Helping Out a Friend...

One of the most important things I've learned this semester is that Christ and Heavenly Father love us more than we could ever imagine. I have a friend back home in California who has been having a very hard time lately. She's been feeling very poorly about herself, and I can only tell her the same thing so many times about how she's not worthless and that there is someone for her out in the world, she just hasn't found him yet. I decided to share with her that I know God loves us. Here is the message I sent her on Facebook:

"Hello Darling,

As a part of my Book of Mormon class this semester we have to do a weekly project; one of the things I can do is share what I've learned to someone, and I'd like to share with you one of the most important things I've ever learned: that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father truly love us.

I know you're not Mormon, but I think that this is something all Christians everywhere can come to know for themselves. My entire life I'd been told this fact, but I'd never really realized it for myself until this past semester of school in my Book of Mormon class. In a lot of the chapters that we read, there were many wars and contentions between the people of the Book of Mormon, and the people would often become prideful and be punished by God. However, once they began to repent of their sins and become humble, God would forgive them and bring them back into His good graces. When reading something about this in one of the chapters for reading one night, I almost cried when I realized the amount of love that our Savior and Heavenly Father have for us. Almost no matter what we do, we can be forgiven of our sins because of the immense love and patience of Christ and Heavenly Father.

Now I'm not saying that you're a sinner who needs to repent of her sins; but if God can love such a wicked people, and I assure you, they were very wicked, then I know that He loves you. You are going through trying times right now, and you feel very alone and forlorn, but please, please always remember that no matter how alone you may feel, you are never alone, not for one second. Christ is always there to take your burdens upon Himself, as Heavenly Father is always there to listen to your prayers. Although they may not be answered right away, I promise you that prayers are answered, for I have had my own answered throughout my life. Patience is all that is required, for the Lord will answer them in His own due time. If God can have so much patience with a wicked people and yet love them so much to forgive them almost immediately after they return to Him, then we should have patience in waiting for our prayers to be answered. It can be hard, and I know you are having a hard time right now, but I promise, stay diligent in your prayers, and God will hear them and answer them; He may not always answer them in the way that we want, but He will.

I hope you don't feel like I'm being preachy; I just thought that you could really use hearing this message right now. I know that God loves you, more than I or any person on this earth could ever love you, for you are one of His daughters; so you know that's a lot, because you know how much I love you. Just remember Him in your darkest hour, for He is always thinking of you. Christ is always ready to hear your problems, and talking to Him is free. Turn to Him before anyone else, even me, but know that if after talking to Him you still would like to talk to me that you can call me day or night.

You are a fantastic person, Kailee Noel Smith. You are a fierce and loyal friend, and a caring and fabulous person. Don't let anyone ever tell you any different. I'm sorry I won't be home this summer, because I won't be able to be there for you, at least not in body, but know that I am only a phone call or a Facebook message away. Please remember the love that your friends and God have for you, and may it be a comfort for you in these hard times you're going through.

Love always, your friend and companion,

Jori"

I am really hoping that this comforts her and helps her. She is a fantastic person, but she has had a very hard lot in life. She has felt very bad about herself a lot, which is sad because she is a fantastic person. This was also a chance to bare my testimony about how I know God loves us, and I am not usually one to bare my testimony, so this was a good opportunity for me as well as for her to hear a little about the gospel. I just hope that she appreciates this, and listens to the advice that I gave her, for it can only help. It might even convince her to look into the church a little more; a couple of years ago she told me that she was considering becoming LDS, but it never panned out. Maybe this will be the spark that gets her interested again. For now, I can only wait for her response and see what will happen; I hope that I will be able to help her in whatever she may need. I also hope that my testimony will continue to grow this summer while I am here in Utah, and that I will always remember what I have told her tonight.

What Christ has done for me

In Ether 1-9, we see the many things that the Lord did for the brother of Jared and his family and friends, and also for those who were righteous, or those that repented and came unto Him. Even when the people were caught up in secret combinations, when they repented the Lord still bestowed His mercy upon them. We are not nearly so wicked as this, so why is it that people can't repent, or feel that they can't for lesser sins? Granted, just because they are lesser doesn't mean that they shouldn't repent, but people are sometimes too hard on themselves. The Lord has already paid the price for our sins so that we don't have to; we have only to access the magnificent power of Christ's atonement and repent of our sins so that we may live with Him and our Heavenly Father again. If the people in the secret combinations could be forgiven, then why can't we? They killed prophets and kings for personal glory and satisfaction, yet when they humbled themselves before the Lord, He was gracious to them. This is not the first week where I have seen the great love that the Lord has for us. He wants us to live with Him again so much, and we should want to be with Him too. I think that this class, by making me actually read my scriptures, has brought some things into light that I've never really thought of before. These chapters are a testament of Him because they shows many examples of His love and mercy, the very things that the Bible also outlines. Both works are consistent with each other in every aspect, so how could the Bible be true and the Book of Mormon not be true? It just can't happen like that. Either they are both true, or neither of them are. I am grateful for this class, for I have found things in the scriptures that I have never reaized before. I feel my Savior's love for me in these scriptures, and I hope that everyone else that reads them can too.