My life in less than 2000 words.

For my family history class I was asked to share my testimony and outlook on life. I thought I would share it on here too!

"1.7 Testimony/View of life

For my beloved family and friends, I want to share with you a little about my life and my testimony and conversion. I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah to Gary and Gloria Stubbs. I was the youngest of 4 children and when I was three, we moved to Salem, Oregon to live close to my grandparents.

I really enjoyed my childhood and felt that I didn’t lack any needs. I may not have had cable tv growing up but I did stay out and play until the streetlights came on. My siblings, Megan, Joe, Brendan, and later Emily, are some of the closest people in my life. At the moment, I am closest to my sisters and parents but I want to work on my relationships with my brothers. We have so many fond memories of my parents and the fun things we did together! Disneyland, camping, Renaissance fairs, Harry Potter movie premiers, Christmas, Santa, Thanksgiving, Halloween, General Conference and mom’s famous orange rolls.

The gospel has been a strong influence in my life. With my experiences at home and in the youth programs, I was ready to be baptized at age 8 and felt prompted to read the entire Book of Mormon at age 14. I’ve always felt that the gospel was true but reading The Book of Mormon helped me gain a strong testimony that would be essential for growing up in these times, especially in such a liberal and moralistically declining world. Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, I never really ‘fit in’ and knew that that was how it was going to be since I was so different. I wasn’t afraid to be a Latter-Day Saint, although I think I could have been a little more loving and tolerant of other people’s beliefs, looking back.

I originally wanted to attend BYU but was not accepted. When I came to terms that I would be going to BYU-Idaho, things were peaceful and I knew that I was on the right path. I met Patrick, my husband, while he was serving a mission during my senior year of high school. He served in my sister’s family ward for 11 months out of his mission and because my sister invited the missionaries over to share dinner with her family of four boys and one girl, we became good friends. When he finished his mission and went home to Arizona, I moved to Idaho for my first semester of college. Before he left, he gave me a letter explaining that he had liked me for months and would like to keep in contact after his mission. I was ecstatic!

Two weeks later he came up to visit me in Rexburg and we started dating long-distance until he was able to attend BYU-Idaho in January. We dated until February and became engaged on the 8^th. During March I planned my wedding in Oregon and we were married April 13^th, 2013 in the Portland mission. We have been married for a year and half and have learned and grown so much already.

We lived in a studio apartment for a year and we recently moved to a one bedroom apartment while attending a wonderful ward. I have been called to serve as a Relief Society president and I am so grateful for this experience! I love the sisters in the ward and am so grateful to be where I am at the moment.

Yes, things are stressful and difficult, and I do get lonely without family near, but I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and that I have one of the greatest men as a husband who treats me like a 

queen. I love the gospel and am so blessed to be a part of it and to have been able to receive sacred ordinances in the temple.

I hope that as Patrick and I prepare for parenthood

, that I can continue to improve my testimony and love of the gospel as well and be able to take care of myself physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I know that  a love of the gospel and service brings happiness and I am so grateful to have been given so much to work with and to bless the lives of others.

I know that as we experience adversity and are pulled down by the filth of the world and even our own doubts and fears, a hope in Christ and his atonement and the gospel will pull us through. I know that families are essential to Heavenly Fathers plan and I am so excited to start one and to take the good things from my childhood and pass them down to my children."