8 Years in the Making...

Yes, it has been 8 years. 8 years on the 3rd of Jan that I entered into the waters of baptism. I am humbled today as I write. I was asked to speak in Church last week and through my talk I spoke a lot about my journey in the Gospel since it applied to my topic. Remembering and writing about it makes these experience more sacred and TRUE to me. I will share my little heart with you today. 

A Daily Striving or an Increased Obedience to Christ and Perfection in our Lives.

Striving: An effortful attempt to attain a goal. To devote a serious effort of energy. To struggle or fight forcefully.

Increased: Make greater in size or amount or degree. To become greater or larger. To multiply or reproduce.

Obedience: The act of obeying. Dutiful or submissive behavior with respect to another person.

Perfection: A state of being with out flaw or defect.  A state of completeness or freedom from fault.  

Now that I have broken down the definition of each of the keywords and they make sense to us I will show you how we can apply these in our lives, give examples, and hopefully convey to you what I am feeling in my heart today. When I was talking about giving this talk one of my friends said, “why don’t you just share your conversion story this topic would totally fit with it."  I don’t just want to stand up here and talk about myself but I will  try and apply all of these attributes in how I came into the Gospel.

 Striving makes us want to be better, stand a little taller, work hard, and be constantly doing something. Elder Bednar said, “As disciples of the Savior, we are not merely striving to know more; rather, we need to consistently do more of what we know is right and become better.” We need to strive for excellence in all things. Do what is right, be a believer, and live according to the eternal truths of the Gospel. The scriptures teach us to Strive against sin. Helamen talks about how they were striving with unwearied diligence that they may bring the remainder of their brethren to the knowledge of the truth. And in Luke tells us that we should strive to enter in at the strait gate. We need to strive to become like our Savior and have more Christ-like attributes. We know that Charity is the pure love of Christ and we need to try and adopt this into our character. As spirit children of our Heavenly Father, we do have the potential to incorporate Christlike attributes into our life and character. Developing Christlike attributes in our lives is not an easy task, especially when we begin to deal with real life. If we are constantly striving towards Christlike things it will bring power, strength, and spiritual self-reliance. In my quest in learning the Gospel I was striving to be learn and grow each day.  There were times where I became overwhelmed with the things I was taught but I never stopped striving for the things I wanted in my life to change even if it took a while. I was always seeking to be better and still am.  Having an increase can mean so much pertaining to the Gospel.  We need to increase a lot of things such as, scripture study, home and visiting teaching, family home evenings, knowledge, Temple attendance, paying tithes and fast offerings, tolerance and love for others, being member missionaries, keeping the commandments, and the list and go on and on. Elder Camak said, “Increasing our faith requires trusting the Lord with our whole souls and striving to act as He would in all circumstances and Indeed, increasing our faith in Him is one of our greatest needs today. Similarly, if we want increased faith, such as Enoch gained, we must give ourselves over completely to our Lord, utterly trusting Him” In the scriptures we learn that even Jesus increased in many things. These are Luke’s words: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man, having found it, never forgetting its source, remembering always that “the glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth” All of us, like the Savior, can, and must, continue to advance all the days of our lives in all that really matters. My journey in the Gospel has always been an increasing thing. Line upon line, precept upon precept, little by little I was increasing my soul and saturating myself with the Gospel.  It did not come all at once like I wanted it to but in came in tiny quiet still pieces of per joy. While increasing my knowledge I was increasing my relationship with the savior. It was something that I never had before, something that was hard at times to comprehend, yet something that change me. The increasing never stops; it is a constant progression for a more eternal relationship with my savior. I need his increase. 

