Well, hello, Bex! Can I call you Bex?

Absolutely, that’s a cool name! When I first got your note, I thought, “Beck, it must be Rebecca,” but I wasn’t sure. How did you come up with that?

It was actually my best friend’s son. He had a speech impediment when he was little, which was really funny. He could never say “suckers” correctly, so we got embarrassed at the bank quite often! One day, I was babysitting him and I was trying to get him to say my name. I would say, “Hey, I’m Becca or Rebecca.” He never got it right. Then, one day, he looked at me and said, “Fex, I like what you did with your hair,” and I just thought it was cute. He was about four or five at the time, and it just stuck from there!

Well, Bex, thank you for coming on “God’s Guiding Light.” I’ve found that people who share their conversion stories are really sharing their testimonies, which is a beautiful thing. I really appreciate you being here.

So, are you in California?

No, actually, I’m in Las Vegas!

Ah, my mistake! How do you like it there?

It’s nice, honestly. I do enjoy the LDS community here. But the rest of the city? It’s full of distractions, for sure. I went to Thailand on my mission, and I thought that was hot, but when I visited Vegas on the Fourth of July one year, I thought the top of my head was going to ignite! We were at a hotel with a water slide, and it was so hot that by the time you climbed the 20 steps to the slide, you were dry again by the time you reached the top!

I joke about it now, saying, “I’ve got to be really good to make it to Celestial because I can’t make it in Hell if it’s this hot!”

Haha, amen, sister!

Alright, I like to ask three questions. First: What was your life like before you found the gospel?

I spent years, from March 5th, 2008, until September 2021, really hating God. I hate to say it, but it’s the truth. In March 2008, I lost my grandfather. He meant everything to me, and I couldn’t understand why, if God loved me, He would take him away. He was such a great man—always at church, volunteering. I went through a lot of tough times in childhood and college, and I kept asking myself, “Why did these things happen to me? Why didn’t those people who hurt me get punished?” So, I spent a lot of time drinking to numb the pain. I didn’t really experience sobriety on weekends until I moved to Las Vegas in August of 2015. Around then, I started to feel a little better about God. I had become a police officer, but I saw and experienced so much that I again asked God, “Why me?” So, I drank to forget. In 2015, I moved to Vegas and began dabbling in spirituality, hoping there was a higher power, and I believed in karma, but it wasn’t until September 2022 when I started having the missionaries over that things started to click.

Wow, that’s powerful. How did you find the gospel? What was your process?

The missionaries were great. They were never pushy or judgmental. I told them about my past, and they didn’t pry into it. They just told me, “No matter what you’ve been through, God still loves you.” I had a lot of tough questions for them, like, “Why did these things happen to me if He loves me?” They explained that we all have free agency, and if God took that away, we wouldn’t be able to choose to follow Him or do good. They said, “God sees everything, and He keeps a list. He knows, and judgment is between that person and Him.” That made sense to me because I had been focused on karma. I thought if someone wronged me, they should get what’s coming to them. But hearing them say that God sees everything gave me peace. I started going to church, and it felt like home immediately. I hadn’t felt that way in a church since I was eight years old. I grew up Methodist, but at this church, I never felt judged or unwelcome. People were so kind, welcoming me and inviting me to things.

That’s incredible. Was it the kindness of the people or the gospel that made you feel at home?

It was a combination of both. The missionaries came over, and we would talk about things. I’ll share an interesting story—I’m a bit of a quirky person. When I was a child, I told my mom that I was a star in the sky before I chose her to be my mom. One Sunday, we were in a class talking about how, before we came to Earth, we were with Heavenly Father, and there was this beautiful picture of us as stars in the vast universe. I started to tear up because I realized I had said the same thing as a little girl. It all just clicked, and I knew I was where I was supposed to be. I shared this with the class, and everyone was so supportive. They said it was a blessing, and I thought, “Wow, they don’t think I’m weird!” It felt so special.

How is your life different now that you’ve found the gospel?

Honestly, it’s been a huge change. I still have my ups and downs, but I don’t turn to old habits like drinking or trying to numb the pain. After a tough breakup in 2023, I didn’t fall back into old patterns. Instead, I turned to Heavenly Father. The missionaries came over, and they shared a scripture with me from the story of Alma. When I heard about his pain and how he found peace through prayer, I realized I hadn’t been praying enough. That night, I prayed, and for the first time in days, I slept. That moment showed me that God was guiding me. I’ve had so many blessings this year, including four callings in the church. I also have a new job starting next month, and I’m preparing to be endowed. It’s been the hardest year of my life, but also the most rewarding. I’ve learned to trust God fully, and everything is falling into place.

That’s amazing! It sounds like you’ve really turned your life around.

Yes, I’ve learned to pray differently now. Instead of asking for patience, I ask for God’s will, even if it’s hard. I’ve seen how trusting in Him has changed everything for me. My life has been the best it’s ever been, and I’ve learned that even when things are tough, I don’t need to go back to my old ways. I trust Him completely.

Beautiful, Bex. It sounds like you’re really on the right path.

Thank you! And I’ll add that I used to feel like my grandfather wasn’t visiting me, but now I realize that Heavenly Father speaks to me in a way that’s personal to me. Recently, a bar of Dove soap showed up at my house, and it felt like a message from my grandfather, a sign that he’s still with me. I’m so grateful for that.

What an incredible story. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I just want people to know that no matter how hard life gets, there’s always hope. Even when things seem impossible, God is there. He’ll speak to you in your own way, and when you trust Him, things will work out. This year has been the hardest, but it’s also been the best. I’m just so grateful for everything.

Thank you, Bex, for sharing your testimony. I’m so glad you’re here, and congratulations on everything you’re achieving!

Thank you so much for having me.