My Testimony at Home

Since I'm no longer serving over the internet as a missionary full-time, it's been some time since I've been prompted to share my testimony online. When one of the new members of the church I helped sent me a request on Facebook to use the LDS App, I leaped on the reminder it was to share my testimony.

While I was a full-time missionary in the Referral Center, I calculated one afternoon that I shared testimony online over the internet or phone an average of every three minutes during the day. Fast Sunday is a perfect day to share my testimony, which is as follows:

I know that Jesus Christ is our Lord, Savior, Redeemer, and

perfect Example. Only through following him can we become like him and return to live with our Father in heaven. Jesus Christ overcame death and sin through his birth into mortality, his perfect life, suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the

I know that he has blessed us with this life as an opportunity to build our abilities to become like Him and have true joy. He's given us our families as a great tool to help us do this. Family relationships provide the best environment to practice following Jesus Christ's example. It is my family who taught me to consider "what would Jesus do?"

I know that the Book of Mormon contains Christ's ancient directions for us, as does the Holy Bible.

I know that he has again chosen prophets and apostles, like he did in the Bible, to direct us towards him. Those prophets and apostles give inspired direction and modern scripture in our times, such as is in the Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, and Official Declarations. God's words never cease.

I know this because I have done my best to serve Christ, and hope through his enabling grace to be able to do better each day. I'm glad for the help and invitation of those around me to follow Christ and hope to offer my help to them.

I offer this testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

3 Nephi 12:10-12

Christmas Before Christmas

As Christmas approaches, I began to ponder and compare this short time before Christmas, to the thousands of years before the first and true Christmas nativity.  Since Christmas being such an important time of year in most of our lives, I wondered how the spirit of Christmas might have been experienced before the actual advent.

From the scriptures, like the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon, I was able to gather some of details Before Christ's birth in early April at the turn of the era, at least some of God's righteous children, had access to many of the details of the events of the nativity that we share with our families now.

This coloring page, which I did color myself, shows a sight seen by prophets long before it took place.
As you read these verses, which were each originally written almost 600 years or more before Christ's birth, compare what you know about Christ's birth, to these details here.

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

And it came to pass also that a new star did appear, according to the word. 3 Nephi 1:21

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms. 1 Nephi 11:20.

And after the Messiah shall come there shall be signs given unto my people of his birth, and also of his death and resurrection... 2 Nephi 26:3