I Believe
My Parents Got Divorced, and I Wondered, Is the Church Still True?
When everything I had always believed in was falling apart, I had to renew my belief in the gospel.
When my parents got divorced, I felt lost.
My parents had raised me in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They taught me that families could be together forever, so I couldn’t understand why, after striving to live the gospel, our family was falling apart. The teaching that had always brought me the most joy no longer seemed relevant to me. I questioned what I’d always thought to be true.
There are very few members of the Church around me in Romania, so it wasn’t too hard to let myself drift away from the gospel. I stopped going to church and isolated myself.
Wanting a Connection
During this time, members of my branch checked in on me and shared love with me. They fulfilled their responsibility to “comfort those that stand in need of comfort” (Mosiah 18:9; see also verse 8).
Because of their examples, I began to desire a relationship with God again, but I still wasn’t ready to come back to the Church. So I attended several churches, looking for a connection with Him.
Although there was beauty in each church, I never felt the same spirit I had always felt in the Church of Jesus Christ.
I started to think about what my relationship with God had been like before I drifted away. I realized that the truths about Him that resonated with me most came from the Book of Mormon. I remembered how the greatest feelings of peace always came while I was in the temple.
I realized the things that made our Church unique were the things I loved most.
Claiming Blessings
Although I wanted to start living the gospel again, I was afraid that I had messed up God’s plan for me. I had been absent from church for months. I wasn’t sure if I was still eligible for the blessings of the gospel.
Thankfully, good people in my life taught me that when we return to God, He has mercy on us (see Isaiah 55:7).
President Jeffrey R. Holland, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said: “However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made … , I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.”
I decided to return to church and let God heal my soul.
Growing through Trials
Since renewing my commitment to the gospel, I’ve been happier and more connected with my community. I am committed to being intentional and active, instead of passive, in my faith.
When I feel discouraged about my parents’ divorce, I open my Book of Mormon and find a verse that helps me feel close to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and I feel comfort and gratitude that I have the gospel in my life again. I feel like God was able to turn a hard situation in my life into an opportunity for greater faith and connection to Him.
Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “When we trust God and His love for us, even our greatest heartbreaks can, in the end, work together for our good.”
For other people who have felt lost or alone, I echo Elder Gong’s invitation: “When life is cluttered and purpose isn’t clear, when you want to live better but don’t know how, please come to God our Father and Jesus Christ.”
I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I know if you put your full heart into living it, you will find joy and direction.
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