Getting The Hang Of It

"And we would ask that Elder Donohue bear his testimony, and we'll proceed from that point."

...


"Wait, what?"

:]

I bear my testimony, those things I believe and know of a spiritual nature, quite a bit as a missionary. Where before it may not have felt natural to just say whats on my mind or my heart, I now can't honestly see myself going a day without even the smallest declaration of the hope that is within me. (1 Peter 3:15)

That being said, doing so on the fly with just a tiny bit of heads up publicly in church is still not one of my strengths.

As I took the few minutes available to try to think about what I wanted to say and how I would say it, I started to psych myself out just a tiny bit... a precursor to being tongue tied. I do that quite a bit. But then a small voice somewhere within me came and said,

"Just be yourself."

Yes! That's the right answer, perfect! Thats what i'll do, i'll just be myself. Just be me...

...
Well, who the heck am I?!?

Thankfully the voice came again,

"You are a child of God."

And that felt like a pretty good place to start a testimony! And so I bore my testimony starting with that and for the most part feel that I said what I wanted to say and it all went peaches and cream.

The more I reflect on that statement, "You are a child of God", the more I sense a deeper understanding with it. It speaks volume of the relationship that we have with our Heavenly Father, it hints at our divine potential, and gives the feeling of peace and comfort knowing that there is someone who loves us and is looking out for us.

Elder L. Tom Perry once said,

"I can think of no greater teaching to our children than that of the power of prayer. We should do it by example, and take our children daily before the Lord and give them the peace and assurance that can come from knowing they are a child of our Father in Heaven."

Awwwwwww :)

I just want to +1 that statement by saying that I know of this truth because of prayer. No spiritual truth can be discovered and understood except through revelation, and the foundational and central truth of our God is always deepened through constant communication through prayer.

And that... is my testimony.

Whenever You Wonder...

It'll Be Okay!

And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

The Son of Man hath descended below them all.

D&C 122:7-8

A Change....



The Tennessee Nashville Temple

Let me ask you, if I may be so bold, as to what you love and value most in life? What do you put before everything else? What is the first thing you are you not going to give up without a fight?



For me, the answer is family. I don't have a lot of things in this world, but I would have nothing at all if I didn't have the people I love.

We know through the Bible that families are ordained of God, they being central to the Plan of Happiness which God has for us. We know that they are meant to be a place of safety and refuge from the world, bound in righteousness.

From the Prophet and Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" is more then just wise council... It is a warning call, a plead to remember the family and its importance. Go ahead and read it real quick, its not that long and this can wait a second...



 I had the opportunity to go to the temple the other day. I went through, learning much and feeling the spirit, and had time to myself in the Celestial room.


When I went to the temple, I went with many questions that I was seeking personal revelation for. I went hoping in some way to feel my burdens lightened in the house of the Lord. I left feeling fulfilled, and uplifted.


As I was leaving, I passed by the Sealing room where families are bound together by the authority and power that God has delegated to man. This sealing is done not just for the duration of our earthly lives, but done for time and all eternity. I paused at the door, absolutely caught with a flood of memories of my family and the vision of the family I someday hope to have.

When a bride and groom are married in a civil union, we often find the words, "till death do you part" emblazoned somewhere near the end of the officiators words. The happy couple proceeds on to enjoy a wonderful life together, full of challenges and and opportunities for growth, but most especially happiness and peace and joy. Children come, the family grows, and the love that once was only contained by two is multiplied and is filled over capacity. All is well, a "happily ever after" if you will.

The question that comes to my mind is, "How long do you want 'Ever After' to be?"

I KNOW that through the same power and authority that Christ gave Peter in Matthew 16:19, we have the opportunity and blessing to be with our families for eternity. Not just for life, but forever. That marriage and families can be recognized in heaven and on the earth through the Sealing power, that whatever is, "bound on earth shall be bound in heaven" as in the Sealing ordinances found only within the House of the Lord.

I love a song that's been sung to me since I was first adopted and sealed to my family:



I have a family here on earth.
They are so good to me.
I want to share my life with them through all eternity.

Families can be together forever
Through Heavenly Father’s plan.
I always want to be with my own family,
And the Lord has shown me how I can.

While I am in my early years,
I’ll prepare most carefully,
So I can marry in God’s temple for eternity

Families can be together forever
Through Heavenly Father’s plan.
I always want to be with my own family,
And the Lord has shown me how I can.

The value and importance of the family is too important to settle for anything less then everything. My family does and will mean more to me then anything else that I can think of. That is a priority that cannot be compromised. This is because I know that a family living righteous principles, being united by the common goal of being together after this life, is a family built upon a sure foundation. It is a family that will grow and stay close together, and it is a family that will find joy and peace within its walls, and it is a family that will be blessed with the Spirit of the Lord.

My challenge to you is to make an eternal family a goal and priority of yours as well.

Trust Fall

This great story came to my mind the other day and I wanted to share!

A little girl took her father’s lunch to him as he worked deep in a well. Although she could not see her father down in the darkness of the well, when she called to him he answered, so she knew he was there. The father told her to drop the lunch bucket into the hole, and he would catch it. He did so, and in a moment called up to her that he had too much lunch for just one person, and invited her to join him. “Jump,” he said, “and I will catch you. You cannot see me, but I can see you, and I will not let you fall.” She jumped into the dark well and landed safely in her father’s strong arms. Together they had a fun time sharing the lunch.

Great Story, Huh?!

Even though the hole was very deep and likely very scary, the little girl trusted her father after hearing his voice and knowing he was there. She could not see him, but she believed two things about her father: The first was that he COULD catch her, and the second was that he WOULD catch her.

Perhaps not just anyone could have caught her as she fell several feet down the dank well, but as her father was a strong working man, he would have no problem making sure she would be safe. He had the means and capability to make sure everything would be okay.

He also made the promise that he would not let her fall. He had a perspective so that he could see her perfectly silhouetted against the lighted backdrop of day, and he was attentive to her and aware of her as she peered over the edge into the blackness. He called out to her, and promised he would be right there. If she trusted him enough to leap, he would do the rest.

This trust that the father and daughter experienced together is like faith. We too cannot see our Father in Heaven, but He can see us and will make sure that we are okay. He has the power to do so, we have His promise He will follow through. Things wont always be perfect, but He will be there to make sure we end up in His arms as we fall through the darkness.

Ether 12:6 is one of my favorite scriptures on showing faith:

And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trail of your faith.