Trust

This week, we've been reading from 2 Peter in my religion class. Peter is full of great little verses that would help anyone and I found a lot of strength in 2 Peter 1:16. It says:
"For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty."
I have known a lot of people that have struggled with the gospel and what the Church asks of us. One of my friends in particular got ahold of some anti- teachings and read there that the Church brainwashes us. When she first told me that, I was shocked. Why on earth would she have believed that? But then I started thinking about all the things that she doesn't like about the Church anymore and I began to understand. When we forget that the leaders of the Church are men and women of God and that they have spent their entire lives trying to draw closer to the Lord and understand His will, we can believe anything about the leaders of the Church. Just like Peter said, I'm sure President Nelson would say or President Monson or even Joseph Smith, "We have not followed cunningly devised fables... but were eyewitnesses of his majesty." As a matter of fact, Joseph Smith did say something similar to this:
"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!
For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father-" (D&C 76:22-23)

When we are little, we have our parents' testimonies to rely on, along with those of our teachers and friends. As we get older, we are expected to learn and grow and create our own testimony, founded on the teachings of the gospel. If we let that slide and make our testimonies weak, we have no one to blame but ourselves and we will hear, like Peter says, "For it had been better for them not to have known righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them" (2 Peter 2:21). We are responsible for ourselves and for our own conversion. Make sure that you are fully converted and that you have a strong testimony, or you will have a really hard time in days to come.