Latter-day Saint Testimonies

Christmas

2010-11-20T12:24:00.000-08:00

I have heard some recent discussion about the origins of holidays. Christmas and Easter in particular. Some have been pretty heated and I have come to a realization that I'm just glad we have these holidays, however they came about. I'm grateful that Christmas and Easter are both reminders of our Savior Jesus Christ. I have always enjoyed the difference in people around the holidays. People are more kind, gentle and loving toward others, even strangers. Whether these people are Christian or not, it seems that we all take on Christlike attributes more readily. I love it. I wish that we were all better throughout the year, but at least for over a month each year, society as a whole is more Christlike. I intend to enjoy and share it for more than just a few months.

Gila Valley Temple Dedication

2010-05-23T22:13:00.001-07:00

I am so grateful we could go to the Temple Dedication today. I really felt the Holy Spirit of God when President Eyring got up and spoke.

I know He is a Prophet of God and an Apostle of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful that I could take all of my children to the Open House and have our entire family in the Celestial Room together.

That was so cool. I am grateful for all the people who sacrificed and served to create this "Heaven on Earth." I know the Temple really is God's House.

Loving myself and becoming more like Christ

2010-02-03T05:22:00.000-08:00

I often try to be aware of whether or not I am DOING what God wants me to do. Okay, I admit that sometimes I stress about it. There are so many things to do, and not enough time, and I want to make sure I am doing the best things. I often berate myself for wasting time. This morning as I prayed, I worriedly asked Heavenly Father, "but am I doing the right thing?" The answer came clearly, "stop worrying about DOING the right thing perfectly. It is more important to BECOME the right person through whatever you do and the power of Jesus Christ's Atonement." I am so grateful to experience life that helps me become a better person. I am so grateful for a Savior to atone for my sins and mistakes and even reclaim them into something good: a learning and growing experience to help me become more like Him.

Things as They Really Are--A Warning

2009-08-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

Which picture is fake and which picture is real? Read Elder Bednar's talk to find out the answer and why it is important.

“Nearly 40% of men and 53% of women who play online games said their virtual friends were equal to or better than their real-life friends, according to a survey of 30,000 gamers conducted by … a recent Ph.D. graduate from Stanford University. More than a quarter of gamers [who responded indicated that] the emotional highlight of the past week occurred in a computer world.”

I would love for everyone I know and love to study this article. It is not an easy read, or a short read, but very powerful.

My husband and I laugh about the way we sit a few feet from each other in the office. We are each on our own computer and we flirt with each other through facebook. After reading Elder Bednar's talk, maybe it's not so funny.

Elder Ballard's Talk

2009-05-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

This is What Started It All! Please Join the Conversation!

Belated Easter Post

2009-05-17T21:42:00.000-07:00

I have had such a beautiful Easter. I am so grateful for the generous gift of the resurrection. I am so happy for the hope and promise that I will see those angels again who have passed away before me. I am eternally grateful for the love and patience of my Savior. I look forward to seeing Him again the most. I hope that I will KNOW Him and that He will KNOW me.

Service in Africa by Africans

2009-05-17T21:31:00.000-07:00

I found this great video on one of my new favorite sites.

Emphasis

2009-03-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

I teach early morning seminary to high school age teenagers. This is a class organized by our church. It is a religion class that involves an in depth study of the scriptures. This year the curriculum of study is the New Testament. I really enjoy teaching seminary. It has given me the opportunity to grow closer to Heavenly Father in the process of preparing the lessons for the students.

Through my increased study of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I have come to understand just how important the Holy Spirit is. The Spirit is so very important. We can truly learn the gospel only by staying close to the Spirit of the Lord. It is through the Spirit that we develop a testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. It is through the Spirit that we have the ability to know the will of the Lord and receive the personal revelation that is essential for us to progress in this life.

I have learned that if I think I haven't felt the Spirit in awhile, or haven't had any spiritual experiences lately, I need to determine what I have been doing to drive the Spirit away. The Spirit of the Lord will not dwell in unholy places. When I find something that would keep the Holy Spirit away, I need to change. I need to fix the problem.

