Today I had a friend ask me if it was worth it to live the gospel. I wrote a huge long reply and decided that it would make a good blog post. So here you go!
It is so worth it. There was a point in my life, already, where I wasn't living it. I was depressed all the time and it was awful. Like they talk about going through hell, and that is what it was for me. Then, the same year, some of my friends who aren't members of the church started to ask me questions about the church. It was then that I realized that I wasn't doing what I should be doing. I had no idea how to answer their questions because I didn't have a testimony, I wasn't living the gospel, and I just didn't care.
But those friends helped me care. I started to come out of my "hell," and I found so much more joy. It was my freshman year, so I started seminary. I learned that I had to read my scriptures everyday. That little thing has become a big thing. I know that if I need help, I can go to the scriptures. I started listening to all of General Conference taking notes. Now I know that I can find help, joy, and understanding of so many things from conference.
All of my friends were a huge strength to me. Their examples helped me grow and learn. They were all so good about reading their scriptures, praying, the whole big bang. My friends that aren't members continued to strengthen me.
I have noticed that there are people in the church who think, "How far can I go?" or "Well, it's not that bad." That is why we have standards.
Matt is my best friend and I don't know where I would be without him. Our story is an interesting one. We met at the end of my freshman year. He started playing water polo, and my other best friends Katie and Carri also played. Katie developed a crush on Matt and he therefore became our friend. That is something that changed my life.
He took me to homecoming my Junior year and we had a blast. It was then that I really started to have a crush on him. After homecoming, things didn't end. We hung out as much as we could. I sat by him everyday at lunch. He would come to my painting class to visit me before he went to his college class.
Then one day we held hands. It took us a while to get there, but it was worth it in the end. I kept it to myself, away from my family, for a little while. Then one day my sister Emilie and I went shopping together. I told her my hand holding story then. A few days later, on a Monday, she told me about her life. It was almost a shocker and I didn't know what to do.
About a week after that, Matt and I decided that it wasn't time to be holding hands. It was so hard and I, well, hated it. But I knew that it would be worth it. At the same time, we'll just say that Emilie's life was going the other direction. It was so interesting to see how one little choice that has to do with living the standards (listening to the Holy Ghost, having the Holy Ghost with you at all times) can affect everything. Through this, I learned how vital it was to live the standards of the church and to be worthy to enter the temple.
And that has been our whole goal: be worthy to enter the temple. Let me tell you, Satan really does know how to do things. In the "For the Strength of the Youth" book, it tells not to "participate in passionate kissing." Matt and I haven't made out in all this time that we have been together. When it was time for him to be ordained as an Elder, he was so happy that we hadn't made out because he went in feeling clean and worthy.
About a month later he went into his new bishop at BYU to start his mission papers. His bishop asked if he had ever had a girlfriend, and he said yes. The next question was very surprising to Matt. The bishop asked if the relationship had been uplifiting. Matt said yes very confidently. Then the bishop asked the usual worthiness questions associated with relationships with the opposite gender. The series of questions went from serious to less serious. The question "did you ever make out" was asked and Matt was so excited to say no.
I can't even describe the joy that I felt in those moments. And it isn't the end of that joy. Joy comes from living the standards.
Now for another example from my life recently. In orchestra at the beginning of the week, we are supposed to report our practice times to Mr. Jordan. We are supposed to practice for 2 hours every week. To be honest, I wasn't always honest about my practice time. Before school started this year, I realized how dishonest that was. I determined to change that, no matter how hard it might be. Let me tell you, it has been hard at times. I remember one week in particular. I didn't practice at all that week, and it is so embarrassing to say "Zero." The whole day I was debating about saying that I had practiced for one hour. But the Spirit had such a strong hold of me, I knew that it would be very bad if I said no. I fought it the whole day, and almost got out of having to say my practice time. At the very end of class, Mr. Jordan remembered, and I said "Zero." It was hard, but it was so worth it. I have been so much more determined to practice at least an hour every week. Now, that doesn't happen all the time, but I am completely honest about my practice time.
The gospel has brought me so much joy. It helps me in every aspect of my life. I would be lost without Christ and his atoning sacrifice which is what brings us to Him. He made it so all of His children will someday make it back to Him. The only way to find pure, true joy is through living the gospel.
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