Awake my soul! No longer droop in sin.

What is sin? To commit sin is to willfully disobey God's commandments or to fail to act righteously despite a knowledge of the truth.

We are all sinners. I am a sinner. Lately I have been a slacker. I have not read my scriptures in months and I put in a half effort on the nights I choose to pray. I have sinned.

In December I had an experience that required my entire faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. My husband was sick, we were in a different country and all I wanted to come home to the U.S. in safety. I prayed with all the energy of my soul and had to trust that my faith in the Savior of the world was enough. I had a prayer going in my heart for the 48 hours that it took to get us back home. Then, the following scripture was manifested in my own life: " Thus we see how quick the children of men forget the Lord their God, yes, how quick to do iniquity, and to be led away by the evil one." Alma 46:8. As soon as we got home safely, I didn't even kneel to pray and thank my God for bringing us safely home.

I wasn't committing a terrible sin. I wasn't hurting anyone by not being grateful and by not praying. But I sure was not being grateful and that is enough to sadden my soul and I know that is enough to sadden my Father in Heaven. I feel like I have just been going through the motions for the last month. Praying and going to church just to go. No real intent behind either action. I have not felt the burning joy that I usually feel inside of me no matter how tough life gets. I miss that fire, I miss the Holy Ghost burning in my chest all day every day. He hasn't left me, He is still with me and guides me, but that is just not enough for me. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said: "After an encounter with the Living Son of the Living God, nothing is ever again to be as it was before." That is why this is not enough for me anymore.

I chose to read my scriptures today. I chose to read a prayer offered by Nephi, a Book of Mormon prophet. How I wish I could speak to God with such beautiful language.

2 Nephi chapter 4 is the account of Nephi praying fervently to God. Nephi says: "My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh." Verse 20 & 21

This is how I feel about God, He has been my rock, He has been my source of strength, He has filled my life and my soul with His love.

Nephi goes on to say: "O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?" Verse 27

I feel like lately I have allowed my school and my job to get in the way, I have used them as an excuse to slacken my strength. I feel like I am allowing myself to forget how incredible God has been to me. I am allowing myself to forget that with God I can do all things, and without Him I can do NOTHING. I am allowing myself to forget about my very real and powerful encounters with my Savior Jesus Christ.

Then Nephi continues his prayer and exclaims something wonderful: "Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul." Verse 28

This struck me. This reminded me that I can have the burning love of God in my heart again, I can feel the happiness I have felt so many times before, I can have the burning fire of the spirit like an emblem in my heart every single day if I choose to stay close to my God and my Savior.

Christ's invitation is eternal: "Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me." 3 Nephi 9:14

I am grateful for to Atonement of Jesus Christ, not only does it promise me Eternal Life, but it promises me happiness, peace and forgiveness in this life. I am grateful for His Atoning sacrifice, for it gives me purpose and it motivates me to be better. I am grateful for forgiveness, for it brings me closer to my God.

I stand with Nephi and exclaim as He did: "O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh... I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen."

I testify that He lives. And I testify that we will never stand stronger than when we stand with God and Jesus Christ in our hearts.

I testify of this in the name of my loving Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The greatest gift

My most prized possession and grandest gift is my testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. As I thought of what I could gift special people in my life, I thought of sharing my testimony with those whom I love. This time of year is special because we put a special emphasis on the birth of Him who came into the world to save me and you.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

I know that Christ came! I know that a little baby named Jesus came into this world to a loving mother named Mary and I know that He was born to grant me and you eternal life. His birth means to me that God loved me enough to send His son to live a perfect life and to give me a perfect example to follow.

“For God so loved [me and you], that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

I know that Jesus is the Christ, I know that “..there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through he name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.” (Mosiah 3:17)

This knowledge has helped me understand who the Savior is in relation to me. These scriptures have allowed me to understand why He came into this world and why I should follow Him. I would like to now share why I love Him and why I follow Him. “And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” (Alma 7:11-12)

It wasn’t until I was a 19-year-old missionary, sitting in front of a broken-hearted mother, crying for her wayward son that I internalized and understood that Jesus Christ came into this world to mend her heart. He lived and He died to heal this precious daughter of God. Then I knew that Jesus Christ came into the world to heal my heart, to calm my storms, to carry me when I physically and emotionally couldn’t anymore.

Jesus the Christ came into this world to save me and to save you.

I love Christ because He first loved me. I love Him because I know who He is, I know what He did for me and I know that with Him in my life I can do all things because He is the source of my strength. I testify with all the strength of my soul that Christ came into this world and atoned for the sins of all the children of God. I know that He rose the third day on a beautiful spring morning giving hope to the entire human race that death is not the end. I further testify that “All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.” (PMG) I have experienced it.

“He lives! All glory to his name! He lives, my Savior still the same. Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: ‘I know that my Redeemer lives!’” (Hymn 136)

He is my greatest gift, He is my anchor, He is my Savior. He lives.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.