I Testify!

This might be a little morbid at first, but I’m just expressing my thoughts on the subject since so much has happened in the past few months.I’m sure most of you have seen the news lately but if you haven’t, there have been a LOT of mass murders, bombings, natural disasters, and other tragedies. More than 10 years ago, terrorists attacked the twin towers in New York and we’ve been at war with Iraq and Afghanistan ever since. Almost 10 years ago, a tsunami hit India. Then Hurricane Katrina hit the US. Earthquakes shook Haiti and Chile. An earthquake happened in the ocean near Japan and caused a tsunami to hit them. Hurricane Sandy happened this past year. There are wars breaking out what seems like everywhere in Africa. North Korea is threatening to nuke the US and other countries. The shooting at the movie theater in Colorado. Then the shooting last December in the Sandy Hook Elementary School, and the shooting at the mall in Oregon. The recent bombings in Boston and the explosions in Texas. And numerous other tragedies and disasters. All within about a decade. Just 10 years for all of that and more!

I am so sad to see the world crumbling around us, to see the pain that other people are experiencing because of the horrible choices others have made. It wrenches my heart to see children starving or being forced to do unthinkable things or being killed for no reason. Terrible terrible things are happening all around us, everywhere in the world. And though it is absolutely heart wrenching and I am sad to see these things happen, I’m filled with peace and yes, even joy. Because of the knowledge I have. The knowledge that everything will be just fine and that all of these awful things are signs that have been prophesied by many prophets, signs that the end is near.

Seeing the signs of the times makes me a little excited because I know with all my heart that as long as I stand tall and strong and I do what I have been asked by my Heavenly Father, I will be just fine. There are still many signs that haven’t happened yet, so I know I have time to have a family and learn as much as I can before it happens. But no one knows just how much time that is. Even if I am killed by a terrorist, blown up in an explosion of some sort, or die in some natural disaster, I’ll be okay with that because I am trying my best to be the best I can be, to be the person I know I am. I don’t think I’ll die in some violent manner (I don’t know but I don’t think it will happen), but however it happens, it’s most likely because it’s my time to leave this Earth. I truly believe that. And another reason I’m excited: This world is really quite awful and I don’t like it here. I don’t like living where shootings and bombings happen every other day. I don’t like living where drunk drivers veer out of their lane and kill, whether on purpose or not. I don’t like wondering if the city I’m in is going to be blown up by a nuke (doubt it, but you never know). I don’t like hearing about all these things. So I’m excited because it’s coming to an end and I know that I have everything I need to make it through and back to Heavenly Father. And so I’ll be okay. As long as I keep believing, keep striving to do what I know is right, I’ll be okay.

I testify to you that this Gospel is true. I have prayed to God on more than one occasion about many different things and I have felt the Spirit confirm to me that, yes, this Gospel and everything that has to do with it is true. The prophets speak the words of the Lord. The temples we have are truly the House of the Lord. The Book of Mormon and the Bible are both true and they are both full of the knowledge we need and Heavenly Father’s words are written in them. I know it with all my heart and sometimes the Spirit is so overwhelming that I just want to shout from the top of a mountain for all the world to hear! I love this Gospel. What we learn every day and every week in church is good. It is only good. There is nothing wrong about it. Nothing! I love my Heavenly Father and my Brother, Jesus Christ. I love my family and my friends who I know love me and support and guide me in all that I do. I feel my Savior’s love every day of my life and I am so blessed to know how it feels. I love my life and the knowledge I have and I can’t begin to express just how much love that is. My life brings me joy and happiness and I know that I am doing good things.

I testify to you with all the energy of my heart and whole capacity of my being and my soul that this church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true and that it really is Christ’s church. I testify, as much as is possible that He is our Savior and Redeemer. His love and our Father’s love is so great and pure and I am so grateful and happy and awestruck that they have given us the knowledge needed to make it back to them. I cannot wait for the day when I can see them again, fall on my knees and bathe their feet in my tears. I can’t wait to see the angels rejoicing that I made it back. I can’t wait to feel their arms around me, welcoming me home, with my family by my side. I can’t wait to hear my Father tell me how much He loves me. I can feel it now, and I know it, but I can’t wait to hear Him say it. I know this, ALL of it. I know it and I testify that it is true.

I say this all in the name of our Lord, Savior and Redeemer, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Testimony Tuesday (a few days late): What Heaven Sees In You

Sorry I haven’t posted a testimony Tuesday for the past couple weeks. School has been crazy as the semester comes to an end, but I should be able to get one done from now on! 🙂

Another future sister missionary posted this video because she said it helped her prepare to go through the temple today. I listened to it multiple times and was filled with the Spirit and I had tears in my eyes. The message is wonderful and reminds me that I am not alone and that I have divine potential. Whenever I am discouraged with something, or even am doing something I know is good, I think of my Heavenly Father looking down on me and no matter what I’m going through, He always has loving eyes and has the desire to let me know how much He loves me. I also think of my children, looking down from above and watching me. That thought can either make me feel really guilty about what I’m doing with my life and makes me want to be a better person, or just makes me love them so much more. I don’t know how many kids I’ll have, who they are, but I know they know who I am, and I want to make them proud to call me their mom.

