a friend came to me and reached out. She invited me to attend the Student Ward with her (it was my first year in college). I started attending church and reading the Book of Mormon and the Bible, and it really changed my life. It made all the difference. Everything didn't change overnight, but I finally felt some hope and peace and happiness. I came to know that I had a loving Father in Heaven who would help me to be happy & to overcome the things I was struggling with.

I'm not perfect & I always have so much more I can do & work on, but I DO know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ & I'm proud to say that I belong to it. Half of my family are not members of this church, but they have always been very supportive of my beliefs & standards and I appreciate it SO much and love them for it. It makes me really sad when people judge people without getting facts. I believe that everyone has a right to believe & worship how they want, and there are wonderful people in every religion. I am just so proud of Tessa's example (especially at such a young age), to not be afraid or embarrassed to say who you are and what you stand for. Way to go Tessa! :)