Hi, my name is Tori. I love dark chocolate, blue skies and sunshine, and those soda machines that have all the flavors. I’m married to a handsome chef (before you ask, I do most of the cooking) and we have two toddler boys, ages 1 and 3. I get to stay home with the kids and we basically like to party all day––in between naps, of course.

To give a little background: I’ve always been “active” in church and held lots of callings. I gave inspiring talks. I won awards in seminary. But by the time I reached my early 20s, I was drowning in guilt. I felt that, since I had always been taught about the gospel in a good home, “born of goodly parents,” I essentially had to be perfect. Instead, I felt overwhelmed and deeply ashamed. I promised God repeatedly that I would stop making the same mistakes, and repeatedly I failed. I started to feel hollow. While I still believed God existed, I was certain He was disgusted with me.

Thankfully, as I moved along this path, I was given what seemed like perfectly packaged pieces of truth which, one by one, blew apart my doubts and flooded my world with light. One of these liberating moments occurred while listening to Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk, The Laborers in the Vineyard:

“…However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of diving love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.”

This shook me to my core––it still does––and was the catalyst that drove me upwards towards a relationship with a Heavenly Father who loves me, and is entirely involved in my growth and happiness. Since that time, my world has become increasingly brighter. I am now full of peace and gratitude––even as I spend 300 hours a day cleaning up avocado smashed into the carpet, searching for lost library books, or coaching my 3 year-old (yet again) on how to not grab from his little brother. 

Becoming Spiritually Centered is transforming my life from a guilt trap into an exciting journey. It is transforming me (luckily for my kids), and for that I am so grateful.