Week 65 - Atheism

People were in my room this week. In Utah. People as in not my family. Twice?! Different people both times?? 

If I had a nickel for every time I had a companion that was born in a very foreign country on another continent but then moved to Canada at the age of 4 and their mom is a convert so they (the companion) grew up in the church but for some reason ended up going to a catholic school and wear a size 9 1/2 shoe

I would have two nickels which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice

This week I was like

So is God real or???

So then I was like alright, it's just you and me God, I'm gonna try and strip any outside influence, I don't want to have a belief that comes from someone or something else, or myself, but from YOU. So I was like, well I gotta do it HIS way then, and see if it's true. Aka the Book of Mormon, prayer, church, etc. And BAM I had several very powerful experiences where I felt the spirit so so insanely strong, and because I had already taken out any other affecting factors, It was just so cool because it was clearly, undeniably the Spirit. PURE CONFIRMATION BABY

So something I really really better understood is that it's all about your relationship with God. Religion itself was created by Christ JUST to support your relationship with God (and consequently, your relationship with others as well). When you make a covenant (baptism) you BECOME an active participant in your relationship with God. Us being human means we can't perfectly love God as he perfectly loves us, and so that's why we need Christ, we need someone on our end of the relationship (and God's) who can love God perfectly on our behalf. I liked that a lot. I felt the Spirit testify to me that God is acting. He's the perfect and infinite active participant in all relationships, I like that. 

So maybe life, or the experiences we have, happens in seasons, but our desire can always stay the same, and THAT'S what we're accountable for. We're not accountable for our experiences, but for our desires. I love that.

"Change and decay in all around I see;

O thou who changest not, abide with me!" -Hymn 166

Yvrose is so incredible, I see her relationship with God (you can see people's relationships with God because they shape their actions) and it really is a great example for me. That's what the Book of Mormon is, it's a TON of examples of POWERFUL relationships with God, and shows us that we can have the same type of relationship through Jesus Christ. That's cool

Yvrose (baptized a few months ago) joined a lesson with Suzette (baptized 19 years ago, but stopped coming to church) by calling in. And IT WAS SO GOOD! They're both Haitian and so from the start they were speaking creole and it was just SO good for both of them. Insanely cool dynamic!!!! 

Church was great because I went to strengthen my relationship with God through our "relationship changer", aka COVENANT! Remembering Jesus Christ does good, helps me FEEL it you know? 

So when I say "I know that Jesus Christ lives and is our personal savior" it's not just because logically it makes sense. It's because I've wondered if God actually exists, and if there was actually a relationship between me and that Being, and so I gave God's word a try. And in trying, He stepped in and showed me that all His promises are true and real and He IS there. Bon bagay.