can ye feel so now?

Alma 5:26 - And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now? 


If the Holy Ghost has prompted you to become better in your life,
Can ye feel so now? 

If you have felt Christ's love wash over you,
Can ye feel so now?

If you have felt the cleansing power of the Atonement, I ask,
Can ye feel so now?

Our lives are always changing. I am not the same person I was when I was in seventh grade, I'm not even the person I was last year, or last week, for that matter.
Sometimes we grow and become stronger, sometimes we regress, and sometimes things just change in other ways. Many changes aren't good or bad necessarily, they are just changes.
Life is always changing.

But one thing that should never change is your testimony. Your conviction and your knowledge of what is right should never waver.

Have you ever had a change of heart?
It wears off sometimes.

I mean, not to a downer, but it just does. Not always, I think all of us have experiences that change us and sometimes there is no going back.
But other times, well, it is hard to remember how the Spirit made you feel, or it is hard to remember why you decided to do what you did.

Think back on times that you felt the Spirit, times when your knowledge was sure.
Can ye feel so now?

Has Christ called upon you to sing the song of redeeming love? Have you felt those moments when you just want to shout from the rooftops: "Christ lives! He is Lord!"
Can ye feel so now?

Let us always be strong and faithful, remembering the times the Spirit has whispered the truth to us.
Keep your testimony strong always. 

Have a good week!

Haley

THIS is knowledge.

Have you ever looked into space and wondered a little extra about God?
About how He lives? What He knows?
Have you wondered about time? About creation?

About the mysteries of the universe... and have you ever wondered what we could possibly have to contribute...?

Because I do occasionally. But then I get a bit overwhelmed by the magnitude of such thoughts.
But still... I wonder about those who do not wonder. Those who accept life as it is and don't search for truth. Don't search for religion, for hope, for knowledge. 

It's the natural thing to do... question things. Because it's a need to have knowledge. It gives us purpose and something to look forward to. It nurtures the spirit and calms us in times of doubt.

And there are things that I don't know. Lots and lots of things. And many things I simply don't comprehend. I can't fathom them. I just can't fathom the hugeness of the universe.

But there are things that I do know. I have earthly knowledge and facts that have been fed to me since my birth. I go to school. I have a pretty basic understanding of history and chemistry and the english language.
And I have spiritual knowledge. More than I could ever sort through. More knowledge than they could ever teach me at a school. I have knowledge of a Creator and an eternity of happiness that awaits me. I have knowledge of my heritage, and an appreciation for my ancestors who would have sacrificed anything for truth to continue. And I wouldn't even know how to begin to thank them for that.

Some wouldn't call these facts. They'd call them hopes, wishes, theories, maybe even fantasies. But I know that these are statements. They are facts. And the only ones that can truly calm the human's tendency to constantly question. There's a period at the end of each of those statements because God put it there in my mind. And I would never let anyone put a question mark where God has already put a period.

Knowledge is a beautiful thing. And even though I don't know everything, I know enough. I know enough to even stop questioning.

And that isn't like me.

a goal we all can agree on

When I was a young kid, my bedtime was 8:30 every night. Bedtime consisted of putting on a nightgown and/or footie pajamas, brushing my teeth, and usually having my mom braid my hair so it would be wavy in the morning. 

My parents had their time together downstairs, and I was confined to my room, trying to pick out the words I could barely hear coming from the TV. 

When I got to seventh grade, I remember a friend of mine telling me how they had gone to bed at 11:30 after trying to get an assignment done. My eyes widened as I repeated her words... "eleven-thirty??" My bedtime may have been upped to 10:00, but a bedtime that late was a New Year's Eve type of thing. 

I don't really know what changed after that, but eventually my bedtime seemed to be all but forgotten as I scrambled to get last-minute assignments done every night. It was there in theory, but wasn't enforced as much, especially as the years went on. 

Fast forward to today, and you will find my whole family in bed, with me still up and about, almost every night. 

Or sometimes I shut myself in my room after getting ready for bed with all my homework that is still unfinished. I light a candle and cherish the knowledge thateven though I still have homework, I won't have to leave that wonderful little place for the rest of the night. 

Or, during the summer, I stay up watching Monk and Drop Dead Diva on Netflix until it is 3am. 

