Conversion to the Gospel

Serena-Lee Chrystal, Elder Sesseions, Elder Belnap,
Elder Beckstead, Elder Tham, Katya,
and ME!

So for those that do not know a heck of a lot about me, I thought I would introduce you to a side that you my or may not know. I go to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. If you have not heard of this church, maybe you might recognise the "Mormon Church?" I was baptised Saturday October 30th 2010 in a small town along the East Coast in Gisborne New Zealand and let me tell YOU, it was the best, non-regretting decision I have ever made. And I could never in my entire life take back those words I have just said. Now some of you may think its because I am brain washed but no I am not. This is a little of why. When I moved from New Zealand to Australia June 15th 2011, it was the most scariest decision i had made at the age of 18. Coming to live with my mum as we did not have a good relationship due to my own actions. She would try put the effort in but I would just snob her off. I was a very angry and hurt child. Anyway, I started going to church with my Aunty and uncle and my cousins. I didn't know they even went to church earlier on in life but they did and they were even sealed together as husband and wife in the temple but they had just fallen way from the church due to worldly causes. We are human remember - we are not perfect. 

I am so very thankful that my Aunty and Uncle had made the decision to finally go back to church. If it wasn't for their willingness and desire and also their example to change; I wouldn't be where I am today, living the life I lead today nor be the person that I am today. When I saw my Uncle in a suit I almost cried. He just seemed like a total different person. He was making changes and I knew from then on if my Uncle can change... anything is possible. Now I only went with them to have a look at church because I was with that family 24/7. What was I going to do if they were at church and I've got nothing to do? Maybe you could even say we were selfish for that being the reason why. We were going to be bored without them so my sister and I went and had a look. And we were so nervous!!!!!!!! I loved religion and I believed there was a God and Jesus Christ but apart from that I knew nothing. And so I was intrigued when I started learning from the missionaries. Yes those are the young boys that ride on bicycles in a white shirt, suit pants and a tie with a black badge on their shirt. I had two lessons with the missionaries, Elder Tham and Elder Christensen. I enjoyed it but I was going to Vanuatu for 12days and thought well have a good life I doubt I will be seeing you when I get home. It was fun whilst it lasted. I did not think I would be able to keep going with it or my family would. That's how much faith I had.. that's embarrassing to be honest. Anyway, when I was in Vanuatu, my sister facebooked me to say she was getting baptised Oct 9th 2010. I was like "oh I'm happy for you" but I was thinking are you crazy you've only been listening to them for 2weeks and you're getting baptised?! I guess when you know it's the right thing to do for you then you do it! The spirit definately testified of the truthfulness of the gospel to her most definately. The funny thing was was that when I got home from Vanuatu 3days later my sister was baptised with my 2 cousins and it was one of the best days of their lives for them. They were extremely happy. Their happiness radiated off of their faces with such a glowing beam.

That wasn't the funny bit though... The funny bit was when Elder Tham came to me and said "I'm sorry Natalia, unfortunately you cannot be baptised today because you haven't been taught all the lessons as of yet." I started cracking up laughing and thinking to myself are you crazy, now I'm most likely definately not joining the church. I didnt even want to be baptised. The weeks went on and I ended up being baptised into the church on Oct 30th. That was 3weeks from when my sister was baptised til when I was baptised. Obviously a lot of things happened to have changed my mind. But their was one moment in that 3weeks where I felt pressured to be baptised and I thought I felt I wasn't ready. I ended up saying to Elder Tham I do not want to be baptised and with me I cant say no. I was like "I dont want to be baptised now, maybe later." And they kept pushing for this same date and then for the next weekend. My cousins wife had then said "Stop... she doesnt want to be baptised now, stop pressuring her!"  With me you see, if I join something or even in this case, if I join a church I don't want to be joining another one because I want to make sure I do everything right the first time. I wanted to find the right church for me the first time. Heavenly Fathers church. The one TRUE church. I still had this impression that I still wanted to know more about this Church and its teachings. So I asked the other missionaries from the other Ward or in other words chapel, if I could sit in on a lesson with them as that same girl, my cousins wife, was still getting lessons but with the other two missionaries. I spoke to them about what was going through my mind and Elder Belnap said to me, "if you know that the teachings that we teach are true and that you believe in them, then go to church for those reasons, for the gospel. Don't not go because of how someone made you feel." And that was it. I knew my missionaries weren't happy because I went to see the other ones but if it wasn't for me going to see them then I wouldn't have been baptised. I realised that I started to love this gospel for what the gospel truly was. And I was baptised 11am Oct 30th by Elder Tham and confirmed into the church by Elder Belnap.
 

