Happy Thanksgiving

So Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  This year I have so much to be thankful for

My best friend Kylie- Kylie you are the most amazing person ever and I have no idea what I'd do without you.  Thank you so much for everything you do for me.  I love you tons!

Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Gospel-  I am so grateful Heavenly Father gave me the strength to make my way back to the gospel this year.  He has done so much for me and helps me to somehow make it through everyday.  He has given me the strength to pursue my education and give me the motivation to do so. And I'm grateful for all the many blessings He gives me and for the love He has for me and for His Son who came to this earth to die for me so that one day I return to live with both of them again.
I am also thankful for all the people Heavenly Father has placed in my life, for all those who stuck nearby as I strayed from the church to be an example and support as I made the journey back.

I am grateful that I'm finally able to get help for all my issues...I'm grateful that I was finally ready to do so and that Heavenly Father has blessed me financially to be able to pay for it while keeping my hours cut some at work.

I'm thankful for my family....they may tick me off a lot and I may get frustrated dealing with them a lot, but they're still my family.

I'm grateful for President Thomas S. Monson...I'm grateful to know that we have a living prophet on earth today to help us and guide us through this time on earth.

I'm grateful for President Koide and all his counselors for all the work they put into the Branch to make it as amazing as it is.

I'm grateful for the entire branch.  I was a little worried about going when I came back to church....but I can't tell you how amazing they are and much they're helped me without even realizing it.  The support and the love is just freakin awesome

I'm grateful for my Visiting and Home Teachers- Andrea, Shandee, Eric and Chad-  I'm grateful to know that I have people I can rely on if I need anything, people who love me and are such great examples.  I'm grateful to Shandee and her husband Aaron who came over one night at 11 so that Aaron could give me a blessing (before I found out who my home teachers were)

Even thought I hate my job with everything I have I'm grateful to have one and I'm grateful for the friends I've been able to meet

General Conference Quote

"Whenever we disobey, we spiritually paint ourselves into a corner and are captive to our choices. Though we are spiritually stuck, there is always a way back. Like repentance, turning around and walking across a newly varnished floor means more work—a lot of resanding and refinishing! Returning to the Lord isn’t easy, but it is worth it."    -Elder Robert D. Hales


This was the first General Conference I've heard in years, the first one I've heard since I've made my way back to church, and this quote stood out to me more than anything else.  During Elder Robert D. Hales' talk I almost starting crying.  He really hit it right on the button for me.  I've spent time trying to repent and trying to become more Christlike and making the right decisions to get back on the right path.  I made a lot of choices that pushed me farther from the church and I deeply regret it but I can't change the past.  All I can do is work my way back, resand and refinish the floors and return to the Lord.  Like it says, it isn't easy...but it is definitely worth it.  I am so grateful the Lord gave me the strength, the people, and love to come back.  :)  My life is much better now that I am making the right choices and on the straight and narrow path once again.

Why should we believe in The Book of Mormon?

So I know a lot of issues people have with accepting the church is why should I believe in the Book of Mormon?  A lot of people have trouble accepting there is more scripture than just the Bible.  This is something I struggled with when I was inactive from the church.  But there were a few scriptures that I came across that just made it click for me

John 10:16  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

The other few verses are from 2 Nephi in the Book of Mormon....now, anyone who's reading this who doesn't believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God and that it's not another scripture, PLEASE just think about this as if you just randomly read it, for the moment don't focus on the fact that it's from the Book of Mormon

2 Nephi 29:6-11

6 Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible.  Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?
7  Know ye not that there are more nations than one?  Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?
8  Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word?  Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another?  Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another.  And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also.
9  And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure.  And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever.

 10  Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written.

11 For I command all men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of the books which shall be written I will judge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written.

 

These scriptures were truly answers to my prayers.  Even if you don't believe the Book of Mormon is true which is what I was struggling with when I came across these.  It just makes sense, it just clicks.  I mean why would the Savior only visit one country?  Did you think that no one else lived in the world at the time?  That He would just ignore the rest of the world and not share His word?  The Book of Mormon are the prophecies and testimonies and stories of the people living in the America's before during and after Christ was on the Earth.  I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that we need to follow the commandments and counsel given there just as we need to follow the commandments and counsel given in the Bible.

