Be Though an Example of the Believers

What does it mean to be an example of the believers?
This topic could go to so many different directions. I'm not sure where exactly I am going with this yet, but after hearing a numerous amount of people have their feelings hurt because of ungodly judgement, I'd like to address this topic of being an example of the believers.
Quoting from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "But when it comes to our own prejudices and grievances, we too often justify our anger as righteous and our judgment as reliable and only appropriate. Though we cannot look into another’s heart, we assume that we know a bad motive or even a bad person when we see one. We make exceptions when it comes to our own bitterness because we feel that, in our case, we have all the information we need to hold someone else in contempt.

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, said that those who pass judgment on others are “inexcusable.” The moment we judge someone else, he explained, we condemn ourselves, for none is without sin...

This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following:

Stop it!

It’s that simple. We simply have to stop judging others and replace judgmental thoughts and feelings with a heart full of love for God and His children. God is our Father. We are His children. We are all brothers and sisters. I don’t know exactly how to articulate this point of not judging others with sufficient eloquence, passion, and persuasion to make it stick. I can quote scripture, I can try to expound doctrine, and I will even quote a bumper sticker I recently saw. It was attached to the back of a car whose driver appeared to be a little rough around the edges, but the words on the sticker taught an insightful lesson. It read, “Don’t judge me because I sin differently than you.”

Two summers ago I worked at Brighton LDS girls camp and the camp theme that year was, "Love One Another." So simple and so powerful. One of Christ's greatest attributes was love. When we love with Christlike Love we truly see all people as children of God, not just the Mormons, not just the Baptists, not just the Catholics, etc., but ALL people.

I'd be a liar if I said I've never passed judgement, but as I've learned and prayed to have Christlike Love, and I catch myself and I immediatly call myself to repentance and remind myself that that beautiful person is a child of God, regardless of what he or she says, is wearing, or doing, etc. I remind myself that God loves that person as much as He loves me and wants happiness for them as much as He does for any other person! He LOVES US! We just need to love each other!!!

"The more we allow the love of God to govern our minds and emotions—the more we allow our love for our Heavenly Father to swell within our hearts—the easier it is to love others with the pure love of Christ. As we open our hearts to the glowing dawn of the love of God, the darkness and cold of animosity and envy will eventually fade.
 

As always, Christ is our exemplar. In His teachings as in His life, He showed us the way. He forgave the wicked, the vulgar, and those who sought to hurt and to do Him harm.

Jesus said it is easy to love those who love us; even the wicked can do that. But Jesus Christ taught a higher law. His words echo through the centuries and are meant for us today. They are meant for all who desire to be His disciples. They are meant for you and me: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”¹⁰
 

When our hearts are filled with the love of God, we become “kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving [each other], even as God for Christ’s sake [forgave us].”¹¹

The pure love of Christ can remove the scales of resentment and wrath from our eyes, allowing us to see others the way our Heavenly Father sees us: as flawed and imperfect mortals who have potential and worth far beyond our capacity to imagine. Because God loves us so much, we too must love and forgive each other.

In a world of accusations and unfriendliness, it is easy to gather and cast stones. But before we do so, let us remember the words of the One who is our Master and model: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone."  -Pres. Uchtdorf

I hope that each of us can make a conscious decision each day to Be Thou an Example of the believers and to put an end to judging others- I say this to the person with religion judging those without and to the person without religion judging those of religion. This judgment goes both ways and it's time to "Stop it!"


I know without a shadow of a doubt that we are each children of God and He loves each of us perfectly. He wants the very best for us and has provided a way to obtain the very best. If we would just follow the teachings and example of Jesus Christ, this world would be in such better shape. I know that I'm imperfect and I'm grateful for the gift of repentance and forgiveness.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

To learn more about Christ's teaching on love, judgment, repentance, and forgiveness visit:
mormon.org or lds.org or you can ask a missionary, aka me! :) For a fun video to explain it watch this video

*Sorry I quoted a lot in this blog, but honestly President Uchtdorf couldn't have said it any better.

Our Human Experience

Hello friends! So something that has been on my mind a lot lately is our human experience.
Quote unquote," We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience." - President Thomas S. Monson (I think he said it).
When I heard this is was just like, Duh!! Of course!! That makes so much sense!!
We know that we lived with our Heavenly Father before this life as his spirit children. Each of us chose to follow Christ's plan to come to earth, receive bodies, gain experience, and have agency (the right to choose). So our Spirits already chose to follow Christ!! We literally are spiritual beings on a human experience. We are here to get our bodies in alignment with our spirits.. to train them and beat the natural man. Seriously I have to do this every darn day. Just waking up each day is a battle between my body and my spirit. It's rough.