And I came to the realization one day, that I am a huge night owl. Even as a high schooler, on the nights I desperately want to sleep, I can't. I guess I'm just wired differently now.

But even though I am a walking zombie at school occasionally, I love being up alone at night. What used to be my parents' alone time, has now become mine. (sorry guys!)

There is something about being alone, surrounded by quiet and peace, that soothes the soul. It fills you up. It brings you nearer to God. 


I look forward to these hours of recluse, and I wish we could all make time for ourselves... time to just be alone. Time to feel the Spirit. Not out of selfishness. Quite the contrary, actually. A boost in spirit helps us when we need patience. Having some alone time to look forward to makes it easier to spend more quality time with others during the other hours of the day. 

I think the human mind is a very complex, beautiful thing. It never stops working, moving, or thinking...  Never stops stressing, never relaxes until we make a conscious effort to make it calm down. 


And when I do make a conscious effort, I receive happiness and peace in return.  


Let's switch gears for a second. 


I would pride myself in never breaking a new year's resolution, but that's because I try not to make them. There is something about a goal that freaks me out. It's the same reason I made goals like turn in my homework on time during parent-teacher conferences as a kid. I always turned my homework in on time. So there was no chance of failure. I didn't even need to change my ways at all.

Maybe I'm just a no-good, lazy teenager, but I hate making goals. I tend to want results without putting forth the work.

But happiness is a goal even I can work towards. Because I get so stressed with homework and piano and other day to day activities sometimes. And it's not that I'm not happy, I just too often spend more time worrying than enjoying the journey.

And maybe my mind will get into the habit of being calm, and I will have to remind it less and less.

And I won't have to be alone - or away from other cares - to be calm and happy.

Indeed, even a new year's resolution I can handle. 

What are your new year's resolutions this year?

enemy territory.

I had a YW leader tell us in a lesson a while back that the minute we step outside our house, we have entered enemy territory.

There are very few safe places left in the world... because we are attacked by so many things coming from every direction that have a horrible influence on us every single day.

Think about the fact that humans have lived on this earth for about 8,000 years. Of course there have been periods of time when people were incredibly disobedient and prideful...

But it is shocking to see how many new horrible influences have popped up just in the last few decades. The media is a huge one...

We are being told every day that immodesty, immorality, homosexuality, and profanity, (etc, etc...) are all okay! That these things are normal, in fact.

Well. They're not. They're not okay. Or normal.

It's as simple as that.

Even though sometimes it seems that we're the abnormal ones.

I'm not saying this to offend anyone... I'm really not.

The problem is... the more you are exposed to these things - no matter how strong you think you are - they start to have an effect on you.

Maybe it's simply that you become less sensitive to them...

Or maybe it's something bigger.

"I promise you that you will be protected and sealed from the attacks of the adversary if you will heed the promptings that come from the Holy Ghost. The gift of the Holy Ghost, if you consent, will guide and protect you and even correct your actions. He is a spiritual voice that comes in your mind as a thought or a feeling. Take hold of your life and order yourself to be better. You will be watched over and protected that you yourself will know, by the promptings of the Holy Ghost,  which way to go. I promise you that it will be so."
(Boyd K. Packer)

Maybe you are fine and you are managing just fine in your daily life.

Or maybe your priorities are becoming blurred. Maybe the enemy really is breaking you down.

Well it's okay. At least it can be. Everyone is impacted by these things. Don't beat yourself up if you aren't in the place you wish to be. Heavenly Father knows how you feel. He knows you better than you know yourself.

Start with little things. Try to put yourself in positions where you can feel the Holy Ghost.

Heavenly Father will know that you are trying.

And I promise that you will feel the Spirit.

When you see something that is inappropriate or wrong... well... the fact that you know it's wrong is a prompting from the Holy Ghost.

At EFY... they talked about the Light of Christ... which everyone has. It is your conscience.


The ability to know right from wrong is a God-given gift.


Whether you decide to act on those promptings... well... that is up to you.

But I know that you will be immensely blessed just by trying a little harder to eliminate the negative influences in your life.

Work harder to avoid them, rather than just to resist them.

Little by little.


And you will make your Father proud.

And no matter who you are... isn't that what you ultimately want?

