I met Donna at a water-birth movie night. I know, it sounds horrifying, and believe me, it was only slightly less horrifying than it sounds. (Read: A lot of cloudy water involved, but with the reward of seeing a tiny scrunched up baby at the end coming out of the water all pretty and stuff.)
I assumed Donna was a doula or a midwife, and I think she may have assumed I was pregnant, and we started talking. She is so down to earth and real and authentic, I took to her right away! I asked her if she had a water birth, and I think she said something to the effect of: "Yeah, and it was the worst birth ever. Water birth is so not my thing." Which is when I asked her if she was a midwife and she laughed at me. "Are you kidding me?" she said. "I'm a childbirth educator! I don't DO births."
Donna has a refreshing, honest and sincere voice and I was so glad when she told me she would happily write up her story for my blog. Thanks Donna, for your story!
This is Donna's story.
I was raised in the Baptist church, but once I was out on my own I rarely attended church. I was 21 when I met the man that would become my husband. He was just 18 and he was a Mormon. It's a wonder he had anything to do with me! It was 1992, I was a 2-pack-a-day smoker and the biggest Madonna-wanna-be you've ever seen!
I have a tendency to be long-winded as it is, and this is the greatest story of my life, so it's been hard for me to think about how I want to share this story. There are many misconceptions about the Church, and a part of me wants to take this opportunity to clear some of them up here. I've decided, instead, to share my personal story of how I came to know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church upon the earth today.
First, these things are sacred to me and I do not take them lightly. It was a slow process of joining the Church. I attended church with David on Sunday mornings and I liked being there. I started taking missionary discussions to learn about the Church and what they believe. I found myself constantly pondering the things I was learning – driving in my car, in the shower, as I did the dishes.
One of the first things I learned was that Joseph Smith, at the age of 14, knelt in a grove of trees to ask his Heavenly Father which church he should join. There had been many revivals (1823) around his area of New York and even his family was divided on which church they should join. They all claimed to have the truth. What happened that spring day changed everything. Heavenly Father AND his son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith and told him not to join any of the churches, for none of them had the full gospel of Jesus Christ.
Wow! This was a lot to take in. Like I said, I thought about this constantly. I could not stop thinking about all the stories of the Old Testament that I never had any trouble believing – Jonah being swallowed by a whale and Noah building an ark and the entire earth being flooded. Did I really believe that Jesus healed the sick and blind? That he raised the dead? That he overcame death and was resurrected? Yes, I did believe all those things. Then why could he not have appeared to this 14-year-old boy?
Something that Joseph said of this sacred event stuck with me as well. He said that he absolutely could not deny what had happened. He knew it had happened, and he knew God knew it. He was persecuted throughout his days on earth and was eventually martyred as the prophets of old. He brought forth the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, translating it by the power of God. I have very tender feelings for the Prophet Joseph Smith. Deciding if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was true or not was a matter of knowing whether or not Joseph Smith was a true prophet. “By their fruits ye shall know them.”
Simply put, Joseph Smith either told (and pulled off) the greatest lie ever told to man, or it is true. Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ – two personages – appeared to him and revealed many important truths. What if that really happened?
No one tried to convince me. I was encouraged to know for myself. So I prayed. I prayed for months. And by the power of the Holy Ghost, I came to know that the Church is true. Joseph Smith was a true prophet who restored Christ's church to the earth in these last days. It was not a booming voice out of heaven, but by the quiet whisperings of the Spirit, by listening to humble men that hold the Priesthood testify of Jesus Christ. Men that are not paid to lead the Church. I believe the Bible, as well as the Book of Mormon to be the Word of God.
I have had many special events take place in my life that have born witness that the Church is true and that my Savior knows me personally. Events that are too sacred – not secret – to mention here. The work done in our Temples is just that, a sacred work, that is not to be spoken of outside of the temple, even by members of The Church with one another.
This is the Lord's church, not Joseph Smith's church. We have a prophet, Thomas S. Monson, that leads and guides the church today. “By their fruits ye shall know them.”
I cannot imagine what my life would be like without the gospel of Jesus Christ and my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am eternally grateful for my husband's courage in sharing the gospel with me.
***
You can check out more of Donna's writing in her hilarious and poignant blog, Banned from Baby Showers.
I assumed Donna was a doula or a midwife, and I think she may have assumed I was pregnant, and we started talking. She is so down to earth and real and authentic, I took to her right away! I asked her if she had a water birth, and I think she said something to the effect of: "Yeah, and it was the worst birth ever. Water birth is so not my thing." Which is when I asked her if she was a midwife and she laughed at me. "Are you kidding me?" she said. "I'm a childbirth educator! I don't DO births."