I believe one of the most important things about living your life so that the Spirit of the Lord will dwell with you is that it helps you be more submissive to God's will. Even when you live worthily, you will probably not constantly feel the Spirit of the Lord, but you will keep that line of communication open. And you open yourself up to the promptings that come from the Lord. You put yourself in a situation that you have the ability to recognize Heavenly Father's hand in your life.

A testimony of Jesus Christ and the truth of His atonement is revealed by the Spirit of the Lord. That is also how a testimony grows.

I love to visit The Temple

2009-03-13T06:46:00.000-07:00

Apparently there will be some attention given to temples in an upcoming TV series. Of course the stance of the church is so positive and respectful. I love it. I hope that I can be as kind and patient if the things I love and respect are treated with disrespect.

Almost every time I go to the temple I am amazed by the love and peace and acceptance I feel there. I am so grateful to have a place of peace in the middle of a noisy world. I am so grateful for a place without cellphones, TV, or daily distractions. There, in the Heavenly peace of the temple, I can feel God's love for me. I can listen for His promptings with little distraction. I am so grateful for the sacrifice and love of our Savior Jesus Christ. Through His immortal Atonement, death is not the end and we can prepare to enjoy eternity with our loved ones.

My husband's grandma passed away last week. It was expected, and in some ways a relief. We will miss her, but we are happy she has no more pain and is reunited with her dear husband. As I thought about her death though, I thought about how universal death is. It is universally inevitable for all people in all times in all cultures. It is the one thing unavoidable for us all, and very few have ever "returned" from death.

So, what a kind, compassionate God we have that would prepare a way through Jesus Christ for us all to overcome this often frightful event. How comforting to know the truth about what comes next. I am so grateful for the kind gift of temples on earth today so I can look forward to the next life with peace and trust and comfort. I love to visit the Temple!

Expanding our Influence

2009-01-25T20:23:00.000-08:00

I remember being asked by our prophet when I was a young girl to pray for other countries to open their doors to missionary work. At the time the Soviet Union would not allow missionaries in their countries and I felt like they were our real enemies out to get us. With many Latter-day Saints around the world, my family prayed that they would be open to missionary work. I never imagined that a few years later (when I was 21) I would be preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a missionary in a former Soviet Republic. But miracles happen. I still cannot believe how quickly the iron curtain and the Berlin Wall fell.

We have been asked once again by the current prophet to pray for countries to open their doors to missionaries. I believe we will see miracles once again as we do this. As I have prayed for these miracles, I have tried to think of what I could to to help. I have repeatedly had the idea to post my testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in as many languages as I can. I eagerly welcome anyone else to participate.

English

I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. I know God is my Father in Heaven, and He loves every one of us. I wish that everyone in the world could understand God's love and the Lord's power to save and help us. I know that because of God's love for us, He has revealed the Book of Mormon to help us in our modern day. The Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ and that I can trust in Him. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Estonian or eestikeeles:

Ma tean, et Jesus Kristus on meie Päästja
Ma tean, et Jumal on meie Isa Taevas, ja ta armastab meid, iga üks.
Ma soovin, et iga inimene maailmas mõistaks Jumala armastuse, ja Issanda päästav võimu.
Ma tean, et Jumala armastuse tõttu, on Mormoni Raamat ilmunud meie abistamiseks tãnapäeval. Mormoni Raamat tünnistab Jeesusest Kristusest, ja sellest, et ma võin teda usalda.
Jeesuse Kristuse nimel, aamen.

More Politics and Passion

2008-11-02T21:30:00.000-08:00

I really believe what God proclaimed through His prophets when they stated, “marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God.” I also feel like this statement is absolutely correct: “God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.” I want to obey when these prophets say, “We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.”

I feel anxiety and urgency as I read this statement by the prophets: "Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets."

My desire to support prop 102 in Arizona was reinforced when I read this article:

It is long, but well worth the read.

My sister in law who gives a neat analogy.