A happy, healthy, and fulfilling life - living in a way that makes God proud of you?

Give it a try.

That life may not be as far away as you think.

feasting on the scriptures...

Another EFY lesson!!

> Scriptures... involves opening your scriptures and reading from them. Simple as that.
> Story details... the scriptures are history books! They tell about different people at different times and what they did and what they learned.
>Doctrines and principles... we have the scriptures so that we can learn wisdom. Try to identify what the passage of scripture you are reading is trying to teach you.
> Apply... those doctrines and principles applied to the people in the scriptures. How can you apply those principles to your own life?
> Do... as usual, action is required. Make those principles become a part of your life.



As you can see from the awesome bullseye I made above... studying scriptures is like target practice.

Maybe sometimes you will only hit the outer ring. That's better than missing! A lot of people have a hard time even getting that far!

So if you are an outer ring shooter... good job! With practice you will be able to hit the next white one!


Learning to love the scriptures might take a long time. The key is persistence. Maybe for months you will never get farther than the "scriptures" ring. That's cool. Keep moving forward until you hit the "story details" ring. Reading gets much more interesting when you can figure out what is going on!

It could take a really long time before you are fully utilizing your scriptures... but there are tools you can use to make it easier!

Use study helps! Institute books, The Old Testament/New Testament/Book of Mormon (etc.) made Easier, the internet...

There are seriously countless books out there. Just make a trip to Deseret Book or Seagull Book... or browse their websites.


Also do things to make it easier to feel the Spirit while you are studying.


Use M. Russell Ballard's 5 Steps to Improve Study!

- Consistent time and place to study alone
- Make your scriptures yours! Mark them - make notes in the margins!
- Set an amount of time for study rather than a certain number of chapters or pages
- Study topically as well as chronologically
- Take time to ponder, meditate, and pray about what you read.


It helps so much to start your scripture study with a prayer. Think of a question you may have and ask Heavenly Father if He will answer it through your scriptures. After a few days of reading, see if your question has been answered.
Many people say that they don't get many answers from the scriptures... but are they really looking? Did they have a specific question to begin with? It's hard to find the answer to a question you never had.

I know that if you take your questions to the Lord... they will be answered.

The scriptures are amazing! So many people have sacrificed so much so that we could have them. Don't take that for granted!

A Thing of the Spirit

“Pure religion is a thing of the Spirit and not of the intellect alone."
- Bruce R. McConkie 

     In this book, in the section written by Richard Bushman (a professor at Harvard), he talks about a time when he was being interviewed on the radio. The  conversation ended up being focused on religion, and he was asked, 

"How could an educated, well-informed, modern Mormon accept all the stories that go with Mormon belief?"

Well... what would you say?

Of course... he went on in his essay talking about his belief in the Mormon Church, but I think that the question he was asked is one that we should know how to straight-forward answer. 

     To some people who don't know a lot about our religion, our beliefs may seem a little different. 

     Some people... try to explain everything with science. If they can't have tangible proof of something happening... well, it didn't happen. I happen to know a couple of people that think that way...

Darn skeptical scientists. 

Well... here's an awesome quote from Einstein...

"Every one who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe-a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble."
- Albert Einstein 


Isn't that an awesome quote? And it was said by someone that we consider scientifically/mathematically brilliant. 

     I suppose he got it...

You know... some things can be explained completely with science. I mean, leaves are green because that's the only color in the spectrum that they reflect back... okay, I can believe that. Sounds reasonable to me.

BUT... Everything cannot be perfectly described by science. Our earth... and everything in it... didn't just happen on its own. Life didn't happen on its own... especially intelligent life.

Like what Elder Russell M. Nelson said in the last General Conference...
Talking about our amazing physical bodies, he said,


"Yet some people erroneously think that these marvelous physical attributes happened by chance or resulted from a big bang somewhere. Ask yourself, “Could an explosion in a printing shop produce a dictionary?” The likelihood is most remote. But if so, it could never heal its own torn pages or reproduce its own newer editions!"


(Reminds me of this song)


You know what I think is interesting... some scientists/atheists say that their explanations just make more sense... that they're more practical.


