My conversion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and my membership in His church has been a long journey for me. I was baptized when I was 12, after taking the missionary discussions and going to church with my friend. I was active less than a year and then stopped going to church. I spent my teen years living my life according to the world's standards and not the Lord's. After I had my first baby, I decided to have her blessed at church. My husband went along with me, not realizing this was the beginning of a remarkable change in our lives. I was assigned a visiting teacher and that sister became a dear friend to me. I am an active member now, my husband has joined the church, we have been sealed in the temple and strive to live our lives according to Gospel standards.
I am extremely thankful for my friend's example to me, her encouragement, support and the time she took to answer my questions. She was my temple escort. Her husband was always there to lend support to mine as he investigated the church, questioned his learning and gained his testimony. Her husband blessed our second baby (as my husband was not a member at the time) and we appreciated their friendship so much. They were both returned missionaries and came from strong, faithful families.
Their lives are completely different now. They moved to Utah from St. Louis about 10 years ago and it was the beginning of a complete change of life for them. They started by letting small things slide, then a sports game on a Sunday, non-alcoholic beer was replaced by real beer, and infidelity soon followed. They have divorced, left the church and taken the Gospel from their 4 children's lives.
As I was studying Alma this week I have thought about her often and the difference in our lives today. The way she is living now is how I lived before I met her. I have been thinking about what happened and why some people leave the church.
38 But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.
39 Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof.
The Lord and the Gospel didn't change, but she did. She gave no attention to her faith and did not nourish it. She lost it. It breaks my heart but it doesn't shake my faith. I have tended to my seed of faith and it has grown. I have a firm conviction that the Lord is real and loves us individually. I know the Gospel is true.
