Melody Windover - Winchester 2 Hills Ward

After reading and listening to several if not all of the conference talks at least once sometimes several times over, I feel very “enlightened”.

When ever we receive counsel, especially from our living prophets and apostles, we are “enlightened” and in turn filled with the Spirit of God.  Over 22 years ago this month in 1995 my husband and I came through St. George on our honeymoon.  We were so intrigued by all the “Happy” people.  We watched them and observed them time and time again so happy, walking hand in hand. They looked so different from the people we were used to back East.  They looked different, they talked different, they dressed different. Different in a good way. We just couldn’t figure it out. And why were there so many churches. How did they get so many people to go to church? We had so many questions. Then on the last day here we visited the St. George Visitors Center. We wanted to see the big white church in the center of town. We then preceded to learn about the “Mormons”. We didn’t even know we were in “Mormon Country” We didn’t even know what “Mormons’ were.  They explained a little and gave us a pamphlet. Then we were “enlightened” again. We realized these people were “Happy” because of their church- their religion. We then went back to Maine and back to our lives. But we never forgot about the “Mormons”. We spoke so often about the “happy” people back in Utah. Eight years later we decided we wanted to buy a vacation/retirement home in Utah with the “happy” people.  After buying our home in Pine Valley, we were invited to church. By then we were Catholics (very active Catholics). After attending an real LDS church service we were again “enlightened”. I saw lights on the people in the church. We were even more curious about the Mormons now and learned all we could. We had the missionaries teach us for 10 years. Again each time we had the missionaries over we were “enlightened”. Until we finally moved to Utah in 2013 and joined the church in September of 2013. Again we were “enlightened” upon joining the church, being baptized and receiving the Holy Ghost. We were “enlightened” with each Sunday School lesson, each calling in the church.  We were again “enlightened” when we were endowed and sealed for all time and eternity in the St. George Temple in Nov. of 2014.  I have been “enlightened” with each trip to the Temple. Now, I am in my 2nd year of a church service mission right across from the Temple and the visitors center I visited 22 years ago. I serve at the Record Operations Center. We process the digital records from the Granite Mountain Vault in Salt Lake City and prepare then for indexing. I love it and learn new things every day. Why were the people so “happy” in St. George when we visited 22 years ago? They have been “enlightened” by the light of Christ. It was the light of Christ that I saw all those years ago. They are living the commandments, fulfilling their callings, attending the Temple. With each righteous choice they make they are being “enlightened” and growing and their light shines brighter.  The Light of Christ grows stronger when we do things that please Heavenly Father. Reading scriptures, praying, preparing for lessons, giving service etc. Our light shines brighter and we are happier.  Reading, praying and pondering these words from the conference have again “enlightened” me.

 Tomorrow on our 22^nd wedding anniversary, my husband and I will be working in the Baptistery at the St. George Temple as Temple workers,

22 years after we were visiting here as non members from Maine.

As I grow and learn in the gospel, my light grows as well.  I hope that I never stop growing in the gospel and my light is always getting brighter.