New Beginnings

People talk about hitting rock bottom. That happened to me a few years ago. But despite the hardships and trials that I had, am having, and still will have to pass through, I am eternally grateful for them. Through them I was led to a spiritual awakening and a new beginning. I am looking forward with hope for a bright future that will hopefully in some way help to make up for the mistakes of my past.

I guess I never learned to stand firm in the gospel on my own. I always had family and friends around me who shared my values and faith, which made it easy to live righteously and avoid serious transgression. At least until my life began to involve others who did not share those values or faith. I guess I wasn't prepared for their introduction to my life. I wasn't prepared for how they would affect my thoughts and actions. Whether that is because I wasn't sufficiently taught, or because I wasn't sufficiently bright to learn it when I was taught (probably the latter), I was vulnerable to the trappings of the adversary's gently encircling chains. And trap me they did.

That I was granted an opportunity to break those chains through the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ is the most amazing blessing I have ever experienced. My road of repentance has been, and will continue to be for a great while yet, a long and hard one. But I am eternally grateful to be on that road. Despite my circumstances, I have never felt so spiritually awakened or fulfilled as I do now.

The past three years have been a difficult but rewarding learning experience. I am learning and growing, and I hope to share some of that here, and hope that some of what I have to say will be of use to someone else. I don't have all the answers, but the answers are there for the finding.

If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things--that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal. (Doctrine and Covenants 42:61)

This is a very real promise to us oft repeated by the Lord in various forms. I intend to follow His invitation and keep seeking for those answers.

This much I do know: I know that I am a child of my Heavenly Father who loves me. I know that Jesus is the Christ, the redeemer of all mankind, and my Savior. I know that he restored His priesthood authority to the earth and established his church through our first prophet of this latter-day dispensation, Joseph Smith. I am grateful for this knowledge and the direction it gives and the blessing it has been and continues to be in my life. I would be lost without it.
The gospel of Jesus Christ lights the way for all of us, I intend to follow that light back into His presence.