My Beginning Testimony of The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints~

My parents were inactive in our church when I was born. When I was six years old my Dad had a spiritual experience that changed his life. I remember the circumstances of that day. My Dad had taken my older brother and I to a movie; a short time after he became very ill. He left us at the movie and instructed my brother to bring me home. He walked a couple of blocks to a  service station and couldn't go further. Someone there took him home. A Physician came to our home and he was diagnosed with what was called then Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

My grandfather Ogden was called to come over and give my father a priesthood blessing.  During this blessing my Dad had his whole life go through his mind and he knew that he was not treating his wife and children the way he should. He became better from his illness shortly there after and he made the decision to change his life; thus blessing our lives with the Gospel. I know that this wasn't an easy change for him. He was a chain smoker and almost an alcoholic. At that time he bought one more 5th of Whiskey and then burned his liqueur license. He stopped smoking; cold turkey. Our family then started going back to church. 

A year later my two brothers and I were sealed in the Manti Utah Temple to our parents and thus became an eternal family. I felt deep feelings that day; I knew something important had just happened. Over that year the atmosphere changed in our home. I could feel the difference it was tangible.
My parents through the years became dedicated to going to the temple frequently and they always brought such a sweet spirit back to our home after going there. I felt this spirit and learned to love the temple and had a deep desire to go there someday.
My parents lost some friends over this and even some of our relatives gave him a bad time. He was such a humble, sweet man. They had made their gospel commitment and nothing could ever change that.

When I was nine years old my Dad became a Stake Missionary. He would always practice his missionary discussions by giving the lessons to my mother and me. Thus, I learned much about the church through those lessons. 

One day we took a ride up in the mountains to the old Kimberly mine to just look around. A quick storm arose and the roads became muddy. All of a sudden my Dad's car became stuck in the mud. It was starting to get dark and cold. We were truly stranded in nowhere land. I decided I would go out into the trees and say a prayer to my Heavenly Father. I prayed that we could be blessed to get our car out of the mud. I remembered that the Prophet Joseph Smith had went into a grove of trees and prayed. At that young age I believe that I had faith that I would receive an answer. When I walked back to the car; my Dad was finally able to get the car out of the mud. In my young mind; I knew Heavenly Father heard and answered my prayer that day.