What do you believe?

 In my philosophy class, the other day we discussed if we believe in God, why, or why not? We aso discussed the fact that there's three different types of people. The first, theist believe in a god in some form. Second, you have atheist who believe that God does not exist. Finally, you have agnostic who believe that they don't have enough knowledge to support either way so they lean towards God doesn't exist, but you give them more knowledge and they would change their minds. 

In theist there's so many ways to believe in God. Do you believe that he is an active part in our lives? That God not only hears prayers, but answers them? If God answers prayers does he preform miracles in our lives that there's no other way to explain but to say God did this and did it for me? You have to ask yourself these questions and then go to the right sources for the answers to some of life's hardest questions. 

For myself I have asked these questions and many others. As I have searched for the answers to the questions I have what I have found is my testimony is strengthed. Answers don't come overnight at least didn't for me, but with time and working on the the answers and getting to know God they did come. So if you are struggling right now with your testimony it's ok because for me it took leaving the church for a while. Having periods when I would be active and then be inactive. So many prayers and searching the scriptures and conference talks that I finally found my testimony. If you are struggling with a child, siblings, friends, or parents leaving the church don't lose hope for their return in this life or the next. God wants to bless each of us, but many of his blessings only come from living the gospel. I have found hope and a light for my life. I have found that there's a future ahead of me that I'm only beginning to see. 

My testimony is that I know, not believe, but know that I have heavenly parents who love me even more than my earthly parents do. That I have a divine worth and future ahead of me that I'm only beginning to see. I have power that comes from living the covenants I have made with my father in heaven. The more I see myself clearly the more my heart goes out to those around me, because I start to see them the way God sees them. I know that Joseph went to the grove to pray to God to know which church to join. He was told none of them as they only had a portion of the truth and that Joseph would be the one who would restore all of the truth to the earth. God has told us to pray, work for, and expect miracles in our lives. As I have headed the prophets I have been blessed ten fold. I know that as God removes something in our lives what he's really doing is making room for something even better. I know that even having the desire to want to believe is so important and has more power than we can imagine. My testimony comes from my own experiences, prayers that have been answered, questions that I did the work and went to the right sources to know for myself. We are a church of questions that bring about revelation so if you don't know if the church is true or you have questions I challenge you to pray about it then go read scriptures and conference talks. I know if you will do these things that you will come to know yourself. 

If you are struggling because a loved one has left I would say continue to pray for them. Love them as they are now. Pray for things to change in their lives. Don't lose hope because we know that God has said that heaven will be more glorious than we can imagine. Last of all, remember God loves them even more than you ever can so leave it in his loving hands.