Why We Believe - Testimonies of Jesus Christ and the Restored Gospel

Why I believe...

bchristlieb21 — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 02:44:07 +0000

Christmas time always gives us an opportunity to reflect on what Christ has done for us. He atoned for our faults and gave us a reason to change and become who we are meant to be. I know that without the power of the priesthood, I personally wouldn't be here today, I probably wouldn't have lived more than a few hours, but luckily, I was blessed with the priesthood from the beginning of my life. Because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I've seen people change their lives for the better and really embrace the atoning power of Christ in their lives. I personally have seen the change in my life as well, I truly love the gospel and I'm extremely grateful that because of the honest and sincere humble prayer of a fourteen year old boy in the 1800's, millions of lives have truly been changed for the better and we have the potential to live with our heavenly father once again, but most of all, I'm grateful for the atoning sacrifice of our savior Jesus Christ, he truly lived a perfect life and gave his life as an unblemished sacrifice for our sins. I know through his redeeming grace, we can become like him. I love him and I am forever in his debt.

Within the stars

Cara — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:47:00 +0000

I grew up Presbyterian, in a small desert town with a loving family. I wish everyone could have a childhood like mine. I had a good relationship to God where I felt loved and needed. I didn't feel like anything was missing or unanswered. After high school I moved away to college. There I was introduced to the Book of Mormon and the Mormon faith. I had heard of it before but had not given much thought to it. As I began to study, pray and attend church (mostly out of curiosity) I learned things I had never thought of before. The best way for me to describe my conversion is to say it is like I had been looking up into the sky every night for years. I could see the stars and I always knew they were beautiful. I would occasionally discover new stars and could recognize connections and patterns within them. Then suddenly I saw a great a pattern which included all the stars and constellations together, it formed a beautiful picture. I don't know how I had missed it before. They were the same stars I been looking at all along but now I could see how they all related to each other. Everything was so clear. I was awestruck. My life has never been same. I never want it to be. I understand things I never knew before, things that have changed eternity for me and my family. With this new knowledge (or revelation) I feel deeply grateful, humbled and honored. I understand my relationship with God in a clearer deeper way. I feel calm, confident and loved. I wish every person could feel how I feel and see what I can now see.

After my baptism I began working a lot more and saving money so I too could serve as a missionary. After some time I had everything in order and set out on a mission in search of other 'star gazers'. I loved being a missionary and served for about a year and a half. It was an amazing experience. I was excited to tell people about the pattern in the stars I had discovered. Some people were interested, some were not. My relationship with God grew stronger. I understood so much about our Savior, our life on earth and the importance of families. When I had completed my mission. I went back to college. I began studying to be a Social Worker so that for rest of my life I could be helping people to strengthen themselves and their family. I still have some studying to do before I am done. In the meantime I work full time at a residential treatment center for youth and volunteer to help victims of violence in my local community. I attend church every Sunday and am still discovering more stars. Every single day I read scriptures, pray, express gratitude and work towards what I feel my Father in Heaven wants me too. I will be eternally grateful that I was given the opportunity to have the complete gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. The Book of Mormon changed my life forever, and I am thankful for it.

-Cara

I DO BELIVE!

wearelds2 — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:13:08 +0000

I have a deep and abiding love for my Savior, Jesus Christ. He IS the Son of God and my elder brother and Savior. He did and DOES live. I know I have a loving Heavenly Father. He is very mindful of me and the trials (and triumphs) I have had and He stands by to help me whenever I need Him. I KNOW that Joseph Smith was and IS a Prophet of God. Through him, the Lord RESTORED HIS TRUE GOSPEL on the Earth. I know we have a living prophet today and his name is Thomas S. Monson. I KNOW these things to be TRUE! I am so grateful to have this knowledge and to have this in my life. I could NOT live in this world without it!

I believe in Christ

manda_kay24 — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 06:14:40 +0000

I believe in Christ and i know that He loves me. He loves me so much that He bled and died for me so that I can return to our Heavenly Father. He loves you. He loves you so much that He bled and died for you so that you can return to our Heavenly Father. He Loves us, and he knows us. He knows the struggles that we are each going through, and he wants us to turn to Him and ask for help. What peace we can find when we turn to the Lord and ask with faith for support.

I know that Heavenly Father Loves His Children. We are his beloved children. I know that before coming to the earth, there was a great war where each one of His children were to make a choice. We had to choose Heavenly Father's plan, or Satan's. All of us on earth, and to walk upon the earth and have walked upon the earth are the children that chose Heavenly Father's plan of Salvation. Heavenly Father's plan was created so that we may return to Him and become like Him. I know in order to return to our Heavenly Father, I need to follow His commandments, even if it doesn't follow "my to do list".

