Hugs for Annette Hennessey

Starting in 1990, I was a church-hopper. I went to tons of different churches, trying to find the one that believed what I knew in my heart to be true. They all had something about them that rubbed me the wrong way (praying to Mary, everyone goes to Heaven regardless of your behavior on earth, dancing is evil, etc.) I skipped over the LDS church, because the only LDS person I knew was a jerk. (My sister ended up marrying him….)

 In 2001, my sister met the Missionaries on her college campus. She was quickly Baptized and I totally FLIPPED OUT! I was sure she would quickly be part of an abusive plural marriage.

I called to ask for the Missionaries to come by my house so that I could get some info and get her out of that “crazy” church. Two weeks later, the Missionaries still not gotten to my house, so I called again to ask them to come. The Missionaries were at my door 15-minutes later. I had a list of questions, when they came to my home. All of the questions related to things that had been proof to me that other religions were not the TRUE church. The

 Missionaries sat down and I immediately started firing questions at them. It took about 10-minutes before their answers started to make me feel more comfortable about the church. (About that time, my husband started hating them and walked out of the room. He still hasn’t converted.)

As soon as the Missionaries answered my questions that first day, I knew I was probably going to be Baptized.  I didn’t feel like I “needed” to read it to get a testimony.  They believed all of the same things I had known in my heart were true for years!

I read the entire Book of Mormon over the next 2-weeks –  just to make sure there wasn’t anything HUGE in there that would make me think this church was psycho. I felt more and more comfortable with my decision each night.

When they came by the next week, I told them I was ready to be Baptized.  (I will go down in history as the easiest convert EVER!)  The only thing that worried me at all was the fact that my husband HATED the church (and he still does).

The day of my pre-Baptism interview, my husband told me that if I ever put the church before him, we would get divorced.  I left a message for the Missionaries, cancelling my appointment.  I just didn’t think I could go through with it.

I drove home crying, because I totally KNEW this was the right choice, but I couldn’t put that sort of strain on my marriage.  I was BEGGING for a sign about whether or not I should be Baptized.

When I walked in the front door, my dog’s head was COVERED in blood!  I rushed her across town to the vet for stitches.  I assumed that was the sign that I had asked for, I shouldn’t go to that interview.

2-hours later, I walked out of the vet’s office and saw the church.  It was ¼ mile away and I had 10-minutes until my interview.  I had totally misunderstood the sign I had been sent.

I went to that interview and was Baptized a few days later.  Every marriage has challenges and the challenge in mine has always been religion (he’s Atheist).  Through it all, I have never second-guessed my decision.

Since then, my husband and I have had 4-children (1-biological, 4 via international adoptions).  Knowing this church and knowing that I am a part of an eternal family makes me view my family, my marriage, and my life in an entirely different way.

Annette Hennessey