Our True Hollywood Story: The Life I Have Chosen To Live

My favorite picture of Jesus Christ

          I am not perfect. I strive to be the best version of myself that I can be. I try hard to emulate the way that the Savior Jesus Christ lived. I am a follower of Christ. A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I am LDS. I am a Mormon. I am a independent woman, daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, teacher, and so much more.
          I was born into an LDS family. I am grateful for that. However, just because I was born into my religion does not mean that I have not sought out to know for myself if the things I were taught were what I personally believed.
          High school was the time that I began to really notice that my beliefs were not shared by everyone that I encountered. I was blessed with an amazing group of friends that, while not sharing my specific faith, were always supportive of my decisions, even when they did not match their own. They were friends that did not judge me based on my beliefs. I cannot put into words just how grateful I am that I had friends that cared enough about me to hold me accountable to my faith. I was stronger because of them. (Give it up for the Gmail crew! Love you all!) They are still such close friends that continue to make me a better person. I was so touched when two of my friends came from a far to take part in the celebration of my marriage even when they were not actually able to witness the marriage ceremony. They may never truly know how much it meant to me.
          Even though I went to a college supported by my Church it was a time where I really had to discover for myself if my personal beliefs matched with those of the faith that I had been raised in. I believe in one God-- a merciful God. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of man kind. I believe that Satan is real. He works hard to destroy people's happiness. I believe that I have the freedom to choose how I want to live my life. I believe that through Christ's sacrifice and atonement I can be forgiven for my mistakes and sins. My beliefs are more than just a belief, it's a sure knowledge. I have prayed and been given that assurance.
          I love my faith. I believe in its teachings and its commandments. I support and sustain the leaders of my Church.
          I have chosen to share this publicly because I do not want people to think that I just blindly follow the faith of my 'fathers.' I have sought to know for myself and have been given the personal knowledge that it is right and it is the truth. It is not always easy to live my faith especially when my beliefs do not always align with those of the world at large. I hope that those that do not share in my faith will be tolerant and non-judgmental of the way I have chosen to live and of what I believe in as I do for those that do not share my beliefs.
          I know that my life would not be so full of joy if I did not know what I know to be true. While there are still hard times I can find the joy in the journey of life because I know and have a personal relationship with God and his son Jesus Christ. I have witnessed miracles, experienced sorrows, and through the tender mercies of God have continued to find joy.