Julie's Conversion

This is the firsthand account of the conversion process of Julie to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It's difficult to describe the experience of working with Julie. It is a memory that I treasure. I feel like we were led to meet each other for a very important purpose, at a critical time.

Kalispell, MT. L/R Elder Lanham, Bonnie, Julie,  Elder Henriksen, Bishop Klingensmith

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I grew up in what would now be called a dysfunctional family. When my mother took legal action to separate from my abusive father, we (mother, brother and I) were suddenly treated as outcasts by the people in our church at the time. This attitude soon carried over to school as well. Thus I learned early on, that religions preaching the doctrine of tolerance etc. did not necessarily have members willing to practice that doctrine. As a result, my childhood was not a happy one. As a young adult, I had concluded that religion is like a pair of shoes--that you have to find one that fits if you are going to keep walking in them. And so I began a journey of looking for a church that fit--i.e. one whose doctrine was not only aligned with what my heart told me was "the way things should be" but was also one whose members were more inclined to practice what was preached in their daily lives.
In hindsight, I came to understand that while I was still growing spiritually, I would outgrow more than one "pair of shoes." I reached a point where I felt I had outgrown organized religion altogether.

Elders Wixom, King, Henricksen, and I help with Julie's sheep.

A few years ago, I reconnected with a lovely family whose eldest son I had hired to help me with my farm work. His mother introduced me to the concept of their church's elders, explaining that it was their job to offer help to anyone in their ward who needed it, not just to church members--a refreshingly novel idea to me. Over time and many, many sets of elders later, it was clear to me that for the most part, almost all of these young men were truly dedicated to their call to serve just because it was the right thing to do, and not just to collect converts. This behavior opened my mind to the thought that there might be an organized religion I had not outgrown.
I began to attend the investigators class and a couple general conferences in order to learn more. I watched and listened with a critical eye and ear and over time concluded there were more people in this church who were really trying to "walk the talk" on a daily basis than any other church I had attended. In addition, I discovered that the church doctrine had many concepts that I had not heard of (in the other religions I explored) but that I had in my heart of hearts long believed in. In part, these pertained to being less judgmental and more graciously tolerant of our individuality and differences--all very tangible testimonies of Christ's compassion and inclusiveness.
I have also been very impressed with the fact that this church doesn't just hold up Christ as a role model for how we should live, but also has a wealth of well-thought-out educational programs, as well as a viable support system and compassionate accountability process, to actively assist any member in becoming a more Christ-like person tomorrow than they were yesterday. The more I learned and observed, the more I felt this church could be the right fit for me.
It is my belief that you spend your whole life growing up without ever reaching the goal of being "all grown up." Last year, I was baptized and joined the church. I have continued to learn and grow, and feel that this is for me, a very good fit indeed.