Something cool about our gospel... not only do we have manifestations and believe in God... but all of our Church's teachings make perfect sense. If you think about it, the Gospel really explains everything we need to know... and it explains all of those things perfectly. 


It makes sense. And of course, we have the Spirit telling us that what we believe is true. 


That quote at the very top of this post... is one of my favorite quotes of all time. We just... can't always explain things so that they make sense to other people. We know God exists because we have faith. And after putting that faith to the test, we will find that God really is there. And He loves us.


And the Church is true. 

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Complaining, and a Poem

I am getting bored with the blog.
Mostly because you guys are probably getting bored with it.
I'm not planning on stopping.
I'm just not sure what to do with this blog right now, because it's hard to be spending so much time writing posts all of the time when I'm not sure if people really read them.
I mean, I have page views... just no feedback, and I'm kinda bugged that clicking on the page dictates a "page view," but people could click off two seconds later and I'd never know.

Haha - was that enough complaining? Because I know that there are some of you who really do read, and I am very grateful for you people.

*sigh* I'm not really sure what to do with the running-out-of-ideas thing. I just don't know what to blog about anymore.
Should I broaden the things I post about?
Maybe a change like that would give me more things to blog about...
But... I don't want to lose what this blog was originally created for... and how do I find a balance?

Hmmm... feedback would be immensely appreciated.
I'll probably end up stewing over this for 24 straight hours and then not change anything, because I don't even know where to start.

Thank you for listening to (reading) my complaints. I'm going to go eat some double-stuf oreos and decide what to do with this blog...

(It will still exist... I'm not done blogging!)

----------

     Now... I don't feel like creating a post... Haha. 

     I know. I will share a poem (sorta. it really isn't a poem...) that I have been dying to share, but haven't found a post where it fits in yet. I suppose it can have its own post. 

You cannot stay on the summit forever; 

you have to come down again.

So why bother in the first place? 

Just this: 

What is above knows what is below, 

but what is below does not know what is above. 

One climbs, one sees. 

One descends, one sees no longer, 

but one has seen. 

There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions

by the memory of what one saw higher up. 

When one can no longer see, 

one can at least still know.

(Rene Daumal)

     I love that quote. I suppose it actually could've gone with the last post I did. (here)

It's all about perspective. Like I mentioned in the last post, there will be times in your life when you will have amazing spiritual experiences. Never forget those experiences that you have, and let them change your perspective. 

     There have been times when I've felt the Holy Ghost really strong, and at those times, I wanted to do nothing other than read my scriptures and listen to hymns... haha. I know, because I've felt the Spirit, that the gospel is and should always be most important in my life. At any time in my life, I can think about those truths and remember how happy the Spirit makes me, and made me at that time. I am blessed with a renewed motivation to live the gospel fully.

     Does that make sense? 

     Dang. That totally would've gone with that last post.   :)

The end. Have a lovely Wednesday evening. I'll be staying up late and sleeping in even later. I love spring break.   :)

Now. Comments? Please? About the above complaining part?

You guys rock.

Did one of my posts leave a lasting impression on you? I'd love to hear about it! Comment below! 

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My Conference Highlights [Part One] - True Conversion and Spiritual Experiences

     Okay. Long time no see, right? I haven't blogged in a week. That may be the longest gap as of yet. (Not counting when my computer was broken last December. I've created a mental block of those weeks. That was a very dark time, yes. Haha...)


     Anyways. Conference. I hope that you watched with attentiveness. If you took notes, double points for you.


"Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." [D&C 1:38]

     When you listen to the Prophet or apostles speak, you are hearing God's will. I think most of us would say that when God reveals things to us, we want to hear it. Why then, do people not make it a priority to watch General Conference? There is always something shared that can speak to you. 


     If you missed any of the sessions, you can watch them here. Text for the talks will be available Thursday. Sometimes it is easier just to read them. 


     So for the next couple of posts, I would like to go over a few of my favorite talks. (I'm not actually sure how many "parts" this little series will have. Who knows, this may be the only one, but I'm sorta thinking 2-3...)




     One talk that I loved was in the Saturday Morning Session... "The Gospel and the Church" - by Donald L. Hallstrom.



(Hopefully you've already heard this talk, but if you haven't, or if you need some refreshing, here's the talk for your convenience. I'm surprised that all of the talks have already been uploaded to youtube. Sweet.)


