From the age of 12, at her first Young Women's camp, Pearse felt the love of her Heavenly Father. “I can recall it like it was yesterday,” she said. “I saw the other girls stand to bear their testimonies and I was filled with a feeling that warmed my whole soul.” Having a knowledge of the love Heavenly Father had for her shaped the decisions that make her a disciple of Christ and would lead her to better become like him.
Following the path of Christ, Pearse had always heard about the brave legacies left by the past saints. She admired the church schools because of the many people who had the same values she does. When she watched a video about LDSBC, Pearse said, “I was filled with a feeling of warmth that lead me to tears. I knew that this was the school for me.”
The transition from her home in Australia to the United States was tough. The loneliness held its own set of challenges. Learning to adapt proved to be valuable not only for her school experience but her mission to Sydney, Australia and the Miss World competition.
“My education at the college has helped me to learn through the spirit,” Pearse said. “Seeing my teachers bring temporal topics back to the Atonement and faith, enabled me to have a broader perspective of how both my spiritual life and my temporal life are one.” Living and learning by the spirit teaches us temporal self-reliance and Pearse felt most empowered and motivated when the teachers, “trusted me to do the right things and be prepared.”
When Pearse joined the 2016 Miss World Competition she not only had the opportunity to share about her personal life, but her spiritual beliefs as well. “It is challenging when some of those beliefs conflict with the priorities of this competitive environment,” Pearse said. “It’s good for me to have a challenge; you never know how strong you are until it gets heavy.”
As she overcomes fear and self-doubt she has found many unimaginable opportunities to share her story with others. When asked how to change the world, Pearse said, “In our own small way we all contribute to the world.”
Photo by Emily Stone/Pyreflypictures.com