Chapter 12: Breaking News

When we got back to John's house I pulled him into his room. I said, "Well......when are they going to set up the baptismal font?"

He looked at me and smiled, then laughed, then hugged me tight lifting me off the floor. He put me back down and looked at me again, smiling and hugged me again. Then he said, "Whenever you want."


"As soon as possible," I said. After my long, agonizing search I was ready for the next step.

"Who's going to baptize you?" he asked, looking into my eyes.

"I don't know," I said, looking back at him, teasingly. He knew I wanted him to.

"I'm not!" he said almost embarrassed.

"You have to," I answered. Afterall, he's the one that lead me to this point.

We tried to figure out a way to tell his parents, family and the missionaries. We sat at the dinner table trying to act like everything was normal. Then John's dad said, "Well, when are you getting baptized?"

"How'd you know?" I asked surprised.

"I didn't," he answered, even more surprised.

They were all excited for me. We tried to make a date to get baptized, but my best girlfriend was going out of town and a lot of friends had a Madre Chior competition. We finallly set the date for April 4th at 7:00 PM.

The next day in school I told a few friends first thing in the morning. Friends screamed and hugged me. I told a few of my favorite teachers by inviting them to my baptism. In the words from my journal:

"That seemed like the best day in my life. So much love and encouragement was shown to me and I believe it strengthened a lot of people. Most of them were born into a family which knew the true and only gospel and did not have to go through the mixed emotions and great search I had to go through. People I barely knew or didn't know congratulated me and showed me their faith in God. I believe there were a lot of prayers for me which in some way may have smoothed my rough path to find the truth. By the end of the day I think the whole school knew that I was getting baptized. It was probably the biggest shock this year. "Krista, the anti-Mormon, getting baptized."

My whole week was so "free." Free seems to be the only word to describe my feelings. I felt as if I were trapped for months and was finally free. The load was no longer on my shoulders.

[There were a few negative remarks, too, a few angry people. They were disappointed because I was the "good example" of a non-LDS student. I wasn't doing this for them. I am the only one who has to live with this decision.]

John was being very moody during the weeks before my baptism. They seemed to be the longest weeks in my life. I thought John just didn't want me around anymore. He was happy until I came around then his smile would fade and he would no longer talk to anyone. If he wasn't happy around me I didn't want to ruin anything for him. I was going to tell him maybe we shouldn't see each other anymore, but my friends told me to hang in there because he might just be scared and nervous for my baptism. Breaking up with him would be so hard for me. He had written me so many special notes and we had so many special times that when I think of the good times the bad times seem to not seem so bad."

Even though it seemed to be a couple of weeks of trials, I nevered doubted the decision I made. I could never deny the spiritual witness I received when I prayed to know if the church was true and if I should be baptized. I have not always been perfect since, but I have never questioned the truthfulness of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or it's doctrines. That one answer to that one prayer is all I needed.


.....to be continued.....