Head and Heart Testify of Truth

We members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints go to a 3 hour block of church on Sundays.
There is a meeting called Elders Quorum for the Men ages 18 years old and over, a Meeting called Relief Society for the Sisters 18 and older. Youth and young adults ages 12-17 are broken down into age groups and genders. This is simply called YoungMen/Young Womens or Mutual.
Children 3-11 have a class called primary where they're broken into age groups as well, and there's a Nursery for babies 1-3. All this goes on at the same time.

The next hour block is Sunday school, where husbands and wife come together and discuss lessons on the assigned scripture reading for the week.

The 12-18 year olds come together by age groups to bascially discuss the same as their parents except on their level and in terms understandble for their age group.

The kids 11 and under stay in their classes.

The final hour block is where the family comes together to worship and listen to selected sermon's that are taught by selected members. (Any member of the congregation can be asked ahead of time to prepare the sermon. Most often there are 1-3 speakers, one of them usually a youth speaker). This meeting we also partake of the Sacrament. We partake of bread, as a symbol of the body of Jesus Christ and water as the symbol of the blood of Jesus Christ. In doing so we also covenant with the Lord that we will always remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath* given them, (that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee,) that they may always have his Spirit to be with them.
A weekly reminder and renewal of convenants to always be a witness and remember Jesus Christ the Son of God and to keep his commandments.

Often times the first block and the last block are reversed. Anyway now that you have the structure how our sunday's work... on with the point.

I'm not sure why I'm inclined to share this experience. But it is heavy on my mind today, sort of like a testimony.
About 14 years ago, I fell into somewhat of a depression. I wasn't clinically diagnosed but there had been a dark cloud hanging over me for a few months that I felt I could not shake. In this time I had also ceased to have my daily prayers and read my scriptures on a regular basis and had not been to church in weeks. To some those seem like little things but the littles thing come to make big impacts in our lives.
This particular Sunday I woke up in time for the start of the 9am Meeting. I didn't have a desire to go so I brushed the feeling away and ignored it. About an hour later a voice in my head suggested "go to church." I looked at the time, the 2nd hour block would soon be starting, and again I ignored the feeling. About 40 minutes after that I heard out loud a voice... "GO TO CHURCH NOW!" I actually turned around to see who was speaking to me. There was no one there.
I decided to heed the prompting no matter how I felt about going. I pulled my hair back into a pony tail. Put on a jean skirt, my University of Michigan sweat shirt and some footwear and walked the block to church.
It was the last meeting of the day, Relief Society. I sat off bymyself because I didn't want to be bothered. I folded my arms, folded my legs and gave off the best... "don't talk to me, don't sit by me, don't touch me " vibe I could give off. And I sat listening to prelude music. The Relief Society President got up and made the announcments and then asked that we sing the opening song to being our meeting, and then an opening prayer would follow.
As we sang the first verse and I listened to the words of the song, I began to feel tears rolling down my face. By the time we got to the 2nd verse, I was audibly sobbing and 3 sister's hand come and put their arms around me and were huggin me as if to keep me together.
The song I had heard all my life from the time of a small child and knew the words. But for some reason on this day, I FELT everyword being sung.
You see, I've always known that I am a child of the MOST high God. I am Daughter of a Heavenly Father who is so in love with me. We come to this knowledge and teach it at a young age. And through that teaching comes the belief. But on this particular day, this day that someone spoke in my ear to go to the Father's house and RECIEVE the love he had for me. And I felt it. I recived it. And feeling that love strengthened my belief of it. I did not doubt that God My Father knows me intimately. He is aware of my every sorrow, heartache, joy and pain. And he knows what is best for me. And if I trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not to my own understanding... in all things he WILL direct my paths.

It has been a most difficult and challenging 4 months. This last week has been particularly difficult as well I have experienced things no one should have to even experience. And I have experienced great joys that everyone should be blessed to have. We all have these experiences. I just happens to be my turn.
Through it all I want to bear witness that I know that my Lord and SaviorJesus Christ lives to Reign. He shed great drops of blood in MY behalf because he loves me AND he wants me to succeed. The beauty of it all is that there is unending Love enough for you as well. There are those out there how have yet to come to this knowledge and it hurts my heart to know others stand in that dark clouds where I've been and feel not of this wonderous light and love. May we all reach out to our brothers and sisters, regardless of religious beliefs and background and be living examples of that love.

May those who don't know Christ personally learn of him because they know YOU.


*** The Hymn:

(vs1)
Our Savior's love
Shines like the sun with perfect light.
As from above
it breaks through clouds of strife.
Lighting our way,
It leads us back into his sight,
Where we may stay
To share eternal life.

(vs2)
The Spirit, voice
Of goodness, whispers to our hearts
A better choice
Than evil's anguished cries.
Loud may the sound
Of hope ring till all doubt departs,
And we are bound
To him by loving ties.

(vs3)
Our Father, God
Of all creation, hear us pray
In reverance, awed
By thy Son's sacrifice.
Praises we sing.
We love thy law; we will obey,
Our heavenly King,
In thee our hearts rejoice