Dariel was originally found by missionaries on Facebook. She was looking for a church to go to but was struggling to find a church she enjoyed.
Elder Safsten and Elder Beer were the first missionaries to talk with Dariel and they invited her to church. She stayed in contact off and on with the missionaries for a couple weeks and eventually came to sacrament meeting. After coming to church, Elder Farr and Elder Beer started to teach her more regularly again and help her learn more about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
As time continued, Elder Farr and Elder Youngberg continued to meet with Dariel and teach her about the doctrine of baptism. She loved learning from the missionaries and seemed to be progressing well. However, she had one concern. She had previously been baptized before and didn’t understand the need to be baptized again. As the missionaries tried to teach her the need for proper authority and how God has restored that authority again on the earth through a modern prophet, she seemed to drift and the communication between her and missionaries became less frequent.
After about three to four weeks of little communication Dariel came to church one Sunday and she asked to set up a lesson with the missionaries the following Tuesday.
Dariel’s work schedule is very busy so she can only come to church every other week. She works long hours, so the missionaries would often need to teach her over the phone during her lunch break. When Elder Fritze and Elder Youngbert called her up and talked with her, she seemed more focused and purpose driven.
Dariel shared that she had gone to a different church with her friend, but that she didn’t enjoy it and didn’t feel as peaceful at church as she had with the missionaries. That’s when she told the missionaries she wanted to be baptized and become a member of the church.
Elder Fritze and Elder Youngberg were very surprised to hear this because of Dariel’s concern about needing to be baptized again. But as the missionaries talked with her, they knew that she had been feeling the spirit every time she came to church with them, and the members of the church had really reached out to her in love and fellowship.
Dariel was baptized on July 27, 2025 in the Asheville Ward as a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She is filled with joy and light and says her greatest desire is to serve God for the rest of her life.
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