This Is Real

I was sitting in my Institute class and I was pondering the goodness of God because He has been so merciful to us. If we will just look for His goodness it will be manifested unto us. It was during that when I realized something. I realized that this is real.

Now, what is "this?" This, in short, is the Church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This is real because it is true. The Church is true because it is the church with the authority of the priesthood. But what makes it real? Once one has already gained a testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel and of the Church, one must gain a testimony of its reality.

The reality is that God really lives. He has a body, He feels, He sees, He knows. We are made in His image. We are His children. He loves us. Knowing this brings a whole new meaning to prayer. Because we are talking to a perfected Being who really hears and listens.

Prayer is truly one of the greatest gifts given to man. We have been given the gift of prayer so that we can speak to our Heavenly Father. We have been commanded to pray always. How incredible that is that we can truly have God listen to our thoughts, our worries, our joys, our gratitude. He wants to hear it all.

Along with this confirmation that God is real, I realized how wonderful the scriptures are. The scriptures are the His word. I can tell story after after story of when a scripture has been sent to me or to a friend that was an answer to a prayer, or that offered the comfort needed to get them through a challenge, or that has encouraged faith and patience. I have received great blessings from reading the scriptures and God has promised us all wonderful blessings. But not only are there blessings attached, in the scriptures we can find answers to our prayers. We can truly find the answers to any of life's questions.

I have learned for myself that these things are true. That's great for me, but it does nothing for anyone else. We need to pray to gain this confirmation,  pray that the Spirit will help you understand the Father and the Son, pray and ponder what you know and record what you learn.

This is real, I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Beauty of this Life

I love life. What a wonderful world and a wonderful time we have to live in. Around 7 a.m. this morning I was walking to campus for my on-campus job. The air was cool and crisp and the road was quiet. I had been planning on riding my roommate's scooter in order to get to work faster, but it felt right to walk. So, I walked.

I walked down the sidewalk that runs right next to the cemetery, while walking I couldn't help but look around and see the clouds and the moon. The moon was shining so bright on the clouds around it that one could see a rainbow reflecting off the clouds. I enjoyed the thought that the moon is only a reflection of the sun, as are we. I continued to walk through the peaceful morning air, but something was different about this walk.

I wasn't walking at my normal "I'm in a rush" pace. I was walking slowly, purposefully. I looked at the stars and pondered the numberless worlds that were above me. The lives that were being lived, the challenges that someone else was facing, the happiness that someone else was experiencing. It helped me remember that life is so small and my worries are so insignificant to the big picture. But even though my worries are small, He still knows them.This was a wonderful, refreshing walk that helped me renew my appreciation for the beauty of the earth.

Do we take enough time to admire the beauty? Do we take enough time to remember those feelings that can't be recorded? Recently I have become a fan of taking pictures. I love seeing what I can capture on the image card of my camera. These pictures are sometimes beautiful, and other times they are just ordinary. However, each one brings back a feeling of peace and wonder. There have been times when I've wanted nothing more than to take a picture of a beautiful scene in order to remember the moment, but I knew that I would be unable to. It is at these times that I tell myself the best pictures, the most beautiful scenes and feelings will never be recorded by my camera.

There will be no camera that can see the joy I will feel when I get my mission call; there will be no video camera that can replay the feelings that came on my baptismal day. There is beauty that can only be felt, never touched, or taken, and only recorded with inadequate words.

That is one of the challenges we face on this earth. Not being able to express what we are feeling. How can someone express how happy they are with words? One can only feel happiness. As I talked on the phone to a friend I could hear the happiness in their voice, not in the words that were being said, but how they were said.

So, what am I trying to say? I'm trying to express, with words, the feeling of gratitude and wonder I have towards the beauty of this life. I may not have the best diction in the world, but I can pray that you will take the time to walk a little slower and look into your past and re-feel those things that have changed your life. Re-feel the happiest moment, the most tender, and the most wonderful.

Life is so incredible, please don't let it pass you by without noticing, and maybe even recording, the beauty.