Here is what I shared: Satina, I have told my story to very few people because honestly, over the years I felt judgement from those even in the highest seats of the church but today my heart felt SO many emotions when I read your status because I have been Nick, Keith and I were Nick. As you know my home was not perfect. My brothers were not active and my dad was less active in many aspects and home life was not happy due to drug and mental health problems from my brothers. I remained the perfect Mormon girl for my parents by going to seminary, finishing my YW Medallion, even giving Keith, my boyfriend at the time, a Book of Mormon at the temple and honestly, being a really good kid! I was laurel class president up until Christmas break of my Senior year when I became angry at the Lord for what was happening to my family. I stopped going to church and during those last few months of my senior year, deep down I knew the church was true but anger kept me from going regularly. At the end of May, the night of my senior prom, I made a decision that changed my life forever. The next morning was a wake up call to where I was in my life and where I needed to go back to. I decided to go back to church and talk with my bishop. I even went to girls camp two weeks later! A month after girls camp, I discovered I was pregnant with Diana. Keith and I were young, shocked and emotionally raw at the discovery. So many dreams went away - going to Ricks, running in college for Keith, and the traditional path we both had once dreamed of in our youth! I remember Keith and I crying for days and days on end finally buoying up the courage to face our fears to tell our parents face to face. The frightful night came and emotions were high, especially from his parents who already didn't like me because of my LDS ties but what my parents did right that night was the love that they showed me. We met with my Bishop and the love he showed me was what kept me going through those emotionally challenging next few months. He wrapped his arms around me and told me with tears in his eyes that my Savior loved me and this changed nothing in how he felt about me. Over the next few months that fall, I would be called "A Mormon Whore", "The girl who had it all but lost it", "Slut", and endless names that I won't list here. I was none of what I was called of course but they hurt - some even coming from the RS president and her councilors. The next few months of repentance brought about a change of heart with His Grace and His love that words can not grasp. It CHANGED ME for the better and made ME the strong person I am today. It made me realize that out of that night I was able to share my gift of the gospel of Jesus Christ with my husband who joined the church when I was 5 months pregnant. He studied the scriptures with me, becoming a changed person and wanting to be baptized. Eventually we were married and sealed.
The week we were to be sealed was filled with MANY trials that were put in our way to deter us to move our sealing date. Keith and I prayed and fasted and felt the adversary working hard to keep us from going one of which was Diana getting VERY sick the night before with the flu. At 18 months old the night before we were to be sealed for time and all eternity, she came down with a fever of a 102, chills and was lethargic. I was distraught because for months we had worked so hard to get here and now it would have to put off. We prayed with much faith that night for her to be healed. In the morning she was still sick but we felt we should GO TO THE TEMPLE and to trust him, all would be well. We dressed our sick little Diana and headed off with our family members to the Portland temple and as we pulled up to the temple Diana became quiet and smiled. We headed into the temple with her, still sick and as we went into the temple, her sickness left – her fever was gone….our prayers had been answered. Because we listened, we not only were sealed that day but we saw a miracle – a gift of faith, a little note from my Heavenly Father saying, “See, I told you it would be ok ;)”. It truly was one of the best days of my life!
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