1,417 days of conversion.

"My dear investigator, friend of the Church, if you are listening today, you are very close to reaching the greatest joy. You are close!

Let me invite you, with all the energy of my heart, and from the depths of my soul: go and be baptized! It is the best thing you will ever do. It will change not only your life but also the lives of your children and grandchildren.

The Lord has blessed me with a family. I married Renee, and we have four beautiful children. And because of my baptism, I can, like the prophet Lehi of old, invite them to partake of the fruit of the tree of life, which is the love of God (see 1 Nephi 8:15; 11:25). I can help them come unto Christ.

So please consider my experiences, and (1) take the missionaries very seriously, (2) go to church and remember spiritual feelings, (3) read the Book of Mormon and ask the Lord if it is true, and (4) experience repentance and be baptized.

I testify to you that if you pay the price of revelation, humble yourself, read, pray, and repent, the heavens will open and you will know, as I know, that Jesus is the Christ, that He is my Savior and yours." Elder Joaquin E. Costa

This talk was given in General Conference, April 2017. General conference is a type of worship that We as Latter Day Saints participate in every six months. This is something that is very exciting and special, because we are able to listen to our church leaders. We are blessed with helpful insights, guidance and a whole lot of encouraging love. 

This talk was different than the talks I have heard previously in General Conference. This talk was specifically for those who may be investigating the church, and the converts to the church. Directly speaking to these groups of people. Calling them out. Putting the spot light on them. Which, as you may or may not know, happens to be myself. It was directed towards me. It got me thinking about the time that I spent investigating the church, the doubts and fears that held me back, the happiest moments of my entire life that involved Elder Nye, Elder Lolo and Elder Bassett.. and the time that it took me to devoted myself to the gospel of Jesus Christ. "you are very close to reaching the greatest joy. You are close!" --REACHING THE GREATEST JOY. YOU ARE CLOSE.-- As if he was saying, reach a little further, continue extending your hands, continue with an open mind and heart. you are so close to reaching the greatest happiness you will ever feel. the greatest joy. I know from personal experience that becoming a member of this church, or any sort of faith as an individual, without your family members, can be very difficult. So to be told, and encouraged -- that the greatest joy is just around the corner, oh how glorious to hear those words. "go and be baptized! It is the best thing you will ever do." THE BEST THING YOU WILL EVER DO???? How is this possible? How can somebody be so sure of this? I can only speak for myself; but the reason that I know it is the best thing that I have ever done, is through the impact that it has made on my life, through the happiness that has been brought into my life through being baptized, through Jesus Christ and my love for him. My grandma used to sing me a song when I was young, 'You put a big big smile on my heart--' If I could sing one song to Jesus Christ, this would be the song. It's a difficult feeling to put into words, my love for Jesus Christ. But the one way I can best describe, is 'you put a big big smile on my heart--' the kind of smile or happiness that could make your entire body burst of joy. The kind of smile and happiness that makes your entire body feel energized and on cloud9. Know what I mean?

"Dear brothers and sisters, it is not easy for us to recognize the love of Heavenly Father when we look around with our temporal eyes, because we see inconvenience, loss, burdens, or loneliness first. On the other hand, we can see the blessings beyond when we look up. …ITS NEVER TOO LATE TO LOOK UP TO JESUS CHRIST. His arms are always open to you. There are generations before us and after us depending on us to follow Christ so that we can be an eternal family of God. …It’s not always easy to look up when your parents are opposed to the gospel, when you are a member of a small Church unit, when your spouse is not a member, when you are still single although you did your best to marry, when a child has strayed, when you find yourself a single parent, when you are physically or emotionally challenged, or when you are a victim in a disaster, and so on. Hold on to your faith in those hard times. Look up to Christ for strength, balance, and healing. Through the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, “all things shall work together for [your] good” [D&C 100:15].

