First things first, I need to talk about Stake Conference!
I was, of course, surprised when Brother Donahue called and asked me to share my conversion story and testimony there, but not as much as when he told me that directly speaking after me would be none other than Elder Matt Eyring of the Seventy, son of President Eyring!!!!
It seemed as though the whole Conference was about love in one way or another, and I loved Elder Eyring's humility in addresing the children simply and directly, while bearing equally humble but sure testimony of the Savior. I feel blessed to have met him.
And on top of that, my mother came! She had tears in her eyes as she heard the messages and saw just how people in the Church are! I thank you, all of you, in my ward and stake for greeting and talking with her! You don't know how meaningful and helpful it is to our family!
I suppose I could go on and on about that, but I'll just cut to something else that happened just minutes ago. The missionaries came by! And the message they gave me was simple yet profound. It really put things in perspective for me, that being "spiritually born of God" is a lifetime thing. It seems that, in all the craziness and stress of my life (though I think I'm exaggerating here) I had forgot to put what is most important first in my life, and they helped me realize that. Those men are just....i can't put it into words the happiness I derive from them.
It makes me laugh now that Satan would think to place whatever doubts and things he could in my way at the stressful time we all live in...but just as the Elders said just when you think He's not there God comes and lifts you up! In this case, he sent Himself through his appointed ministers of this wonderful Gospel that makes me ever so happy.
So, I guess the advice I have is, don't lose hope! If you ever have trouble, just look back on all the confirmations you have recieved in the past, and seek to have more of those experiences! Exercise your faith! Nothing but good can come from it.
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That is so AWESOME your mom came to church and heard you share your testimomy. She was obviously touched by the spirit. This is wonderful!
Your last paragraph reminds me of something I've heard before in one of my favorite, favorite talks by Jeffery R. Holland... I'll copy clip part of it for ya...
"Paul pled with those new members about the way President Hinckley is pleading with new members today. The reminder is that we cannot sign on for a moment of such eternal significance and everlasting consequence without knowing it will be a fight--a good fight and a winning fight, but a fight nevertheless. Paul said to those who thought a new testimony, a personal conversion, or a spiritual baptismal experience would put them beyond trouble, "Call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions" (Hebrews 10:32; emphasis added).
Then came this tremendous counsel, which is at the heart of my counsel to you and the title of my remarks this morning:
Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
. . .If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. . . . We are not of them who draw back unto perdition. [Hebrews 10:35–36, 38–39; emphasis added]
In LDS talk that is to say, "Sure it is tough--before you join the Church, while you are trying to join, and after you have joined." That is the way it has always been, Paul said, but don't "draw back," he warned. Don't panic and retreat. Don't lose your confidence. Don't forget how you once felt. Don't distrust the experience you had. That tenacity is what saved Moses when the adversary confronted him, and it is what will save you."- Elder Jeffery R. Holland
If you want to listen to this talk on your MP3 or computer, you can download it for free at this link:
http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=795
God bless you my friend.
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