The first time I heard about Mormons was in the 7th grade. I was walking home with a friend who said that she was a Mormon. I got to the dinner table and asked my family, “What is a moron? This girl said that she was a moron.” After a moment of silence, they said that is was Mormon and that was the end for a couple of years.
I learned to pray to Heavenly Father from the Presbyterian Church. I took it to heart and developed a relationship with Him when I was emotionally abused by my sister for a period of probably 3-4 years. I had a period of clinical depression before entering high school. I was invited to an activity and Mutual by a girl I was walking home with from high school. The friendship of the small branch and the Holy Ghost pulled me from depression. I had to wait a year to be baptized but I was determined to live the gospel until I could be baptized.
When I later went inactive, the habit of following the Word of Wisdom kept with me. It kept me from drinking alcohol and doing drugs which I probably would have done to deal with the clinical depression.
My father and mother and siblings were never interested, so I was on my own. I have ups and downs. I served a mission, not necessarily well, but that is another story. I married in the temple to a EC who is of pioneer stock but most of his family are inactive. 2 of my children are married in the temple and my youngest is on a mission in Germany. But more importantly, they seem to be truly converted to the gospel and living by its precepts.
I marvel often of the decisions I made that have influenced the lives of my children. It used to be said that “I can do what I want because it only affects me and my life” but that’s not true. Our decisions affect others.
