I've known for awhile that this was coming which gave me time to think about a parting gift for my beautiful young women. I decided the best thing I could give them was my testimony. The day I was called, I added 40 more daughters to my family. I will always consider them one of mine. I prayed for them a lot. I laughed with them. I cried over them. I thought about them incessantly. I loved them deeply. I will miss them. I will miss talking with them. I will miss listening to their conversations in the car. I will miss their silly pranks. I will miss their insights during lessons. I will miss their texts.
BUT, to be frank . . . I will not miss the activities. I loved everything else about young womens. I did not enjoy coming up with weekly activities. Sorry girls. That was just not my forte nor my passion. I would prefer to give a 100 lessons to planning an activity.
This may have been my first stint in a young women calling. I do not think it will be my last. Just like these flowers (from my stake YW presidency) will slowly wilt and die, things never stay the same.
My testimony letter:
Hi there!
I am no longer in the position of Young Women president and wanted to leave you with one last gift from me. I thought about this for quite awhile and felt that my testimony was the greatest gift I could give. I once had one of you young women ask me how I knew this gospel was true and right. So let me tell you and that young woman what I know and how I know.
I was once a young girl like you, full of worries about the future and not quite confident about myself and speaking my beliefs. In fact I was so terrified of getting up in front of people that I didn’t bear my testimony in a testimony meeting until I was an adult with small children (please don’t be like me in that regard . . . be brave and share what’s in your heart . . . the Lord will bless you for it). Since then I’ve come to know that I was born with the gift of faith. I’ve always just felt that the gospel of Jesus Christ is found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, there came a day where I encountered a faith-shaking experience. You too will have something or someone who will shake you to the core -- will your faith and your testimony be strong enough to withstand it? I had to really decide if what I had been taught all my life was all really true and right. I prayed. I studied. I read scripture. I never got an earth-shattering answer but more a feeling of peace and content. From that moment forward I CHOSE to believe and have never looked back. Let me share a few things I’ve learned in my 41 years (Yes! I am old.).
**Faith is a conscious choice. You make a choice every day whether to believe or not.
**Cling forever to the things you know when you’re surrounded by things you don’t know. The time to jump ship is not in the middle of the storm. STAY IN THE BOAT. STAY FAITHFUL. DON’T WALK AWAY.
**The Son always comes up. In the darkest of nights, the Son is always on duty and when we need him, we can find him through prayer, through meditation, through the scriptures.
**Faith is an assurance that things will work out for my good. I may not know how, I may not know when, but I know they will because Heavenly Father is in charge.
**Faith is a real power. Some might think it's a crutch to lean on in times of difficulty, but I know otherwise.
**Light and darkness cannot occupy the same space. Same with fear. When I start to be fearful and worry, my faith is waning.
**One aspect of the atonement is there is no end to the Savior’s ability to succor us in our pains, afflictions, temptations. The atonement is as much for me who hurts from other’s choices as for anyone who had ever committed a wrong.
**Sometimes when going through a difficult time we want to ask the Lord to take away the trial, the pain, the sorrow. Instead we should pray for the grit to continue, the willpower to hang tough, the strength to persevere. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Keep trying.
**Instead of asking WHY questions . . . Why is this happening to me?, I learned instead to ask WHAT questions . . . what do I need to learn from this experience? What can I do to help those around me? What can I do for my family?
Faith comes not simply by knowing and believing but by doing. I choose to consistently grow my faith and testimony by DOING what God had asked me to. Is it easy? Heavens no. It’s downright hard a lot of the time. But the blessings that have come to me are worth the price.
Heavenly Father asked me start reading the Book of Mormon with my little family more consistently so I did that. He asked me to continue to attend church every week and I have done so. He asked me to begin attending the temple with more frequency than I had been. So I started attending at least once a month and I have only missed 2 or 3 months in many, many years. He asked me to start sharing my beliefs with those around me. So I started a blog (ahumandoing.blogspot.com) where I record those things for others to read. I got brave and began bearing my testimony out loud in fast and testimony meeting (that first time was soooooo scary).
I tell you these things because testimony and faith and most importantly conversion comes from action. You have to do something to get something. If you want to know if the Book of Mormon is a true book from God, you must read it and study it. If you want to know that Joseph Smith did indeed see God and Jesus Christ than you need to study and read and pray about that . . . MORE THAN ONCE! If you need to know if there is even a God in Heaven than again you must put some work into finding out. He will tell you. I promise you that. Those answers come in quiet ways, usually through our feelings.
More than anything I know that our Heavenly Father loves each one of you individually for who you are. Don’t ever forget that! Work on your relationship with him and his son and it will be a safety net in the tumultuous days ahead. I know that this gospel is what brings me the most joy and I testify of its truthfulness. I know because I have tested it and there is nothing that comes close to the peace and happiness in my life when I am doing and becoming what the Lord needs me to be.
If you ever feel like giving up or giving in or have questions that don’t seem to have answers, I am always available, day or night to talk. I love you and consider you an extension of my family. I gained 40 new daughters the day I was called and am so blessed that the Lord allowed me to be a part of your lives for such a short time. You have truly been a blessing to me.
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