Our experience today, Pretty private but I felt I had to record it.
Saturday-- Mr. Clark was feeling wonderful. We decided that we would go to Wichita to look for flooring and then attend what our church has every three months as a gathering of members in "Adult Conference" Our world wide church gets together every six months. Our area church gets together every 3 months for a 2 day conference.
The Saturday night session has always been a favorite of mine. (just for the adults, kind of a parent/adult meeting, and families meet on Sunday.
This night, Elder Bowen from the Quorum of the 70 talked to us. His main topic was listening to the Holy Ghost. How to hear the spirit, and what do we need to do to hear answers to our prayers. First of all he mentioned that we always need to have *
QUESTIONS. A list even. Then when we "receive" the answers, the importance of writing down our thoughts and impressions and that our answers will come through the Holy Ghost if we have studied out in our mind we can have the rightious desires of our heart. He also talked about
acting upon our impressions and just not putting what we know on the back burner. That's how so many of us fall away.
Sunday morning came. So what I'm about to write is the impressions we received while at this meeting. An even a stronger testimony that we were where we were at the right time. I love those moments!
First thing when we arrived. The parking lot was packed. There was no where to park. As we were exiting to park outside the church a man was laying on the pavement. He had an apparent seizure. Mr. Clark said, "I am going over to see if I can help" as we walked up a man came up also. He said, " I am a Doctor, how can I assist.?" The young wife was very concerned. A couple of us women scooped up the little child and took her inside the building while the paramedics arrived. Clark stayed long enough to see that they had given this man some oxygen and he was coming around. The church brethren gathered around and gave him a blessing. All was well. SO---- When we came into the church service we were a little disheartened for this young couple. My, what trials we all face in life. The thought in my mind was how blessed the young wife was to have it happen where it did with a team of support beside them! Clark and I feel like this often, so blessed to have the team of people around us. Especially this week and our experience with going to dialysis. The opportunity of staying with a church member close to the center seems like a miracle in itself.
Anyway...
We sat down towards the back of the gym. For some reason??? The sound system wasn't working so it was very, very difficult for two deaf-o's to hear! Clark's restless legs began to bother him. He suggested that we go home,(we couldn't hear anyway) and I responded, " just focus." (that was me selfishly saying I wanted to be there.) He stood up to relieve his leg discomfort. I'm not sure if Clark heard very much of what the speakers said. That's what unique about our experience.
This is what we did hear. Elder Bowen of the quorum of the seventy. He talked about living a good life and being an example to others. He talked about being a missionary. At this moment I had this thought: lightbulb-- "hey, well once Mr. Clark gets a transplant maybe we could put going on a mission on the list of priorities. " --I love thinking that someday things will be back to normal!
Elder Bowen talked about keeping the light of Christ and the spirit strong in our lives and that sometimes not contunually seeking the spirit causes all of us to loose that strong conviction and keeps us from activity. Then he went on to talk about being strong in the gospel with the dark day's ahead. Having a brightness of hope because of the knowledge we have of Heavenly Fathers Plan.
I can't express strong enough that it wasn't anything really different about his sermon, we've heard similar talks but the spirit was POWERFUL. It is about the thoughts and impressions that came to both Clark and I at the same time when we were listening. (I LOVE THESE MOMENTS)
Clark and I were on the same frame of mind. We didn't realize it until we got home. We summarized Our feelings about the church meeting. The same thoughts were on our mind. We 'recieved our own message today.
This is a record of our conversation:
When Elder Bowen was talking about our testimonies. Mr. Clark thought about the first time he had a witness that the church was true. And a firm testimony of all the principles of the gospel. Mr. Clark said, "I knew this with out any doubt when I was twelve years old" This impression was so strong when he had it in his mind that it pretty much overcame him and he remembered what a blessing it had been all of his life. He said, since the age of 12 he has had unshaken knowledge that the gospel was restored to this earth through the boy, Joseph Smith in answer to his question which church to join. Through young Josephs question we all learned an important fact. #1 we can all take our questions to God and 2- Through Gods answer to Joseph we learn that God and Jesus are two separate beings. God is the God of us all and Jesus Christ is the God of this earth. That God is indeed Our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ is our Brother and Savior of the world( he took it upon himself to die for each one of us). Mr. Clark feels like he knows him personally for what he has
personally done for him.
I asked Mr. Clark if the experience with Grandma Mills and the Indians when he was 14 made a difference in his life. I will relay this experience because not too many know. Grandma and Grandpa Mills had taken the grand children to a Indian Reservation. They had foster Indians children and for some reason they had wanted to take something to them or just went to visit? But the Navajo people were talking in their language and Clark could understand everything they were saying. I asked Mr. Clark, Well did you feel special after that experience? knowing that you had the gift of tongues? He said, 'No, and Grandma didn't treat me any different either. Just one of those things that happens. But I didn't realize until I was older how significant it was" Just a little experience that shows you how special Mr. C is!
He said that his greatest mentor of knowledge was his own Father who at the time wasn't active in church. His Father threw at him every reason the church couldn't be true. This might not have been the greatest thing for any child (I for one had a hard, hard time with the negativity) but it worked with Clark. He started a quest of learning. He began studying his heart out to prove his Father wrong. This is when he gained and even greater knowledge of the gospel. He said because of his Fathers questions from that time he absolutely had a love for the Gospel. He commented to me that it was his driving force all his life. It is what has kept his faith unwavering. It kept him strong as a youth. He said he has heard the Holy Ghost witness to him over and over what path to take. He said, " I knew I was going to serve a mission for our church" he also stated that he had an assurance that he would marry me, and all through his mission he held on to that assurance." He said, "I have always had these promptings and feelings all my life"
As I'm recalling this and writing it down I know that it is only through the spirit that we can feel that peace and conviction of the power of what he was relaying to me. Tears were rolling down my face.
