Testimony Tuesday: Lisa S.

A while back I had fun cutting my son's hair, and hypothesized what kind of human he would end up. That was a silly afternoon, though in some ways it confronted some legitimate questions that all parents must have: Will my kid be a weasel? Will they be punks? How 'bout grateful? Will they be cunning in their career? Hardworking? Happy?

The other side of this coin, and the true desire of my heart is this: Will my kids know and love their Savior? Will they be able to feel and recognize The Spirit? Will they still believe?

After meeting up with an old friend and fellow parent, I saw a little heartache over their kid who had grown up and refused the faith of their childhood. They seemed to ask: How did I raise up my family and be so involved in our religion, with my own faith unshaken...well, why did my kid reject all of this stuff that I considered a true gift? (And remember, the tone of this parent did not have diminished love for their kid, but they really wanted to know!)

So as a mom to a fresh crop of offspring, I was left wondering: What will cause the gospel to become an anchor to someone? How does one retain their faith when life gets hard, or worse, complicated? How does one retain the light of Christ amidst the busy going-ons of life and love?

So in honor or April, and it's own Easter Celebration of The Resurrected Savior, I posed some of these questions to some folks I've met along the way, and wanted to hear what they had to say. I hope you want to hear it too. For now, we'll call them Testimony Tuesdays. So I hereby present our first guest, Lisa.

She is amazed at the sheer size of God's Bounty (i.e. these yams). Frankly, so am I. Let's hear how her testimony grows. Over to you Lisa:

As a child, I was taught very specifically, and very carefully, to know and believe the scriptures. My parents were not perfect, but they held family prayer and scripture study, Family Home Evening, and we attended church regularly. Belief came easily for me. I never wondered, never doubted, and I tried my best to keep Christ's commandments, knowing fully that if I disobeyed, the consequences listed in the scriptures would be mine.

When I became a teenager, however, my testimony became solidified as my own, not just the regurgitation of what I had been taught. I was in a remote town in an extremely remote state, where I was one of three LDS students in my graduating class. Every day my faith was put on trial. Every day I was asked about my belief. I had wonderful friends who knew what my standards and beliefs were, and respected me for it; but they were always watching how I would handle every day situations. I had to make sure my faith was founded on a deep rooted, unshakable foundation, one that could not be swayed or tempted into submission. And the closer I became to my Savior, the happier I was.

Now, as a parent, I have found the time when I rely on that early, strong, foundation more than ever. I am sleep deprived, lonely, and often times, depressed. I need Jesus Christ and the peace the gospel brings, and I need it bad. I read my scriptures daily and am working hard to have weekly family home evenings and family prayer every day. These things keep my anchor strong, as the corrosion of the daily grind wears away at my heart. It is taking more work now to stay strong than it ever has for me, but I know the work is worth it. There are glorious, shining moments, when my heart is calmed, when the flood of the spirit washes over me, and I am given the deepest peace and comfort; more than any other source on Earth. There are the nights when, after a particularly taxing day, I fall to my knees in anguished cries, praying for help. And help has come. My children are another beautiful source of strength for me, even in their infancy. I look into these spirits, and know that they come from a very kind, very merciful, and very generous Father in Heaven.

I watch every day for the tender mercies of God, and know that they are real. I marvel at His grace and condescension, and am reminded often of the love and happiness I feel because of my relationship with the Savior. I follow Him because it makes me happy, because my life is simpler and more complete when wrapped in the arms of His Love. I know his promises are real, and as we draw closer to him, the windows of heaven pour out blessings that there will not be room for us to receive.