The gospel of Jesus Christ taught me a lot of things from then on. I went to Church and it was so hard but I endured through those trials. It was so hard when your dad didn't really accept the fact you joined the "Mormon" church as you should be keeping your options open and people thinking we were brainwashed when that wasn't the case. When I went to church I felt like I was at home. I felt at peace. I felt the world slip away for those 3hours each week. This was my time to learn more about myself and what my Heavenly Father has in store for me. This was my time to feel a part of a family. Everywhere you looked and turned there was a family. I now started to realise what a family truly was and what true happiness truly felt like. I will never turn my back from the gospel again. I done it once but never again.
 

That's how I know that I am not brainwashed or anything. I turned my back on the gospel for 4months of my life when I moved to Australia. I thought it'll be easy to stay in the gospel when I moved but I was wrong. Now I didn't exactly disobey the church teachings like go out and get wasted or smoke or what not because first of all that wasn't even me before I was baptised anyway. But the temptations and trials felt very hard to overcome as I had basically blocked Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ out of my life. I was back to an angry self again and even the people who didn't even agree with church were telling me I should go back because I'm not my normal self. I was thinking you can't tell me to go to church as you yourself don't even go. I was a miserable wreck and I started to realise it and the way I was acting was unacceptable. I started to realise and booked me a ticket back to NZ for my dads birthday. I was so nervous going to church, I felt like I didn't think I should be there because I hadn't been going for so long and I felt so guilty. It was testimony bearing and I cried when I heard my cousin get up and say her testimony. I realised I wanted to start going back to church when I got back to Australia. Nobody judged me and my bishop knew there was something wrong. We talked and that's when my love grew for my bishop and I truly felt and knew that they really are just full of gods love and are definately non judgemental. When I got back to Australia it was super hard but I pushed through all my embarrassment of going to church by myself and sitting by myself and listened to what was being spoken. To go to church by yourself was so hard as you felt all by yourself, all alone and with no one by your side. But I felt it was where I needed and wanted to be. I felt that I had my Heavenly Father with me anywhere I go anyway so I wasn't really alone. And what do you know you make friends, you become a part of families, you feel at home. Same things which happened in NZ. So the bottom line is that that confirmed the teachings that anywhere you go in the world, the teachings of the gospel and the feelings that you gain from the gospel is the same no matter where in the world you go. That was also confirmed when I recently went to America and I felt the exact same thing.

 

I am just so very thankful for the gospel in my life. It taught me how to forgive, as I forgave my mum after years of not letting her in. It taught me true and eternal happiness. I understand what real happiness feels like and it's not temporary. I know what it feels like to be apart of a family again and I met my actual best friend that I could count on for anything. Then I met her cousin and she became one of my best friends. I never really had true friends to count on until I met these girls. I learnt to take risks and chances and I learnt what I am really worth and who I really am designed to be. I am a spiritual daughter of my Heavenly Father and I am here today to become like Him. To gain those same attributes. I am a daughter of a King. I am a Princess which will soon be a queen. My husband will be a  King as he seals me to him in our castle, the only holy place on this earth which is the temple. We will be sealed for all of eternity with our children right by our sides in the eternities. Familes really are forever. We need to remember that and cherish the moments we have. I cannot turn back time and re write my mistakes but i wouldnt want to. I learnt from my mistakes and wont make it again. Life is no life at all without family, friends and the gospel.