My Conversion Story & Testimony

As you will discover by my blog i am not some 'articulatedly (if that's a word)gifted member' such as yourself. But still learning and pressing forward in faith.

I suppose this is a good challenge to me to reflect back on not only the past few years when i came into contact with Church members for the first time but to look further back knowing that Heavenly parents sent me here with a divine mission in mind. I was born into a Christian home with rich traditions and values, I am one of 5 children to a family. Family was essential to me right back then as was the rich knowledge that God's love was 'unconditional'. As i grew, i discovered very painfully that love like that was often not my experience in day to day life. But with every hurt, abuse and violation experienced i continued to know that Heavenly Father's love was -unconditional.

It my early 20's I entered formal religious life with a congregation based on being like Mary and serving God with a wholehearted "Yes".The congregation I was most closely drawn to was one that was imaged on the "Family Tree", in that it had Priests,Sisters,Brothers,Missionaries and the Laity all working, living,serving and growing in the charism of Mary (Jesus Mother). However, despite my deep love for the sisters and this congregation I knew deep down that I could serve the Lord better without taking vows. So press forward i did, leaving behind a depth of gratitude, love and respect for my 'religious life' companions thus far.

It seemed like seconds after that transition that my darling dad began a fight with Leaukemia! I was totally gutted. My dad had been a sheep farmer for most of his life and a wonderful example to me of the 'good shepherd' ... a friend, a guide and a spiritual example to me throughout my life. I then met my now husband who I married feeling a sense of stability and love that I had long thought impossible from anyone other than God himself! We began our family with two beautiful sons. I don't think i had fully appreciated what a 'miracle' was until giving birth.God's hand was definitely involved in bringing these babes into my arms - how else can you fit something the size of a watermelon through a key ring!!!!!! My beautiful dad died three weeks before my second son was born. A bitter sweet moment for me...but i knew then like now that my dad would be with me still - just from Heaven! We then had a miscarriage whom we call (Joy) followed by a beautiful little boy whom we named (Thomas) who was stillborn whilst he saved my life...i could not save his. Grief and loss seemed to surround me...questions about the eternities were not forth coming from my Church I had always known and grew up with.......yet i had a reassurance like never before that my babes and my dad were indeed in Heaven and that Mother Mary would help dad with those babes until it was my time to join them!

I began to quilt...trying to make something beautiful from scattered pieces of fabric seemed like therapy that reflected my struggle of life and my new found desire to "Know my purpose for being here". In a Church that could not acknowledge my sweet Thomas(because he was 6 hours too young in womb, to be given a full birth certificate!) I was sent home to bury him myself on Mother's Day with my husband. A Church who believed a life is a life from the moment of conception, I was now faced with a search for 'truth' like never before...which Church is true???whilst trying to continue raising two boys and loving two babes in heaven and a husband as Christian. We visited and were fellowshiped by other Churches during this time of 'ecommunical' searching. I then had phnemonia and passed it on to my husband and nearly killed him with it....

It was time to prioritize our health like never before...we began a home delivery run of 'organic' fruit vegetables and groceries......and strangely enough i started to feel like i was coming alive again. One of our customers was Sister and Brother Stevenson and their family of 10 (mostly male) clan. Sister Stevenson and her ideas of provident living matched mine, she too knew that my 'angel' children were in HIS fold in heaven ...we became great friends. Brother Stevenson was a fishermen with stories of faith through trials that would capture all of my families attention and appreciation for 'truth'. One day, that I am moved to tears at fondly remembering...Sister and Brother Stevenson sat me down (as they often had at the end of a busy delivery run), however, this time was different! This time they acknowledged that I had come from a Church background and that they respected me in my search for truth. They told me how much they would like me to read a book and ask the Spirit to testify if it was true...but above all not let the book come between our friendship. (i think i failed 'em on that last one- cos i think it kind of built a bridge between us but i guess that wasn't what they feared). I folded the book in my arms and assured them i would read it. Why wouldn't I ...this family had some of the most amazing teens I had ever met - i wanted my boys to be like that!

Well please don't ask me what my family ate that week... I just thank heavens that I did come home with not only the Book of Morman but also with several boxes of organic produce that kept the family all nourished as I chewed my way through the book...I read it cover to cover...not stopping ...night and day...with the exception throughout - i paused to ask what Brother Stevenson had said "ask the Spirit to testify of the 'truth'"...................Walla! I was balling, reading, balling,reading (in australia balling is when we cry enough to break the even the worst drought) ....it was true...it matched everything i knew from life's experience to that point...even the unexplainable events......Thomas and Joy did have a heavenly purpose....to get me to search for "truth". We had wonderful missionaries, who had times taught us much more than the Plan of Salvation! David my husband was baptized two years ago on Joy's birthday(this past week) and in turn baptized the boys on their birthdays and me on Thomas' birthday.

It didn't happen over night...we took 18 months to begin to learn from a 6 week cycle of missionary talks...but I wasn't going anywhere - I KNEW like i have a nose on the end of my face that this book is true and that unlike Pinocchio...my heavenly babes "were REAL" children and they like the Stevenson Family and so many others were great missionaries that helped get us this far...as did our "FAITH". I will be 'eternally' grateful for the courage and Faith it took for the Stevenson's to share this little book with such a HUGE impact on our family!

In December of last year we went on our first ever international trip...to UTAH........we were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple after taking our endowments. It was the most beautiful day with my family all sealed and aknowledged as a "Family Forever". Our life leading up to and even after the temple has not been smooth sailing.Indeed there have been times when if it were not for 'taking the Saviours hand' I like Peter would surely have drowned. However, faith moves me forward through those trials when I place trust in HIM and 'not look back' i feel HIS reassuring Love and Companionship again.

To catch a glimpse twice of our beloved prophet along with Elder Ukdorf and Elder Eyring was like seeing the snow and how beautiful things are clean...beautiful people are of God!

I testify that we do have a living prophet and of the prophets since Joseph Smith that have so truthfully restored the Gospel. I believe that when we too share this Gospel in our lives and how we live in Faith knowing and learning of "truth" that My Redeemer Lives! I testify that the blessings of the atonement are real and that when we take the Saviour's hand we can have the Holy Spirit's peace and our Heavenly Father's love with us daily. My name is Tanya Boylan and I am a Latter-Day Saint who writes this testimony and story of my conversion in the name of Jesus Christ.