Ceilings

Voice text says ceilings instead of sealings so I just went with it. 

I did sealings for the first time this week! Surprising, I know, considering the fact that I’ve been going to the temple every week for about three months now. It was awesome. On the first sealing I was a part of, I was acting for the deceased child and my parents were acting for the deceased parents. The spirit filled the room and the sealer started crying. Then my mom started crying, and so did I. The spirit was so strong. There is truly something special about that ordinance. 

Quick update on some of my assignments:

Every Tuesday night, the service missionaries get together and do temple work. It is fun because the temple workers always recognize us. 

The veteran’s home this week was hilarious. We played bingo. Especially with people who can’t hear or see, it is the worst game ever invented. It is so boring and slow and I don’t know how people enjoy it.

Pathway is going well! I only have a couple more weeks until the new block. I might start up some EnglishConnect, which is teaching English, so that will be cool! 

I love our Thursday meetings. We meet every Thursday as a service mission. We go over come  follow me, do a lesson from preach my gospel, and go over a conference talk. Then we eat food. It’s great. We go to institute on Thursday nights too which I also love. 

I’m still working in the temple office on Fridays and Saturdays. I love the people I work with there.

I go to an elementary school on Fridays. I read with the little 1st graders for a couple hours. It’s so fun. I make them laugh too much and so they never take me seriously haha. 

In case you don’t know this already, I love learning about the gospel. I went home the day we did sealings and read and studied about the new and everlasting covenant. I’ll just share one thing I learned. (Sorry this post is a lot of quoting). I always thought that “the new and everlasting covenant” referred to the sealing ordinance. But in this article, “The New and Everlasting Covenant” By Elder Marcus B. Nash, it says,

“In the scriptures the Lord speaks of both “the” new and everlasting covenant and “a” new and everlasting covenant. For example, in Doctrine and Covenants 22:1, He refers to baptism as “a new and an everlasting covenant, even that which was from the beginning.” In Doctrine and Covenants 132:4, He likewise refers to eternal marriage as “a new and an everlasting covenant.” When He speaks of “a” new and everlasting covenant, He is speaking of one of the many covenants encompassed by His gospel. 

When the Lord speaks generally of “the” new and everlasting covenant, He is speaking of the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which embraces all ordinances and covenants necessary for the salvation and exaltation of mankind. Neither baptism nor eternal marriage is “the” new and everlasting covenant; rather, they are each parts of the whole.”

It has always been hard for me to hear stories about people who read the book of Mormon, pray to know if it’s true, and instantly receive a spiritual witness of its truthfulness. I’ve always wanted that. My testimony of the book of Mormon didn’t come like that and frankly, I was disappointed. Not receiving an answer to my prayers when or how I wanted made me question my faith, my belief, or if I truly had prayed with real intent. 

Everyone’s testimonies are personal and not everyone’s are the same. We all feel the spirit differently and learn differently. This is how it should be. Imagine if everyone’s testimonies were the same. There would be no point in sharing them. No point in testimony meeting. No point in serving missions. No point in giving talks. No intimate and personal relationship with God. God descends to our level of knowledge and understanding and works with us from where we are. 

Over time, God’s time, my testimony has come. My prayers may not have been answered how I thought they would, but they definitely have been, and are still, being answered. 

It takes patience to accept God’s timing. A lot of times, I read scripture stories and mistakenly think that God always instantly answers prayers. I believe a lot of the time, even ancient prophets had to wait for answers to their prayers. I know that especially in today’s society, it can be hard to not get instant gratification, but we all know that instant gratification is of the natural man and not of God. We all must learn to accept God‘s timing and have patience while we are here on earth. We are here to be challenged. To learn and to grow, not to receive everything when we want it and how we want it. 

My testimony was reinforced and strengthened again this week while reading Tad R. Callister’s talk titled “The Book of Mormon—a Book from God” 

“Some years ago I attended one of our worship services in Toronto, Canada. A 14-year-old girl was the speaker. She said that she had been discussing religion with one of her friends at school. Her friend said to her, “What religion do you belong to?”

She replied, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons.”

Her friend replied, “I know that church, and I know it’s not true.”

“How do you know?” came the reply.

“Because,” said her friend, “I have researched it.”

“Have you read the Book of Mormon?

“No,” came the answer. “I haven’t.”

Then this sweet young girl responded, “Then you haven’t researched my church, because I have read every page of the Book of Mormon and I know it’s true.”

I too have read every page of the Book of Mormon, again and again, and I bear my solemn witness, like my great-great-grandfather, it is from God. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

I can confidently say that I know the book of Mormon is true. The spirit has touched my heart and soul so deeply that I will never deny it. It was translated by Joseph Smith. Every page, every verse, and every word is straight from God. It testifies of Christ. The book of Mormon truly is the keystone of our religion. It teaches the doctrine of Christ. It contains the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The new and everlasting covenant.