My conversion story/ Becoming Closer to Christ

I don't usually do punctuations because i'm just putting all my thoughts down. Gosh, where to begin.. Here it goes>>> I was born into the church, two missionaries found my mother and taught her the lessons, she knew it was right & she helped convert my dad. My parents Jose and Rocio got married in the Washington D.C temple. I was born and raised in Yonkers, New York (i'm still a new yorker even if i lived in Utah longer now). My parents put my sister and I into a private Catholic school Mount Carmel St. Anthony. I was the only mormon in my grade and everyone was mainly Catholic and I had 2 best friends that was Muslim and Buddhist. Each friday we would go to the Catholic church and have friday mass. I thought it was awesome the nice church, singing hymns and we listen to the Priest named Father Divinchi every friday.Father Divinchi was a great man he would come into class and have these little post cards with scriptures and Pictures of Jesus on it. Everyone would run to him and ask for the postcards, i did it too. it was fun.

Ash Wednesdays was my favorite thing we would go to the Catholic church and stand in line and get a cross on our forehead. It was the best thing ever. I would come home and ask so many questions about religion to my parents. I was confused. My parents would explain that i was Mormon, that i didn't do ash wednesdays or go to mass on friday and have the Hostia(bread) which i always wanted to try. When my friends and got together we would go to my Friends place and i would see Buddha on their kitchen counter. I would listen to my friends talk about religion and i would just think What on earth?! So this is where the thing started my parents thought it was time to move. At the age of 10 my mom decided that she was going on a roadtrip with her sister and brother and she brought us along... and my other cousins from virginia. It was july and we had no school so it was perfect to travel. I'll tell ya what... Longest trip of my life! New york to Utah...Driving the whole way we stopped like twice and that was it. We arrived in July of 1999 nice and dry Utah. Utah is a completely different world from New York. Friendly people all around and they were mormon like me which i was like woah!!! I could ride my bike outside alone without being jumped or supervised. It was the best feeling ever. My mom knew it was right to move to utah. We went back home and my parents talked about Utah and it was best choice for my sister and I. So my dad got a job transfer to utah he left before us it was the hardest thing ever to see my dad leave but i knew we would see each other in 6months.

My mom told us we were moving and it was the worst news ever. I didn't want to leave... New Friends, new school, new house, & moving to UTAH? yeah no way jose i was moving. i didn't want to go, utah was just fun for vacation but i didn't want to move there. I could honestly say it was the best decision my parents made. I'm 23 Now and gosh if i didn't move i would be a completely different person. New york is different i would probably not be into the church and not have a strong testimony. The first time i realized i believed in Christ... I still remember the feeling i felt, i'm having that feeling right now just thinking about it. I was going in for a yearly interview with the 2nd councelor Brother Vogelsberg. He was just asking me questions about life and i answered and he got quiet and said "Aurora, do you know your savior lives?" and i remembered that emotional feeling i got like i just wanted to cry because the spirit testified to me at that moment that i knew my Savior lives and he is my God. Greatest freeling ever!

I recently was called to be a relief society teacher. That was my biggest fear ever teaching... I'm Aurora, i hate speaking in front of a crowd and being the center of attention and i couldn't do it. The bishop called me in and said "I want to call you to become a Relief society teacher." I replied, "Bishop, i can't even speak in sacrament meeting for 5min i don't think i can teach haha." he answered and said i know you will bring something to the relief society. Planning my Lesson on Hope of God's light by President Uchtdorf... This lesson was so for me. God works in many ways. There is a light at the end of the Tunnel. Even if you feel alone you are not alone... God is there and you just need to talk to him and pour out your heart. 5 months ago i was struggling with things and asking God why me?! i felt so alone. I didn't understand why this happened to me it was a major change in my life. it was hard!

My little sister Katherine she is on a mission right now (Trujillo, Peru). I sent her a email to pray for me and tell her life was hard and Satan was attacking me from every directions.She replied saying,

hello!!!!!!!!!!! i always pray for you trogs!!!! dont worry. read D/C 121 7-8 yeah life is tough at times trust me here i had a butt load of problems. yeah, oh dear old satan he knows how good you are and how great you are going to be like it says in jsh vers 25 i think that he knows how great we will be and he does everything possible so that we will trip and be like him miserable but if we do everything right like you go to the temple, read, go to church pray yeah he is already losing. you are a good person a good daughter of God and nothing can make you trip nothing can bring you down you are brave and strong Aurorita! trust in the Lord like prov 3 5. trust and obey all you can do. there is a reason for so many trials and temptations so that we can learn that is why we came to earth to learn and to be tried to see how great we can be and how we can overcome our trials and with those trial we can help others. just like Joseph Smith he had a lot of temptations trial but he kept going. I love you, stay strong!! Hermana Palacio"

" Gosh this helped me so much. I started reading my scriptures daily and going to the temple every week & started reading Jesus the Christ. Gosh my Savior is amazing, I'm so much closer to God and i'm still learning more and more about him everyday. I get little miracles everyday, I know its him helping me and not leaving my side. he will always be by my side and never leave. God's Love never changes. I KNOW this church is true and I KNOW my Savior lives! I'm a mormon i know it i live it and i LOVE IT! The church is True!