Moved

This weekend is the General Conference for our church. It is held and broadcast twice a year from Salt Lake City and is a time when the church leaders address the members worldwide with counsel and doctrine. These two weekends out of the year are my favorite. I especially have felt the need for this spiritual nourishment lately as a new mother with a new job and with a new baby who has the tendency to scream a lot and sleep little. My heart has also felt heavy as my cousin Jared has been battling stage four brain cancer and has been extremely sick from chemotherapy treatments. I have needed a pick-me-up, words of comfort, and words of counsel to help myself and my family members get through all our trials.

Well, I definitely feel uplifted after watching the Conference for the past two days. Despite Kenadie crying through half of it, the talks I heard have given me a new resolve to be better, to love more, to serve better, and to keep on going. However, the message that touched me the most was not one of comfort or encouragement. I was moved the most this weekend by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's talk on the Book of Mormon and his testimony of it. It was one of the most powerful declarations I have ever heard and I feel a greater desire to study the Book of Mormon more diligently and to share my testimony of it with others. Even though I read through the Book of Mormon almost every year, I have realized today that I have failed to share this gift and my testimony with others. I guess I get scared that if I share The Book of Mormon and my testimony of it, that people will reject it. But, Elder Holland has made me see and feel that I need to stop letting my fears get in the way of sharing my testimony. I would hate to think that my fear prevented someone from finding the happiness that I enjoy. So to those of you who read this and may or may not have read the Book of Mormon, this is my written statement that I will be better about sharing my testimony with others, and I will start right now:

As I said before, I usually try to read through the Book of Mormon every year. You'd think that by now I'd be a scholar, but I'm not. I read the book because it gives me more comfort, insight, and happiness in my life than any other book I've read. I find answers to prayer when I read it. I feel closer to my Savior and Heavenly Father when I read it, and I know that anyone who reads it will find similar results in their life. Countless men and prophets have given their lives to preserve this book because they knew it to be a testament of Jesus Christ containing the fullness of His gospel. I share the same testimony and invite anyone to read the Book of Mormon. I know whoever reads it with an intent to know if its words are true, will receive greater peace and happiness in their lives than they have ever known. How grateful I am to know that I have a loving Heavenly Father who sent his Son to earth to provide a way for me to be happy and return with my family and friends to live with Him eternally. With this knowledge, I can walk away from this Conference weekend feeling rejuvenated and ready to tackle life.