Now we also know that satan and his followers will never have the opportunity to receive a body. They forfeited that gift when they chose to rebel and follow satan. Sad day for them, but it happened.
So imagine, here we are all excited and waiting for our call to earth. We know the plan and we are so excited to have experiences to learn and grow and then return back to Heavenly Father. Well who knew it'd be so hard to make good choices!? Geez.

I find it ironic that satan, someone who does not have a body and is totally miserable and envious of our bodies is the one that is constantly tempting our bodies with one thing or another. I mean really if you think about it, almost every type of temptation is at our body. He knows our body is being trained and when he can throw off our body, it throws off our spirit.

Now the other thing that I find interesting is that we all know the ending and still struggle every single day. How is that we know that God and the righteous will ultimatly win the battle between good and evil, but we still try and play for both sides? God knows it, we know it, and satan knows that in the end, the righteous win. It's been written from the beginning, so why are we letting satan have so much control.
2nephi 2:

17 And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have read, must needs suppose that an ^aangel of God, according to that which is written, had ^bfallen from heaven; wherefore, he became a ^cdevil, having sought that which was evil before God.

18 And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he ^asought also the misery of all mankind. Wherefore, he said unto Eve, yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of all ^blies, wherefore he said: Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye shall be as God, ^cknowing good and evil.
 27 Wherefore, men are ^afree according to the ^bflesh; and ^call things are ^dgiven them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to ^echoose ^fliberty and eternal ^glife, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be ^hmiserable like unto himself.

We are literal children of God. We have a divine nature and we can choose to live up to it our not. We can choose to live up to our potential or not. We can choose to return to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ or not. It is our choice. We have always had the ability to choose. Now remember, yes we can make the choice, but we don't choose the consequence. Every choice we make has a consequence whether it be good or bad.

Unfortunately some times other people make choices for us in our early part of life and some end up in circumstances that they did not choose, but I know that God will not put us anywhere that we can not succeed! “Our opportunities to shine are limitless. They surround us each day, in whatever circumstance we find ourselves,” said President Thomas S. Monson. No matter the circumstance we are born into, He will provide a way for us to succeed, if we choose to do so! The Lord will never tempt us above that which we are able or in other words he will never give us more than we can handle! So those of you in hardship, just know that you are a strong spirit, because if you weren't God wouldn't have put you in the shoes you are in. He LOVES YOU!
From the beginning God gave us agency (ability to choose), He did not want to send us to earth and force us to do everything and make us return to Him. So now it's our time to make the decision, "What am I willing to do to return to live with God again?"

I know my purpose on earth. I'm not perfect, but I know where my goal is to end up. I know that there are so many beautiful children of God on this earth that are searching for truth and meaning to life and that is why I chose to serve a mission. I have a deep love for my spirit brothers and sisters. Everyday I see people choosing not to live up to their potential and even sadder I see people that do not know what their potential is. They do not know that they are of a divine inheritance from a Heavenly Father that loves them. Well it's time to be an example of the believers.                                                                  
""But first, in order to become an example of the believers, we ourselves must believe."
Referencing an exchange between Simba and his departed father, Mufasa, from Disney’s movie, “The Lion King,” President Monson said, “Look inside yourself. You are more than what you have become. Remember who you are.”
He continued by saying, “You are a son or daughter of our Heavenly Father.
You came from His presence to live on this earth for a season, and to live in such a way that you are an example of the believers and a true light to the world.”
“Just think of how much good can come to the world through our collective lights and let the gospel radiate through us,” President Monson said.""

We know where we came from, we know our purpose in this life on earth, and we know where we can go. So what will you choose?

 To learn more about your divine nature and purpose in life you can go to:
http://mormon.org/choice
http://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages#stay-within-the-lines
Or ask me: https://www.facebook.com/tash.carrell

*forgive my bad grammar in the double quoting

The Desires of Our Hearts

Wow world! Today is my 1 year mark in the mission! I can't believe it's here!
Yesterday we had a meeting called Zone Meeting. I was privileged to give a training on whatever I felt inspired. Now the training was great because I felt the Spirit guide my nervous self. But the best part of the Zone Meeting was towards the end when I received revelation concerning how better teach the Atonement of Jesus Christ... which if you read my blogs, you know how important that's been and how challenging! This is the inspiration I've been given.

For so long I felt like it was my duty to make someone understand the beautiful blessings of the Atonement, but really it will never make sense until you experience it yourself!
Most of us know that Jesus Christ died on the cross for us and was resurrected the 3rd day. But most of us don' understand it in our hearts, it's just a story or fact.

