My Choice

This is a little bit more of a serious post, but there's a lot that's been on this little mind of mine.

You know how it goes.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about truth and faith.

I get frustrated, sometimes, because there are so many ideas and philosophies and viewpoints being thrown around in the world right now, and some days I feel a lot of 

pressure to reconsider the things I believe.

The dark, bold line between right and wrong is becoming not so dark and bold anymore.

And with all the different opinions in the world, it can be really easy to question.

Questioning isn't bad, but it can be, if it starts to overcome your faith.

I have come to learn the following three truths for myself:

1. Having faith and trust in God is a choice.

2. God's laws and commandments are pure truth, they have never changed, 

and they will never change.

3. The prophet and his apostles speak for God.

Honestly, having faith doesn't mean you have all the answers.

It doesn't mean that life is easy, that you wake up perfectly happy every morning, with the sun shining and everything going exactly as you planned. My life sure isn't that way.

But it does mean that you hope and yearn for something more. Something deep inside you believes that you weren't sent here to Earth to fail or be miserable or take up space, but to grow, and learn, and succeed. To love, be loved, serve, and feel joy, pain, and sadness, all for some greater purpose.

I definitely don't understand or know a lot of things, 

but I do know the things that, in my opinion, are the most important.

I know that I am a daughter of the Most High God, the person who created worlds without end, and I have a purpose. I know that my Heavenly Father is kind and loving, I can have a personal relationship with Him, and He is aware of me and has a plan for my life that will bring me more joy than my own plans will. He will help me achieve the potential I have as His daughter.

I know this because I have chosen to seek Him throughout my life through listening to his prophets, studying the scriptures, and speaking with Him in prayer. 

Has it been easy? Definitely not! There have been times when I have wanted to give up, when I have had doubts, felt alone, and been afraid. At times I have felt this way for weeks and even months, and sometimes only for a short time. I have days like this all the time, it's nothin new.

But- there have also been times when I have felt His quiet, yet strong, influence in my life. Times when He has answered the pleadings of my heart in ways that are so specific and personal to me that they could not be a coincidence. 

There have also been times when He has not answered the pleadings of my heart, but then He led me to something better, because He had greater things in store for me.

I also know that the prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, speaks for God. That the things he says are the things God himself wants the world to hear. That no matter what anyone might say, it doesn’t change the truthfulness of the words of the prophet.

I know this, because I have been in the presence of the prophet as he has been teaching the words of God, and I have felt in indescribable yet undeniable ways that what he speaks is truth. As I have chosen to do my best to pattern my life after his teachings, I have found great peace and happiness in my life, which testifies to me that what he teaches is true and good.

Because I have come to know these things for myself and I choose to have faith in them, all of the the things I don't know can fall away.

Because I know these things, nothing, NOTHING, anyone can
do or say to me will persuade me otherwise.

Life isn't easy, but my life feels complete, because I know who I am and in whom I trust.

I find so much peace and joy in believing these things!

I want the world to know that this is what I believe, 

and I choose to believe it with all my heart.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

To hear the prophet and his fellow apostles speak live, watch the 184th General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (which is seriously one of my most favorite things ever) this Saturday and Sunday here.