By the Holy Ghost...

My Testimony for the Blog  5-31-2011

I am taking 18 months of my life to share why the Gospel has changed my life, how I know it is true, and because it is the source of all my joy and fulfillment, I want others to see for themselves what it can do for them. As a missionary, I study the Gospel of Jesus Christ and am working to develop a personal knowledge, that I can then apply to another’s questions. We don’t always know what another person needs to hear, so it is essential to ALWAYS have the spirit with us. We must pray and prepare for questions asked of us and be inspired to know what to teach.

We must listen to the Spirit to help us discern what direction the lesson should go. If the gospel is an item of clothing, we are the tailors. The Holy Ghost is the most effective teacher, not only for others but for missionaries. With this mission call, and my literal “setting apart” from the world we live in, it is a way to help us be receptive to the Spirit. The Lord wants to expedite our learning that we might be more effective and useful in His hands. This is dependent on our obedience and our faith and our willingness to be taught.

God is truly our loving Heavenly Father. He does not forget us or ignore us. If we are not feeling His presence in our lives it is because we are doing something wrong. We have to choose to let God in. We invite Him through obedience and humility.

D&C 136:32 ”Let him that is ignorant learn wisdom by humbling himself and calling upon the Lord his God that his eyes maybe opened that he may see and his ears opened that he may hear.”

There have been times in my life that I claimed to have prayed with real intent and true faith and that God wasn’t there. If you claim you are praying with real intent and true faith for God to make Himself known unto you and nothing happened, it is because we somehow we make ourselves blind and deaf to the whisperings of the Spirit through disobedience and pride. When we are not receptive it is usually when we are struggling because of sin, first. Usually it is accountability we fear most. If God is real and I am not living parallel with Christ’s teachings then I am in trouble. If God isn’t real then I am free to do whatever I want.

As I worked to understand and develop my own testimony, my Dad asked me something I will never forget. He said: “Kate, what is scarier? The Church being true...or it all being false?" I invite you to ponder in your hearts this question.

Accountability is an intimidating concept, but I promise you obedience to the Lord’s commandments brings joy beyond the measure of any temporal satisfaction. D&C 130:19-23

Since I have been in the MTC, I have knelt and prayed with more conviction and intent than ever before!  Any areas I have questions or doubts about I study out in my mind, then pray asking the Lord directly to help find the truth. God answers our prayers. We have the literal power to converse with Him through prayer and the Holy Ghost. We just have TO DO IT! Ponder in your heart and minds what your doubts may be, then take them to Heavenly Father. ASK AND LISTEN. We don’t call someone, tell then what we want and hang up. We talk and we converse and we inquire about needs and we wait for a response. The Lord cannot answer if we don’t listen!

D&C 8:1-2 "I say unto you that assuredly as the Lord liveth, who is your God, your redeemer, even so surely you may receive a knowledge of whatsoever things you shall ask in FAITH, with an HONEST HEART. Yea behold I will tell you in your mind and in your heart by the HOLY GHOST which shall come upon you and which shall swell in your heart.”

I know Heavenly Father is real. He is waiting for us to open that line of communication so he can assist us, guide us, and strengthen us with Christ’s love through the Holy Ghost. WE ARE NEVER UNWORTHY OF GOD’S LOVE. If we are not living parallel with his will, we must confess and ask for forgiveness so we might be worthy of receiving the fullness of His blessings. Strengthen your relationship with Him today. Acknowledge His hand reaching out to you in your life. Your joy will expand tenfold. I promise. I LOVE YOU. God loves you. Don’t forget it!

Sister Lovell