Remember

Helaman 5:12 (page 378): "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

This is my favorite scripture in The Book of Mormon. It has been since I was a teenager. It is a verse that I turn to often. It strengthens me when I struggle, it comforts me when I suffer and it encourages me to refocus when I falter. It teaches of the great importance a testimony of Jesus Christ is. I am grateful for the testimony that I have of my Savior.

Recently there has been a lot of national discussion about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We, as Mormons, have been accused of not being Christians but instead as being members of a cult. As a Latter-Day Saint, I was shocked and saddened when I first heard these accusations. I was frustrated with the misrepresentation and half truths that were given. I felt a great desire within me to proclaim the truth for all the world to hear but felt small, insignificant, and completely helpless. I was happily surprised to see many who are not members of my faith stand and proudly defend it. Despite my feelings of inadequacy, I wanted to add my voice and testimony as well.

Having grown up as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I was quite perplexed by the notion that we are not Christians. I understand that there are some doctrinal differences between us and most other christian churches, but I don't understand how these differences somehow disqualify us as believers and followers of Christ. Throughout my life, I have been taught the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We use the King James version of The Bible and study it often. We firmly believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world and I believe that He is my personal Savior. I know that salvation can only come through Jesus Christ. I do my best to follow His teachings each and every day and when I do something wrong, I do my part to right it. I am trying to be a better person. How can I not be a Christian?

Matthew 7:20 states, "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them". I don't need a theologian or even a dictionary to define what a Christian is. To me, Christians can't really be defined with a simple explanation. Their acts define them. When I think of a Christian, I imagine someone who thinks less of themselves and more of others. I imagine someone who not only finds time to help others but actively searches for those opportunities. I imagine someone who is never weary to lend a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, or arms to lift another up. These types of selfless acts of love and compassion come from true Christians.

I love the phrase, "What Would Jesus Do". It helps me to stop and take a moment for reflection. It helps me to do what is right. I still have a lot to work on and change about me. I can be quite prideful and selfish at times. I'm not as forgiving as I should be. I have a temper. Despite these and many other faults, I am trying to change my ways and my heart. I know that turning to Christ will help me to become more like Him. I hope to find ways everyday where I can reach out and help another, even if it's only something small.

2 Nephi 25:26 (page 100) states, "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins". I highly encourage anyone who sincerely wants to learn more to visit mormon.org.