Answers to prayers

I love Heavenly Father.  I've been going through a particular rough time lately and one night after I had spent a lot of time crying and praying I picked up my scriptures.  I started to get really tired so I decided I would read one more chapter before I went to bed.  I was in John in chapter 16 and it got to the very last verse which said
 John 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

This was just amazing to me.  No, it didn't make my problems disappear or make everything perfect, but it testified to me that Heavenly Father is listening.  That He knows us and knows our problems and loves us very much.  I am so grateful for such an amazing Father and I'm so grateful that He gave His only begotten Son to die for us, to feel the things we feel so that we know there is at least one other person who ALWAYS knows what we're going through.  Our prayers may not be answered in the way or time that we'd like, but they are always answered and this particular answer gave me the strength to continue to push through and endure.

Thanks

I've been having a really rough couple of weeks.  I've been more depressed than I've been since High School and my therapist wanted to put me in the hospital.  I told her I wanted to wait cause that morning I had been feeling better and she said because I've been so open and honest about everything that she trusted me and gave me several numbers to hold on to and a promise that if it didn't get better or got worse I would go to the hospital.  Well last night I almost went in, and today I called off work and almost went in.  One of the hardest things about coming back to the church and dealing with this is that even know I have a testimony and I KNOW the church is true and everything else, at the moment it is so difficult to believe it so to speak or feel it at that time and can only hope I'll get out of this rut and feel it all again.  *sigh* 

I'd really like to thank the people who have been helping me out so much through this (besides of course family, my doctors and therapists...man I'm crazy)
Sister Chamberlain and Sister Johnson the Missionaries.  Andrea, and Shandee my visiting teachers, Shandee's husband Aaron who gave me a blessing last night, and of course the bestest friend ever Kylie and her daughter Keira cause they are a huge reason I WANT to pull through...

My testimony

So let me explain something about this blog.  I grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However for several years I strayed and made choices that pushed me farther away from the church.  This past summer I finally got back.  Now I want to share the gospel with everyone around me, however I don't have a whole lot of people I can share it with and those few I've already started on introducing them to the church.  So I deleted all my posts on this blog so that I can share some background information, my journey, my testimony, and that maybe people will click on this and want to learn more.

So this post I just wanna post some information from www.mormon.org about our church and then my testimony.



"Christ told his followers during his brief but powerful ministry on earth. It was a timely and needed message since a few hundred years before His birth many people had stopped living according to God’s commandments. Christ brought light back into the world when He proclaimed His gospel just as he had with the prophets of old like Abraham, Isaac, and Moses. He chose twelve men to be His apostles—including Peter, James and John—and laid His hands on their heads to give them authority called the priesthood to perform baptisms, govern His church, and spread His word throughout the world.

In spite of His great influence and many miracles, He was ultimately rejected and crucified. After his death, His brave and faithful apostles carried on without Him, baptizing new members, and starting various congregations.

The Great Falling Away

Regardless of the valiant efforts of Christ’s apostles and their faithful followers, the original church that Christ restored began to fade away. Members faced severe persecution and all but one of the apostles were martyred. The apostolic authority to bestow priesthood keys and to receive revelation for the Church was lost along with many precious teachings. Errors about His teachings crept into the church resulting in conflicting opinions and lost truths. This period is what we call the Great Apostasy. 
Not surprisingly, many new churches sprung up to fill the void, all with conflicting opinions on even the most basic teachings of the gospel. And without priesthood authority or the full gospel, people had to rely on human wisdom to interpret the scriptures, principles and ordinances. A lot of false ideas were taught as truth, and much of what we know about the true character and nature of God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost was lost.  Essential doctrines like faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost became distorted and important doctrines were lost entirely.
Centuries later, inspired people, such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, recognized that practices and doctrines had been changed or lost and tried to reform the churches to which they belonged.  But without the authority of and direct connection with the apostles to the Lord Jesus Christ, His gospel and Church couldn’t be returned to their original form.

