A Testimony of Christ

I hope we all remember the true meaning of Easter this weekend. I know there are baskets to fill and eggs to hide, dinner to prepare and church to attend (in some cases for the first time since Christmas). In the middle of all the hustle and bustle, just like Christmas, please don’t forget the real reason behind the holiday. It’s far more important than we remember or even realize.

I know Jesus Christ lives. I know that He suffered and died for us, and tomorrow (according to our calendar) it will have been another year since He was resurrected. Since He broke the chains of death and of this world. He dedicated his life to serving us. To serving you. He gave up all the fun he might have had, the childhood dreams he might have pursued, and the respect he might have had. He gave up money and home. He gave up his life. He sacrificed everything he had and everything He could have obtained for us. I know it. I can feel it resonating within me.

I know he lives and loves us. I know that the events we have commemorated this past week and will commemorate tomorrow are the most important events that have ever happened and will ever happen in the history of this earth. I want to serve Him. I want to emulate Him. I want to do my best to model my life after His. I am not strong enough yet, and in fact I am very weak, but I hope to be strong enough one day. I want to have the strength to sacrifice everything I have to further God’s work. There is no greater calling; there is no greater blessing.

I know he loves us, and that cares about each of us individually. He knows us by name. He wants to help us through all of our trials in life, if only we let Him in. Ask and ye shall receive, knock and ye shall enter. This is all for us. Every aspect of it. They call Charity the Pure Love of Christ because that’s exactly what Christ’s actions were. They were selfless.

As I go about this week, I will try to live worthy of these sacrifices. I will try to make them worthwhile on my part. I don’t want His sacrifice to be wasted on me. I know that God still speaks to us through his prophets, and that through his gospel we can be saved from death and Hell. I know his hand has blessed the gospel in the face of adversity, and has fortified it against Satan in the eternal war of souls. I know that the true church is again on the earth, and that Christ is at it’s head.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

LDS Prophet Dead At 97

Gordon B. Hinckley, prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, my own faith, passed away for reasons involving his advanced age.

Here’s a link

Gordon B. Hinckley was an amazing man. He ensured that LDS welfare trucks were the first to roll in after Katrina, and the first to cross into Florida after the hurricane. He corrected countless misconceptions about the LDS faith, and helped spread an accurate, fair understanding about LDS beliefs.

His work ethic was superb. He traveled constantly and worked harder than most men a third of his age. He had the body of an old man, but the mind of a 30 year old genius. Humorous yet wise, he made the best of every situation.

What’s more amazing is the spiritual side of things. He always knew how to help comfort those in need. When his wife was sick and dying, he was making calls from her bedside to see what he could do to help the homeless in the local area. He placed others above himself and most of all, he was an inspired man of God.

When I was eight, I went to a Semi-Annual General Conference meeting in Salt Lake City. These conferences are internationally broadcast and the leaders of the church speak. I was only a little kid at the time, but when Gordon B. Hinckley walked into the room…I just started to cry. I couldn’t help myself. I felt so happy, so at peace. I felt the spirit of God like I’ve never felt it before or after…as a little boy who knew little but what I’d learned in sunday school. His presence was incredibly powerful. If you were anywhere near him, you could just feel how important and spiritual he was.

This man was truly a prophet of God. I know it in every fiber of my being. I love that man, though I never met him. He will always remain in my heart, as well as the hearts of many other members worldwide. He leaves us to join his wife and to receive his just reward for his many years of devoted service. Rest In Peace Brother Hinckley, you will be missed.