Here are some of my favorite quotes from this talk:

     "Sometimes we use the terms 'Gospel' and 'Church' interchangeably, but they are not the same. They are, however, exquisitely interconnected, and we need both."

     "Some have come to think of activity in the Church as the ultimate goal. Therein lies a danger. It is possible to be active in the Church, and less active in the Gospel."

     "How much faith do we really have? How repentant are we? How meaningful are the ordinances in our lives? How focused are we on our covenants?"

     "We need the Gospel and the Church."

     "We often wonder: 'How can someone be fully active in the Church as a youth, and then not be when they're older? How can an adult, who has regularly attended and served, stop coming? How can a person who is disappointed by a leader or another member allow that to end their church participation?' Perhaps the reason is they were not sufficiently converted to the Gospel, the things of eternity."

     "The Lord wants the members of His Church to be fully converted to His Gospel. This is the only sure way to have spiritual safety now and happiness forever."


     If you never heard the talk, do you get the basic message? True conversion. 

     Hopefully you understand the concept of true conversion, because it is different than just being a member of the Church.

     There are some members of the Church who have been members their entire life, but do not follow the commandments. There are other members who are converts, and maybe have had the Gospel a shorter time, but they are more faithful and valiant. There are some people who have had the gospel their entire life, and it is their highest priority.

What is the difference between these different types of people? They've all been exposed to the same teachings.

     The difference is that some are not truly converted.

     Say you were born into the Church and were baptized when you were eight. You have grown up in the Church your whole life. There comes a time, however, when you must become truly converted. That is when you fully believe in the Gospel and its teachings, and you understand that nothing should be more important in your life.
     True conversion requires a change of heart.

     -----

     How can we get this change of heart? Well, "ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." [Ether 12:6].

     Keep the commandments. Pray often. Go to church. Read your scriptures often. Try really hard to have a spiritual balance in your life. When you are to this point, pray for a witness. Pray for a special experience. Pray that the Holy Ghost will tell you that what you are doing is right. 

     You will receive a witness. 

     Now is when another talk comes in... "To Hold Sacred" - by Paul B. Pieper (Sunday afternoon).

     (It's a long quote, but really good.)

"At times we may feel vulnerable and in need of greater spiritual assurances. The Lord told Oliver Cowdrey, 'If you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know the truth of these things. Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have, than from God?' The Lord reminded Oliver - and us - to rely on sacred personal witnesses already received when our faith is challenged. Like Moses, Alma, and Joseph before, these divine encounters serve as spiritual anchors to keep us safe and on course in times of trial." 

- Paul B. Pieper

     Times of doubt will still come for most of us... but when that happens, never forget those witnesses you received. Never forget the times when the Holy Spirit enveloped you. Write those experiences down!

     For me, I always think of a night at EFY when I felt the Spirit so strong that it was almost tangible. It was such a happy feeling, and I knew that the Gospel should always be the most important thing in my life. I always want that feeling within reach. 

     If I ever have times when I have doubts - times when Satan is working on me - I just remember experiences like that. I remember what I felt then, and how it was undeniable. It washes all doubts away. 

     I think that is what Elder Pieper is trying to say... never forget those special experiences, because in times of trial, it's important to have those witnesses to look back on. 

(To read all of Elder Pieper's talk, click here.)

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An Introduction to The Book of Mormon

     I've been writing this blog with the mind-set that it would be members of the church reading it... As I've gotten many page views from people all over the web, I decided that I want to do a basic introduction of the Book of Mormon and the missionaries...(missionaries tomorrow).



 

   
The following video is about a man whose life was changed forever because of this wonderful book. I'm sure that the lives of many others will also be changed because of him...




     I looked up the talk given by Tad R. Callister at the last General Conference to find a quote, because I remembered he gave an awesome talk on the Book of Mormon in the Sunday morning session last October...
     But there were too many good ones! It seriously took me forever to decide which words to quote on here... I did finally decided, but I would invite you to read the entire talk here. 


