This experience turned out to be one of those moments when I knew that God had a plan for me and part of that plan was for me to learn of the true doctrine of Jesus Christ's Church. I didn't know it at that moment, but the Holy Ghost, a member of the Godhead Himself, testified to me that what I was learning from the missionaries was indeed true. I thirsted for more!
My journey to the temple was not an easy one. Try explaining to your strict Catholic-Italian father that not only will he not be able to walk his oldest daughter down the aisle, but that he will not be able to enter the temple to watch me be married either!
Elder Bruce R. McConkie once said, "I sometimes think that one of the best-kept secrets of the kingdom is that the scriptures open the door to the receipt of revelation" (Doctrines of the Restoration). I know this as a fact, and yet, why is it so hard for me to approach them the moment I need them most in my life?
In retrospect, I could clearly see that God had a specific plan for me years before I even knew about the Church. I have always believed that God was real and that Jesus Christ was His Son, but I never truly understood the impact that joining this perfectly organized Church would have on me.
Here is a great video that gives us a clear direction of what our prayers should consist of, and how we can draw closer to God by following the examples of our Saviour closely.
I am eternally grateful that the Spirit of the Lord gave me my own personal witness that the message the missionaries delivered to me was of divine nature, and that if I were to be obedient to the things I learned for myself to be true, I would be blessed beyond measure.
I was so thankful to have learned such a vital piece of information because it helped me to realize that there is so much more to life than our mortal existence!
President Monson said, "If you have not read the Book of Mormon, read it." Then he made this promise that I know and have a testimony of being true.
Here is an animation that gives a short but poignant portrait of Jesus Christ and His relevance to each of us. If you would like to learn more, click on the link below the video.
I believe that sometimes we have the assumption that being a faithful and active member of the Church is too complicated and challenging. As a matter of fact, being faithful to God is one of the simplest of all lifestyles if we allow it to be.
