Testimony

Hello Everybody!

 

I was reading in the March Ensign this morning during my personal study and I read an article that talks about a family that decided to start sharing their testimonies as a part of their family home evening. It had a quote in the article by Elder David A. Bednar which said, “Feeling the power, the edification, and the constancy of testimony from a spouse, a parent, or a child is a rich blessing. Such testimony fortifies faith and provides direction. Such testimony generates light in a world that grows increasingly dark.” I love this quote and for some reason it really stuck out to me that while I am sharing my testimony everyday with those around me I have not taken the opportunity to share my entire testimony to those of you back home.I would like to start my letter this week with my testimony of the restored gospel.

 

I know that the entire gospel is centered on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is my personal exemplar, savior, and advocate with the Father. He came to this earth and taught His gospel and showed us THE way that we can be reunited with our Heavenly Father. Even though He was despised, rejected and crucified. He was also loved, cherished, and resurrected. I will never understand or comprehend all that He was able to endure. I can only be grateful and show my love and gratitude by being obedient. As the scripture says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

I am so grateful that even though the fullness of the gospel was taken from the earth again after the death of Christ's disciples, Heavenly Father reached out yet again in love and understanding and restored His church, His priesthood, and His words through another prophet. I admire Joseph Smith for his obedience. It couldn't have been easy. It would have been so easy to take back what he said; but then again, no it wouldn't have been easy, because he knew it was TRUE! Just as I know it is true. That is why the Holy Spirit is such a wonderful blessing. It is through him that we know all truth, for the Spirit of the Lord can not lie. I wouldn't trade anything for how happy this knowledge makes me.

I am so happy to be a missionary. Even when things get hard all I have to do it fall on my knees at the feet of my Savior and I know that He will help me. He loves me and I love Him. The power of prayer is real. I often time feel like Enos, where I feel like praying all day and all night. I roll out of bed in the morning and I could go on forever just thanking my Father for the bountiful gifts He has given me. I scan through hundreds of faces and places asking for His hand to be present in their lives and I know that it is worth every second.

 

I am forever grateful for the plan of happiness. The knowledge it gives me and the answers to the questions that so many people have. I feel like I know everything but I know that I don't. I have access to realms of eternal knowledge though the scriptures, living prophets and prayer.

To be worthy to enter the Temple will forever be a goal of mine. I never want to lose or take advantage of the opportunity to worthily hold a temple recommend. The peace and joy of that holy place I hope will always fill my heart. I look forward to the day when I will be sealed to my husband for time and all eternity. Knowing that I have my family forever keeps me going on days when I just want to give up.

I am so happy and grateful for all of these things and more. My testimony could fill a book I am sure. I will close it for now and I hope this has helped at least one of you receive more "light" as the quote in the beginning says. I know that I would not make it through a single say without my testimony and I am so grateful, eternally grateful, for the blessings in my life that my faith brings. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

I hope I didn't lose too many readers in the midst of that. :) I got excited... This week has been a good one. We taught a few people and met quite a few more. I love being able to work hard. This week seemed to go by really fast. Well they are all picking up speed as we go. Yesterday was ward conference and that was really good. We had ward council before hand and we were able to talk about some of the families in the ward that need help. One family that we were talking about, everyone seemed to know about them and the problems they were facing. They talked about how they have tried to help and no one seemed to have success. I asked if the missionaries had ever tried going over and they all said, "No." So the idea clicked in their heads to send us over there to see what we can do. I am excited to be able to go over and get to know this family and hopefully show the ward that you can never give up. I know that the Lord loves all of His sheep and He will provide a way for this family to come back into the fold. I love this gospel. I love that it has a doctrine of unity. We are a family! And we should treat each other the way God wants His children to be treated. I know that I didn't always understand this principal before and I was often mean and unloving to some. I am grateful for this lesson on charity. And if that lesson is the only thing that I take away from my mission, then so be it, It will benefit me for the remainder of my earth life and beyond.

I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful week! (Please write me, it will make everyone's week better!) Thanks for everything! :)