The rising generation is the future of the Church. We must focus our efforts on that rising generation.

I was baptized at eight but never went to church. It's about 19 years that we've been together. We have three kids out of wedlock. We've only been married two years. At a later age, my dad returned back to church after being a--you could say, a very "rebelsome" man. My son [INAUDIBLE] would go to church with him from a young age. I was always there as a father, but I never put them first. My son has been to seven primaries and three high schools because we just kept moving and running from the police and bills and debt collectors. But my father-in-law, he was able to change his life around. Before he passed away, he took his family to the temple and was sealed. And if he could do it, I believed anybody could. I had a dream of my father, and he said to me that I need to return back to church, if not for myself, for my children. I thought, "Wow." That made me want to change my life.

The kids' baptisms was one of the first times I entered the chapel. When I walked into the chapel, I didn't understand what it was at first. It was a peaceful feeling, I suppose. To see my children and to offer them the gospel, which I didn't have in my life, is--I think I was quite blessed. I had to ask myself, what was the most important thing to me? And I always thought it was the 350 Chevy sitting in the driveway. But, nah. It's not. It's these four people here. My kids accepted me for the luggage that I had and the issues that I was dealing with. And they helped me through it. I knew that I had to get my life together for my children because I didn't want them to go through what I'd been through. We were married, and when we came back, Khaled had secretly planned his baptism. And from that day on, I couldn't keep up with him. You know, when I first started, I wanted the eternal family. So I was in it for the blessings, I suppose. Now that I'm reading about the Savior Himself and what He's done--the sacrifices He made--I'm starting to do things for the love of the Savior and to save our families. I testify that the temple is the house of the Lord and that it's a sacred place. I'm not a very emotional person, but it was probably one of the proudest moments of my life to see them come through and to know that--just to have the peace of mind that we'll be together if we're faithful, if we're righteous, if we endure to the end. I don't know if I can put one word on that feeling. I'd call it a fist-pump moment, I guess. I know that my Heavenly Father does love me and that He would be proud of the steps I've made in turning my life around to break the pattern for my family. The Lord loves us, and He forgives us. I testify that I am a son of God. What's most important about a person, regardless of their station in life, is that they're a child of God--a son or daughter of heavenly parents. This is the work of the Lord. It's not the work of any human agency. Jesus Christ is the head of this Church. I testify of the truth of this work. This Church has the fulness of His doctrine and the power of His priesthood.