Willing To Die For Your Faith...

"Some men are willing to die for their faith but will not fully live for it. Christ both lived and died for us. By walking in his steps and through his atonement we can gain the greatest gift of all--eternal life--which is that kind of life of the great Eternal One, our Father in heaven."

--Ezra Taft Benson, "Jesus Christ--Gifts and Expectations, Byu Devotional", 10 December 1974


As part of our church young women's standard we claim: "We will stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things and in all places..."
This was a goal we were supposed to always be living towards. The last 5 years have been a long journey. It's been full of dark days, heartache, anguish, guilt and so on. Mostly of my own doing. There were good days as well, but not enough of them. I was our recent General Conference that pierced me to the core. I heard a couple of small phrases that really shook me. They weren't earth shattering or profound or anything. Most people when they ask me don't even remember hearing them when I tell them. But I tell ya, they had me weeping when I heard them.

In Elder Monson's talk in the Saturday afternoon session on remembering the tabernacle, he shared an experience with a young girl who at the age of 8 was deciding if she wanted to be baptized. At the end of his talk he said: "As this building is rededicated today, may we pledge to rededicate our lives to the work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." I felt a desire well inside my heart and spill over as tears rolled down my cheeks. I'm not sure why it touched me so, but it did. I wept so hard I trembled and sniffled the rest of the meeting. I had a long way to go, but I know I needed to try.


In Elder Glen L. Paces talk, he spoke on the Prophet Joseph and coming to learn and know him as a Prophet of God. Again toward the end of his talk, he said..."now I stand before you as an ordained special witness of Jesus Christ ..." Again, a felt such a burning of light inside of me. I had always known we were supposed to stand a witnesses of God. This was the first time that I could remember really REALLY wanting to. I had such a desire inside of me to be able to say, "I stand as a special witness of God." Again, just as the day before, I sobbed until I shook.

I had a lot of things to clean up about my life. (who doesn't?) I remember silently asking Heavenly Father to give me the strength to do those things that would enable me to be able to Stand as a witness... and live for my faith. I had often felt I could die for my beliefs. But dying for them would be so easy. It's the living and the enduring day by day that would be difficult.
Heavenly Father does expect us to LIVE for our Faith. We must have the courage to do this.

I will stand as a witness of God and I will live for my faith.

Will you stand for Truth and Righteousness?