i've appreciated the church's initiative this easter season to reflect on the statement
"because of Him". because of Him... everything. i could fill in that blank with any righteous statement and it would be true.
i
believe in Jesus Christ. i believe that He lived a great life and
performed miracles
and loved the people He served. i believe that He died for me to pay
the price
for my sins and provide the way back home. He also performed the
atonement so He would know how i feel at any given moment in my life,
which is a truth i have relied on every single day. but i've often
wondered how we come to
know these things. in 1 nephi 15:14 it
says, "they shall come to a knowledge of their Redeemer and the very
points of His doctrine, that they may know how to come unto Him and be
saved." it's evident that we cannot be saved in ignorance. we have to know the Lord whom we serve and know how to follow Him.
what kinds of things have to happen in our lives before we can saywith surety,
"i know Jesus Christ lives!" what
challenges do we have to face, what triumphs do we have to enjoy, what
kind of commitment to the Lord do we have to give before that testimony
comes?
well. today, this beautiful easter sunday, i am writing as a witness of Jesus Christ. i, sara michelle ence,
know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world because of the following reasons:
- i feel peace enter my heart when i hear or sing the song "i stand all amazed"
- there have been multiple days this year when i knew i couldn't pick
myself up off my bed and go throughout the simple tasks of the day. i
knelt in prayer and pleaded with Heavenly Father to be with me, and as i
stood, physically felt picked up and carried
- my best friend annie flew here from california in december just to
come to church with me, after 6 years of invitations and dead ends
- i have prayed about the book of mormon and gained a witness for myself
of its truth. the purpose of that book, the very intent it was
written, was to convince jew and gentile alike that Jesus is the
Christ. so because i know the book of mormon is true, i know that
Jesus Christ is my Savior. that book is packed with evidence you would have to be blind to not see
- a mission companion and i felt inspired to change our plans and stop
by a certain house at a specific time, to discover we saved a woman from
suicide
- i've sat across the desk from a loving bishop as he said the words,
"sister ence, you are forgiven of this sin" and literally felt a
tangible weight being taken off my shoulders, allowing a certain
happiness to flow back into my life
- i watched bill maki give up everything he had and enter the waters of baptism for a God he didn't even know existed yet
- i've sat in church and listened to heartfelt testimony from countless
members about the power of the atonement and the power of change and
conversion
- i sat with president tingey on april 19, 2012 and heard him say the
words, "well done, thou good and faithful servant, the Lord has accepted
your service"
- i felt a certain peace at the funeral of my uncle steve barlow,
knowing that although it seemed unfair that he was taken from this earth
when he was in the way that he was, that it was part of God's perfect
plan, and that we will indeed be with him again, forever
- i walked into a temple this past friday seeking for comfort that the situation i was currently dealing with would be resolved the way it was supposed to be resolved. that the people involved would forgive me of the dumb mistakes i'd made that week. sitting in the temple for 3 hours, i felt time and time again the peace i was searching for. the problem wasn't solved, but i felt empowered and comforted. my prayer was answered. i love the temple
- i watched the faces of my darling 6 year olds light up when i taught about christianity as part of our three world religions unit. "Jesus Christ died for my sins!" one would shout. "He loves me!" "i LOVE Jesus!" another would cheer. the faith of a child speaks volumes
- i felt inspired to change my lesson just one hour before giving it to
the relief society when colin dumke bore an inspired testimony of the
power of righteous women in the world. with that inspiration to change
the lesson came the words to say in a time of need, and one of the most
powerful relief society lessons i've been a part of
- -
i could go on for hours listing specific reasons that have led me to the knowledge i have of Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. i testify that there are tangible evidences
all over our lives that Jesus Christ lives, that He is intimately involved in the details of our lives. that
He cares. i
invite each of you to open your eyes and see those evidences everyday.
open your eyes and stand in awe at the love Jesus offers you.
He lives. and that is the most beautiful truth i know
