My Personal Conversion

My name is Heather Lynn Nielsen and this is my Missionary blog. I am 19 years old and currently living in Provo, UT attending UVU. My decision to serve a mission was a long one and I never thought I'd be where I am now.

My personal conversion took a while, but was a much-needed journey. I attended Utah State University my freshman year and it was a blast! Me being a new adult, I was given all this freedom and I took advantage of it. I started making decisions for my self, including whether I would go to class that day or sleep in, whether I would eat dinner that night, and mainly whether or not I would go to church, I often made the decision not to. I found myself in situations I never should have been in and straying further and further from where I wanted to be in life, spiritually and temporally. I eventually didn’t want anything to do with the church.

I moved back home for the summer and continued my old habits, but was surrounded by better influences and was living with my parents again. I still wasn't making great decisions, then one night as I was talking with a good friend, it hit me, almost like a smack in the face that was saying "What are you doing Heather!? You know where you want to be, you know your end goals and this is not what you should be doing." As I drove home that night I cried out earnestly in prayer to my Heavenly Father, saying how sorry I was and that I just wanted to come home. I felt so many emotions, guilt, remorse, confusion, but I also felt an overwhelming sense of hope. I felt as though I was given a loving hug, he was saying “It’s okay. Now come back to me.” It was slow and hard at first, but I made it a point to go to church each week and met with my bishop regularly. The day I felt his presence back in my life was the happiest day. I changed everything. I started saying my prayers every night and doing daily scripture study and I felt closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ than I ever had before.

I made the decision to transfer to UVU and move to Provo. This was probably the best decision I could’ve made, but at the time, it felt like the worst. I loved USU and I loved my friends there, I always said I hated UVU and I’d never go there, that’s how I knew when the thought popped into my head that this was not my thought, and I needed to listen. Still unsure of the decision, I moved ahead with it, started registering for classes and eventually bought a contract in Provo and started attending there. This is where I met my roommates, who I can’t thank enough for knowing. Three of them are returned missionaries and had a positive influence on my decision, talking about their mission and what a wonderful experience it was. If you want to hear the rest about my decision to serve a mission, read “My Decision” post.

-Heather