Tender Mercies in the TKM: Sierra

by Sierra Bovenkerk

When growing up, I always ended up going to Baptist churches. I never really felt at home there. I felt the pastors always taught “love thy neighbor” unless they weren’t this cookie cutter shape. They always were friendly up front but I never really felt at peace there. 

Around high school, I strayed away from going to church at all and drifted farther and farther away from Heavenly Father. After high school, I was completely lost and blamed all my problems on God. I was a complete mess. 

About a year ago, I noticed my best friend Taylor going to this church I’ve never heard about down here in Chattanooga. After she was baptized, I noticed she had changed and in my mind I thought that change was bad for her and I had lost the friend I could joke with. She kept asking me to do lessons with the missionaries and I kept telling her that unless they knocked on my door personally, I didn’t want to. 

Finally, after having no one knocking on my door, I got curious. Taylor asked if the Lafayette elder missionaries could come by and do a lesson. My first thought was, “I’ll just listen to them and then never have to do it again.” But when they welcomed me instantly and talked to me like we were long lost friends, I felt I ought to let them come back for another lesson.

After a couple of meetings with the missionaries, Taylor asked me to go to her church with her. I sat in the front, in fact, in the front row with Taylor. I felt really nervous, but all in all it wasn’t that bad. 

When my husband and I moved to Rossville, Taylor told me I would have the sisters come for my lessons now. I didn’t know how I felt about that. I thought I wasn’t going to like them at all, but when I first met them they were awesome. Maybe the best missionaries I had met. They were very patient with me while I was finding out if this was the right move for me. And I’m glad I kept asking for the sisters to come back because it was worth the wait and I felt the spirit like I have never felt it before. 

After going to church with them, I decided to get baptized. I was baptized on May 25, 2024.

At my baptism, when I hit the water, I felt a change. I know this was the change my friend Taylor had described she felt when she was baptized. The change that at first I thought was bad turned out to be the best change to have happened to have ever happened to me. 

I would like to share my testimony that this is the true and living church of Jesus Christ and that through Heavenly Father’s plan and Christ’s Atonement, we will receive many blessings and an eternity of peace and happiness.

I share these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.