-----

"But why is the Book of Mormon so essential if we already have the Bible to teach us about Jesus Christ? Have you ever wondered why there are so many Christian churches in the world today when they obtain their doctrines from essentially the same Bible? It is because they interpret the Bible differently. If they interpreted it the same, they would be the same church. This is not a condition the Lord desires, for the Apostle Paul declared that there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5). To help bring this oneness about, the Lord established a divine law of witnesses. Paul taught, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Corinthians 13:1)."

"The Bible is one witness of Jesus Christ; the Book of Mormon is another. Why is this second witness so crucial? The following illustration may help: How many straight lines can you draw through a single point on a piece of paper? The answer is infinite. For a moment, suppose that single point represents the Bible and that hundreds of those straight lines drawn through that point represent different interpretations of the Bible and that each of those interpretations represents a different church."

"What happens, however, if on that piece of paper there is a second point representing the Book of Mormon? How many straight lines could you draw between these two reference points: the Bible and the Book of Mormon? Only one. Only one interpretation of Christ’s doctrines survives the testimony of these two witnesses."

This is my attempt to recreate the picture they showed...  Don't laugh at it... I'm already feeling a little OCD about the top part! :)

-----

Okay...
     Do we believe in The Bible? Obviously yes.
One of our Articles of Faith states
"We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God."
(AofF 8... to read the others, click here.)

     So does that make us Christian?
Absolutely. 
     A Christian is anyone who believes in Jesus Christ, and that He is the redeemer of our sins. I don't know how anyone can argue that we are not Christians... our church is named after Christ!

     Now... I am not a convert to the church. I was born into the gospel. I do have a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon. I see miracles happen in our church every day. I know that this is the true gospel restored to the earth, because I feel the Spirit when I learn about the scriptures, and when I go to church.
     I've had the opportunity to go to pretty much all of the Church history sites in the U.S. When I was in Palmyra, New York, which is where the First Vision occurred, I gained a deeper gratitude for this book, and for all that Joseph Smith sacrificed to give it to us.
     When I was in Nauvoo,  Illinois, one of the cities that the early saints settled, it was peaceful. It felt like taking a step back in time, and I gained a deeper gratitude there too. A gratitude to those early saints who gave all that they could to have the gospel.

     I know that the Church is true, and that the Book of Mormon is true, because I have felt things. I just know it in my heart, and I could never deny it.


Please click here to learn about the Book of Mormon in greater depth.
To request a free copy of this amazing book, please click here. 


Moroni 10:4 - And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 - And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

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Why I'm a Mormon Part 3/4: ME!!!

Here's a lovely picture for you... just me pretending that I'm
all official like those in the book. :)

     Haley B. isn't very famous, unless you count the recognition she gets for her crazy-mad-piano-skills... She likes eating anything with sugar and she also likes blogging. She also tends to be pretty outgoing and likes meeting new people.
     She has never dated and never married. She also has no children or grandchildren. (Or great-grandchildren... if you were wondering).
     She would be really excited if lots of people read and commented on her blog... just saying... :)

(Does it sound like this came from the book yet?)

* * * * *

    I was born into the Church, as most people around me were. I'm very lucky for this, as I've had the gospel and the knowledge that it brings my whole life. I never want to take this knowledge for granted, because I know that most people aren't as lucky as me.
     I don't ever want people to think, however, that I believe in the Church because I was born into it. Sure, this may be true for young kids, but as people get older, they stop trusting their parents as much. As people get older, they sometimes let the world's opinions influence them.
     If they are smart and trust the Lord, they will turn away from people who say bad things. Some people though, are not strong enough to do this. They very foolishly line up their own views and the views of the world so that they are one and the same.
     I suppose that being born into the Church is the reason that I am a Mormon, but that is NOT the reason why I believe in the Mormon Church.
     Part of the reason that I believe, is because I've been exposed to many really great examples. So many good people are around me, and so many good people have gone before me.
     You guys, we have a truly amazing heritage. So many saints, our own ancestors, gave EVERYTHING they could possibly give to follow the prophet, and to give the gospel to you and me. I don't know a lot about my family history. I'm sure that I could trace my lineage back to some pioneers somehow, but I just don't know much about that right now.

