My name is Eleonora, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I was baptized at the age of 30, when I was already a wife and a mother. I can say I know what it is like to live with and without this knowledge and these principles. For this reason I can say I understand the reaction of those who are not LDS concerning my choices. The wife of a general authority of the Church one day came to Milan and talking to us "sisters" (I know that who is not LDS must also deal with the mormon language, please feel free to ask any term you may hear and not understand) told us laughing that if we aren't told at least once a day that we are "weird" we couldn't be considered truly LDS. We all laughed at this joke, but it left me thinking about it. Why weird? Why had I been called so so very often or treated as such after my baptism? Simply because what I have known and in which I have believed my me change my prospective of things. My spiritual eyes were open. In this new prespective my priorities changed, the value of some things compared to others. My perspective widened. I know that life on this Earth arrived only after we lived another one, a premortal one, and that this really short moment here will determine my eternity. Doesn't everything change with this perspective? At the light of what I believe in I guarantee you that your choices will change. And the more faith, which I try to cultivate day after day, deepens, the more what I want to do in "my" life (which is not really "mine") becomes crucial. God is no longer a distant and unknown entity, but is a Father, a Father that loves me unconditionally and that is always ready to listen to me, to watch over me, to answer me if my heart is willing to turn to Him. Doesn't everything change with this perspective? And know that I belong to a marvelous plan of happyness? And that I have my free will that no one can take away from me? Based on this and on many other things I have learned as LDS, I have made choices, both big and small, that very often were in opposition with the general beliefs of the "world". And I know that maybe some may think me crazy when one day I will tell people that, together with my husband, I will serve a two year mission in a place I did not choose. The Church of Jesus Christ does not ask me to do it. But because of all the happyness that my family and I have received feeling so loved and blessed, I can't wait to go!! What better way to thank and honor Someone to Whom you owe everything, than serving your neighboor as He has always taught you? Doesn't everything change with this perspective? Everyday I need my Father. With time I am learning to getting to know Him better (this does not count for Him, as He knows me better than I do) and we have established a very profound relationship. I invite all of you to find and deepen this relationship. We are all His children and this is not only allowed, but reccomended to all. He doesn not want anything else than for us to speak to him. Keeping this thread with Heaven has become vital to me. And guess what? I am LDS, but I also have trials, moments of frustration, difficulties, having to take decisions big and small. And in order to keep this thread that gives me guidance, comfort, happyness, joy, inspiration etc. I have to do my best to live a certain lifestyle, that of who has chosen, with all the difficulties that come from it to be a disciple of Christ. And so I am always happier to have chosen not to drink alcoholic beverages,not to smoke, to live my Sundays in a different way, than inside of a shopping mall as most people around here. This way I recognize that every talent I have is a gift that Heavenly Father gave me and I want to use well by serving Him, which to me means making others happy. This is how I prize, appreciate and support with all my heart a special brother like David, and thank him for being such a big example. Those who do good must be supported. and after two years serving others full time, I find my brother David (because he really is my brother in Christ) changed extraordinarily for the best. Sharing this for me is reason for great joy and I thank each one of you. Believe me: you are not loosing David. You are finding him anew. :)
Un abbraccio
Eleonora
PS: I wrote this in the morning of the 6th of January 2015 at 6 AM after a still small voice told me so strongly these words that I had to get up, take pen and paper and write everything down. But this is just another of those "weird" things I spoke of early on. ;)
