My mother was raised in the Evangelical United Brethren faith and my great grandfather helped build the church building that I attended through high school. In fact, Megan, my eldest daughter was "baptized" in that same church prior to my joining the LDS church.
Dad was raised in the Lutheran faith. While believing in God, he wasn't as deeply seated in the Lutheran faith as the rest of his siblings. They all remained Lutherans throughout their entire lives. My father adopted the EUB faith for my mother and they were married in the church my great-grandfather helped build.
I was "baptized" on my mother's 33rd birthday, May 1, 1955 in the home of Reverend Soltau. Rev. Soltau was the minister who married my parents and baptized both of my brothers in the Evangelical United Brethren Church on South 4th Street in Aurora, Illinois. Rev. Soltau had been transferred in the seven years between my brother Al's birth and mine, but it was important to my mother that I be baptized by the same minister. So, they took me to Naperville, Illinois where I was baptized by sprinkling with water.
Infant baptisms are common in many churches and the EUBs were no exception to that tradition. Some churches call similar ordinances Christenings. In the LDS faith, it's equivalent to a baby's blessing. At any rate, many of the religions who teach infant baptism believe that a baby who has died without baptism will be denied entrance to heaven. As a child, I had a difficult time understanding why God would exclude an innocent, little baby for something so obviously out of their control.
While we were always members of the church, activity wasn't emphasized, especially after we moved to Wisconsin and there was no EUB church in town. We occasionally attended the Methodist church there.
As a child, I vividly remember a book I had about the American Indian and some of their stories and traditions. My mother told me about the Indian legend of the "great white God" who would return one day. While I wondered at the "return" of the great white God I filed it away in my memory. A memory that quickly came back when I was being taught the missionary discussions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. When I learned that Christ had appeared to the people living in the Americas after his resurrection and that they were taught by him and promised that he would return, the legend began to make sense.
I also remember a day when my mother was teaching me about putting my nickel in the offering plate during church. When I asked what happened with my nickel, she told me that the money went to pay for the church building, hymnals, etc. AND the minister's salary. "The minister gets PAID to teach us about God?!?!?" I didn't understand. That seemed like something everyone should do. Wasn't it? Another of my childhood curiosities that opened the door to my acceptance of the LDS faith.
When we moved back to Aurora from Wisconsin, we immediately returned to the EUB faith and, going into 7th grade, it was time for me to begin catechism classes. I attended class each Saturday for two years. I memorized numerous scriptures, all the books of the Bible and the Apostle's Creed. I took my turn regularly as an acolyte, lighting the candles at the beginning of the church service and snuffing them out at the end. And I learned the value of sitting in quiet prayer, just me and my Heavenly Father and I learned to recognize the way in which the Holy Ghost could communicate with MY spirit. During the two years of my catechism the EUB church merged with the United Methodist Church and in the spring of 1969 I was confirmed a member of Bethany United Methodist Church.
Church attendance was never a major part of my youth, but faith in God and an understanding that he existed, helped me through the deaths of my parents and I knew I was not alone. While I was in college and going through some difficult times, I began regularly attending the Methodist church in town and requested to become an elementary level Sunday School teacher. When I was feeling especially lonely and worried about Randy, I turned to my Bible, letting it open to answer my prayer and I felt comforted. Later that same week, Randy turned up at my door after nine months of no communication whatsoever.
The rest of my life has been strongly guided by the faith and trust I have in my Heavenly Father. He comforted me when we thought we were going to lose Samantha. He gave me strength and people to rely on when I was initially treading the waters of single motherhood. He has guided my career and made it possible for me to support myself and provide the necessities, and even some extras, for raising my children and he continues to guide my life and my heart. For these blessings, I am eternally grateful.
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