My name is Jennica Brough. My family and I came to Christ in during the height of the pandemic. To truly show you the restorative power of Christ and what He has done in our lives, it is essential to show you where we were before we met Him. Our Journey In Deception. My husband Stephen and I grew up in the Mormon religion from the moment we were born. Stephen left the LDS faith as a teenager because it did not resonate in his heart. At 18, through deep struggle, he let his family know he did not want to serve an LDS mission.
It was then that Stephen started studying eastern philosophy and Buddhism. On the other hand, I grew up as a Latter-Day Saint and put my whole heart into the faith.
I truly desired to follow the god of the Mormon religion. I attended BYU Idaho, married in the Mormon temple, received my temple endowments, and served many callings in the church. I quickly became a mom of 4 small children, as many newly married Mormon couples do. In my most profound attempt to follow the doctrine and teachings of Joseph Smith, I told myself that the life I believed I deserved would come as a blessing to my obedience to the principles of the LDS faith.
But my soul craved more, and I answered that craving with more obedience and actions. The Mormon religion is work-based. You work your way to salvation. So when my soul longed for truth and peace, my head and heart would tell me it was because I was not righteous enough. I needed to work harder and become more obedient. This mentality and belief left me more broken and confused, hindering my stamina to keep going.
As my unhealthy marriage of 7 years began to deteriorate, I began to contemplate divorce. But, I believed that if I broke my temple sealing, I would not be able to be with my family in heaven.
