What I am about to share with you, comes from grateful heart. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father that He has led me back to the truth. I believe it does our soul good to question and doubt things at times, because it through this avenue our faith, our belief and our testimony grows leaps and bounds. What was questionable becomes the rock of our faith and foundation in Jesus Christ. So I am grateful for the doubts, because they led me to seek the truth and build on that truth. That truth is that Jesus is my savior and He loved me enough to save me and to show me the truth of the “Restoration of the Gospel.”
The other day, on Facebook, I was chatting with a good friend, who was at one time one of my parishioners and I was best man at their wedding. I also counseled this couple too. So as we chatting, I let her know that I returned to my original faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon Church. She responded that she kind of gathered that by my profile on Facebook. I proceeded to share with her that now I am at peace and joy that I feel in being back in the Church. As we continue chatting, we were getting caught up on news of our various friends. While talking with her, I found out that a dear and close friend was on Facebook too. I was over joy because I was seeking him on Facebook, because I missed our friendship.
My friend and I were very close friends, we were like brothers and like two peas in a pod. We were planning on studying for ministry together and our heart’s desire was to go to Israel to serve the Lord. We both felt the Lord was calling us there, but as time went by, the Lord led us on a different path. I was also the best man at his wedding too. Shortly after his wedding, I became a license minister in the Assemblies of God and Pastor of Pastoral Care at the Church we both attended. I eventually left that Church and started my own Church in my home and it was called “New Jerusalem Assembly”. Shortly after we drifted apart and went on own different paths. Even though we lost contact, I missed our friendship. How good our friendship was, we could spend hours together and not even speak a word; we just enjoyed each other’s company.
On a personal note, I love being a minister. I love to preach, teach, counsel, and ministering to the various people that I am came in contact with. But as time went by, the Lord continue to break me and took me to one of darkness time periods of my life. I like to refer to that time period as the “Darkness of My Soul.” During this time period, Our Heavenly Father stripped my soul and brought me to the light and the truth that the Mormon Church was true. It finally dawn on me, I may left the Church, but the Church never left me! Praise God! He turn my mourning into joy. I have no regrets, except it took me this long to fine my path again and to slowly but surely find my true calling.
So after finding my friend on Facebook, I requested that we become friends again and he responding to my request. As I was looking at his profile page, I found out that he is study to be a minister. There was some pictures on his page and it showed him ministering to various persons at the Church that he was attending. He looked great and you can see the joy in his face as he was ministering. I was very happy and joyful for him.
In the next few lines, I will open my heart to you and become naked before you. The old Steve, would have been jealous, envious, anger and most of all feeling sorry for myself. But that wasn’t the case. I have never felt a peace like did at that moment and continue to have it. That I made the right decision in becoming back to the Church. At that moment, I felt the roots of my faith went deeper and deeper and became a solid oak tree. I felt like that tree in Lehi’s vision, planted in a firm ground and bearing good fruits. As it says in Psalm 1:3 “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
My brothers and sisters, I testify to you that I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and through him the Church and the priesthood was restored. I love the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the other standards works. I know without shadow of doubt that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. I know that President Thomas S. Monson is our prophet of our Church today and that Jesus Christ is the head of this Church. I am so grateful that I was led back to the truth and the Church. I feel like a fountain of living waters flowing out of me and I also feel like a rare wine flowing over its’ goblet. If I could climb to the top of City Hall in Buffalo, I shout and bear my testimony that this gospel is true. I say these things in Jesus name. Amen and amen!
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If you would like to know more about Jesus and your purpose in life, please contact the Mormon Missionaries:
In the Buffalo, NY area:
940-7143
997-4490
1-585- 403 – 0556
Rochester, NY area: Spanish & English
1-585-905-4620
In the Cattaraugus area:
716-740-0631
In the Wyoming County area in the state of Pennsyjvania:
570-240-2354
716-740-0631
In the Wyoming County area in the state of Pennsyjvania:
570-240-2354
Elder Zayne Callahan
Elder Callahan's Mission is the whole wide world of the Internet. If you want to contact him and talk with him; you can reach him on Facebook and he also has a blog. Here are the web connections:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=hp#!/elder.zayne.callahan
http://elderzaynecallahan.blogspot.com/2011/09/rachels-testimony-expected-logic.html
Elder Callahan's Mission is the whole wide world of the Internet. If you want to contact him and talk with him; you can reach him on Facebook and he also has a blog. Here are the web connections:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=hp#!/elder.zayne.callahan
http://elderzaynecallahan.blogspot.com/2011/09/rachels-testimony-expected-logic.html
For a free DVD “Finding Faith in Christ” call 1-800-443-9911
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