A Total Transformation by Gail Youngblood

Our next guest-writer proves that the gospel of Jesus Christ is for ALL of us and can reach into the very darkest of places to rescue us from ourselves if we are willing to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost.


Here is the testimony of Gail Youngblood who says she blogs "to tell everyone that Jesus Christ lives and that his gospel is what everyone needs to succeed on this earth!"  Gail blogs at at My Values.  Here is Gail:


"This is an especially hard topic for me to write about.  The memories are extremely tender and very hard to explain. But it all starts like this:  


22 years ago, my boyfriend and I lived together with our two children, and had a bad way of making money.  Without going into details, it involved truckloads of marijuana and other similar items.  He was eventually caught and he and I were thrown in jail, and our children, 6 mos and 1 yr., were taken from us because I couldn't care for them in jail.  They put one million dollar bond on each of our heads.  I was taken in because I was aquainted with him only hoping to get more info from me.  


Previously, I had played around with the Book of Mormon that my husband's mother had sent, reading it and finding much peace when I read it.  So, in jail, the only Bible I had available to me was the New Testament, of which I love as well, and read over and over.  


The Holy Ghost visited me and gave me faith that all would be well.  One day as I was in my cell studying, I asked the Lord, "This is great to learn of you...now what church should I attend?"  


The letters very clearly came into my head, "L-D-S".  I didn't know what this meant, so I wrote the letters down and asked my boyfriend at our next visit together, "The Lord told me to join a church that is LDS".  


Immediately my boyfriend smiled with joy and stated , "That is my old church, the Mormon church, it stands for Latter Day Saints!"  He had not been involved with the church for thirty years,  and we both decided that we would join/rejoin the church as soon as we were released from jail.


I was inspired, but I imagined myself with a bun on my head and pioneer clothing, thinking this was the customary dress!!  Not true however!!  


Now not everyone will receive letters in your mind, or even voices, but you will feel the spirit of the Lord, by joy, or by warmth in your heart,or other ways, to testify that this is the true church upon studying and praying.


Two and a half months later, I was let go.  Free from imprisonment, I married my boyfriend in prison, and my husband had a miracle of only having to serve five years.  (They had wanted 20-life.)  


I immediately went to the children, and had them blessed, and I started taking the discussions with the missionaries.  When my husband returned home from prison, we waited a year, and then were sealed to our children for time and eternity in the temple


That was 22 years ago, and the rest is history.  


I now have a strong testimony that our Savior, Jesus Christ is our God, our Master, and our Redeemer.  He is the reason why I was able to leave my old life behind and enter a new life of joy and peace with my family.  Jesus Christ atoned for our sins, so that we may reside with our Father in Heaven and with Jesus Christ again.  


They are both alive and know each one of us individually.  The know what we think, each mili-second, and why we think it.  They are both all powerful, almighty,  and full of great, great, love.  They care about each one of us every second of the day, and they are there for us to confide in.  


I love the Holy Ghost-- the comforter, and communicator for Jesus Christ.  I love being guided daily by the Holy Ghost, and am lost without Him.  I love receiving revelation from the Holy Ghost, and I love learning the mysteries of the Universe one line at a time.  


I know that we have a true phophet on the earth today, Thomas S. Monson, who lives and guides us and receives revelation for the world.  


I am grateful for the Book of Mormon, and read it in the morning and at night, finding comfort, and insight in the precious words it depicts.  I am thankful for all my blessings, for my children, and for my church and church family, the true church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  


I say these things in the name of my precious Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen"