Difference between revisions 5098917 and 5099097 on enwiki

==Basics==
#I am a fifteen-year-old.
#I am a Mormon (in faith; see below)
#I am a left-winger (not necessarily in conflict with #2)
#I am a South Dakontan.


==Religion==
(contracted; show full)

====One for the money====
My first prayer was triggered by an anti-Mormon paper I read. Or so it seemed. It came out of BYU, was written by a Saint, but was still against the church. It reminded me of my friend. I started to cry. I took my copy of the Book of Mormon and threw it on the ground in disgust, then went outside.
 It was about 1:30 in the morning. I knelt down and, out of pure anger at the church, prayed for her. I was close to suicide the rest of that day.

Ed. Note: It's funny to look back at this. Psycho-Theology is one of the most interesting aspects of religion, and this illustrates just how much religion can affect a person.

====Two for the show====
The next day, I went outside to pray for her again. I knelt down and prayed more out of pity this time. I felt sorry for her. Sorry that she had been born, defenseless, into a huge lie. Sorry that she hadn't seen the truth. Sorry that her family had been fooled for generations. I started to cry...I mean ''really'' cry. Like I had never cried before. That day, again, I was close to suicide. Closer than before. I was really going to do it.

====Third Time's a Charm ''or'' Good Things Come In Threes====
The third day, I was a lot more sorrowful. Even more than before. I don't think I even bothered to sleep the night before. I was wired.⏎
⏎
To be continued.. I went outside to pray for her again. I knelt down and clasped my hands. Before I even got the words out of my mouth, I fell face-first onto the ground. I started trembling and crying...and I didn't even know why. It just started happening. I couldn't move, save it were my limbs violently shaking. I was numb everywhere. After about ten minutes of this I was about to call for help (not that anyone could have '''heard''' me). Then I heard a voice. If I remember correctly, it said "Why did you ever doubt?" That voice echoed in my mind.

It took me a few minutes to figure it out, but once I realized that the Holy Ghost had taken me over, I was amazed. ''Why would God care about me, probably one of the most heinous of sinners?'' My limbs were restored to motion. I knelt back up and repented. And repented. And repented. I had been lustful, I had rejected the true Church, I had suicidal thoughts, and I was being selfish and prideful, among other things. Somehow, I know, now, that I was forgiven. After repenting, I asked if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the restored gospel on earth...if the Book of Mormon was the word of holy men...if Joseph Smith truly had a vision...if the true church was led by a prophet. I was surprised at the fact that not only were my sins forgiven, but my Hevenly Father was generous enough to let me know the truth. I had no doubts about his answer. The darkenss that had overcome me before fled like the demon it truly was. I was filled instead with an overwhelming joy. So great was it in fact that I nearly began to laugh out loud. His answer was unmistakable.

===...And Back Again===
So there ends my story...for now. I'll '''have''' to tell my friend what happened to me over the Summer. Obviously, this was the highlight. I had found the truth! God's mercy, even for apostates, is incomprehensible to me. Even though I can't yet go to sacrament meetings (don't yet drive), I probably can't be baptized until after high school, and I don't have any LDS friends to talk to in person at the moment, I know my Father in Heaven loves me. I try as best I can each day to exercise my faith and devote myself to Him.