To the Folks Back Home; Why?

Over the last 18 months I've been serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It has been the most fun, thrilling, unexpected, sacred year and a half of my life. I've been able to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to all my dear Hispanic friends and to my fellow southerners. I have grow to love and appreciate both cultures. However, because I have been assigned to labor in this part of the Lord's vineyards I haven't had an equal opportunity to let the folks back home know why I chose to dedicate myself to The Lord and His work for a period of my life.

Many of you from home know that for a long time I was a rebel without a cause. I spent many nights with good friends living the country song "red solo cup". To be honest I didn't hate that life, I actually really enjoyed it, but constantly found myself stuck in the same situation,same problems, and same solutions. I started wondering if there was something that would actually make me happy for more than a night. I never managed to find it until I was reintroduced to the Book of Mormon by two young representatives of Jesus Christ. At first I just thought they were cute and fun to be around. With time, I understood that the happiness and joy they had was an outcome of their testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They actually believed in everything I thought my parents were crazy for trying to make me believe. "How do they know it's all true?", is what I thought. "How will I ever be able to be as happy as them after I've made such huge mistakes looking for the happiness the have?"

I continued to stick around the missionaries and started going back to church. As I began to leave my old life behind I started noticing that my struggles became easier to bare, I felt more direction in life and a sense of who I was beyond the party girl. The main source to receiving this new perspective was the Book of Mormon. A book of scripture written by prophets here on the American continent thousands of years ago. It was filled with stories of people finding faith, direction, and hope from and in God. I was able to find the happiness that I had been looking for for so long in this book that, to be honest, is more than just a book. It's like a big instruction manual for how to be happy in this life and in the life to come.

I was told by the missionaries that if I prayed to know if it was truly more scripture from God, that God would give me an answer. I didn't believe them at all. I just kept reading to continue to feel good.

I still remember how everything felt that night. I was sitting in my college bedroom by myself reading the Book of Mormon. Nobody else was home. As I was reading I felt this deep burning desire in my heart to know if it was all true and what significance it had in my life. I decided to get on my knees and offer a prayer. It wasn't anything fancy. I just simply asked my Heavenly Father if Joseph Smith was a true prophet and if the Book of Mormon was true. My dear friends, in that moment I cannot completely describe to you the way I felt. My heart and mind went blank. The worries, doubts, and challenges I had been facing with changing my life around all left my mind. All I could feel was peace. I knew that was my answer. Since that day I have never been able to deny that I knew the Book of Mormon was true. It has completely changed me.

Since that day I have always known where I could turn to find true and everlasting happiness. I didn't always stay on the path but I can tell you now, as I've lived the gospel, that it is the only way to be truly happy. A happiness that doesn't leave. Yes, I still have struggles which many of you have read about in emails but they are easier to overcome. I don't have to wait until the weekend to find happiness, I feel it everyday. I am still the same KC, just a little bit more refined and sure of my divine potential as a daughter of God.

So, here's my invitation to you. I invite you as your friend, sister, cousin, granddaughter, niece, or whoever I may be to you to read in the Book of Mormon. Do as I did and as an acient prophet directs and ask of God if it is true. I promise you as a representative of Jesus Christ that you will find EVERLASTING HAPPINESS and a sure knowledge of who you are, why you are here, and that your Father in Heaven wants you back. You will know exactly how to return to Him.

I testify that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth. He does have more for us! What loving Father wouldn't want to give more to His children? I testify that the Book of Mormon, as well as the Bible, is the word of God. It will only bring you closer to Christ. I have testified of these things the last 18 months of my life to my dear friends in the South. I have seen lives changed, families repaired, hearts healed, guilt swept away, and purpose of life found.

So, when you see me next week and wonder why I don't do the things I used to do or why I left home for 18 months, take my invitation to heart. When you do, you will know why!