My Farewell talk

I wanted to let anyone who didn't have the opportunity to hear my Farewell talk be able to read it if they wish, so here it is! 

My 9th grade biology teacher told my class that he taught us the same concept three times and in different ways so it would be etched into our brains a little deeper each time. Today, I would like to share the three main ways my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ was etched into my brain in three main points. 

I’ve had experiences where I’ve felt the Holy Ghost and had positive experiences serving and sharing the gospel but what was a real catalyst to my testimony today was when I had to talk to bishop about some of my previous sins. I was at a point where I had to make a choice whether I wanted to talk about this and repent or decide it wasn’t important to me, and I decided it was. I (reh-con-siled) reconciled with the lord by following the instructions that bishop gave me and it changed my life honestly. After taking the steps to repent and get right with God it made me so grateful for the gift of repentance and the sacrament. I know now from that experience of repenting with the help of the bishop, that the atonement applies to me specifically, and not just everyone else. 

Another thing bishop helped me with was starting my journey of daily scripture study. He counciled me to replace the extra time in my day with focusing on Christ instead of returning to my old habits. My first step into this was listening to the FollowHim podcast where two hosts would talk about the scriptures in Come Follow Me each week. My mindset going into it was essentially just focusing on gaining knowledge, not studying by the spirit. Each week I would learn about more stories in the Book of Mormon that I vaguely remember but felt very foreign to me. As this became a new habit, I liked that I knew what was going on in come follow me now. At this time, the Holy Ghost whispered to me that I should start answering the questions given to me in Sunday school and seminary so I can take charge of my own knowledge of the gospel. I listened, and it made seminary and church on Sunday something I looked forward to even more besides just seeing my friends.

And I think it kind of stayed like that for a while where I was happy to listen to the followHim podcast every week as my own personal scripture study alongside the other church things I would do. 

Then I started to evolve a little bit when this year rolled around and I heard from three different places and people that I should read Saints, a narrative driven book about the early history of our church. I fortunately listened to the spirit and started listening to the audiobook for free on gospel library. I ate that book up so fast! I am not a reader, I don’t read any sort of fiction for fun but I enjoyed that book like no other. I was able to learn about Joseph Smith and the early members of our church starting from a volcano that blew up in Indonesia that eventually lead the Smith family to New York all the way to when the church as a whole had to move to Utah because of persecution after Joseph Smith died. And it wasn’t just Joseph Smiths story but the stories of other families that were influential and apostles who served alongside Joseph smith and even just deeply converted saints who gave their whole lives to pushing the work of Jesus Christ forward. 

From that book, I learned that Joseph Smith made a lot of mistakes but was a true prophet. I deeply respect him and what he did to bring Christs restored gospel and church to the earth today. In addition to that, it was also very nice to yet again know all of the answers to the questions given to me in church on Sunday and in seminary.

After reading Saints, I felt so proud because it’s a fat book and it made me want to read more. I read about the nauvoo temple in Saints and how much it meant to the members who lived in nauvoo to see it built and make covenants before they had to leave for Utah so my mind went to me making my own covenants in the temple. I got quite excited for it and I read two books that I would recommend to any adult or older youth in this room. They are, The Holy Invitation and The Holy Covenants by Dr. Anthony Sweat who’s a professor at BYU. By reading these books, I was able to frame my mind as to what the temple is like and how sacred the covenants people get to make there, are. In addition to reading these sister books, I attended three temple prep classes within the stake that taught me a lot about what ordinances are, and how the old testament tabernacles related to the temples we have today. Once those classes were over I still had a few months I had to wait to receive my endowment but the day finally came in the middle of July.

After receiving my endowment, or going to the big kid part of the temple for the first time, I focused on the words spoken there and figuring out what I did and did not know yet. I felt very proud of myself that besides the clothing worn there, it felt familiar and I felt very happy to be there with my friends and family who accompanied me.