I realized that it is all about desire. Do we desire to truly know the cleansing power of the Atonement? What are we willing to do to feel it? The Savior has already done his part and now continues to stand with His arms wide open.

Did you ever go into something half paced? Did you ever go into something with full desire at full force? What was the difference? What change could come from the sincerity on our part?
Like this experience you had, it's the same with the atonement of Jesus Christ, it depends on us, our desire, sincerity, effort, energy to know if it can literally heal and change you. He's just waiting for you to drink from his well. He is waiting for you to let him in your heart. If you haven't felt the power of the atonement work through you, it's not because you are too far gone or because it's not real.. The atonement is infinite and eternal. It has no bounds. The atonement of Jesus Christ can reach into any depth of darkness or despair and pull you out And heal you. It's going to take desire, faith, and effort, but I promise you that when you are sincere and in desperation to know His love and cleansing power, He will show you. I know it's not just a story, because I've lived it, He's changed me, healed me, and touched my heart. I once was lost, but now am found.

** to learn more about the healing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, please contact me or your local missionaries.
Mormon.org or Me

.:A Little Piece of Heaven:.

This week I felt, along with my companion felt like we experienced a little piece of Heaven and I want to share this experience and what I feel I've learned from it :) Perhaps it will give you some new outlook as it did me!

A sweet 93 year old woman that we love and visit was recently in the hospital, regularly we try and visit her once a week. She always calls me her little girl and our visit at the hospital was just so eye opening to me. She has been diagnosed with dementia and when we came in she kept looking towards my companion saying, "Tell her why I'm here. Tell her what's wrong with me!" And for most of the visit we thought she just would in and out remember us.. but while I was in the room, I felt that there were other people there, spirits from the other side of the veil. As I looked into this woman's eyes, I yearned to see what she saw! I knew that the veil was thinner for her than ever. I thought to myself, how wonderful the day will be when I am completely content at leaving this earth to return to my Father in Heaven. What an amazing feeling that will be, if I live my life right! She received a blessing and she is so loved from both sides! This woman is ready to meet her Father in Heaven and I believe the only reason she is here is to teach other people something and she has been teaching me for 9months. It´s amazing how our Father in Heaven places people in our lives for us to learn from! I await the day I can feel as ready as she does to return to Him! I finished the Book of Mormon this past week and this is what the prophet Moroni said as his last words: 34 And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead. Amen.
                 

I want to be like Moroni and this beautiful sister, where I can feel a peace and know that I will have a joyful reuniting with my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. While I was in that room with her I could feel Heaven surrounding me. I could feel love for this beautiful soul from the other side of the veil. Heavenly beings are with us.
I felt lucky enough to leave afterwards taking a little peace of Heaven with me to another Family in a completely different circumstance. Isn't that what we do as missionaries? We bring a small piece of Heaven to every door in hopes that the person on the other side will recognize it and desire to have a part... a cure for all their ails. The next family we went to I had visited before months ago and there was no interest.. but this time they had their heart strings pulled though the trials they'd been given the last few months. I saw that this young wife and mother needed her Heavenly Father in her life.. she needed to feel their love and we had brought her a little piece of heaven. We read with her 3Nefi 17, I invite you to read this chapter, but I'll place just a small part in here.. which I may have done a month or so ago... but it's as good as ever: 5 And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them.6 And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you.7 Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.

We shared the message with her that this gospel can and will bless her life as she turns to her Savior to be healed.

I know that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ can bless every life, regardless of which stage of life you are in, it is a cure all. I am so grateful to have it in my life and to be sharing the joy of it to the people of Tennessee! Remember that You are Never alone. You have people on both sides of the veil rooting for you, praying for you, and loving you.. even if you can't see them.

The Atonement

“Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.” [Mosiah 4:9.]

Or as Paul writes; “He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” [Hebrews 11:6.]

I've been working on this post for weeks, it's the day before Easter and it now is a good time to post it!

The Atonement of Jesus Christ... this is the most sacred part of the gospel to me, because it is intricate throughout all the rest. Without the Atonement, we cannot be healed, there would be no need for any other principles of the gospel, we could not return to our Heavenly Father... and so much more!
The Atonement is possibly the hardest thing for me to teach, because it is so personal. How do you teach something so personal that it becomes personal for the person being taught? Sometimes I become frustrated that I cannot convey the true meaning of this wonderful gift. People do not understand what is right in front of them, I know that because if they did, they would be begging to be baptized and see that all the effort thereafter is worth it! They would realize that this is the only way to be happy... but until it becomes personal to you, it is hard to grasp the concept. Sure, most of us know that Jesus is the Christ, that he died on the cross for our sins, and that he loves us... but do we Really know Him? Do we really understand all that is entailed? Do we truly believe that he is the only way to be saved? Do we believe that His grace is sufficient? Do we truly have faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement?- meaning that he can heal us from all of our sorrow and guilt. Do we really trust Him? Or is it just another story that we know and hear and like to hope is true.
Well these are all questions that need to be asked before you can truly understand the Atonement and let your Savior heal you. These are questions I have to ask myself every day on my mission. Do I trust Him enough to be healed?
Today I was reading 3Nephi 17 and I have never felt the Saviors love stronger while reading the scriptures as I did while reading this chapter today.
3Nephi 17