     Nevertheless, those brave, brave people that we read and learn about... they are still my ancestors. My family. That is my heritage. Without them, I would not have the gospel. I would be lost.
     The truth is... no matter what my family tree may say... I will still always see those pioneers as my family. It's kind of like a ward. My ward is my family. Those people that are my neighbors... they are the ones that I've grown up knowing. My friends in Young Women's... those are the ones I've grown up loving. These are the people who teach me life's most important lessons outside of the home. They are the ones I know best, the ones I serve with, and the ones who serve me.
     I suppose it really is true. It takes a whole community to raise a child.
     I also have a great home, with great parents, and great siblings. Even though we may fight more often than we probably should, I know from experience that my little family can pull together in times of trouble.
     When my sister died, it was scary and unexpected. It made us really sad and it was a tough trial, but my family came together and got through it.
     I believe that this experience -- more than anything else -- made my testimony the most like what it is now. I learned that the Lord will always help us, and if we just trust him, we can come through trials stronger and more motivated to choose the right.

     I know that families are forever, and even though it seems like ages before we will return to heaven, it really won't be. All of our suffering on this earth -- as hard as it may be -- will be worth it in the end. The gospel keeps me from fearing death, because we have the knowledge of a perfect plan of salvation, a promise that if we endure, we will be eternally blessed and rewarded.
     In the end, I know that the gospel is true because the Spirit has made it known to me. There have been times in my life when I have felt the Spirit so incredibly strong that it has enveloped me and made me feel amazingly wonderful. In these times, it is literally impossible to say that you don't believe in the gospel.
     It is because of the Holy Ghost... and the things I've felt... that I am a Mormon.

Always Have His Spirit to be With You

      I'm going to apologize ahead of time... this is a very wordy post. I just have a lot of thoughts that I want to get down, and not many pictures/videos to share... bear with me!

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 One time that I felt the Spirit very strongly was when I went to EFY. We spent the whole week doing things that would spiritually uplift us. We had lessons and classes, but also played around and made many new friends.

   On the night that we had our testimony meeting, we first listened to and sang many songs. We talked about how we could take home and remember the lessons we had at EFY and also the things we felt there.

   

     Afterwards, we all went into separate rooms and began our testimony meetings. You could feel the Spirit so strongly that it seriously almost felt tangible. It was awesome. As more people got up to bear their testimonies, the Spirit grew and grew until it may have been the strongest I have ever felt.

     One girl got up to bear her testimony and said she knew the Church was true. "How couldn't it be?" she had said.

     I realized then how true that statement was. Sometimes you feel the Spirit so strong that it is impossible to say you don't know the Church is true. Then, in your times of doubt, if they ever come, you can think back on those experiences and remember the truth that was once manifest to you.

     You don't have to be at EFY to have profound experiences and to feel the Spirit. You just have to be living a good life and be doing things that would draw you closer to the Savior. Then, you can have times when you feel the Spirit so strongly that it is impossible to deny. You too, can say that you know the Church is true because, "How couldn't it be?"

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     In my seminary class recently, our teacher asked for us to share about a time when we had felt the Holy Spirit. A few of us shared, but there actually many kids who, when asked, said that they had never felt the Spirit. This is so sad to me! I want people to be able to recognize the Spirit and to have the happiness that the constant companionship of the Spirit brings. 

     My seminary teacher then told us of something that he had heard taught at a fireside... (Jon Schmidt was the one speaking... even better!) :) 

     I loved the piece of information that he shared. He pointed out that we all were blessed, at baptism, with the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. We all feel the Spirit all of the time. Usually when members of our church say that they are feeling the Spirit, what they are really feeling, is an increase of the Spirit. It's the Holy Ghost touching their heart in a special way.

     When you go somewhere that you shouldn't be, or do something that you shouldn't do, sometimes you get a sick feeling inside. That's when you feel the Spirit leaving. This happens because the Spirit cannot dwell in unholy places. 

     You see, even if you don't realize it, as long as you are living your life righteously, you are feeling the Spirit all of the time. It's a gift that was given to you when you were confirmed. 

     I know that the Holy Ghost is real, and a wonderful gift that God has given us. I pray that you never take that gift for granted. Listen to the Spirit. It will give you comfort and testify to you that things are true. Follow it's promptings. I've heard, and I'm sure you've heard, many stories of people who's lives were saved or altered for listening to the Spirit. Never be doing things that might make you unworthy to have the Spirit with you.