The second time I went, I focused on the spirit and what I felt and it was so wonderful. I felt Gods love for me so heavily like a waterfall going over my head, I started to cry which I hate doing but I couldn’t help myself. I also was just in awe of Gods wonderful plan of salvation and how it is designed to bring us home.

After going to the temple a few times I knew that all of those ordinances and covenants there were made possible through the Melchizedek priesthood. When I had to teach D&C 88 to my 12 yr old Sunday school class, it forced me to learn about the Melchizedek priesthood so well that I could explain it in simple terms. Learning about the Melchizedek priesthood and the origin of the aaronic priesthood gave me a deeper love of my savior and showed me how he is symbolically woven into every aspect of our church. And I would like to share what I learned with you now.

*pause*

The Melchizedek priesthood was there from the start, in the time of Adam and Eve. He was the first man on earth so he got this priesthood. We see this in Moses chapter six verse sixty seven after Adam was baptized and given the Holy Ghost it says “ And thou art after the order of him who was without beginning of days or end of years, from all eternity to all eternity.” The word order has a footnote which takes you to the topical guide for the word priesthood. He was given the Melchizedek priesthood by default because the aaronic priesthood did not exist yet.

Flash forward to Moses after the Israelites are out of Egypt, and within the story of the golden calf where they worship this golden calf and forget the lord, Moses is in mount sinai receiving the higher law for them, which is where we get the origin of the aaronic priesthood. God says without the priesthood, no man can see God and live. Then in D&C 84: 23-27 it says “Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God;

24 But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence⁠; therefore, the Lord in his wrath⁠, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory.

25 Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also;

26 And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel⁠;

27 Which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of baptism⁠, and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal commandments, which the Lord in his wrath caused to continue with the house of Aaron among the children of Israel until John⁠, whom God raised up, being filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb.

What this says is that God was angry that the Israelites hardened their hearts and did not want to be in his presence but because he is a perfectly merciful God, he gave them the aaronic priesthood which still provided a way back to him thru the eventual atonement of Jesus Christ. “

This story sticks out to me because I myself have a hard time with being kind to others after they do me dirty, and I’m sure everyone else a hard time with this too. So it amazes me that God is willing to give them this glorious second chance after they clearly don’t deserve it. 

And this is what Christ does for us today. Because of His atonement, we are able to become clean and exalted into heaven if we receive his gift. 

Elder Kearon compares the atonement to receiving a gift. He says “To receive a gift sincerely given is so much more than accepting and then opening it. It is more, even, than recognising the worth of the gift and expressing gratitude to the giver. To truly receive a gift⁠, we come to value it for ourselves, put it to full use in our lives, and then remember with thankfulness the giver.”

Same thing with the atonement. Using the Aaronic priesthood, we are baptized and receive the sacrament. Using the Melchizedek priesthood, we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and the covenants we get to make in the temple. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to receive these gifts. I love God and Jesus so much. I know I don’t deserve what I have or what I will get because I am an imperfect person, but I am in the process of being made pure through Jesus Christ. He is my best friend who has always been by my side whether I knew it or not. I feel so privileged to represent him and be reminded of him every day in the clothes I wear and each action I make. 

With this testimony I have gained over the past few years, I plan to use to build others. Elder Brown says this about a testimony, “a testimony is not given for temporary use. This gift from our loving Heavenly Father is meant to be eternal because the giver is eternal. A testimony should not have an expiration date. It should not weaken or diminish because something in my life has changed or something in the world has changed.” Because of the testimony I have gained, I need to put it to good use by sharing it with others. I have chosen one of the numerous ways to do so by serving a mission. I hope that my experiences, my faith, and my knowledge given to me from the lord will help others come to know Jesus Christ.

I know that my redeemer lives. He is near me every single day and I am so grateful for it. I know that making covenants with the lord are how we receive his gift of eternal life and exaltation. And we must continue to strengthen the bond we have with him by studying his word, and acting as he would. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.