i had a request

for my talk, because eva missed it. and this is just for you eva st.clair! otherwise it makes me a little uncomfortable posting it.. i dont know why. i shouldnt be uncomfortable posting my testimony, right? well here it is. (picture me crying through the whole thing, and you kind of get the gist of it.)

Why I believe in Christ.

First of all, I believe in Christ with all my heart, might, mind and strength. I know he lives and loves me. But why? While preparing for this talk I had to deeply think about my testimony and where it came from. It wasn’t a sudden thing; it didn’t come as a surprise. It was slowly built, wavering at times, but always there.

I believe in Christ because I was born of goodly parents, who raised me to know and love Him. They took me to primary and made me sit still through sacrament meeting, keeping me on the straight and narrow until I was able to do it on my own. I am so thankful to them for that. They are still my guidance, as I go through my personal trials, and without fail, they help me back to Christ and his love.

I believe in Christ because I have friends who are strong in the faith and keep me grounded in my beliefs. I know that without them, my testimony would be struggling. They all have His light in their eyes.

I believe in Christ because I attend my church meetings. Between Sunday meetings, seminary, and mutual, a good chunk of my week is devoted to the Church, which in turn strengthens my testimony of the living Christ. In seminary this year, we are learning about the New Testament. We talk about the Savior and His life everyday, and everyday the spirit touches me, and I know again that it is true. He did die for me. He does live for me.

I believe in Christ because I have Young Women leaders and Sunday school teachers and seminary teachers who teach me what I need to know to emulate Him. They take time out of their busy schedules to further my testimony and to make sure, to the best of their ability, that I will make the right decisions, so that I can return to Him and be worthy to stand in his presence.
I believe in Christ because I believe in personal revelation. I struggled, a while back, with my testimony, and whether I believed. I prayed, and prayed, and I prayed frustrated that I wasn’t getting the answer I wanted. Finally I made some changes in the way I lived my life.. I strived to read the scriptures more, I tried to ponder them, and retain what I read for more than five minutes. I finally received an answer, while reading my scriptures one night. A thought came into my head that told me “You’re doing just fine.” And I could feel His arms around me, comforting me as a father comforts his child.

I believe in Christ because anything that makes me feel this way has to be true. I can’t deny that I have, often times, felt the burning of the bosom and the happiness of knowing my Savior.

I believe in Christ because I know Him. I have felt his presence, I have felt his love. He loves each and every one of us, and he knows us personally. This I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.