Everything I Am by Keirsten Nielsen

Kansas City Missouri Temple

​I grew up in the bible belt of eastern Kansas.  I didn’t live in a small town; I was in a suburb of Kansas City.  A lot of who I am came from my upbringing there.  I learned a lot about people and religion that has stuck with me in my journey that has led me to Saint Johns, AZ.

​I was the third child of seven, six of which were boys.  I believe I was always a good natured child and I’ve always had a burning love for my Savior and Heavenly Father.  As a child I can remember I wanted to do things that would make my Father in Heaven happy with me and my choices.  When I was three my mother taught us a lesson on tithing and that next Sunday I took all the coins I had in my little coin purse and eagerly dumped them into a tithing envelope.  I was super excited about the entire experience and could have cared less about the money.  When I was eight I could hardly wait to get baptized, and when the day finally arrived I was literally filled with pure joy.  My biggest dream was to someday go inside the temple.  When I turned 12 I got to go on a temple trip to the Denver Colorado temple (that was the closest one to us at the time).  The greyhound bus was buzzing with excitement as we drove to the temple.  It was dark when we finally arrived.  All the youth were loud and rowdy and most likely just stir crazy from the cramped bus trip.  I’ll never forget the feeling of entering the temple grounds for the first time.  I distinctly remember the spirit change to one of peace and tranquility and I knew I loved the temple even more at that moment.

​There were not many members in the area where I grew up.  I got to see the church grow.  When we first moved to our home in Olathe, Ks there was not a church building nearby.  The closest one was in Paola, 35 minutes away.  Soon word came that a new stake center was being built about a mile from our home.  I recall driving by often to see the progress of the new building. When the stake center was finished and we were able to attend church there my family was thrilled. 

​My experience at school was different than what most youth experience here.  Being a Mormon made my life a little harder at school.  I don’t remember anything standing out until my middle school years.  I started getting questions like, “Aren’t Mormons born with horns?”  In Choir, my favorite class, I would sit with my friends and we would have religious debates.  There were Baptists, Nazarene, non-denominational, Catholic and me.  We had all kinds of discussions.  In the middle school days the debates were sometimes focused on whose church was right and whose was not. As I moved into my high school years the discussions turned more to explaining my religion to my friends.  Some of their churches had classes against the LDS church and these kids would come and ask me questions. I would try to clear up the falsehoods they had learned.  With all the criticism members faced in the area I felt it was my duty to prove that Mormons were good people by my example.  I also gained a realization that all Christians are wonderful people and I love them all, all denominations.  Some of the best kids I knew were not LDS.  

​I am grateful for the friendships I had and for the good people I grew up around.  I’m grateful that I had the fullness of the gospel in my life.  I’m glad I held true to my faith and I’m glad I had the opportunity to stand out in a crowd. 

​Everything I am and everything I hold dear I owe to my Savior Jesus Christ.  I have loved Him since before I can remember.  All the good and all the blessings I have ever received are because of Him.  There has not been one good thing that has happened to me that is not in direct correlation with my knowledge of Jesus Christ and my decision to follow him and be his disciple.  I know if I continue to follow Him I will continue my life in peace and happiness.  I love my Savior with all my heart and I pray we never lose our excitement for all the joys the gospel of Jesus Christs brings to our lives.  I still get excited when I step on the temple grounds.  There is nothing better in this life than entering into the house of the Lord and serving our ancestors.

         Being in St. Johns has been a true blessing to me.  I no longer feel like I’m proving a point with my religion.  I feel like I’m living it and loving every minute of it.  This community is my home and I love the people here.  I love all the denominations and I’m grateful for good people who believe and follow Jesus Christ.