I'm so grateful for the knowledge i have of this gospel. I know it to be true. I know that Joseph Smith was the first latter-day prophet. He did see Heavenly Father and Jesus and they did command him to organize the true church of God. I know that Thomas S. Monson is the current latter-day prophet. He, and his apostles are called of God to lead and direct us in these days. Their words are there to help direct us to the correct path. They love us and want to see us return to our Heavenly Father. I'm excited for the special day we get to return to our Heavenly Father.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter-day saints. I know this church to be true. I say these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I Love my Savior Jesus Christ!

romihaase — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 06:12:54 +0000

I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints on November 15. 1969, also 41 years ago. I'm very thankful for this blessing of being a member of this Church. After all those years being in the church, I'm still excited about the truths of the gospel. It is an exciting place to be! I know that my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for me and for every person who ever lived or lives on this earth today! Why did he do that? Because he loves me and you! How was this possible? Because, he was the Son of God. His Father, my heavenly Father loved me so, that he gave his only begotten Son to enable me to live with him again. Again? Yes, again, because I lived with him before I came here on earth, and I will return and live with him again after I leave this world. Of course this is not as simple as it sounds. In order to live with him again, He has set for me a plan for me to follow and if I follow His plan, will I make it there. A few of my non members friends say "You have so many restrictions, I want to be free to do what I want". For me there are no restrictions only blessings. When I see friends and people around me having problems with drugs,alcohol and smoking; it hurts me, to see the struggle they have to go through. I'm very blessed to be independent. I'm thankful to my heavenly Father for having protected me from these dangers. This has helped me today, to be in excellent health; in body and mind. I do have a free agency to choose what I want to do, but I do not have a free choice to choose my consequences, which often brings anguish, suffering and sorrow for choices I have made wrong. I have made some wrong choices in my life and had to suffer, because I wanted to go with the world, but the world changes. My heavenly Father never changes! Only in Him can I trust! I can feel close to him when I pray and He listens and answers my prayers. He is really there! When I meet with the members and listen to there testimony, I can feel it in my heart, like a burning and now too, that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true! That Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of the Lord today! With surety I know, that my heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ live and I'm so greatful for their immense love for me! Heavenly Father thank you! I love you!

The things I KNOW

Kayla.Dawn — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 01:20:39 +0000

I know this Church has the answers to life, not just any answer, but the true answers. The Church makes life make sense and a lot easier when we know where we are going and why were are here. I know the Book of Mormon is a true testament of Christ and without it our Church would not exist, and because of this knowledge I also know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God because no unlearned young man write such a wondrous book. I know that paying tithing is important because I've seen it work and I see the wonderful things it is used to help others in need, the beautiful buildings it helps to create and the missionaries it helps send out. I could go on for hours on every aspect I know in the Gospel, but it all adds up to one thing. I know this Church is the Church of Jesus Christ, and the ONLY church of Jesus Christ, for He didn't just die for all of us, He LIVED and RETURNED for us!

God's Love

Melanie LeSueur — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:24:49 +0000

I was born into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I was taught from the Bible and Book of Mormon since I can remember. I remember being 14 years old and waiting for my big "spiritual experience" to know for myself that the gospel of Jesus Christ was true. It was at a church youth conference, that I finally realized, I did have my own testimony, although it was small and simple, it was there. I realized that the for most of us, the truth of the gospel isn't revealed in a loud and obvious way. It comes through studying the scriptures and praying to our Father in Heaven to know of it's truthfulness. For me, it is simply a good feeling I get when I study the words of God. It is a peaceful feeling, that no matter what happens, God is in control. Although it can be difficult to follow God's commandments, I find that when I do, it brings more joy and happiness than anything tangible. When I put my faith in God and follow his will, I find my life to have more meaning and purpose.

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior, that he atoned for each of our sins. He is our older brother and wants nothing more than our success in this life and the life after. I know that we are children of a loving Heavenly Father, whose love is beyond anything imaginable. He cares for us, his children, individually and knows us better than we know ourselves. I know that the Book of Mormon is another Testament of Jesus Christ. I know that Joseph Smith restored God's church to the earth. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God and that he leads and guides God's true church on this earth today. I know that if we submit our will to our Father in Heaven, he will lead us to have the happiest most successful life possible.

"Now this is the truth. We humble people, we who feel ourselves sometimes so worthless, so good-for-nothing, we are not so worthless as we think. There is not one of us but what God's love has been expended upon. There is not one of us He has not cared for and caressed. There is not one of us that He has not desired to save and that He has not devised means to save. There is not one of us that He has not given His angels charge concerning. We may be insignificant and contemptible in our own eyes and in the eyes of others, but the truth remains that we are children of God and that He has actually given His angels...charge concerning us, and they watch over us and have us in their keeping."

