This I Believe...

At church I am in the Young Women’s organization as a teacher of the 12-13 year olds. Recently, everyone in Young Women's was asked to write a “This I Believe” statement. What is this statement? My sister-in-law got the idea from a friend who had each of her girls write a statement “based off of a 1950s radio series hosted by acclaimed journalist, Edward R. Murrow, which was revived by NPR in 2005.”(Stacey’s Blog) I appreciate having had this opportunity to reflect and compose a statement of my beliefs. Here is mine:

Heavenly Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, love me and know me individually.

Heavenly Father has a custom-tailored plan designed especially for me. He knows my strengths and He knows my weaknesses. He wants to teach me how to be like Him so that I can be worthy to return to live with Him. He knows the desires of my heart, and He wants to bless me with my righteous desires. He will do so according to His plan. He wants me to find joy and happiness in this life.

Heavenly Father has blessed me with knowledge that this is so. My Father in Heaven has blessed me with this understanding as I have looked to see His hand in my life. When I look to see His hand, I discover how He has blessed me.

Heavenly Father has blessed me with a family that loves me and sacrifices for me, and He has blessed me with the opportunity to have this family forever. He has blessed me with parents who love Him and serve Him in their stewardship as parents, as well as in their church callings. They serve with everything they have. He has blessed me with siblings who have watched over and defended me. He has provided me with two more sisters and another brother, through the marriages of my siblings, who strive to live as they know they should. He has provided me with nieces and a nephew who comfort me and fill my life with their sweet smiles. He has blessed me with Grandparents who think of me and pray for me. He has provided me with uncles, aunts and cousins who care for me. In my family, I am abundantly blessed.

Heavenly Father has blessed me with church membership. He has blessed me with living prophets to lead and guide me. He has blessed me with the scriptures where I can turn to study and ponder His words and the words of His prophets. He has blessed me with the opportunity to kneel in prayer so I can counsel with Him daily. He has blessed me with men in my life, both in my family and many of my close associates, who respect and honor their opportunity to bear the priesthood and to serve others with it. He has blessed me with special experiences that witness the truth of the gospel and show His love for me. He has blessed me with the opportunity to attend the temple and receive further knowledge in His holy house.

Heavenly Father has also blessed me by sending me here to live in this wonderful country where we have so many freedoms. He has surrounded me with precious friendships that strengthen and build my testimony as well as friendships that provide support in times when I have been far away from my family. He has blessed me with many opportunities to see qualities in others that I want to develop. He has blessed me with opportunities to serve so I can learn to love His children as He does. He has blessed me with opportunities to learn both at school and through life’s experiences. He has blessed me with challenges to help me grow in strength and in faith. He has blessed me with many successes, in spite of previous failures. Heavenly Father has even blessed me in my failures for they have humbled me and made me more teachable and more willing to submit to His will. He has blessed me in my efforts as I strive to live as I know I should. He has blessed me with understanding; with opportunities to see His hand in my life.

Most importantly, Heavenly Father blessed me by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to live a life of perfect example. His Son is my perfect example of humility, of strength, of kindness, of meekness, of justice, of mercy, of patience, of charity, of sacrifice, and of love. This perfect Son bled from every pore in the Garden of Gethsemane so He could know all of my pains, my sufferings, my sicknesses, and my sorrows. He did this so He could succor me with His perfect love. Jesus Christ bled and died so I could be blessed with the opportunity to repent and overcome my weaknesses. He bled, died, and lives again so it would be possible for me to become worthy to one day return and live in Heavenly Father’s presence.

This I believe… I am known and loved by my Father in Heaven and by His Son, Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father has blessed me with everything that I am and everything that I have. He desires to bless me through the atonement with all He has promised, if I am persistent in my efforts to live as I know I should and if I am patient. As I live according to His commandments, I will find joy and happiness.