God Restored Christ’s Church through Joseph Smith

If the boy next door told you he was called by God to restore His true church on earth, would you believe him? Probably not. Neither did many people believe their neighbor, Jesus Christ the carpenter, was the Messiah. After centuries of spiritual darkness following Christ’s crucifixion, people were again in desperate need of His original truths. And when God selected a 14-year-old boy in 1820 as His messenger, most people refused to listen. Joseph Smith lived in the United States, which was perhaps the only country to enjoy religious freedom at the time. His family was deeply religious and constantly sought the truth.
Joseph had to decide which of the many Christian denominations to join. After careful study, Joseph Smith still felt confused as to which Christian church he should join. He later wrote, “So great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was . . . to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong . . . In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?” (Joseph Smith—History 1:8, 10).

He turned to the Bible for guidance.  He read, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, —that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). With simple faith he decided to do just that. In the spring of 1820 he went to a nearby grove of trees and knelt in prayer. He described his experience: “I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell

upon me . . . When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Joseph Smith—History 1:16–17). In his vision God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared. The Savior told Joseph not to join any of the churches. Although a lot of good people at that time believed in Christ and tried to understand and teach His gospel, they didn’t have the fullness of truth or the priesthood authority to baptize and perform other saving ordinances. This vision marked the beginning of the Restoration of Jesus Christ’s Church to the earth, which God authorized to be established 10 years later by a wiser, heaven-tutored Joseph Smith, once again allowing everyone to receive the joy and blessings that come from living it.

Authority to Lead His Church Restored

What does having priesthood authority really mean? Some mistakenly think it gives you the power to tell other people what to do. What it actually means is that a person can act in God’s name in behalf of His church—like when we give someone power of attorney so they can act in our behalf.
Prior to the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith received priesthood authority at the hands of John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John. The prophet today, Thomas S. Monson, is the authorized successor to Joseph Smith. He and the Church’s other Apostles trace their priesthood authority back to Jesus Christ in an unbroken chain of ordinations through Joseph Smith.

The Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon verifies that Jesus Christ lived on earth and still lives today as our divine Savior. It’s a second witness affirming the existence of Jesus Christ and the truth of the Bible. The story of how it came to be is as miraculous as the other incidents surrounding the restoration of the Church.
In 1823 Joseph Smith was visited by a heavenly messenger named Moroni just as angels often appeared to Apostles in the New Testament. Moroni told Joseph about a record of the ancient inhabitants of the American continent that was buried in a nearby hill. He said it contained the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Joseph Smith—History 1:27–34) and was written on thin plates of gold. Joseph translated the book into English. The book was named the Book of Mormon after Mormon, the ancient prophet who compiled it.

Translated and written in the same scriptural style as the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon tells us about the struggles of the righteous people of that time who were trying to live God’s commandments. Just as sometimes happens today, they were often made fun of and persecuted for their beliefs. A particularly inspiring and beloved section of the book recounts Christ’s visit to the American continent soon after His resurrection. He invited the people to feel the wound marks in his hands, feet and sides. He blessed and healed them, performed miracles, and gave twelve men the same authority as His apostles whose works are recorded in the Bible. The effect of His visit was so profound that for the next 200 years the people lived in peace.


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If you had asked me several years ago how I felt about the church, I would have said I hated it.  I didn't want to have anything to do with anyone.  I didn't believe in anything, and my depression made things even more difficult.  Several things happened this summer and I received some insane answers to my prayers and I made it back to the church and I am so incredibly grateful for everything the Lord has done to help me get to that point.  I love the Lord so much and I know that He came to earth to die for our sins.  I know that Heavenly Father knows us and loves us.  I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet and that this church and that The Book of Mormon is 100% true.  I'm so grateful for the church and everything it is and even though things are difficult a lot of the times, I am not letting my testimony fall away again.