My Testimony

My ward is currently putting together a collection of testimonies from the Relief Society sisters this month. After writing out my testimony and emailing it to the enrichment sisters, I felt the desire to record my testimony in my blog as well. I want my family to know that I indeed have a testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is very important to me.

I was raised in a gospel-enriched environment. My parents were both adult converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and had developed very strong testimonies before I was born. My sisters and I constantly felt the love of the gospel in our home, mainly because my parents never took the church for granted.

The gospel seemed to be the theme of my home-life all throughout my childhood years. We had family prayer every day, we read scriptures together, we had Family Home Evening every Monday night, we visited the temple often, we never skipped church, and we always kept the Sabbath day holy. Unlike my parents, I basically learned to take the gospel for granted while I was growing up, mainly because it was always there for me whether I wanted it to be there or not.

I relied on my parents’ testimonies for much of my early years and did not feel too strongly about the church. Things began to change for me, however, once I hit my teenage years. When I was about 14 years old, my stake made a goal to read the entire Book of Mormon within a year. I did not think much of it at first, so I did not decide to read it until the very last moment. My motivation was not purely inspired or wholesome: I had a crush on a guy who had already read the B of M a few times, and I wanted to impress him, so I began reading immediately without stopping.

Despite my true motivation behind achieving the goal, reading the Book of Mormon for the first time was a real eye-opener for me. I felt in my heart that it was true, and I decided right then and there that I would continue to make the gospel a central part of my life. I made the choice to go to seminary all four years, to earn my Young Women recognition, to have high standards, to read the Book of Mormon regularly, and to always stay active in the church whether I was “feeling it” or not. My testimony continued to grow in little small leaps and bounds the more I committed to make myself better.

I carried my determination to live a clean, pure life when I entered young adulthood. Although I had good, strong intentions to choose the right, Satan knew my weaknesses and how to influence me to let my standards fall. I began down the sliding slopes of temptation, and during those times of sin and transgression I felt the Spirit withdraw from my life. At one point I felt I had hit rock bottom. My self-esteem was shot, and I felt lost and confused. It was extremely hard for me to believe in the power of the Atonement and that Heavenly Father could still love me despite all of the horrible things I had done. Luckily, I had been attending Institute regularly at that difficult time, and in my heart I knew I had to repent and put my trust in the Lord.

Repentance was the key to strengthening my testimony. During that difficult time of change, the Spirit bore witness to me that my Heavenly Father did indeed know me and had forgiven me for my mistakes. I felt the Spirit return to my life, and in consequence I received many remarkable blessings that I know Heavenly Father had been waiting to bestow upon me for a long time.

I know without any doubt that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I know that the Atonement is real, and that Jesus Christ suffered for our sins so that we have the opportunity to repent and become a little better each day. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that he is the only Begotten Son of God. I believe in the restored gospel. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and that our current prophet, Thomas S. Monson, is also a true prophet. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I know these things because I have felt the Spirit witness the truth to my heart. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me.