I don’t think that we need to take rights away from gay and lesbian people. That is fine with me if they enjoy legal protection, hospital visits, and other things they already enjoy. However, the issue for me is honoring the institution that God ordained for a man and woman.

I hope that this helps you see why I believe and act (and vote) as I do.

Perfection

2008-10-31T12:45:00.000-07:00

I am the sister of Princess Gerty, the engineer of this blog. I have been thinking about what I can add to this blog. I have so many experiences that would be great to share, but I chose one to share today.

I teach an early morning religion class to high school students that are Mormon. We call this class seminary. We start at 6 a.m. every morning. This year we are studying the New Testament. It is awesome. I love studying so in depth about our Savior's mortal ministry. I think that one of my favorite teachings that we have gone over so far, is the Sermon on the Mount.

Here's a little background. You can find Christ's Sermon on the Mount in the book of Matthew chapters 5-7. It is the first of many great discourses the Savior gave. It was taught near the shores of the Sea of Galilee. The reason why I love it is because Jesus presents a higher level of living for His followers.

Jesus tells us within these three chapters, how we can find joy in this life and after. He teaches us how to become perfect. We can not attain perfection in this life, but we can start down the road to perfection. The ONLY way we will achieve complete perfection is through Jesus Christ and His atonement. He makes it possible.

The Sermon on the Mount lists many qualities that each of us can develop. These are all "puzzle pieces" to the puzzle of becoming like our Father in Heaven.

We believe that we can one day become like our Father in Heaven, because we are all His children. This is because we are His offspring and offspring have the ability to grow up and become like their parents.

If you want a road map in following Jesus Christ, to become Christlike, I believe the Sermon on the Mount has enough in there to last a lifetime.

God's Whispering and Yelling

2008-10-26T22:07:00.000-07:00

While listening to the world-wide General Conference of our church, I had the prompting through the Holy Spirit that I needed to do more to follow the advice of our leaders. We are encouraged to have food and other necessities on hand in case of an emergency. I knew one thing our home was really lacking was water storage. We only had a few gallons stored, and that would last our family less than a day. Well, I didn't do anything. That night, as I prayed, I was reminded again about the need to be prepared with things, including water. Well, I got busy the next day with more frivolous concerns and didn't do anything.

Finally, my friend came over to my house and told me about her concerns about being prepared. She emphasized that one thing we really need is enough water. I started crying. I knew God was trying to tell me something. It was not in my plan for the day, but I went out the the store that afternoon, and among other things, bought extra water. Then, I wondered what kind of disaster might stop the tap from running. I think I did a good job not freaking out. I told myself, maybe nothing bad would happen and God was just testing me. I decided that at least I knew and God knew that when He commands, I listen (even if it takes a few times!)

Well, the next day our water filter broke. It may seem like no big deal, but if you have ever tried to drink tap water in Arizona, you know it's pretty disgusting. So, I was very grateful that I had many gallons of tasty drinking water on hand. It kept us happy until we could buy a new filter. This may seem like such a trivial thing, but it is reassuring to me. I know that God is aware of me and my needs--even my future needs. I also know that I need to listen and obey promptly. He will guide and direct us through the Still Small Voice, if only we will listen.

Same-Sex Marriage and My Beliefs

2008-10-05T22:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of me on my wedding day (with my husband and his family). What a fun day!

There has been a lot of debate about same-sex marriage, and legalizing (or not legalizing) it. In Arizona we have a proposition on the ballet to protect marriage for only one woman and one man.

I really enjoyed reading this document.

It is really long but very clear and informative. I was impressed with all the research articles cited that support the need for a Mother and Father in every home. Yea, I know the ideal is not what we always get in this world, but that should not mean it should stop being the ideal.

It also shows how loving the sinner without accepting the sin is in fact the Christian, Christlike way.

God's Blessing and Miracle

2008-08-31T23:09:00.000-07:00

It is humbling for me to post this because I have to admit my stupidity and laziness. I also have to acknowledge that despite my weaknesses, God loves and blesses us with miracles.