George Q. Cannon, ensign May '89, pg 21

Staying Close to the Lord at all times

chadderbox8 — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 04:02:08 +0000

It is very important to be close to the Lord always. He is our friend who wants to know what and how we are doing. He is actively interested in our lives even if we do not know it. He is there reaching out to us constantly to protect us from the adversary. I have been noticing a lot lately how influenced we as a society (including me) can be by the opinions of smart, cunning, and charismatic people. It seems to me that with each social movement that comes around that is not in accordance with the Lord's standards, many people get confused about what they believe and what sounds good. The safest way to avoid that is to follow the counsel of the Prophets and the Apostles. They are set apart by God to preach his truths to the world. They will never lead us astray. It is sad to me that people do not get the concept that we preach, believe and exhort all to love one another; not to hate or discriminate. Just because we do not agree with an individual's choices does not mean that we do not love them. It is just like our Savior's relationship with us. We are all sinners and He does not always agree with our decisions, but He always reaches out for us to pull us towards truth and light. I have found myself far from the Lord at times in my life when I had lost purpose and my sense of eternal direction. The year before my mission was trying one. I still wanted to go on a mission, but was not actively preparing to go. I was in a state of spiritual complacency. As I came home from college, though, I realized that I needed to make some changes. I did better at reading my scriptures and saying meaningful personal prayers. I started going to church more. I went to the temple and prayed to know if I should go. The Lord blessed me that year with a stronger testimony and a greater resolve to go on a mission. It did not happen all at once, but came gradually as I turned towards Him. It is these sweet moments of spiritual enlightment that keep me going when I am weak and vulnerable. I know God lives, I know that His Son Jesus Christ is our Savior. I have a testimony that Joseph Smith is the Lord's Prophet for this dispensation. Thomas S. Monson is a shining example of how our Savior would live if He were here. I hope that we can always stay close to the Lord, as He pleads for us to come unto Him.

I leave my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior

What I Know To Be True

ppaigec — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:10:52 +0000

I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church on the earth. I know that the priesthood keys and the organization of Christ's true church have been restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that through Joseph Smith's humble beginnings he knew and understood that he lacked the wisdom to know the things of his hearts desire, and he took it upon himself to ask God what is was that he should do concerning religion. I know with a surety that God hears and answers our prayers. It may not always be in the time or the way in which we wanted, but it's always in a way which will be beneficial to our spiritual progression. I know that our Heavenly Father knows each and everyone of us personally, by name. He knows the true desire of our hearts, and only wants whats best for each of us. I know that we are never given a trial that is too much for us to handle. I know that it's what we do when we are presented with a trial that can bring us closer or farther away from our Heavenly Father. He wants us to succeed, and make it through this probationary period here on earth where we don't have the opportunity to be with him and remember our experiences with him in the pre-earth life, so that we can eventually return to him, and dwell among him someday in the Celestial Kingdom. I know that through the sealing powers in the temple, that families can be together forever. I know that the work that we do in the temple is essential so that every person can have the opportunity to return to our Father in heaven, even if they did not have the opportunity to do so while they were here on this earth. I know that Christ performed the atonement so that we could be forgiven of all of our short comings. I know that if we remember to keep Christ in our hearts at all times, and remember him as we are presented with the opportunity to do wrong, and then upon the thought of him remember to chose the right, we will be blessed always for choosing the better path. I know however that when we do chose to do wrong, that we can always repent, and be made clean of our sins, and that all of our sins, no matter what, can be forgiven with time. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I know that when I read it I can feel the spirit confirming its truthfulness to me. I know that there is no way, at all that Joseph Smith could have possibly made up the Book of Mormon. No man would ever die for a book that was made up. He would not have just let the people at Carthage Jail kill him if he was lying, he would have denied its authenticity and returned to his family. But the book is true, and he gave all that he had so that us members of the church (and future members to come) could have the full truth and knowledge of the gospel. I know that the Book of Mormon goes hand in hand with the Bible and that the scriptures in each book support the words of the other. I know that missionary works is the only way in which we can bring new members into the church. It was through the loving testimony of a dear friend that I was able to come to the knowledge and understanding of these things within the short time that I have been a member of this church. My hope is that this testimony will reach to the heart of someone else who reads it, and that they to will be able to come to the understanding that these things that I have shared are true. I love my Heavenly Father, and his son, Jesus Christ, and I leave this testimony in His name, Amen.

Jesus Christ is the Answer

hheiner — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:41:01 +0000

I want to put into writing how I feel and what I know about God, and why I have chosen the life that I have. I choose to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ because I have come to know that he is literally the Son of God, our Savior. I know that God the Father is a real and true being, a loving and just God.

Recently life's circumstances have humbled and awakened within me a sense of his unfathomable mercy towards us, his often confused, and stumbling children. My heart and intentions are good, but I so frequently make mistakes. God has so mercifully forgiven, rescued, and blessed me that at times I have been overcome with gratitude. I feel it most when I realize that I have sinned and that the opportunity to repent and become clean again is available. When I feel keenly disappointed in myself for the way I have behaved, when there is great disparity between what I am and what I want to be, the great mercy of our loving Father is most clear, and I am comforted in knowing that He is patiently waiting for me to grow, to repent. I know that through the blood of Christ we can be made clean, new, and whole.

Through my own experience and that of family and friends I also know that the atonement of Jesus Christ is healing, physically and spiritually. Although answers have not always come in the ways expected, I know that my heartfelt prayers have been heard. Jesus Christ is the answer. When we don't know what to do, how to respond, what to say, following the example of Jesus Christ is the answer.

I have come to know Jesus Christ by the daily study of his word, especially the Book of Mormon. I know it was written by divine inspiration as I find answers to life's questions continually. I live the gospel of Jesus Christ in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because therein I am happy and I know it is true.