Time is a precious gift of God.
It is through time that we can learn and grow. It is through time that
we are able to see the Lord's hand in our lives and the lives of others.
It is through time that that we can gain witness that our Savior lives
and that he payed the price of our sins so that we can become clean and
be able to live with him and God again. It is throughout time that we
can reach out to others in service and gaining joy that is pure and is
irreplaceable.
In the end I would say time is
the key to truly be able to see through the process of time through
God's eyes and how he sees things. I know and can testify that I have
seen through his eyes throughout my mission. For those we taught, for
the miracles that occurred, and for how his plan truly takes on a bigger
picture than just in this life.
One of the
many lessons I have gained throughout my mission is who we truly we are.
WE ARE PRECIOUS SPIRITS. We matter so greatly so him. We each have a
purpose and it is in this life we truly get to know who we truly are
through Godly knowledge through revelation of the spirit. It is by the
spirit that we gain the eyes to truly see.
One
of the first commitments I received in the mission field is one that as
missionaries that we keep with us always on a card and it is: "I will,
with all my heart, dedicate my life to the Savior; He can then sanctify
me and purify me so that I will know Him and SEE Him."
I
testify that I have seen! HE LIVES! HE IS THERE!!! AS WE WALK THIS
PATH OF LIFE, HE IS THERE AND IT IS BY HIM, THROUGH HIM, AND OF HIM THAT
WE CAN RETURN TO LIVE WITH HIM AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE PRECIOUS GIFT HE
GAVE OF THE ATONEMENT.
I know that as we strive
to use his atonement everyday, we will come to know him better. We will
gain confidence to approach the judgement bar of God and know without a
shadow of a doubt who he is when we see him. But it is up to us and
what we do today.
I know The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true and ONLY church on the earth
that holds all the keys and authority of Christ's church he established
in the beginning. I testify Joseph Smith was called of God to be a
prophet to restore Christ's church back to the earth. I know that the
Book of Mormon is the TRUE word of God. It IS another witness of Jesus
Christ. It speaks and breathes life into our lives.
One of my new favorite scriptures is in 3 Nephi 15:9...
"Behold,
I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and
ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal
life."
It is only when we look to him that we gain life. True life! Which is joy in its purest form!
I
know that it is through our mistakes that we are able to stand back up
again and gain the blessing of joy and comfort from the Savior as we
come unto him. I testify that he takes care of us the moment we go unto
him.
Like in Doctrine and Covenants 88:126...
"Pray always, that ye may not faint, until I come. Behold, and lo, I will come quickly, and receive you unto myself. Amen."
It
simply starts with us humbling ourselves. Through the simple things
like Prayer. Getting on our knees and pleading with our Father in
Heaven. Asking for forgiveness and expressing the deepest feelings of
our hearts of our gratitude of the things that the Lord has placed in
our lives.
I testify that he is there. And whenever we doubt it, we can simply ask him and through studying the
scriptures and then going unto him in prayer we can receive our
answer...
" 7 Behold, you have not
understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you
took no thought save it was to ask me.
8
But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind;
then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause
that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it
is right.
9 But if it be not
right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of
thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong;
therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you
from me." (Doctrine and Covenants 9:7-9)
The
Gospel is the way to truly understand how to use this time that we have
during this life to use it to best capacity. It is when we do this it
become truly precious.
Of this I testify in the Name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.
Motra Bezas
Saying goodbye the previous week to so many beloved servants of God and friends
that she's met in the field
(there are more pictures - I just can't get them to load!)