April 17, 2016
Dear Leona,
You are such a blessing to your family and we all love you very
much. Your family are teaching you the best things in life which come from
living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It will make you the best daughter, sister,
mother and friend you can be, Leona!
When I was born my family didn't know about the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints. We'd never heard of the Mormon Church.
I had a good friend, Lu Ann Cornelius, who came to Cambrie &
Bryce's wedding reception, that I met when I was about 11 years old- about
1967. She'd just moved to the little farming town of Brentwood in northern
California. She was in my 5th grade class at school. I wanted her to be my
friend and over the course of the next two years we became close friends.
She was very nice and when I visited her home, which I did a
lot, I really liked her family. They had 2 other girls, one just my age and one
older, and a little brother who they loved dearly. And she had this big brother
who was 'on a mission' but I didn't understand what that meant until a couple
years later.
At the end of 7th grade Lu Ann asked if I wanted to go to her
church's girls camp that summer. I liked camping and thought it sounded really
fun. I asked my parents and they said that would be fine with them. So I went.
I remember it was in the Sierra Mountains, and there were lots of girls there.
Lu Ann's two sisters were with us too. While we were there Lu Ann sprained her
ankle, so we didn't join in all the activities because she couldn't hike or
anything. But the last night was a campfire and testimony meeting and
that is when I felt the influence of the Holy Ghost for the first time. It was
wonderful, but I didn't really understand.
After we came home, Lu Ann asked if I wanted to go to Sunday
School the next week, I think. When I asked my mom she said yes, but she was
going to come with me. My mom had been looking for a church to attend. We'd
tried the local Methodist Church for a while, but had stopped going. So we went
to church at the Mormon Church in Brentwood. The people were very nice. Before
long, some ladies, called stake missionaries, from the ward began teaching our
family the gospel. There were no full-time missionaries in the little Brentwood
Ward. It was a small town then.
They set a baptism date for our family, but in the end I was the
first to be baptized. A few years later my mom, your great-grandma Smith, was
also baptized. She began attending Church and continued even though she wasn't
baptized yet. She was waiting for great-grandpa Smith, but he didn't join, so
she was baptized in 1977 I think.
After I was baptized I participated in lots of Church
activities, and had many good young LDS friends in Brentwood. They helped me
feel loved and welcome. Then I moved to another town about 40 miles away, and I
didn't have that many friends in the Church. The kids weren't as friendly. But,
I knew from the examples of those other friends what the gospel felt like, and
I stayed active in the Church. I tried to make good choices and about 3
years later went to BYU with Lu Ann and shortly after met Grandpa Roueche.
I was very grateful that I had the inner strength from the
spirit to keep my covenants because that has made all the difference to me, and
possibly to you too. We don't know how things work, but your dad was born to
our family and raised in the Church, and it might have been different if I'd
made other choices. I love the Savior, and am so grateful for his atonement,
teachings and love in my life.
So, remember to weigh carefully, your choices to follow
the Savior. It will make all the difference in your life, and you can be such a
force for good to others with your righteous example. I see that you came to
your family filled with love and joy for life. When things get tough, remember
the Lord can always guide you to feel this love. You can make it home to
Heavenly Father and take others joyously with you too!
All my love to you Leona,
Grandma Roueche (Susan Elizabeth Smith Roueche)
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