I know that through my Heavenly Father, through the angels watching over me and through myself, I can reach my divine potential. God has promised me many things and it’s all on me to decide if I get them or not. I can have all of them. Everyone in heaven can see my potential, and I know I can do all things through Him who strengtheneth me.

I am a daughter of God. I know He loves me as any Father should. Enough to send His Beloved Son down to Earth to suffer and be sacrificed for my sins. For everyone’s sins. I can’t imagine how much love that is. But if He can love me that much, I can love Him enough to try as hard as I can to reach my divine potential that I know I have.

I love my Heavenly Father. I love my Savior. And I KNOW that I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. 

Testimony Tuesday: Being A True Friend

Sorry about not having a Testimony Tuesday last week, but I did an Easter post, so hopefully that makes up for it at least a little bit! 🙂

Those of you who know me fairly well, know that I love to laugh. I can laugh hysterically at the smallest things my friends say, which is why I love to be around them. It really isn’t very difficult to make me laugh, but my closest friends and family can never fail to bring a smile to my face and as I look back on all the good times we’ve had, even the memories make me laugh. A huge part of that is because I surround myself with people who lift me up and support me with the things I’m interested in. They are easy to forgive if they do something I don’t like, and I don’t think I’ve ever been mad at any of them for more than a few hours. It is so easy to be myself around them. I really couldn’t care less about how crazy or weird I am with them and somehow, they haven’t yet sent me off to a psych ward for it. Then again, they’re pretty crazy themselves. Which is mostly why I love them. 😉

I know that all of my friends have influenced or taught me at some point in my life, whether good or bad. If it was bad, it was usually a lesson I learned – I found that I learned what I didn’t want to be rather than being influenced to act the way they did. And vice versa. If it was good, they taught me how I want to be. Most often the latter. I have become who I am today because I surrounded myself with close friends who only were good examples to me.

I have a lot of friends or acquaintances, but I don’t have a lot of close friends. And I’m perfectly okay with it. Those I do have are the ones I have been friends with and will continue to be friends with for years and years, hopefully forever because they are amazing people. It is pretty awesome how much the people around you can influence you. Whether you realize it or not, they are changing, molding, helping you become the person you are now or will be soon. When I look back on my life and what I have become, so much of it has to do with the friends I spent most of my time with. We have been examples to each other and built each other up, helped each other grow and been there always when we were needed for the other.

I have a wonderful friend who actually once told me that I have been an example to her just by showing her that I don’t really care what others think of me, I can laugh at anything, and I stand up for what I believe. That initially is how I gained my testimony of the Gospel and of God and Jesus Christ. She showed me how I was acting and it made me do a double take and wonder why exactly I was doing those things that I had been taught. Just as I was an example to her, she was an example to me. She lifted me up and helped me be more open and ready to laugh at anything. With her in my life, I am ready to greet every day with a smile.

Savannah and me – I can’t even say how well this describes our relationship.

Another friend has been in my life every since I can remember. We’ve had our ups and downs but we’ve always been there for each other. She listens very well and lets me know she’s there and cares about me. I know everything will be okay once I’ve talked to her. She lifts me up when I’m down and her hugs always make me feel better. Her example has been wonderful. She is amazing, and though she’s married now, she’ll always be my best friend and sister.

Ashley and Me

Finally, I have the most amazing friend who can listen to anything I tell him and still not have him run away screaming. I seriously can go to him with any problem and he will listen to whatever I say and he can always say the thing I need to hear. Haha and honestly, there’s pretty much nothing that can be awkward between us. I can say anything, no matter how dumb, and still not feel stupid afterward. We can talk all day and still have more to say the next day and the next. And every time, we find something to laugh about. I love having him in my life because he helps make it so much brighter.

Zeegan and I at the Provo temple.

These three people are my closest friends and I have no idea what I would do without them. They have made my life so much easier when it comes to choosing the right. I never really had a problem with trying to decide between something that was wrong but the “in” thing to do and something that was right but nobody looked at with praise. I have grown and am still growing into someone who is strong and ready to face the world and the evil within it. And it is all because of these people. They are the best things that have happened to me and are the greatest things in my life. I will treasure their friendships until the end of time and probably even beyond that. They mean the world to me, and without them, I wouldn’t know true friendship.

You have no idea the effect you can have on a person’s life when you become their friend and treat them with unconditional love and kindness. You can change their life forever. So I encourage you to find at least one friend like this and thank them for being who they are and loving you despite your faults. Without these kinds of friends, life would be so much more difficult.