The book that changed my life

A lot of people have probably heard of the Book of Mormon, but what is it exactly? It’s a collection of writings from ancient prophets, just like the Bible. I, and members of my church, believe that God did not only speak to prophets in Bible times, but in other times and places as well. The Book of Mormon is a collection of some of those “other times and places”. Like the Bible, the Book of Mormon is also a testament of Jesus Christ. Because the words also come from God, it goes hand in hand with the Bible. The Book of Mormon answers such questions as: What is the point of life? What happens after I die? Is there something waiting for us after this life? How can I have peace and happiness in this life? Is there life after death, and what’s waiting for us on the other side? Is there a God and does he know me, does he really hear me? How can I become clean of past mistakes? How can I be a better person?

I want to share the experience of when I first read the Book of Mormon all the way through, on my own. I was around 14 and it was an uncertain, rocky time for me. I had so many worries, insecurities, and fears as a young teen. School was always a source of great anxiety as I struggled to make/keep friends and learn how to fit in. At home, due to a variety of different factors, I also experienced anxiety on regular basis. All in all, my self-esteem was very fragile and I doubted my worth. I doubted that I was loved or even worthy of love. In many ways, it was a hard time in my life.

Well then I started to read the Book of Mormon. 

I’d  go to my room, close the door, and in the peaceful quiet, I’d open its pages. Day after day, verse after verse, I read. And something pretty miraculous happened. Every time I escaped to my room and dived into reading, I felt SO LOVED. I could actually feel God’s love wrap around me and tell me that I was important, that He did value me, and that I was His daughter. Peace poured into my heart. This was a love that was consistent and it was always available. All the confusion, inconsistency, and hurt from the outside world melted completely away and I literally felt heaven surround me. It began to give me a confidence, a peace, and a happiness that I couldn’t get in any other way. No matter what was happening at school or at home, or in any circumstance, I now knew that God loved me. I was important to Him.  That truth was the greatest source of strength to me. 

But that’s not the only miraculous thing that happened. I also began to want to truly improve myself. I wanted to be kinder, I wanted to help others more, I wanted to stop watching and listening to certain things that I felt would offend God. I wanted to please Him more than anything. I wanted to always be worthy of that special feeling I got when I read from the Book of Mormon. So I did. I began to improve myself, and that was probably the true beginning of my testimony. 

Still, that was not the only miraculous thing that happened! I also began to pray more and ask God for help with my worries, concerns, and questions. I’d then search through the Book of Mormon to find the answers. And they were there! The answers came time and time again and time and time again, it was repeated to me that God loved me – He even answered my prayers. 

At the end of the Book of Mormon, there is a challenge given by an ancient prophet named Moroni. He challenges anyone and everyone who has finished reading it, to sincerely ask God in prayer if the Book is true. He then promises that they will receive and answer. Here are his actual words:

Moroni 10:4: And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Well, after I had finished the book, I decided to take up the challenge, and ask God if it was true -to find out for MYSELF. So I knelt down and I asked. Even before I spoke the words, my mind went back to the countless peaceful moments spent in my room where the spirit had spoken to my heart – told me that Jesus Christ really did die for my sins, that I really was God’s child, that He really did have a plan for me, that the answer to my question was that I needed to do X,Y,Z… I finished up my prayer with the answer I was looking for. I already knew the Book of Mormon was true and the Holy Spirit had reminded me of that. 

I want to end with my testimony that I absolutely believe the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that it brings the reader closer to God. I would like to extend the challenge to anyone who is searching for truth, searching for God, searching for peace, or searching to know Christ better, to read the Book of Mormon! And after reading it, take the challenge to sincerely ask God, in prayer, if the book is true. He has promised to answer.

To order a free copy, you can go here: https://www.mormon.org/ 

To read online for free, you can go here: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm?lang=eng

To learn more about the Book of Mormon, you can go here: https://www.mormon.org/beliefs/book-of-mormon

Here are just a few of my favorite passages from the Book of Mormon:

Helaman 5:12:  12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

2 Nephi 25:26: And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

Alma 34:32-33: For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.  And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.

