By Way of Introduction

Welcome to my blog. If anyone were to remember but one thing about me, I would want it to be my personal conviction and testimony about Jesus Christ and His gospel.

And so there shall I commence.

First and foremost, I add my witness to the millions that have been given that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, our Lord and Master, our Counselor and Friend. He is the Life, the Light and the Way, the only way home to our Father in Heaven. He truly and freely gave his life for us; he suffered and died on our behalf, and so also spent every moment of his life providing a perfect example for us to follow. He is the cornerstone of the gospel: if our lives' foundations are built thereon, we cannot fall.

His great atonement is the central and most critical and transcendent event in the history of the universe; it is the lifeblood of the great plan of happiness. Without that atonement, the plan, the world, our very lives would literally fall apart. He suffered for all our sins that we might not suffer if we will but repent. I know that through the atonement of Christ we can be completely cleansed from our sins and mistakes when we truly repent and change, for I have felt its healing and cleansing power. He also felt all our pains and anguish, every hurt and sorrow that any mortal will ever experience; no matter what difficulties we face, we can take comfort in knowing that he has been there too and knows what we feel.

I testify that we are each children of a loving Heavenly Father. In order for us to have real and complete faith in Him, there are a few things we must understand: First, by knowing that He is omnipotent we understand that He has the power to do anything He chooses. Second, He is omniscient. Thus He understands all the circumstances (past, present and future, many of which we ourselves don’t see) of our lives and everyone else's. He always knows the best course of action to achieve his desires. Third, He is perfectly just: we know that He will always follow the laws He has set forth and that in the end (though sometimes not in this life) He will see that things are fair. Lastly, in knowing that He is our Father and loves us beyond comprehension, we understand that He will do whatever is in our best interests, though sometimes we may not see it that way. Our Father in Heaven’s greatest desire is for us to return home to Him and to learn to become like Him. In order to allow us to really learn for ourselves, however, He has given us agency to choose whether to return or not. The wisest choice we can make is to trust him, to allow him to lead us by the hand through wilderness and oases, storms and still waters, until at last we reach our eternal home.

I testify of the power of prayer; I know that our Heavenly Father truly listens for and hears our sincere prayers and answers them. Sometimes his answer is no, and answers often doesn’t come when or as expected, but I know that they come. Often those answers come through the power of the Holy Ghost; as we learn to recognize and understand its promptings we will find ourselves led in the paths our Father would have us walk in life.

I also add my witness to that of many others that the Book of Mormon, Holy Bible and our other standard works are truly the word of God unto salvation. In it we can find endless patterns and symbols through which to learn of Christ and His plan. There is tremendous power therein, power which often lies sadly untapped by those who could use it most. I especially love the clarity of the Book of Mormon in teaching the doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a true record written for us; Mormon saw our day and the challenges with which we deal in our time and included those writings which will be most helpful in addressing them.

We must each seek to gain and strengthen a personal testimony of the truths of the gospel for ourselves, for borrowed light or unsure faith will not be enough to sustain us in the storms of life that lies ahead. What could be more valuable than to know the truths of the purpose of life, of our nature and relationship with God and His plan for us and to know that we know them? I know that by studying, pondering, praying and living the principles it teaches, we will find sure answers regarding their truthfulness through the witness of the Holy Ghost. It speaks to each of us in a unique and personal manner; While the methods of communication vary for each person, the answers do come to all who truly seek them. Once those answers are given to us, we are bound to faithfully live the truths we have received and share them with those around us. There is no place in the gospel for fence-sitters; we cannot stand with one foot on the Lord’s side and the other in Babylon. I hope and pray that we will all choose to serve valiantly in the Lord’s cause all the days of our life, and in so doing, become ever more like Him.