5 And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them.

6 And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you.

7 Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.

8 For I perceive that ye desire that I should show unto you what I have done unto your brethren at Jerusalem, for I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you.

9 And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him.

20 And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.

21 And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.

22 And when he had done this he wept again;

23 And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones.

24 And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.


How I wish I could be with my Savior. Just reading these words gave me a feeling of being wrapped in His loving arms. The Savior at this point had recently been ridiculed, rejected, and crucified by his people in Jeruslem. Now here he is in the midst of people the love him and desirous that he "tarry a little longer." How loved might Jesus have felt at this time? How loved does he feel each time we choose to go unto him and let him heal us of our infirmities? Oh how I know and testify that this is the only way to be healed in such a pitiful world! His love will heal you.

I know that the gospel seems hard to live up to, but I also know that it is worth it. When I am feel beaten and inadequate, I remember the Savior. When I think that the mission is hard, I remember that His was harder. When I feel hopeless, I remember that He gave me hope when he was resurrected the 3rd day. When I'm tired, I remember He was tired. When I'm crying, I remember that He cried. When I am pleading for my Father in Heaven to take my trials away, I remember that He can't because He loves us just as He loved His son Jesus Christ while he was in the Garden of Gethsemane... then I remember He'll give me the strength to do what He asks of me, just as He did for the Savior. When I feel alone, I remember that I am Never alone. When I think I have to many problems, I remember that there is no such thing as too many problems. When I feel like I'm too far gone to be saved, I see him with open arms.
I know that each person has their own trials, temptations, tribulations, but I also know that through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ we will be lifted up and cleansed. Part of human nature is to ask, "Why me?" But while in the midst of trials, why not ask," what does God what me to learn from this?"
This is not an easy path, but it is possible.
The Savior was our perfect example while on the Earth. He never taught solely through words, but through example. This is so significant to me. He came to this earth and walked what we are walking.

Because the Savior has been “touched with the feeling of our infirmities,” he can fully comprehend our trials.

"It was necessary, when the Savior was upon the earth, that he should be tempted in all points, like unto us, and “be touched with the feeling of our infirmities,” [Hebrews 4:15] to comprehend the weaknesses and strength, the perfections and imperfections of poor fallen human nature. And having accomplished the thing he came into the world to do; having had to grapple with the hypocrisy, corruption, weakness, and imbecility of man; having met with temptation and trial in all its various forms, and overcome; he has become a “faithful high priest”[Hebrews 2:17]" - lds.org (I've forgotten which talk)


"The future of this world has long been declared; the final outcome between good and evil is already known. There is absolutely no question as to who wins because the victory has already been posted on the scoreboard. The only really strange thing in all of this is that we are still down here on the field trying to decide which teams's jersey we want to wear!" - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

How grateful I am for the knowledge I have from my Savior from the scriptures, both The Bible and The Book of Mormon. I love and cherish the additional knowledge I receive from having a second witness of Jesus Christ. I feel my Saviors love every day and am grateful for the special time of Easter to celebrate His life and his resurrection. We are so blessed to have the choice to return to our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ. So which coach are you going to play for?
“And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them.” [Mosiah 4:10.]

Choose the winning team!



This video is a favorite of mine and does not only apply to missionaries, listen to it as if he was speaking directly to you!

What Would Jesus Do?

Dear readers,
I'm so sorry I've slacked on writing, life is so busy! However, I've been thinking hard about what to write and today something hit me! I really can't even explain the Love I have for God's children, it's insane. I know I'm not perfect in this aspect, but I do know that I'd sacrifice myself to help a friend in need. I don't have all the gifts I'd like to have, but I have been blessed with the ability to love God's children, regardless of their backgrounds and I have a hard time understanding the fear people have of loving everyone and going the extra mile for your fellowman.Part of God's plan is for us to become as He and our Savior Jesus Christ are. We are striving to be Christlike in all that we do. So I invite you to ask What would Jesus do in this situation???
As part of the Christian world, this quest to walk as Jesus would walk is not always easy, but it will be worth it!
My heart bleeds for those in circumstances that they have not chosen and it aches more when the surrounding people are just waiting and watching for them to fall, instead of putting their selves out there to help these brothers and sisters of ours find their way! If we really believe what we say we believe, then I believe we would be jumping at every opportunity we have to bring another soul unto Christ.
"But if I get involved, then I might have to do something I don't like." "It won't really make a difference anyways, it's not my concern." "I have my own family to worry about, I don't have time to get involved." "I'll donate materials, but I can't go over and help them." "It's their own fault they are in that situation."