Alma 40:11: Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

Mosiah 4:9: Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.

Ether 12:4: Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.

Ether 12:27:And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

Moroni 9-11, 15: For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing? And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles. But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are… And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do no miracles, I would ask of you, have all these things passed, of which I have spoken? Has the end come yet? Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles.

I will give you rest

I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe that He came to earth, lived a perfect life, suffered for all of our sins, pains and heartaches, died for all mankind, was resurrected, and lives to this day. These beliefs have given me hope, peace, and much needed help throughout my entire life. I’m a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which many have nicknamed “LDS” or “Mormons”. I believe with all my heart that my church is led by Jesus Christ Himself. I’ve come to believe these things through a long series of answered prayers, miracles, and moments of peace spoken to my hurting heart. In this blog, I plan to share these faith-building experiences for the purpose of bringing others to Christ and extending the invitation to learn more.

For my first post, I’m going to share a story of when I first truly realized the power of Christ’s *atonement. I was 17 years old and in my first semester of college. For whatever reason, past hurtful experiences were at the forefront of my mind. For the first time in my life, I was really examining them and trying to process it all. I was angry and resentful. I was trying to understand and put every piece of the story into its proper place. I was asking questions like: Has enough been done to make the violator pay? Are they even sorry? I wanted proper payment, even proper suffering. I wanted absolutely fair justice. I felt unsettled, anxious and worried. The weight of it was heavy on my shoulders and I couldn’t process it all. What was I supposed to do?

During this time, I called my mom and tearfully poured out my heart. She listened with sympathy as I talked of my confusion and worries. I’ll never forget the moment she responded and told me this: The entire reason Christ suffered the atonement was so that we could lay our burdens at his feet and He will take them for us and make EVERYTHING perfectly RIGHT. In that moment, I physically felt a weight lift out of my chest. Relief flooded my body. After a lifetime of learning of Christ, a lightbulb I hadn’t ever quite understood suddenly came on. It was clear now. I was feeling overburdened because I was trying to do God’s job. 

Only Christ can judge injustices in perfect righteousness. He will examine all sides, all factors, all hearts involved. He will administer perfect justice and perfect mercy. He can do this perfectly because He suffered every sin, temptation, sickness, and heartache through His atonement – Thus He understands each of us perfectly. 

Now my heart could rest because I knew that Jesus would take care of everything. All I needed to do was trust Him. Trust that one day, those who wronged me would meet Him face to face and be held accountable for their actions. If they truly *repented, they would meet mercy. If they didn’t, they would meet justice. Either way, I didn’t need to worry about it anymore because Jesus would be the judge of that. He had it covered. I could finally let it go, forgive, leave the rest up to God, and move on. 

This scripture from the Bible always comes to mind when I think of this experience. Matthew 11:

 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

For anyone struggling with a burden - whether it be a grudge, a past hurt, a sin, or just worrying too much-I bear my testimony that Christ can help. If there is something you need to do, do what is in your power. After that, try giving your burden over to Christ. Lay them all down to Him in humble prayer. Trust that He can carry them because He knows and loves you perfectly. After all, He said Himself: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Definitions taken from lds.org:

*Atonement: “The Atonement is the sacrifice Jesus Christ made to help us overcome sin, adversity, and death. Jesus’s atoning sacrifice took place in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross at Calvary. He paid the price for our sins, took upon Himself death, and was resurrected. The Atonement is the supreme expression of the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.” (https://www.lds.org/youth/learn/yw/atonement/what?lang=eng)

*Repentance: “A change of mind and heart that brings a fresh attitude toward God, oneself, and life in general. Repentance implies that a person turns away from evil and turns his heart and will to God, submitting to God’s commandments and desires and forsaking sin. True repentance comes from a love for God and a sincere desire to obey his commandments. All accountable persons have sinned and must repent in order to progress toward salvation. Only through the atonement of Jesus Christ can our repentance become effective and accepted by God.” (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/gs/repent-repentance?lang=eng).