I put off refueling my van the other day. I knew the gas tank was near empty but I had a few errands I wanted to run before I went to the gas station. Well, I was on the freeway trying to pass another car and suddenly the van died. I began coasting. I was so grateful I was at the top of the hill, and I began praying for help. I asked God to help me make it off the freeway and get to the gas station safely. The offramp went down the hill, but there was a red light at the end of that. I prayed that I would be able to turn quickly, because I knew I might not get moving again if I stopped long. After a brief pause, I turned, but there was a truck with a trailer coming towards me quickly. I prayed again to God for help. Gratefully, the truck passed me. Then I prayed that I could make it to the gas station, just a few feet away, but also that the first pump would be open. I had no idea how I could get to a pump otherwise. I rolled into the gas station, and with joy saw that the first pump was free! I parked the van and prayed with my two-year-old son. I gave thanks with tears of gratitude that God heard my prayers and blessed me with a miracle of safety and success. I know God lives today. I know He knows me personally and loves me.

Being a Mom

2008-08-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in the first post that I am a "Mormon Mom." Now I'd like to describe what that means to me. I have three wonderful children. I love them so much. Even though I have the opportunity and freedom to do whatever I want with my time and energy, I know the most important, lasting thing I can do is to help these three souls become great people and closer to God. It's definitely hard, tedious, often thankless work, but I LOVE IT! Of course I am not prefect. After I get the kids in bed at night, and I finally enjoy some peace and quiet, I reflect on my day. I did this last night, and felt pretty guilty about the way I yelled at my kids. I get so tired, impatient, frustrated (and hungry!) at dinner time, and that's when I was really mean to them yesterday. At times like these, I worry that my imperfections as a Mom are going to "mess up" my kids.

Oh what peace and relief the knowledge of Jesus Christ's atonement brings! I know that his grace and suffering makes up for my mistakes and even the mistakes of my children. I just need to believe in Him and change my ways. I am so grateful for His perfect example of patience and kindness (especially with children). I know He loves me and He will help me do better.

Happy Anniversary

2008-08-03T22:50:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the anniversary of my marriage to my husband. We have been married for eight years! I am so grateful we were ready to be married in a Temple of the Lord (LDS Temple), where we were sealed by God's power for eternity. That means that my husband and I can be together forever, even after we die. This brings a lot of comfort, especially when I consider how fragile this life can be.

I am very grateful that being married for eternity has brought strength and persistence in our commitment to marriage. There have been days that I have wanted to give up. Sometimes I have been really hurt by the things my husband does, or sometimes annoyed by him. Applying the teachings of Jesus Christ of forgiveness, repentance and love have really helped me. Also, knowing that God wants to see us succeed, and using His power and grace in our lives has made a difference.

It hasn't always been easy, but it has been definitely worth it. I am so grateful for the past 8 years. It has been wonderful. I hope to have many more!

PS: for those of you wondering, my husband has only one wife--me!

The Start and the Invitation

2008-08-03T22:22:00.000-07:00

I am a Mormon (our nickname) Mom. I have been a Latter-day Saint my whole life. I love it so much! It has helped me love an appreciate the family I grew up in, and enjoy the husband and children I have now. It has helped me have the Faith in Jesus Christ to carry me through heartache, trials, and challenges. It has helped me grow closer to God and feel His love every day.

I have started this blog to record my blessings and experiences, and to hear the same from my friends and family. I invite anyone in the world to read and investigate and learn more about true Mormons.

I was really inspired by Elder Ballard's message in the Ensign last month. He helps lead our church and is an Apostle of Jesus Christ. I felt I needed to share all the ways God helps me in my day to day life when I read his message. I want to share the joy and peace that being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints brings. I am so grateful for the blessings I enjoy and I want to have my voice heard.

So, I invite all the Latter-day Saints I know to join me. Email me at sarahparane@hotmail.com you want to be invited to post on this blog. I would love to have you share your testimonies and stories. Please take some time to read Elder Ballard's talk (see the link above) before you post. Then, we will all be on the same page. Let's be positive and grateful, but try to describe things so that non-LDS people will understand.

I look forward to hearing your testimonies and sharing mine! I look forward to hearing from everyone who wants to know more!