WAKE UP PEOPLE! It's time to step up to the plate! The worth of every soul is great! Get out of your bubbles and do some labor right beside them! LOVE is spelled T-I-M-E!! Charity is the pure love of Christ! Get comfortable with the uncomfortable and realize that it is such a privilege to help our fellowman. Regardless of their situation, it's not our place to judge, but it is our place to be ready to teach and support them as Christ would.
President Uchdorft said,"But when it comes to our own prejudices and grievances, we too often justify our anger as righteous and our judgment as reliable and only appropriate. Though we cannot look into another’s heart, we assume that we know a bad motive or even a bad person when we see one. We make exceptions when it comes to our own bitterness because we feel that, in our case, we have all the information we need to hold someone else in contempt.....This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following:

Stop it!

It’s that simple. We simply have to stop judging others and replace judgmental thoughts and feelings with a heart full of love for God and His children. God is our Father. We are His children. We are all brothers and sisters. I don’t know exactly how to articulate this point of not judging others with sufficient eloquence, passion, and persuasion to make it stick. I can quote scripture, I can try to expound doctrine, and I will even quote a bumper sticker I recently saw. It was attached to the back of a car whose driver appeared to be a little rough around the edges, but the words on the sticker taught an insightful lesson. It read, “Don’t judge me because I sin differently than you.”"

The Atonement of Christ is REAL and people can and will change, but it takes many hands to make a burden light. It's going to take true Christians to bring people unto Christ.
"The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. the world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature."
- LDS Prophet, Ezra Taft Benson

I've seen the true gospel of Jesus Christ change men and I've seen changed men change the world. I know this is possible, but it takes time, it takes sacrifice, and yes it takes inconveniences.. but the Lord will bless us for our efforts and He will provide away for His will to be accomplished. Sometimes to be an instrument in the Lords hands we have to put ourselves out there with a willing heart and mind, ready to jump at the opportunity to bring souls unto Christ! I love the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, I believe with all my heart that it can and does change the hearts of men. When we are in a sticky situation, we need to ask our selves, what would Jesus do? I know that in that simple phrase, we will find all of our answers.

Wow, I am so thrilled to start this blog. I hope that it can encourage and inspire people to Look to Heavenly Father and Live their life always striving to become closer to Him... to align their plan to His plan!
I've now been a missionary for 8 months and the more I learn, the more I realize that there is never an end to the learning! I am closer to my Savior Jesus Christ than I have ever been before, which makes me want to be that much closer! I am finding that there is no end, it is a continual progression! "Testimony is an earned legacy, not an inherited one." -anonymous
I am trying each day to "earn" my testimony and each day and it is growing! And because of that growth, it strengthens my desire to share the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ! I desire that all of His children can partake of the endless blessings that come from LIVING His gospel!
What is a testimony?
- “A testimony of the gospel is a personal witness borne to our souls by the Holy Ghost that certain facts of eternal significance are true and that we know them to be true."-Dallin H. Oaks
How do I "earn" a testimony?
-Live it! Through prayer, study, and obedience we can gain/earn a testimony by the power of the Holy Ghost. Maybe it is bold to say that we must earn a testimony, but I know through my own experience, it has been earned!


The prophet Alma from the Book of Mormon does a perfect job of explaining how to gain/earn our faith and testimonies like unto a seed.
Alma 32:
27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.

.....

37 And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.

38 But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.

39 Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof.

41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.

42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.

43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.

During my times of doubt, which we All have at some point or another, I've been brought back to this scripture. I have found much comfort and strength from these wise words. I realize that I need to nourish my testimony each day. We are never on a plateau with our testimonies, we are either increasing or decreasing.. so make each day an ongoing incline. The gospel of Jesus Christ is unchanging, we are the changing part variable in the equation. If your foundation is sandy, begin to build it upon your rock, Your Savior Jesus Christ.. even if all you have is a desire! I know that when we choose to come unto Christ, our desire changes from desire and turns into faith, and that faith becomes a surety of hope for the storms to come.
So Look to God and Live with a surety of hope! He loves You!