This little page has been neglected and honestly, it's probably the most important one of them all! It was time to get over my procrastination and actually expound a little on what I believe instead of taking the lazy way out by just putting a link. (fyi -- I was trying to be fancy like my fellow bloggers and just redirect y'all over to the lds website ... but needless to say that didn't happen.)
Without my faith, I'm not me. It shapes and underlies everything I've done, what I do now, and who I'm going to be in the future. It has made me happier than I could be without it, and I'm so blessed to be part of the only completely true church on the planet. Yes, that may sound arrogant and honestly, I used to think that we sort of were. But as much as I want to be accepting of other churches and say that they have the complete and total truth as well, I can't. I would be lying to myself and to my God if I said that and I fear Him more than I fear you... sorry #notsorry. But before I get too far ahead of myself, I do believe that other churches do have truth in them -- there's no doubt about that!
Many people think of the LDS church as "the blind leading the blind" where its members believe everything that they've been told and don't question anything because if they questioned something, they would find out that it's not true. Lots have formed this opinion about me within the first 5 seconds of finding out that I belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. But anybody who knows me, who really knows me, knows that I question ev-er-y-thing. and when I say everything, I mean it. just ask my mother. I used to drive her crazy! now I just drive Mark crazy.
I used to question why I had to make my bed every day when I would just mess it up again that night. I used to ask why she wanted the carrots cut a certain way for a salad when I thought it should be a different way. I used to wonder why the sky was blue, why I couldn't fly, and why I was the person I was.
As I got older I used to doubt that this church could really make me happy, especially when I would see others outside of my faith look like they were having so much fun. I used to doubt that it was true. I even read some anti-mormon literature online. I wondered how a 14-year-old boy could translate a book that he said he found hidden under a rock. Lots of things didn't add up logically in my mind, so i decided to be open about it and test the waters out by reading the Book of Mormon for myself.
I read it all the way through for the first time when I was 16. Many had already read it many times before that. I just wasn't so sure. I did go to church faithfully before that, but it was time to really form my own opinion on the Church instead of using my family's. In the last chapter of the Book of Mormon, a prophet called Moroni exhorts his readers to kneel down in sincere prayer to ask if the book is true. So i did just that. And what came next was the warmest feeling that consumed my whole soul. I had felt that feeling a few times in church before, but never to the extent that i did that day.
I knew that was God's way of letting me know of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. And if the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith is a true prophet. If Joseph Smith is a true prophet, then so is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As you can see, knowing the book is true links everything together. Ever since then I have dedicated myself to God's only completely true church. Any other question that i have about the church that hasn't yet been answered`will be answered in time. If every answer was given, where would our faith lie? We wouldn't develop trust.
If you're actually open to the truth, you'll find it. I know my church is true. Call me conceited -- that's fine. Call me close-minded -- i don't care. Tell me that i'm too scared to leave out of fear for what others think of me -- whatever. All of that doesn't even phase me. I know what i know and i know that it's truth.
Go learn some more about it if you want!
Without my faith, I'm not me. It shapes and underlies everything I've done, what I do now, and who I'm going to be in the future. It has made me happier than I could be without it, and I'm so blessed to be part of the only completely true church on the planet. Yes, that may sound arrogant and honestly, I used to think that we sort of were. But as much as I want to be accepting of other churches and say that they have the complete and total truth as well, I can't. I would be lying to myself and to my God if I said that and I fear Him more than I fear you... sorry #notsorry. But before I get too far ahead of myself, I do believe that other churches do have truth in them -- there's no doubt about that!
Many people think of the LDS church as "the blind leading the blind" where its members believe everything that they've been told and don't question anything because if they questioned something, they would find out that it's not true. Lots have formed this opinion about me within the first 5 seconds of finding out that I belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. But anybody who knows me, who really knows me, knows that I question ev-er-y-thing. and when I say everything, I mean it. just ask my mother. I used to drive her crazy! now I just drive Mark crazy.
I used to question why I had to make my bed every day when I would just mess it up again that night. I used to ask why she wanted the carrots cut a certain way for a salad when I thought it should be a different way. I used to wonder why the sky was blue, why I couldn't fly, and why I was the person I was.
As I got older I used to doubt that this church could really make me happy, especially when I would see others outside of my faith look like they were having so much fun. I used to doubt that it was true. I even read some anti-mormon literature online. I wondered how a 14-year-old boy could translate a book that he said he found hidden under a rock. Lots of things didn't add up logically in my mind, so i decided to be open about it and test the waters out by reading the Book of Mormon for myself.
I read it all the way through for the first time when I was 16. Many had already read it many times before that. I just wasn't so sure. I did go to church faithfully before that, but it was time to really form my own opinion on the Church instead of using my family's. In the last chapter of the Book of Mormon, a prophet called Moroni exhorts his readers to kneel down in sincere prayer to ask if the book is true. So i did just that. And what came next was the warmest feeling that consumed my whole soul. I had felt that feeling a few times in church before, but never to the extent that i did that day.
I knew that was God's way of letting me know of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. And if the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith is a true prophet. If Joseph Smith is a true prophet, then so is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As you can see, knowing the book is true links everything together. Ever since then I have dedicated myself to God's only completely true church. Any other question that i have about the church that hasn't yet been answered`will be answered in time. If every answer was given, where would our faith lie? We wouldn't develop trust.
If you're actually open to the truth, you'll find it. I know my church is true. Call me conceited -- that's fine. Call me close-minded -- i don't care. Tell me that i'm too scared to leave out of fear for what others think of me -- whatever. All of that doesn't even phase me. I know what i know and i know that it's truth.
Go learn some more about it if you want!
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