My Testimony of Jesus Christ

I'm feeling the holiday season approach a little earlier this year. Maybe it's because I already heard 'Jingle Bell Rock' on the radio station. Or maybe it's because I've already been shopping for gifts and putting packages together, complete with red and green ribbons. Maybe it's because I've already bought the 2 dozen eggs I'll need for the pumpkin bread I'm going to make and give away. I'm excitedly anticipating getting out the Christmas decorations and I think I am set on actually doing some of that before Thanksgiving this year, which is way out of my normal 'Christmas season boundaries.'

One of the things that has caused me to think more about Christmas this year is planning how I am going to teach my daughter about Jesus Christ. I'm already anticipating the magical way that the Christmas season can bring us closer to the Savior if we allow it to.

So today, I want to share a simple testimony of the power of Jesus Christ. I say simple, but in fact there are many different facets to it, as the many different colors reflected altogether to produce a beautiful pure white to our eyes.

First and foremost, I know that He suffered and died for me, taking on the punishment for my sins so that the demands of justice would be met. Because He did this, I am able to be made clean through Him, a recipient of infinite mercy at his hands. I know that after three days, He was resurrected, and overcame death for all of us. I know I will be resurrected because of His power. I know that He lives. I know that He loves each one of us. I know that He wants us to come unto Him, to repent, to pray, to study His word and follow the example He set for us in how to treat our neighbor.

I also know what it is to wander through this life, feeling as though its purpose has eluded me. I know what it is to be beset on all sides by depression, negativity, heartache, loneliness and doubt. I know what it is to long for something more. To long for change. To long for happiness. To long for peace. Because of my Savior, Jesus Christ, I know what it is to feel a sure purpose, to be guided out of the depths of sorrow, and to receive the peace I have longed for.

My deepest knowledge of the Savior has come to me in quiet moments of prayer and study, or in the times I am able to listen to the words His Spirit speaks to my heart as I listen to the lessons I hear at church or the testimony of friends and family. It is in those moments, when it feels as though an arrow of emotion is piercing through my heart, that I have learned for myself that He lives. I have learned that He does have the power to lighten our burdens if we will but hand them over. I have learned that He will take anger and judgment away from our hearts if we will let Him in far enough to do so. I have learned that He will answer our prayers for others if we will have the faith to step back and patiently watch His hands at work. I have learned that He can speak peace to our hearts even in the midst of chaos all around. I have learned that He can truly turn our weaknesses into strengths. I have learned that through Him, we can press forward in this life, with a perfect brightness of hope for what the future contains. If we truly make it our goal to follow Him, our Good Shepherd will lead us safely home. That we may all draw ourselves closer to Jesus Christ our Savior this Christmas season is my prayer.

Love One Another

It's so amazing how friends can impact your life so much. Just being friends with people and loving them dearly, to the point that I hear about their struggles and triumphs in life, can make such a huge difference in my own perspective and mood.

This is a month of gratitude. As we are teaching our daughter this month, we are counseled in the scriptures to “love one another, even as I have loved you.” (See John 13:34-35). The more I pray for Heavenly Father to bless me to feel great love for other people, the better able I am to push the pause button on my own life and simply listen to others. The more love I feel for them, the more I am convinced that the Lord wants us to love others not only to serve and help them, but because it will change our own hearts as well.

As I see the struggles others face, my own struggles dwindle into near nothingness, or at the very least become much more manageable. He makes my “burdens light” as He shows me the tremendous burdens that others face. Matthew 10:39 says, “He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” As I love others as Jesus loves me, I actually find myself. I find more joy and gratitude in my heart. I don't blow things out of proportion or get angry easily. I don't dwell on my own problems because I am humbled by the problems other people are facing. I don't waste time on unnecessary things and forget about the priorities and goals I've set for myself and family. So, Love! As you go into this holiday season, Love One Another! It will increase your capacity to feel the Savior's love for you, too.

Love Causes Change

Sunday morning this week was a bear. I'm grouchy when I'm sleepy anyway, but this morning was especially trying. The time change might help some people, but for us, we're always tricked into staying up late thinking that we have an extra hour anyway, only to overdo it and face a groggy morning with a very awake daughter who thinks it is an hour later than we do. There was an extra Grrr in my grouchiness on this particular morning.

I prayed for help during a few quiet moments. Angry feelings stayed with me for a while until I finally told my daughter that I needed to feel the Holy Ghost and I had not yet read my scriptures. She wanted me to read to her from a church magazine, so I compromised and told her I would choose the story to make sure it had some good scriptures in it that would help me feel the Spirit.

I turned to the first message in the Friend magazine and read President Thomas S. Monson's message. The first line was “Love causes change.” Immediately, my heart was pierced with the message from the Spirit that the love I have for my family should cause me to change. I felt sorry for my angry feelings and repented in that moment, feeling the Lord heal my heart with his love for me.

The scripture quoted there was John 13:34, “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

I tried for the rest of the morning to show my family the same love the Savior shows me. The angry feelings were completely gone. Forgiveness came. Then a situation arose that would have normally tried my patience beyond my ability to remain calm. A power struggle with my daughter. Amazingly, I still felt the Spirit throughout the whole almost hour long ordeal. (We don't have church until 11:30). The Lord wasn't just helping me control my anger. He helped me so that the anger never even appeared in my heart! After the episode, I was filled with gratitude that I was able to handle it in a kind, firm way without giving in.

I testify that the Savior's love changes our hearts, not only in the moment we first choose to follow Him, but in all the challenging moments after that as well. His love causes change. Our love for our family and Him cause us to change for the better. The experience reminds me of the scripture that says, “Awake my soul! No longer droop in sin.” As I tried to teach my daughter that bad choices do not help us feel joy, I realized that I am still learning the same lesson myself. Her actions were paralleling what I had done that morning. I hope I can teach her that Jesus can change our hearts even when we are caught up in bad feelings if we choose to seek Him.