#usetheinternetforgood {my story }

al fox. tattooed mormon. her story is absolutely incredible. she definitely has been an amazing example to many people. i just listened to a podcast with her and richie t. from the cultural hall. you can listen to it here.

nick and i love the church, we know it's true. but moving around a lot has been hard and going to church wasn't a priority at times. {this is hard to post about, i haven't been very open about this to anyone} 

each ward we have moved in to we would go introduce ourselves to the bishop and let him know we were ready to serve. the bishop would ask us how long we were there for and the past few places we weren't really sure since they were temporary places to live. and they would just pass us on like we weren't really there. we did not feel welcomed at all.

i came from a ward in draper that has been there for a very long time. i grew up in that ward. so it was very hard for me to adjust to a new ward. so being treated the way we were was not ok for me. i am a sensitive little person so i probably took it the wrong way, but it's just how i am. it became very discouraging.

so nick and i a little over a year ago, moved into a house with some friends. we were all so excited that we would be in the same ward and we could all go to church together. nick and i did really well for the first while. nick even got a calling. it finally felt so right to be where we were at. we were on the right path again. nick got a calling as the ward mission leader. a perfect calling to help us get back into church. but as summer ended, nick went back to school and also got a 2nd job. i was going to school full time and working full time. we never ever saw each other. it was wake up, say bye, come home, go to bed. the next day we woke up, and same thing all over again. nick was unable to fulfill his calling. he was starting to miss meetings and other things. at church the bishop wouldn't even really look at us, wouldn't talk to us, nothing. it was hard, i felt like he should had asked if we were ok, if there was anything he could do. so we talked about it and nick felt like he needed to talk to the bishop about it. so he met up with him one sunday, nick asked to be released. it was hard, but it was what needed to happen. it was a short meeting but, the bishop was very understanding and nick was released. but then the next few sundays came, we have never ever been so cold shouldered before. it was almost as if the bishop was mad at us. it was the same thing he was doing before nick talked to him. i didn't understand, i was so discouraged. i didn't feel like we did anything wrong. so we were back to where we were. not going to church. but that didn't feel good either. i felt so empty, not happy, and definitely not myself. and i ended up just becoming content with this way we were living our life. 

so one day at school, my cute friend shanelle showed me a girl she met at a baptism the night before. and that girl was al fox, the tattooed mormon. shanelle told me to go read her blog. at the time i wasn't really interested. i was content with where i was at. i was so used to how nick and i were living, i just didn't really care anymore. all i did was go to work and school. i loved my job, my job was kind of a place of relief. but then i realized how i was acting there. not myself, i found myself being "in the crowd" there. nick noticed it as well. so on my day off, i decided to check out al fox's blog. she had posted a youtube video of her "3 year anniversary" it was of her and the missionary that had baptized her. it was so inspiring. she was so amazing, she had such an amazing spirit. she was so happy. i instantly started crying. that was happiness that i hadn't felt in what seemed like forever. i knew i could feel that happiness again. i wanted to feel that happiness again. i immediately texted nick and told him i wanted to go back to church. i knew we needed to and i knew that the time was right. 

i ended up emailing al. i told her i read her blogs and ended up telling her about my situation. i was excited to hear back from her. but it had been a few weeks and i still hadn't heard back. so i kind of just ended up forgetting about it. 

my work was still an issue for us. it wasn't a good place for me to be. i wasn't happy there. so around this time nick and i knew we were moving to salt lake. so i ended up putting in my 2 weeks.  it needed to happen. and i am glad i quit. it has made such a difference, i am so much happier. nick and i are happier. 

so now nick and i are all settled {well, almost all settled} into our new apartment. we have gone to our new ward, and i got a reply from al. it was a few months later, but she is busy and none the less i was so excited to get a reply. she told me she had just barely posted a blog about her story of being converted and moving to utah. her email said:

this makes me think of a post I just barely wrote yesterday:

  http://alfoxshead.blogspot.com/2013/04/tattooed-mormon.html

"When those times arise where you have to make that same decision I did, think to yourself, ‘is this worth giving up my eternal salvation?’ Is that comment your ward member said to you worth giving up your eternal happiness? Is that look someone just gave you worth giving up the profound, indescribable blessings Heavenly Father has to give to you? Is it worth stopping yourself from returning to live with Him again? Is it worth your exaltation?"

Al 

so i went and read the whole blog story. it is amazing, please read it. that quote has stuck with me ever since she emailed me back. my work, and those friends there are not worth my eternal salvation. they are great people, and i am forever grateful that i met them. but my happiness, nick, the church and heavenly father come first. i wrote her back and let her know how i was doing:

thanks so much for your reply.

My husband and I once again have moved, this move was definitely for the better and we couldn't be happier where we are at. We are now living in downtown Salt Lake, and it is amazing. We have made new goals, and have started going to church again. What a world of difference it has been!! We are both more positive and so much happier. To think that we let the church slip away from us for a while is something I don't want to ever have happen again. But I know we had to go through that trial for a reason, that reason I do not know yet, but I'm sure I will find out sooner or later. Thanks so much for you inspirational stories and words. You are without a doubt an amazing example to so many people. 

Thanks again for you time

Denise

How neat to hear! this put a big smile on my face!

Al Fox

what an amazing girl. she is an incredible example. 

this is a something i never thought i would blog about. but i know someone might need to hear it besides me. 

the church is true. so true. i know that nick and i went through this trial for a reason, i know going back to church is the right thing to do. i know that nick and i are so much happier because of it. 

thanks for reading this lengthy blog post, i love you all.

ps i am so incredibly grateful for all the wonderful people i have in my life. my family, everyone at my school {literally everyone, i have made some incredible friends there that i can't even imagine my life without.} and my wonderful hubby.