Obedience is one of the key elements to the Gospel. Elder Christopherson said, “Obedience gives us greater control over our lives, greater capacity to come and go, to work and create. In the first place, the promised fruits of obedience become evident, which confirms our faith.” Also,  from the words of our Dear Prophet Joseph Smith he declared, “The object with me is to obey and teach others to obey God in just what He tells us to do. It matterethNephi was obedient in obtaining the brass plates. So having said that obedience becomes a major joy instead of a burden. When we come to learn this great principal of obedience it becomes second nature and it becomes more out of love and willingness instead of just a “have to” thing. There are many times in my conversion where I learned the obedience. I could tell you countless stories but I wont go into great detail. Don’t get me wrong obedience did not come easy all the time yet I just know the more obedient I was the more my testimony grew, and the more my testimony grew the more happier I was.

Perfection. Hum, let face it we all want to be perfect and we are taught that it is indeed obtainable but yet if we think we are perfect and with out error then we are boastful and full of pride and need to repent..LOL! I also was reading and its said to become perfect we cannot shrink and I thought well I am done for then since I am so short..LOL! Reminders that we are not perfect come repeatedly. We can however become perfected but only with Gods help. Elder Miller said, “As we move towards perfection, it is easy to feel that we fall short. We have the potential to eventually become perfected in Christ, this is our divine inheritance.” As we seek to serve our Savior, keep the commandments, and work toward continual improvement in the Gospel we can to become perfected. The Church is not a perfect place for perfect people, it is where people come to be perfected.  The Temple is also a place like this. When we partake of the sacrament and renew our covenants this is also a way we become perfected each week and what a beautiful thing it is that we get to do this. One of the principals of the Gospel is perfecting the saints and each of us is in a process of perfection. In reference to that the Savior has asked us in Mathew to become perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect. In modern revelation in DC 67, we are told that "we are not able to abide the presence of God now, neither the ministering of angels; wherefore, continue in patience until ye are perfected.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides opportunities for all members to become involved in many different kinds of activities that develop them mentally, morally, physically, and spiritually in the perfection process and so we are not alone in our adventure towards perfection. Its like stepping-stones or climbing a latter, each step we get closer to a more perfect state. I believe our trials can perfect us and refine us as individuals. I know I have come to know God and the Savior more through my shortcomings are trails then any other times in my life. Christ is perfect. Did you know that he is so perfect that when you are struggling with an addiction, or stand grieving at a loved ones gave, or make mistakes, or even going through the hardest time in your life…Did you know that his perfect power of the atonement can perfect you? It can and it will. It saved me. His resurrection is one of the most divine things he did for us. In Alma we read, "The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul, yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even the hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame." WOW, isn't this amazing? That God would give us such a great gift of giving us our perfected bodies back? This may not mean much to you but think about the soldiers who die in battle and their parents have to bury an empty casket because there is no body to bury. Think about the people of September 11th, or think of the little babies who get aborted each year. I think of Christian's sweet brother Danny. He was born with multiple disabilities including being blind, def, and he had autistic tendencies. He also had different facial and body abnormalities. The reality of it is, is that he will be able to run and not be weary, he will be able to hear and speak, and he will be transformed to a perfect state. This is the power of the Resurrection. The reality of the Resurrection provides to one and all that peace that surpasses understanding. Christ's Resurrection, as part of the atonement, opens the way for all of us to be resurrected and perfected.   

There are so many times in my life pertaining to the Gospel I have felt the feelings of perfection…

When I learned about the plan of Salvation. This was something I had never heard before or even thought of..."That families can be together forever?" I remember looking at the missionaries with tears streaming down my face and asking them, "so you are telling me that I will be able to see and be with my mother again?" Their answer sparked something inside of me that made my heart swell, a feeling a hope, a feeling or rest, a feeling that his hard to describe in words. It is amazing to know that Our Heavenly Father has a perfect plan set for us. To return to him, to be exalted, and one day even become perfected. 

When I was baptized. When I came up out of the water, I felt clean, I felt pure and wholesome. I remember I asked if I could watch the water drain so I new all my sins were gone for good..LOL! Even though I felt so un-worthy to be apart of this Gospel I really felt that day that God had forgiven me and that my Savior had his arms wrapped around me saying, “my daughter my hand has always been stretched out for you.” I felt PERFECT in every way, so perfect I remember not even wanting to shower because of the cleansing power I felt from being immersed in the water. This was the start on my journey towards perfection.