I love that this talk speaks about it never being too late for Jesus Christ. There is always time when you choose Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ makes time for you. You have enough time to look up unto Jesus Christ. Always. I was faced with a text message from a young woman about a month ago, a woman who is very near and dear to my heart, that read 'I wish I had stayed Mormon--' In which, I decided to say "It's not like you cannot go back. Going back is always an option. ALWAYS. But a choice must be made." All things in life are difficult. But with Christ on our side, they become slightly easier. I also love, the fact that any position or situation you may be in, it is and always will be difficult. It is not easy to look up unto Christ when you are alone in the journey, or when you have a million difficult tasks on your schedule. It is not easy to look unto Christ when tragic and difficult trials are near and present. But when you look unto Christ is when the miracle happens. When you look unto Christ, he will bless you with the strength and patience that you need to come out on top.

my heart is screaming inside of me right now ' I LOVE JESUS CHRIST!!'

Last Sunday, I went to a random ward. & the coolest thing happened. There had been a man who had been baptized the day before. And this man was being confirmed on this day.

Last Month I had the chance to renew my temple recommend, for the first time since being endowed. I had the opportunity to share bits and peaces of my conversion with my Bishop. Since then, it has weighed on my mind and heart. My conversion was a renewed feeling. It has brought my heart to a place that I tend to forget about at times.

After sharing my conversion, I added a piece of testimony that I had recently come to learn. Which was this. I've often thought about how special it is that in my time of desperation, in my time of desire to learn the truth. I not once questioned where to find that. I knew exactly where to go, how to find it and how to achieve it. There were many places that I could have turned to for peace, for religion and some time of comfort. But I had no doubt or question about what I wanted. When I was ready for the truth, I turned in exactly one direction. I did not struggle to find it. Nor did I turn else where.

I think that this is a large part about my testimony that I hadn't realized before. It was easy to learn, because I wanted to learn. It was easy to love Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father because I some how already loved them, very deeply. It was easy to know them, because I already knew them, deep in my heart. It was easy to accept the gospel and the teachings because I had already lived them.

What a BLESSING. People search far and wide, for many years. They turn to addictions sometimes because of desperation. They seek out many different religions, only to be let down. But I got the blessing of knowing exactly where to turn to. And I could not be more grateful for that. I am truly blessed.

I've been able to ponder today about my own conversion. The things that I love about it. The feelings that I felt during that time in my life. The memories of my Elders. Every small word or phrase that those Elders touched my heart with. And all of the laughs that I had with those Elders.

It's sometimes a hard thing to even think about; because it sometimes stings thinking that those are simply memories now. And that will never exist again. But it's such a rewarding feeling. To know that a part of my life is now closed, and better things await. Bittersweet.

Those moments of my life proved to be some of the most difficult I've experienced in my life. But honestly, some of the happiest, most rewarding moments of my life. Some of the most treasured moments, some of the most cherished moments and memories that I will ever hold.

I wish that every single person on this planet, on this earth, could experience something this strong, and so touching.

But let me elaborate--

In these moments, I was learning about Jesus Christ for the first time. In and on a personal level. Doesn't seem like a huge deal. Right? Everybody goes through that. After 18 years of living without Jesus Christ. 18 Years of not truly understanding that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior. 18 years of only knowing this mans name & not understanding that he IS my everything, that he died for me and knows everything about me. That's a very large pill to swallow. After 18 years of life, I met a man, my Lord, Savior and King. I met Jesus Christ. A man that I had forever longed for. A man that all of the sudden, I loved with enormous amounts. After 18 years of living, I spoke with my Heavenly Father. I met the man that had created the heart inside of me, that loved him so deeply.

What an experience. It's difficult to put into words. It is such a special and spiritual high. That is absolutely extraordinary.

Thoughts on my confirmation now--

There is nothing closer to Heaven. That is the only way I can think of describing the feeling. But such an amazing feeling. Full of Happiness, joy and peace. As if nothing could ever go wrong. A feeling of such satisfactory. I know that in that moment, and since that moment, I have not felt closer to my Savior Jesus Christ. Partaking of the sacrament, is representing us becoming ONE with our Savior. Becoming close. Him in me and I in him. And this is how the confirmation felt. As if his entire light filled soul was within me. A very content feeling. A feeling of strength. indestructible.

How I still long to feel that once more.

I'd like to say that my conversion, and any conversion for that matter. Is on going. It is a continual action to be made and desired for. My conversion is 1,417 days old. But also, 1,417 days new. And I feel overwhelmed with how blessed I am.

This has been weighing heavily on my mind, and I just had to share a few thoughts.

Knowing God -- Elder Bernard P. Brockbank