John 17:3: Eternal life stems from truly knowing and developing a relationship to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
When I was younger, I used to believe in a lot of things: Santa, The Tooth Fairy, Monsters. I was easily influences, and I readily went along with all that my parents taught me about church, Joseph Smith, and Christ. I thought I had a testimony, but I was young, and I was still leeching off of my parents testimonies. Then I got a little older and went to girls camp and EFY as a teenager, and I felt the spirit very strongly, and I knew that I should obey the commandments because they would make me happy. I knew that the church was true, and I knew it for myself, not just because I was told. I Still didn't have the most personal relationship with my Heavenly Father, even though I knew I was a member of the true church. As I got older, and especially preparing to go to BYU-I, I decided to strengthen my bond with my Heavenly Father, and really come to know Christ. I still work on it every day, and I know now that knowing Christ, and developing a strong relationship with Him will lead me to eternal life if I remain diligent. I know that He loves me, and that makes it so easy for me to talk to Him. I truly love the principle taught in this scripture, and that's the reason I chose it. It is close to me.
I don't think we will ever be "done" working on our relationships with the Savior. If we could see Him on earth today I truly think we would follow everything He said, and try to learn more from Him every day. I know that it feels like we should check that off the list, but I believe that is just our human nature. It is okay to keep learning, and growing closer every day to Him until we are with Him again.
Prayer is the strongest tool in my life. I love to pray all the time. If I lose something, I pray to find it. If I am making a crucial decision, I ask for guidance. If I am sad, I ask for comfort. If I get a blessing, I pray with thanks. If I am feeling especially happy or peaceful, I pray, because I can feel the Savior is close to me. I love throwing out just a quick prayer whenever the mood or need strikes, and that is one of the best ways I have connected with my Heavenly Father. Prayer truly works, and I am really grateful for it.
I think everyone has a little of that "Prove it!" kind of attitude. I know that I have been kind of cynical in certain times in my life, until I remember that Satan doesn't want me to be happy, and he will use my every weakness to keep me miserable. I know that when I keep that in mind, I have a much easier time of combating the dark forces that would have me doubt what I know to be true.
When others stray, I feel sad. Why don't they just do what I do? Isn't it easier? And I believe that once you have a strong testimony, and work every day without fail to increase it, you are going to grow closer and closer to Christ. I also know that when you don't do that, it is so easy to be swept up in other things, and not even want to be happy. It's like when small kids are glad to be sick, just so they don't have to go to school, but what they don't even realize, is that school is such a great opportunity for them to learn and grow. It is our job to show those lost people how happy they can be with the gospel playing a large part of that. We need to stay diligent and do our part, and let the Lord and the Holy Ghost do the rest.
When someone close to me that I looked up to wavered in their testimony, it shook mine to the core. I had to really decide what I believed, because if that person had doubts, then how could it be true? After a short period of not being sure, and not really caring, I decided that I needed to know, right now, for myself. I had thought I already knew, but I was weak and relying on others STILL. I prayed, I read, I asked, and I started really really trying to know my Savior. I built up my little faith seed, and now it is a beautiful plant. I know that my Savior lives, and I know that for myself. I don't think I will ever be shaken like I was again, because I now rely on my very own testimony, and it isn't just words anymore.
It's so comforting in this world of uncertainty, with people flaking on promises and forgetting things, and making mistakes right and left, that we DO have something strong, secure, and unmovable to rely on. What would I do without that surety? I don't know and I don't intend to ever find out.
I know that in my life I have had those "why" moments a lot. Why did that happen? Why are things sad? Why didn't that happen? Why Why Why? I know that during all of those times, I have found at the end that even though my why wasn't fully answered, I felt good about it in hindsight. I know we don't get all the answers. How could our frail human minds comprehend all the things that God knows? They can't, and I for one don't mind letting someone else take the reigns. If I didn't know how to drive a car, and I had the option of driving or letting a pro take the wheel, I think the choice would be obvious. Let Him lead us, and we will be happy in the end, even if it's hard right now.
I love thinking of the Gospel as a light. It seems that the times in my life where i have been sad or not as close to my Heavenly Father, I have "shadowed" memories. I wasn't happy, and I didn't want any light. When we are on the side of Christ, the Light is so bright, that we can't help but feel happy and uplifted. Christ makes us feel that way, and I am really grateful for it.
I think that we have to add works to our faith. Faith is proven through what we do, and then it grows accordingly. If we say we believe and do nothing, we don't really. Our faith is dead. If we do what we are asked (like Adam sacrificing, yet not knowing the meaning of it, even when asked by an angel) we will gain a strong testimony of that thing. Our actions speak volumes to what we believe. I know that when I pay tithing I am blessed with the money that I need, and though it may not be the same exact experience for everyone, I know that I am blessed, because I tried it, and every time, without fail, I am blessed for it. I think even if doubts from Satan plague us, we can overcome them by simply doing whatever it is. Try, and prove for yourself by doing, and you will see what I mean.
I believe that faith is so personal. We can't hope to compare our faith to others, because ours is so individualized. I know that even when I waver, that I can make it to my Heavenly Father through Christ's atoning sacrifice for me personally. We can always come back, even when it seems too hard for us to handle. Even if we are a short step away from where we are supposed to be, the atonement doesn't have a minimum. If we are so far gone that we think there is no hope, there is. If we work as hard as we can, we can get to where we need to be. We can't do it alone. If we try to get to the right place by ourselves, we will fail, because the devil is stronger than us by ourselves. We can accept the Savior's help, and I promise, with that help we CAN be stronger than Satan. We can make it back to our Heavenly Father again.
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