Leslie Thompson’s inquisitive mind motivated her to search for satisfactory answers. Religion was no exception.
"I looked into many other religions and I would like some of their teachings, but there was always something in them that bothered me. I always had a feeling that I was looking for something, but I didn’t know what it was," she stated.
Frequently on the lookout for spiritual answers, Leslie began attending college.
"When I went to college in Peru I made a friend that was LDS. I became really interested in the Church, especially when my friend told me about living apostles. When he found out I was leaving and flying to Hawaii, he ran to the airport and gave me a Joseph Smith movie and told me that I had to watch it," she said.
Leslie, a Peru native, was initially planning on a short trip to Hawaii to visit her uncle, who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But when she arrived, his religion intrigued her; she had no idea that she would be staying in Hawaii for several years.
"I went to my uncle’s house and I asked for help with my genealogy research because I wanted to learn more about my Irish great-grandfather. He told me that his church was
excellent at genealogy and that they would help me," said Leslie.
To Leslie, that sounded like a promising option and she agreed to attend church with her uncle the following Sunday.
"That Sunday the missionaries approached me and were so nice. They asked me if they could make an appointment to come and teach me. I agreed and began taking the discussions."
Leslie immediately responded to the teachings. "This was it, this was what I had been looking for and it felt so good to fill the emptiness that I had had. I took the discussions for three weeks and then I knew that I wanted to get baptized," she said.
On March 28, 2004, only three days after giving her commitment, Leslie was baptized in Laie at Temple Beach. Following her baptism, she began seeing miracles occur in her life.
She made a decision to stay in Hawaii and pursue higher education. She began attending Leeward Community College for a semester to learn English and to get help attaining a student visa. Actually obtaining that visa, though, proved to be much more challenging that expected.
"It was really hard, they told me that getting a visa was not an easy thing to do, normally, you have to go back to your country. But for me it, it worked. I got my visa, it was a miracle," Thompson recalled.
While attending Leeward Community College, Leslie met with her stake president. He encouraged her to attend BYU-Hawaii, so Leslie visited the campus.
"When I came to BYU-Hawaii, I was so impressed. Everyone was so nice and caring. I loved how different the campus was, the Spirit was so strong because it was different from the rest of the world," she said. After seeing the school, she knew that she wanted to attend.
Before she could come to BYU-Hawaii, however, she had to pay her tuition to the community college. Leslie did not have any money and planned to sell her car in order to get the needed funds. She had the car serviced and, while driving home, her car’s hood unexpectedly snapped back into her windshield, causing extensive damage.
"I took my car back to the place and told them that they needed to fix my car because they had not put the hood down all of the way. They would not do it, so I did not know what to do."
Puzzled as to what to do next, Leslie remembered the teachings of her newly-found faith.
"I just prayed and paid my tithing. A few days later, the company called me and told me that they would give me $2,200 to get my car fixed. It was truly amazing. I was able to pay my tuition and get my car fixed."
Experiences like these strengthened her testimony and changed her perspectives.
"Before I joined the Church, my goals were to get an education and to have a good career. Since joining the Church, I have learned about eternal families and that is what I want for my life. It doesn’t matter if I am a successful businesswoman and I have a lot of money if I am not happy. The gospel is what taught me how to be happy."
As is the case for many people, Leslie has experienced lots of trials that "were really sad for me and I was unhappy for quite a while. If it had not been for the gospel, the scriptures and the temple, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I feel like Heavenly Father loves me and that when I go through hard times, that He is holding me."
Leslie has an amazing fire in her heart for the gospel; she is an example of what missionary work is all about. Recently she has been working on genealogy and is planning on going to the Salt Lake Temple in April to perform several baptisms for her family members.
Performing genealogy is just one way Leslie is spreading the gospel. Currently, her dad is reading the Book of Mormon due to his daughter’s strong influence.
"I asked my dad if he could just read the Book of Mormon a little bit every day."
While in Utah completing temple work for her ancestors, Leslie looks forward to attending General Conference for the first time.
"I want to be there when we sustain President Monson, that would be so cool. I don’t have tickets for that session, but things have been working out for me, so I am hopeful that I can go."
Currently, Leslie Thompson is a junior at BYU-Hawaii majoring in international business. She plans on earning an MBA and going back to her country to create jobs in small communities. "First, I want to help educate people by creating an English academy. When people know English they can go and get an education in America. The real way to help someone is to create jobs for them. I am going to be an entrepreneur and start small businesses in small towns to create more employment."
In becoming a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Leslie found more than just answers to her many questions. She found a love in her heart that sustains her and creates miracles in her life.
"Now with the gospel in my life, I feel like I can do anything! Anything that seemed impossible before, it is now possible with my faith in Jesus Christ."