Yours Mine and Ours

Bishop in the Making?!



Two weeks ago Michael gave his first talk in Church. The talk was on faith and was incredibly moving, I was balling by the end – Michael say’s it’s because I’m prego. Everyone in the ward has commented how wonderful the talk was and it really was! The Bishop called Michael into his office yesterday and said he felt inspired to promote Michael to Elder because of his talk. He said he felt Michael was very inspired. These are the notes from Michael’s talk which he didn’t follow exactly, but close enough. I am so proud and honored to be his wife! He is a bishop in the making!

I am honored to have the opportunity to speak today, when Brother Hammer called to ask if I would be available I was excited, as the week went on I grew rather anxious and nervous. Speaking on Faith and how it helped me during my conversion, who better to speak about it other than me.

Faith . In Hebrews 11:1 the Apostle Paul taught that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen". In Alma 32:21 Alma made a similar statement: "If ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true". Faith is a principle of action and power. Whenever we work toward a worthy goal, we exercise faith. We show our hope for something that we cannot yet see.

Growing up most of my childhood and young adult life in the Baptist Church, faith in Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father was not a hard concept for me to grasp and hold onto. If the doors of the church were open I was there, morning and evening. For one reason or another I stopped, stopped going to church, and as time went by I stopped all of the things that kept me strong.

I prayed when I needed to, mostly when I was traveling and was uneasy about the plane falling out of the air.I stayed this course, and went through a lot of hard times, never thinking really to look to Heavenly Father for help or comfort.

My first introduction to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was from conversations with co-workers, one of which was Wendy. The conversations were at first just that conversations, I didn’t think much of them but as time went by I became more curious. So I started researching some of the things we had been talking about, mostly because I felt left out of conversations, not having any knowledge of it, unable to add anything meaningful to the conversations. The more I learned the more I wanted to know.


ALMA 32:28 Now, we will compare the word unto a aseed. Now, if ye give place, that a bseed may be planted in your cheart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your dunbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to eenlighten my funderstanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.
32:29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.

The next step, contacting the Missionaries…

By the time the missionaries showed up I was fairly up to speed and at some times stumping them with questions that I had.

Will you pray to know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God?

James 1:5 If any of you lack bwisdom, let him ask of God, that cgiveth to all men liberally, and dupbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Although praying about it gave me comfort I will have to admit that it was not something that I struggled with, we have faith that Noah built an Ark; Moses was delivered the Ten Commandments, Mary – Joseph, the birth of Jesus Christ and his crucifixion, why would it be out of the realm of possibilities that Joseph Smith was visited by Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. For me it was easy.

Faith, I had never really lost it, but I did find it is something that cannot be ignored, that has to be nurtured, and fed to continue to grow. The more I read, prayed and fellowshipped the stronger it became.

I knew there had to be more, and I knew more was being asked of me. Taking the step to baptism was easy as well, rekindling the faith within me, knowing this was the true church. As I look back I can only explain through the following scriptures.

Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

I am by no means a perfect Mormon or Christian but I know through Christ I can be, I am excited about the possibilities that lie before me. I am inspired and I grow stronger through many of you, those who share their testimony, the children who give so much and who amaze me with the knowledge they already hold. As Faith grows so do the rewards, I have been blessed in so many ways over the past year or so, my family, my health and much more.

Moroni 7:25 Wherefore, by the ministering of aangels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing; and thus it was until the coming of Christ.
25:26 And after that he came men also were asaved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the bsons of God. And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: cWhatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you.

I know this church is true, that Heavenly Father Loves us and that Jesus Christ provided Atonement to us, I know that Faith is something we need to nurture, That grows stronger through prayer, and through being obedient to Heavenly father. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