Hugs for Dawn Anderson

I was nervous
anxious
teary-eyed
and overwhelmed
with gratitude
to be standing in that
very spot that day.

I had wanted to be baptized
into the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints
since early that Spring of 1978
but my parents wouldn’t allow it.

I had met with missionaries
in Charlotte, North Carolina
since February of that year
at the invitation of my very good
friends at school, Vicki & Becky.

The missionaries there,
Elder Willcoxon and
Elder Larry Lavern Owens
taught me all of the discussions
in Vicki & Becky’s family’s home.

I loved being in their home.
They loved each other in that home
and that love was palpable.
The time I spent there
remains a sweet memory to me.

The missionaries taught me
and I accepted their invitation to be baptized.
My baptism day, April 17th came
and where my parents had at first
given permission, withdrew it that day.

That was really hard.
The missionaries came over and tried
to soothe my parents’ concerns.
At one point there were six missionaries
in my parents’ livingroom–
but they went back and forth
and in the end
I ran upstairs to my room
and cried myself to sleep.

When I woke up
the house was silent.
Everyone was gone.
It was then that I opened
my parents’ FAMILY BIBLE
looking for some kind of inspiration
an answer really,
when I read Mark 11:22:
“Have Faith in God.”
I put the Bible down
and went and knelt in prayer.
While I had been raised to pray,
I hadn’t been raised to expect an answer.

But Heavenly Father did answer me.
The Holy Ghost whispered to my heart:
“It’s true. Hold on.”
I felt like warm honey had been poured
over the top of my head
and covered my entire body…
I remember that feeling to this day.

But my parents had refused
permission to join the Church then
and then quickly decided to move
the entire family to
Denver Colorado
one reason was that the Broncos won the Super Bowl—
and the other reason was
to get me
“away from those Mormons!”

They didn’t realize that once
you cross the Mississippi,
the place is rotten with ’em!
But my folks didn’t know that
thank goodness.

Once we got to Colorado
I found the church building.
It wasn’t hard…
it was just down the street
from our new house.

I didn’t tell my parents
and began going to the Baptist Church
with my brothers.
Since my folks rarely went to church with us
I divided up my “church time”–
going to the Baptist church for an hour
and then driving down the street
to the LDS Church for an hour.

Finally an LDS girl at school
recognized me at Church
and asked me if I were a member
I told I was…though I was not yet
baptized.
It was thru her that I met my Elder Brooks
and his companion Elder LaVallee
and began to receive the discussions all over again.

These missionaries offered to
fast & pray with me
that my parents’ hearts would be softened.
And they were– so much so
that a permission slip was signed.

So on November 4th
I entered into those warm waters of baptism
after a long journey to get there.
I’ll never forget that warm water
as it enveloped my whole self
head to toe…
it felt so good, so completely divine.
I was 16 years old.

And it remains in my life
the Most Important decision
I have ever made in this existence
and has influenced every other choice
I have made since then.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ
has the power to change your life.
It changed mine.
It changed Me.
And I am beyond words
to express my deepest gratitude
for the answer to that prayer
when I was just 15 years old.