Marvelous Work and a Wonder® Testimonials

Hello. My name is Jean Crystal Stephensen. I grew up in Brigham City, Utah, in a large Mormon family. My whole world was the church. I grew up believing I needed to be a member of the LDS church to be accepted. I believed that was the only way to ensure our family could be together forever—you paid your tithing so you could get sealed in the temple, and that was the promise. That was the plan.

I followed the plan. I married young, and we had seven beautiful children: five girls and two boys. My husband was a hard-working man and a good provider. We built the life we were supposed to build. But in 2002, after my last baby, something in me shifted. I didn’t want to go to church anymore, so I stopped. By 2004, this put a great strain on our marriage, and we chose to divorce in 2006 after 18 years of marriage.

I learned to surrender my will to my ex-husband. We had joint custody, but I decided I wasn’t going to fight him. He wanted religion and I did not, and I knew better than to battle him in court and put the kids through that. I tried to see them as much as I could, but between trying to make a living and just surviving, it was overwhelming. In a lot of ways, I just shut down emotionally, mentally, and physically. I ate my feelings. Going from raising my seven children—who were between 4 and 16 years old—every single day to only having them in my life once a month broke my heart.❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I knew I couldn’t share the new things I was learning—in the books of the Marvelous Work and a Wonder^® (MWAW) and in life in general—with my kids. I knew their dad would have fought me on it. So, I made a choice: I backed away and let him raise them in the Mormon faith. I did share The Humanity Party^® video 2015 with my youngest daughter and my older sister. I asked them to watch it, and they agreed; but that was as far as it went with both of them.

There was a time I asked each one of my children if they’d be interested in knowing what I had found and what had made me so happy. Each one of them said no, and I’m OK with that. I just wanted to give them an opportunity to ask questions.

The LDS religion was my whole foundation. I didn’t have a foundation in myself; it was in religion, in God, in family, and in country. I was miserable because I believed my answers came from outside of myself. I no longer feel that way. Now I see it is simple: love yourself, and love everyone the same.

Back in 2010, I was living in my mom’s basement, taking care of her during her final years. I was still trying to see my kids as much as possible. A good friend contacted me and told me there were some books online that I should look at to see if there was one I wanted to read.

I am not a reader. I never liked school and was always in resource classes where they helped you learn at your own level. I was always behind and never at the grade level I was supposed to be in for my age. My crazy brain jumbles up letters and numbers. When I tried to read in school, I had a hard time, and I barely graduated. Reading was never something important to me.

I think I tried to read the Book of Mormon in seminary, but I didn’t understand it. So, when my friend told me that The Sealed Portion had been translated, I didn’t even know what it was. But I downloaded all the free online books from A Marvelous Work and a Wonder^®. It was kind of strange—why did I suddenly want to read these books when I usually don’t read?

The first book I read, in 2010, was Human Reality—Who We Are and Why We Exist! Then I read the 666 book. Then I read the Temple book (Sacred, not Secret). Then it was time for The Sealed Portion. My friend got me a physical copy, and I started reading it alongside the Book of Mormon.

While I was reading all these books, it just kept coming to me: “It’s simple. It’s so simple.” It was the simple truth of loving oneself and loving others. I was putting it all together when I remembered a song my mom taught us: “As I have loved you, love one another.”

I am so grateful for the time I had reading these books at my mom’s house, helping and serving her before she left this life. Sometimes you think you know how your life is going to turn out, but you never really do. Helping my mom gave me the opportunity to find this work, and I will forever be grateful for that time when life slowed down and I could be taught truth.

As time went on, another book came out in 2012: Without Disclosing My True Identity—The Authorized and Official Biography of the Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. It was so powerful. I love that book. I reread it in 2024, and every time I do, it seems like I get a little bit more information about what they went through and just how little people actually know about Joseph Smith’s history.

Later, I was in a relationship with a man for seven years, on and off. He eventually took his life. We did read some of the work together, but it was just too much for him, so I continued on my own when he wasn’t around.

Things got really hard; he was physically, emotionally, and mentally abusive to me. I got so low that I wanted to leave this world. But I kept being reminded to read the 666 book, so I did.

It opened my eyes again about pride—how I wanted to do everything my way. I was behind on my bills and losing my car, my job, and my home because my ex-husband had left me with bills I couldn’t pay. My car wasn’t working, and I had to file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Feeling all alone, I realized I needed to ask for help from my friends and family. Mentally and emotionally, I just couldn’t do it alone anymore.

The week after I read the 666 book and got my feet planted back on the ground, two good friends from this work came to help me fix my car. On that very same day, my brother showed up to visit. It was a reminder that I wasn’t alone.

Time went on, and I found myself in more toxic relationships—looking for love, wanting them to love me, and seeking acceptance in them, one right after another. I was even homeless for a time.

Through it all, I held onto my books and read them as often as I could. Once again, my friends invited me to live with them, and I kept reading. I had this Marvelous Work and a Wonder^®.

Like Ida Smith used to say, “Read the damn books,” She was always such a sweet lady, and I got to meet her before she died. I’ve met so many nice people in this work.

From 2010 to the present year of 2026, so many books have come out: Pentateuch Illuminated, The True History of Religion, A New American Scripture, and Suicide and the Eternal Nature of the Soul. I also know of two more coming: One People, One World, One Government and The Dream of Mortal Life. I look forward to reading them.

I challenge anyone to read these books. Go to the website and see if any of them resonate with you, because that’s what I did, and my life is forever changed.

Giving an update for 2026: I am still enjoying the books. I believe there are 21 books in all, including those to still come out. This year, I started with the Book of Mormon and then read The Sealed Portion. I thought I had finished it when I read it the first time, but I hadn’t. I had started it many times, but never finished it completely.

Wow, it is so good! For me, it answers my questions from the Book of Mormon, and gives a more in-depth, direct explanation. I love that book. This year, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder^® is putting together a complete set of the plates, and I look forward to reading it.

I have now finished The Sealed Portion. I’m currently in the Book of Lehi, and my favorite chapter is Lehi Chapter 9, verses 50–63. Wow, I love this book—or should I say, the lost 116-page manuscript! I want to shout it from the rooftop, yet I know we all have free agency.

My hope is to continue to be kind to myself and to everyone around me. I know it sounds so simple, but keeping myself in check is my goal. I love this work, and I hope to be an example of kindness for myself and others every single day in everything I do or say. This is my hope.

I welcome anyone to contact me. Have a great day! 😊❤️

Jean Stephensen

385-606-2723

jean70crystal@gmail.com