Wendy's Testimony

Dear Concerned Christians,

I was born and raised in an LDS family of five generations. Yet, I didn't know joy and I never felt unconditional love. At the age of 13, I decided that love must come from boys and relations with them. I turned to premarital sex and drugs. By the time I was 15 years old I'd had an abortion and tried cocaine, crack and speed. I was attending High School in Huntington Beach, CA where popularity was a must. I was extremely lost. After ditching most of my school year, the school finally contacted my divorced, single mom. She gave me two options: go to Provo, UT and live on the farm with my LDS family or find a private school and promise to go back to the Mormon church. My mother gave up attending after she and my father separated.

Being a beach girl, I decided that Utah was out of the question and found a little non-denominational, private school in downtown Huntington Beach, called "Voyagers Christian Academy." Because my mom was not active in "the church" [LDS church], she did not understand or seek direction about what a non-denominational church is. She thought it meant they didn't teach religion, though it was a Christian school. She had been told by the Mormon church all her life that she was Christian. So, she figured this Christian school was harmless.

The week after I started school there, my older brother was killed in a motorcycle accident. I see God's timing and faithfulness to me for not allowing this accident to occur until after He had me at a place in Him where I could receive such bad news and was teachable enough to receive God's truths. Needless to say, I was taught the truth and the seed was planted at that Christian school. I came home with great news everyday about Jesus and His plan for us and how He saved us. Mom would just say, "Good, honey, I'm happy you like your new school."

The struggles my mom had with my brother's death were understandably enormous. Yet, most of those struggles were because she couldn't wait for the first year to pass so that her very active, Mormon sister could do the "Temple work" required for my brother to get out of "spirit prison" and into one of the Mormon kingdoms. I tried desperately to explain to mom that this is not how it works and that we don't get a second chance once we are gone. This got me into the Bishop's office at the Mormon church. Being the disrespectful person I was, I told the Bishop what I had learned and the way I felt about the LDS church. He said that I was going through a phase and that he wanted to see me again in 6 months.

That summer I turned 16, I had to attend camp at BYU with all the other boys and girls in the ward. This was one of the worst experiences of my life. One night a woman explained to us that the next morning we would go into the temple to baptize for the dead. I thought to myself, "I will not partake in such an evil act, but what am I going to do?" I prayed that night that God would help me out of the situation. I can't remember how He did it, but the Lord was faithful again and I did not have to do that very non-biblical act.

Mom still doesn't attend church and I am now 31 years old, married to a wonderful Christian husband that is the complete leader in our home. We have two beautiful daughters and a third baby on the way. Mom still claims to be a Mormon and says she will always be. But, I don't think she even knows what the church actually teaches.

I am on my knees every day for her. And now my 4- year-old daughter is, too (it's priceless to see J). I am giving my mom the book Out of Mormonism and praying she'll read it. I hope my walk with Jesus will be more persuasive to her than my Mormon Aunt who is a once-amonth temple-goer.

I have been given forgiveness and unconditional love through my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. My past is so black, but my salvation has lit my path and I am out of darkness. I have been blessed with the teachings of Pastor Chuck Smith at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa. I also attend Joyful Life Women's Bible Study every Friday with about 1,800 other beautiful, God-loving women. God has been so good to me. I will thank Him everyday for people like you who get the true Word out. I will remember Concerned Christians in my prayers.

All the Lord's blessings to you I pray,
In His precious Love,
Wendy