Read This, then Proceed to Read That

I'm not going to gush, but maybe I could. I read a lot of people gushing about their testimonies & although that's great, I'd rather tell you in person. I will however, admit that my personal testimony gas tank is close to brimming tonight, and that feels great. I'll attribute this feeling primarily to heathens, also called co-workers.

We spend a lot of time together, about 14 to 15 hours a day. I don't preach, but my example sets myself apart from most, so maybe in an attempt at soothing their own consciences, my beliefs are "discussed". When I say discussed, I mean light heartedly ridiculed. Questions are posed in a mocking way, and the fact that I am able to clearly answer the questions offends some, so one or two will argue with their own twisted skew of what Christianity is supposed to teach. Their viewpoints include stories that never occurred that were told to them when they were very young, or the philosophies of that guy who said the rapture was going to happen a few months ago (until it didn't, now he's saying October if you're keeping track).

I'm more than slightly irked on the matter, because I take my faith seriously, and I have actually studied it. One fellow stated the rather Catholic philosophy that it doesn't matter what he does in this life because he can repent on his death bed & everything will be fine. Any Latter-Day Saint worth their salt knows that you cannot say this, because this life is in fact our time to prepare to meet God, and purposefully putting off your repentance until your deathbed would be like showing up for Final Exams without ever having sat in on a lecture or cracked a text book. My argument was dismissed because it came from the Book of Mormon. Well fellas, I'm trying here & it's your salvation on the line. I got all upset about it, and when I thought about why, it's because I'm more sure of the truthfulness of the gospel than I am of anything else. So that's comforting.

My testimony has also been boosted tonight thanks to the good old Doctrine & Covenants. I'm reading it, and I've always looked at it like a mine field: Some good stuff, some umm… less exciting. Likewise there are dozens of short little sections that you can breeze through, and then there are some massive iceberg sized sections (D&C 76 & 84, I'm looking at you). Tonight was one of the big ones.

I read the first 31 verses of the one hundred & forty one verse behemoth known as D&C 88 last night. As I soldiered on tonight, I was swept up & simultaneously blown away by the things that were said. 35, 49, 63 & 83 seemed fitting to how I'd been feeling. There were dozens of verses that were the genesis for so many principles taught in the Church today. Then I found a verse that made it clear on why we should kneel to pray, now I'm a person who is a lot more easily entreated to do something when I know why it is that I'm doing it, so this is a great motivation to not just pray once I'm already in the bed.

Then there is the passage that makes me think of Jason, mainly because he grabbed my scriptures and highlighted the verse with his name next to it. Jason, thank you. You saved my life & I owe my family to your all of your efforts. I love you, brother.