Marvelous Work and a Wonder® Testimonials

Let me start by telling you a bit about myself. I was raised in a very prominent Mormon community. Although my family attended services weekly, we were more of your “Sunday Mormons”. Growing up I went through the motions and thought I loved the church, but I was never that person searching for the answers of the universe. In my mind, knowing the truth of why I existed didn’t matter. It would be whatever it was when I died. I continued going along the path of religion because it was all I knew. I married my return missionary, got sealed in the temple and immediately started a family… like I said… went through the motions.

Although being a member of the church, I still only did the bare minimum. Meanwhile my husband was as staunch as you can get. Read scriptures vigorously, attended all meetings, prayed every night etc. About 6 years into our marriage, we got in a really tough financial situation and had a lot of struggles creep in. Kevin, my husband, started diving more and more into scriptures looking for answers out. Something to bring my family and him peace. In the meantime, I found myself caring less and less about religion. This started to become a challenge between the two of us. We would get into arguments because I was pulling away from the church. I would find any excuse to not go to the meetings, I stopped praying, ultimately just gave up on it. The church was bringing me misery.

Now we will fast forward a few months. The Marvelous Work and a Wonder was introduced to me in 2014. I was away visiting my family for a long weekend and when I got home with the kids Kevin was sitting on the couch heavily reading something. One of the first things he said to me when I walked in was “Sheena, I am never going back to church again”. I am pretty sure I laughed and stated yeah right! There is no way this was going to stick. In my head this was a huge relief, but boy was I doubtful.

Over the next few months, I saw a lot of changes in Kevin. His mindset had changed completely and he truly never went to church again. His mindset on the family unit and marriage changed so much that he began to pull away from the kids and I. This made me quite angry and resentful. At one point he even jumped in a RV while I was away with the kids again and had the intention of not coming home thinking he needed to be completely free of all relationships. However, he did come back and talked to me about it, but I would say that is when our relationship really started to struggle even more. The work was a constant background in my house. Kevin would share with me what he was reading. I would over hear some videos or meetings he was listening to, some I would even sit in on. Although I truly hated what was happening to my home, I couldn’t deny what I was hearing. Things just made sense in my mind in ways that I can’t even explain and I couldn’t argue with why Kevin did what he had done. Since that was the case, I just decided to keep enduring. I loved Kevin and was going to fight for my family. Slowly however, my mental health started taking a turn for the worse.

In 2021 Kevin decided he needed to leave. My depression became too much. He didn’t know what life was like out of the church and wanted to have the freedom to experience all he could without a relationship in the way. I had no idea where my life was going to go. I loved Kevin to my core, but he was gone. He moved out. The course of the next year was very strange. Kevin and I managed to stay best friends and spent a lot of time together, but he was still out exploring other relationships. He was thriving and I started pretending.

Deep down I started to struggle worse and worse. Faking my way through life pretending I was fine, but ultimately, I was crashing hard. I had lost hope in everything, lost any light in me. I had finally hit rock bottom, so much so that I lost my will to keep going. This was the crunch time. Find something to help or just end it all. I didn’t know where to go from here, but I saw Kevin. Why was he able to be so happy and so filled with light no matter what was going on? That’s when it hit me. The Marvelous Work and a Wonder. That was the only thing really different that he had and I didn’t. I saw it change him tremendously over the years for the better so as a last-ditch effort, I approached Kevin and asked him if I could borrow one of his books from the work. I remember he had started with the sealed portion, so I figured maybe that wasn’t a bad place to start since it’s what began his journey. I was going to give this an honest effort to see if it could help me turn things around.

One night, Kevin was on a date with another woman. I decided that was a good time for me to search for peace because I was absolutely broken. During this date I was at home in the complete silence, kids were gone somewhere or busy. I shut off every appliance and got completely comfortable ready to open the book. Now before I continue, I need to note that there was one thing that I remember hearing repeatedly from overhearing the meetings that Kevin was listening to that really stuck in my mind. ” Unless you have a broken heart and a contrite spirit, you cannot receive these things”. Here I was with that broken heart, ready. Before flipping open that first page I prayed, or begged, for anything to bring me peace or help to keep going with all sincerity I could muster and I started reading.

I can’t even remember what exactly I read that night, but I got about 10 chapters in and felt a literal weight off my chest disappear. It was like the pain was gone and I felt comfort and peace. I remember just breaking down sobbing because it was so powerful and truly unbelievable considering the state I was in just an hour before.  I changed that day. All that heaviness I was carrying was gone. To me, that was my own personal miracle that I truly can’t even explain it to this day.

Within 3 months, Kevin had moved home. I had gone off anti-depressants and I was able to see light in myself and my surrounding and truly felt hope. Since that night I really started getting involved in the work. I started reading the books, and attending the weekly meetings and I found myself changing for the better. I became a way kinder person, who was far more patient and accepting of everyone and their life choices. Since that day I have not gone back. This Marvelous Work has changed my life completely. I may not be as heavily involved as some, but I will not turn back. My heart is here to stay and I am grateful!

Sheena Martin