He said, "I haven't been perfect in my life or in the service in the Gospel but I've always had a strong knowledge. This knowledeg is what keeps me strong in dealing with my health problems today. He also had a strong conviction that together we will serve a mission and we need to be preparing for it financially/
For me: This is my testimony, first GRATITUDE! That I have blessed to always KNOWN that Heavenly Father has a plan for us. That Jesus Christ atoned for our sins. Most importantly I can be with my loved ones in Heaven again. I think this is one of my "gifts"
For both Clark and I, we had Parents/Grandparents that taught us the gospel all of our days.
Oh ya, I have had a period in my life that I wavered. I've definetly made my mistake. Whats significant about my mistakes is that I was warned in my lifetime what mistakes they were. I heard promptings from the Holy Ghost and chose to ignore it. That's my regret. It was also A time when I questioned why bad things happen to good people. It was a dark time for me. After those experiences, I knew at that point I couldn't find happiness without the gospel in my life. I'm sad that I can't say I've never made mistakes, that is where the atonement comes in and it means even more to me.
When my Dad was ill and in the hospital, I had a near death experience. My testimony has not been the same since. I know Heaven is real. And there is a plan for each one of us. When my Father passed away I remember clearly the feeling of
peace I felt among the heartbreak. When my Mother was sick with cancer, my testimony became even stronger. I saw for myself Gods hand in comforting my Mother. I felt again the peace (amid the heartbreak) of the Savior in her passing. A feeling I will NEVER forget. It verifies my FIRM belief that God knows each one of us and
he is sad when we are sad and because of his suffering he knows our suffering.
When we moved away from Utah is when I really started to study the gospel. Why? Many reasons. 1- I couldn't be a back seat Mormon, comfortable not opening my mouth and sharing the gospel. AND 2- because there was plenty of members doing the work. Kinda like being
lost in the crowd. 3- Because I knew people outside of our faith that were amazing, more faithful than me and I felt I needed to step it up. I feel I have treasure, and there is so much MORE to the gospel.
One of the students where I work asked me, "when were you 'saved'?" I had to answer, " I can't remember not knowing that Jesus Christ is our Savior" The earliest time I can say I was solid in my testimony was 5. I was very sick that year and I remember being in the hospital and getting numerous blessings. I knew God heard and answered our Prayers. I felt a warm comfort at a young age. I guess you could say thats the first time I recognized I had a testimony of Jesus Christ.
As a child, We read the scriptures ALWAYS, We had Family Home Evening (monday night gospel lessons and activities as a family) every Monday. Listening to my parents tell me of their knowledge of the Savior. Reading the scriptures as a family and on my own. Prayers, many prayers as a family. Blessings from my Father any time I asked. (For School, for Discouragement for Illness) The great examples of the people around me (my church leaders, neighbors and special friends) and the feeling in my heart told me it was true. I had parents who LIVED and SERVED in the Gospel every minute of their lives.
Mr. Clark and I were talking about the difference in our families. He noticed that at our house the Gospel was #1 first and then #2 our family.Growing up, in our house we observed the 10 commandments. My parents were very, very strict in 'Sabbath Day' observance. If we traveled we found a church on Sunday. We never EVER went to the store on Sunday or any activity. If we went camping we came home Saturday night. I remember after getting married crying because deer hunting and camping on Sunday wasn't a big deal. It meant you were 'being together as a family in Gods creation" I had been raised so different and I really struggled with it. But--- I gave in. In Clark's family he said he was raised with a knowledge of the good and bad in the world. But so FAMILY ORIENTED.
Kinda interstesting how the mixture of how we were both raised affected our own family. Even with the mistakes we've both made in our own family. Our children, without a doubt have a STRONG conviction of the Savior Jesus Christ.
Keeping a strong testimony has happened through the years for me. Its been about experiences that have witnessed to me that we are not left alone in this life. I firmly believe in a Living Prophet today that gives us direction as if Jesus Christ were here.
Clark and I have always had our series of health issues and knowing that God is mindful of our afflictions has blessed our life.
My testimony has continued growing through out my life. Especially when I became a Mother. Three miracles in my life called children! I have seen each one of them be STRONG in their testimonies. They strengthen mine.
I have seen tragedies and suffering. I don't know how you could get through this life not understanding that we will be with our families in heaven.
I have this knowlegde and I am grateful that we have the Book of Mormon that helps us understand and love the Bible even more. We have had Prophets of Old and I know we have Prophets today give us direction. What comfort it is to be able to FOLLOW A PROPHET
We lived in Heaven before we were born, our life on earth is to prepare to be with God again. We are not left alone. God hears and answeres our prayers.
Because I have read the Book of Mormon, I have come to LOVE, LOVE IT. I know its true. Because of the testimony of the Prophets in the Book of Mormon I have come to LOVE, LOVE the Bible even more. The two books together are a powerful witness of JESUS CHRIST. I also know that a special person was prepared by goodly parents to love the BIBLE and search for answers that other churchs couldn't answer. We all have had these questions in our lifetime. Because of Joseph Smiths faith he was able to be directed to and translate a book written by other prophets at the time before and at the time of Christ ministry, death and ressurection. It IS another testament that CHRIST IS OUR SAVIOR. He did come (he showed us the way to live NOW) and he will return. We have the peace of the gospel in its FULNESS! What a BLESSING.
In the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ, AMEN
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