Oh my goodness we got to post two! Let's hope this continues. Today, I wanted to share an experience I had yesterday. Yesterday I went to a fantastic youth fireside at the temple's visitors center. The speaker was Elder Holland's son, Brother Holland. He is the president of UVU, Utah Valley University. Before I got there I actually thought it was Elder Holland that was coming, haha.
Anyways, when I heard about this fireside, I was super excited because lately I have been feeling kind of disconnected from my faith, and feeling like I was back tracking in my progress. It was SO nice to see the temple, and it totally inspired me, and gave me a jump start. I just felt the Spirit so strongly, and I was so happy to be there. The temple makes me feel clean, holy, righteous, and ridiculously happy. It gives me so much strength to continue on trying to live my standards, and strive for the better.
Brother Holland started off the fireside with telling three moments of Jesus' life. The first was when the Savior was in Galilee at a synagogue, and a man with a withered hand came near to him, and Jesus told him to rise up, and he was healed. The second moment was when he was at the pools of Bethesda, and a man had been there trying to be healed for 38 years (what?!!!!), and the Savior told him to rise, take up his bed and walk. The third moment, was when he appeared to Saul (a then wicked man) in blinding light, on the road to Damascus, and told him to rise. If you notice all three of them show the Savior telling someone to rise up (hint hint).
The third one kind of struck me, and also I remembered it today as we were talking to the sister missionaries in our lesson. It struck me because it shows how sometimes your revelations can be big and momentous, but it made me think because I still haven't had that "striking light". Brother Hollands talk talks about how you can gain a testimony through reading the Book of Mormon, pondering, then praying about it, and receiving a witness (the Moroni 10:3-5 way), but another way to gain testimony of something is to try to deny it (the Jeramiah 20 way). Sometimes gaining a witness of something comes line upon line, precept upon precept. It can come over time. Gaining a testimony doesn't have to be this intense, huge moment, it can come without you consciously knowing it. I really liked that he said that because maybe I'll have the Moroni way in the future, I haven't had it yet, but I know certain things are true because I have built it up over time.
The reason he told us about the three moments that all told someone to rise up, was to lead into telling us the Lords invitation to "rise up and achieve your best". He goes on to talk about education, and the importance of work (which by the is super important, but that's a whole other post topic). He talked about how the best life is not the easy life, and I love that because it makes me remember that life isn't always the easiest, and that its all worth it in the end. He mentions your testimony, education, and work all as tools to help you to rise up and achieve your best.
Another thing I really liked that he said was that in order to let God into our lives, we may have to let go. I really felt this one because I feel like in this world we try so hard to be perfect, when in reality, the only way we can be perfect is to let God perfect us. At the end, Brother Holland talks about how there will always be setbacks, but if you follow the commandments and walk in Jesus' way he will bless you and prosper you. This calmed me because like I said earlier, I have been feeling set back, and it comforts me to know that if I strive to be like him, he will bless and prosper me. Trust in what He can do for you!
So today at school was pajama day, and like a smart, hardworking class, my US History class took a sleepy picture. Yep, go studying!
Okay, its late, and I want to have enough energy tomorrow to function. Goodnight!
Anyways, when I heard about this fireside, I was super excited because lately I have been feeling kind of disconnected from my faith, and feeling like I was back tracking in my progress. It was SO nice to see the temple, and it totally inspired me, and gave me a jump start. I just felt the Spirit so strongly, and I was so happy to be there. The temple makes me feel clean, holy, righteous, and ridiculously happy. It gives me so much strength to continue on trying to live my standards, and strive for the better.
Brother Holland started off the fireside with telling three moments of Jesus' life. The first was when the Savior was in Galilee at a synagogue, and a man with a withered hand came near to him, and Jesus told him to rise up, and he was healed. The second moment was when he was at the pools of Bethesda, and a man had been there trying to be healed for 38 years (what?!!!!), and the Savior told him to rise, take up his bed and walk. The third moment, was when he appeared to Saul (a then wicked man) in blinding light, on the road to Damascus, and told him to rise. If you notice all three of them show the Savior telling someone to rise up (hint hint).
The third one kind of struck me, and also I remembered it today as we were talking to the sister missionaries in our lesson. It struck me because it shows how sometimes your revelations can be big and momentous, but it made me think because I still haven't had that "striking light". Brother Hollands talk talks about how you can gain a testimony through reading the Book of Mormon, pondering, then praying about it, and receiving a witness (the Moroni 10:3-5 way), but another way to gain testimony of something is to try to deny it (the Jeramiah 20 way). Sometimes gaining a witness of something comes line upon line, precept upon precept. It can come over time. Gaining a testimony doesn't have to be this intense, huge moment, it can come without you consciously knowing it. I really liked that he said that because maybe I'll have the Moroni way in the future, I haven't had it yet, but I know certain things are true because I have built it up over time.
The reason he told us about the three moments that all told someone to rise up, was to lead into telling us the Lords invitation to "rise up and achieve your best". He goes on to talk about education, and the importance of work (which by the is super important, but that's a whole other post topic). He talked about how the best life is not the easy life, and I love that because it makes me remember that life isn't always the easiest, and that its all worth it in the end. He mentions your testimony, education, and work all as tools to help you to rise up and achieve your best.
Another thing I really liked that he said was that in order to let God into our lives, we may have to let go. I really felt this one because I feel like in this world we try so hard to be perfect, when in reality, the only way we can be perfect is to let God perfect us. At the end, Brother Holland talks about how there will always be setbacks, but if you follow the commandments and walk in Jesus' way he will bless you and prosper you. This calmed me because like I said earlier, I have been feeling set back, and it comforts me to know that if I strive to be like him, he will bless and prosper me. Trust in what He can do for you!
So today at school was pajama day, and like a smart, hardworking class, my US History class took a sleepy picture. Yep, go studying!
Okay, its late, and I want to have enough energy tomorrow to function. Goodnight!
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