Donna has a refreshing, honest and sincere voice and I was so glad when she told me she would happily write up her story for my blog. Thanks Donna, for your story!
This is Donna's story.
I have a tendency to be long-winded as it is, and this is the greatest story of my life, so it's been hard for me to think about how I want to share this story. There are many misconceptions about the Church, and a part of me wants to take this opportunity to clear some of them up here. I've decided, instead, to share my personal story of how I came to know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church upon the earth today.
First, these things are sacred to me and I do not take them lightly. It was a slow process of joining the Church. I attended church with David on Sunday mornings and I liked being there. I started taking missionary discussions to learn about the Church and what they believe. I found myself constantly pondering the things I was learning – driving in my car, in the shower, as I did the dishes.
One of the first things I learned was that Joseph Smith, at the age of 14, knelt in a grove of trees to ask his Heavenly Father which church he should join. There had been many revivals (1823) around his area of New York and even his family was divided on which church they should join. They all claimed to have the truth. What happened that spring day changed everything. Heavenly Father AND his son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith and told him not to join any of the churches, for none of them had the full gospel of Jesus Christ.
Wow! This was a lot to take in. Like I said, I thought about this constantly. I could not stop thinking about all the stories of the Old Testament that I never had any trouble believing – Jonah being swallowed by a whale and Noah building an ark and the entire earth being flooded. Did I really believe that Jesus healed the sick and blind? That he raised the dead? That he overcame death and was resurrected? Yes, I did believe all those things. Then why could he not have appeared to this 14-year-old boy?
Simply put, Joseph Smith either told (and pulled off) the greatest lie ever told to man, or it is true. Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ – two personages – appeared to him and revealed many important truths. What if that really happened?
No one tried to convince me. I was encouraged to know for myself. So I prayed. I prayed for months. And by the power of the Holy Ghost, I came to know that the Church is true. Joseph Smith was a true prophet who restored Christ's church to the earth in these last days. It was not a booming voice out of heaven, but by the quiet whisperings of the Spirit, by listening to humble men that hold the Priesthood testify of Jesus Christ. Men that are not paid to lead the Church. I believe the Bible, as well as the Book of Mormon to be the Word of God.
I have had many special events take place in my life that have born witness that the Church is true and that my Savior knows me personally. Events that are too sacred – not secret – to mention here. The work done in our Temples is just that, a sacred work, that is not to be spoken of outside of the temple, even by members of The Church with one another.
This is the Lord's church, not Joseph Smith's church. We have a prophet, Thomas S. Monson, that leads and guides the church today. “By their fruits ye shall know them.”
I cannot imagine what my life would be like without the gospel of Jesus Christ and my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am eternally grateful for my husband's courage in sharing the gospel with me.
***
You can check out more of Donna's writing in her hilarious and poignant blog, Banned from Baby Showers.
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| Donna and her beautiful family |
I loved this! Thank you for sharing such a beautiful testimony.
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify the whole water birth thing: I think water birth is great, just not MY water birth. Mine was 10 years ago and water birth has come a long way since then. That was my hardest birth of the four, but it's not really because of the water -- it was because I was cocky and didn't prepare the way I should have!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your story. I appreciate your story. Although I don't believe the Mormon church has it right, I do have a special place in my heart for those who are not scared to share their story. I think Christianity would be alot further along if it weren't for those of us who stay silent and have fear of man issues. I'm so sorry that you didn't have a nice water birth, I loved mine!!!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading this! Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteSo clear and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful that you constantly pondered the things you were learning . . . and that you shared and discussed them with me. Love you--J
ReplyDeletei only wish you wouldn't call a water birth horrifying, as i don't think it's the norm... glad to see you noted it, Donna. but the author only perpetuates the fear of a natural birth by even, jokingly?, saying it. there's plenty out there against informed choice and trust in our birthing abilities... thanks for sharing yourselves!
ReplyDeleteI didn't say water birth was horrifying. I said water birth movie night was... but the babies are precious. I actually had 2 natural births myself (no medication) so I'm all about natural birth. Watching water birth... well... its not for everyone. (or even most people!!)
ReplyDeleteDonna, thank you for sharing your conversion story! I always love hearing how other people have come to know of the restored gospel! What a beautiful testimony.
ReplyDelete