Another time is when I gave birth to my first son. Being completely un prepared for what was to come. He could not have been more perfect and my state of mind could not have been more perfect either. I also had these same feelings of perfection when I delivered my second son too.

Another example is when I was married in the Temple. None of my family was there but all of my home ward family showed up to support me. I was feeling a little down and stressed out. Christian and I were able to sit in the Celestial room for a little bit before we were sealed and it could not have been a more perfect feeling then that. All of my worries went away and I felt so much joy and again I felt perfect. All in white we knelt and were sealed for time and all eternity. We learn in the scripture in order to obtain complete perfection that certain temple ordinance must be done. Endowments and sealing are for our personal perfection. 

I know that God gives us little perfected moments like this to let us feel a little bit of eternal perfection. Though we may never comprehend it all in our mortal lives I know we will in the Eternal life to come. Enduring to the end can help us receive exaltation. 

We need to be a striving people.

We must increase areas that need work in the Gospel.

We definitely have to learn obedience.

And we can certainly gain perfection.

We can not do any of these things with out our Heavenly Father and Savior, we need them.

One of my favorite songs that was also song at my baptism says it all. 

1. I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
   No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.
2. I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
   Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.
3. I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
   Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.
4. I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
   And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.
   I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
5. Oh, make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.
   
   
   
   

   
   
   

   I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
   
   
   

   Every hour I need Thee;

   Oh, bless me now, my Savior,

   I come to Thee.

I bare you my testimony that his is the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know this work is true, that I know with a surety that our Savior lives, and that He guides and directs His Church here upon the earth.  Heavenly Father change my heart, this is so hard to explain in words and I am trying the best way I can but sometimes it is hard to find words to describe my raw feelings of the Gospel. I hope this is making sense and that I can covey my pure feelings my Savior to you. This month marks my 8^th anniversary of being a member of this great Gospel. So it has been 8 years in the making meaning I still make mistakes but I know how to make them right and I know that making the decision to be a member of this Church was the best thing that ever happened to me. I know by the witness of the Holy Ghost that The Book of Mormon the Word of God along with the Bible. Prayer is real and I am grateful to have a way to communicate with my Father in Heaven. Jesus is our Redeemer, the Savior of the World. I love the Gospel so much and if I could stand on top of a mountain and declare it to the world I would. I am not ashamed, I am proud to be a Mormon Girl! I could never deny my feelings or the way I feel and if I were to than I would not be being true to myself. The Gospel has transformed my life into a magnificent masterpiece. Yes, my life is far from perfection and I know their are still things that need to be better at but I know this is the light and the way, the way to eternal life. The Lord answered my submissive prayer when I asked, "show me the way, what is the right way!" He did show me the way more then a few times and when I got off track he was always there to get me back on the straight and narrow path..  Joseph Smith did see what he said he saw and how grateful I am for his courage that even in his death he never denied his Savior.  We have a Modern Prophet today, Thomas S. Monson who leads and guides us in this modern day. All the keys of the priesthood have been restored.  I know all this to be TRUE. I am grateful for my amazing family, my husband who is my hero and makes me want to be more patient and hard working, my boys who make me smile and bring laughter into my life everyday, and for extended family and friends who have supported and cheered me on along the way. I rejoice in this great Gospel. The Savior is real and I know he LIVES and that he loves us, everyone of us no matter who we are. Before I just knew of him and now I KNOW him...his miracles were breathtaking, his life was an example, and his love had no conditions. When he comes in all of his majesty and glory we will know that he truly is the Messiah that the prophets testified of and every knee show bow and every tongue will confess that he is indeed The Christ. We will come to know him and know he sacrificed for us because he loves us. I know he loves me and for this I am truly humbled. I stand amazed today as I speak to you. It is him who I bow my head to, and it is him who I love so much. The Gospel is TRUE, this I KNOW!

   In the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
( I am sorry for any grammatical errors. It was hard to get through this)