I have found in my life that the best way to strengthen my testimony in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is to constantly question it. Every time Satan feeds me doubt, I have gone to the Lord in prayer. Sometimes he answers with a small whisper in my heart and sometimes it is the sound of a freight train. My most recent experience was a freight train...
2 years ago I began working on my genealogy work online. Much to my surprise, some of the work had been done. My pawpaw(whom I was very close to) along with his dad, already had some of their work submitted and done in the temple. At first I was really sad because I wanted the work to be done by someone close to him, but at the same time I was happy that someone had taken the step to get this done(I feel like I have been dragging my feet). I contacted the church to get the rest of their work released to me since I am the closest living relative in the church and so it was done.
Now the hard part. We have a rule in the church now that if the person deceased was born less than 95 years ago, we have to obtain permission from the closest living relative. Which is my memaw. I really don't know her feelings about what we do in the temple, but I do know this; the Lord answered my prayer last Saturday. When I woke up Saturday morning, I made the decision to call her and just ask her. Her response was, "Sure, what difference does it make to me". WOW, I was not really expecting that. Out of my excitement I told Jason what happened and he decided to take my Pawpaws' name through the temple that evening.
Jason went to the 5 o'clock session. At 6:29 while I was sitting at my desk doing paperwork, a flood of tears came out of nowhere and I was almost taken to a dream or I guess a day dream. My Pawpaw was standing in front of me in my living room smiling and crying, telling me how happy he was and how grateful he was for the work I had done for him by Jason. It was so real. For the record I have never had an experience like this, ever. Jason walked through the door a little after 7. His face red and tears in his eyes. I knew that he had had the same experience as me. He gave me a huge hug and told me that my Pawpaw's spirit was there. He was there and he was happy and he was so proud and grateful for the work I had set in place for him.
Shortly after as we were talking, I gave Jason a huge hug and as I turned my head I smelt a hospital blanket. The last time I saw my Pawpaw was in the hospital after he had already passed away. I remember laying next to him and giving him a hug goodbye. This memory was a reminder to me of how long ago that was. 13 years. 13 years he has been waiting. This is a testimony to me of the work I need to be doing. My ancestors are waiting on me. Me, because I am the only one in the family that can do this work right now and it is my job to get it done.
I know now that Jason was meant to do his work. I know that they must have known each other in the pre-existance. And as they worked together following the Lord's plan they promised each other somewhere along the way that they would find each other here someway and somehow and bring them back into the Lord's fold. 10 years ago when Jason and I first started dating, Jason had a dream about my Pawpaw. He had never seen him before and hadn't heard much about him, but when he walked into my Memaw's house one day, he knew exactly who the man in the picture on the table was. It was my Pawpaw. The same face in his dream.
I don't believe that this was just a coincidence. My heart, my testimony now knows even more how true His church is. Our Lord and Savior lives and loves us so much. We are not here by chance or evolution. We are here by a plan. A plan to prove ourselves to our Heavenly Father. To show him that through trials, tribulations and temptations we will still stand strong and follow Him to the end. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church. The Book of Mormon is a true record of the people in the Americas so long ago and the Prophet Thomas S. Monson is a true and living Prophet that is here to guide us and help us through. The prophets of old were persecuted by non-believers and that tradition carries on today. I will not be one to turn away the Lord's messengers. He is my light, life and strength. He does not abandon us. He has made a promise to us through the atonement to help us back to His Heavenly Kingdom.
I leave this message with the world in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
