Goodbye and Thank You

Dear Ohio Friends, I am so grateful to have met you. Some of you have made the biggest impact on my life and I have grown to love you. I want to thank you all for the memories. Some of you will be mentioned and others won't be. But just know that I appreciate you all and the life lessons you have taught me.

Abby Babby: I can't even describe the effect you have had on my life. I love you so much. You are one of the best friends I have ever had. You have definitely changed me for the better. I love how we can just pick up talking like we never stopped. You have made my time in Ohio worth every minute. I already miss you so much. Know that I will always have your back.You are my best friend ever. I love you chica.

Adam Burr: Although it may not seem like it, you have affected my life. You were the guy I could turn to for everything and although you are my best friends brother, you became someone I would consider an extremely good friend. I know we had our "moments", but we still stayed friends through it all. I love you and will miss you, even though you decided to finally divorce me :p. Thank you for everything.

JenCub: What can I say that will explain the type of impact you have had on my life? You were the person I could always turn to. You never took sides and you always listened and gave me advice. You taught me to be a leader. I've always been a teacher's pet, so I never really thought that I would have one teacher who really made an impact on me, but I was wrong. You were my friend and leader. I will never forget you.

Sister Jones: You have been an amazing example in my life. I am so grateful for you. I didn't know my Stake Young Women's President in TN, I couldn't tell you her name or what color her hair looked like, but I will never forget you. I know that you love me and that would would do anything with in your power for me. You have been a stable force in my life and you have taught me to love unconditionally and to be closer to my Savior. I love you Sister Jones, you will always have a place in my heart.

Chris Hurt: I love you. You are that one person I can turn to no matter what. You have helped me through so much, especially this past month. You have really known when I needed a friend and you have made me smile and realize that life does go on. I will be eternally grateful for the blessing you gave me and for the support you have given me through this really hard time. I love you and will miss you. Stay strong and keep working on your mission.

The Blake Family: You have been a great friend to my family. Your kids have set a shining example to me and I will miss you guys. Thank you so much for your beautiful daughter Emma. She has been my example from day one. She has this beautiful faith in our Savior and is never afraid to share it. She is the reason I get up and bare my testimony. When I grow up I want to be like her, with unfailing faith and a huge testimony of her Savior and Heavenly Father. I love her and I hope she remembers me when she gets older.

Like I said, not everyone is mentioned, these people just stick out in my mind. Again, thank you all for everything. I will miss you all. Please keep in touch. I'll love hearing from you guys.

You promised forever.

You promised to love me forever. You said that nothing would tear us apart. You promised to be my best friend and to never make me cry. You promised you'd never hurt me and that your love would never die. You promised you would be the one person who would never hurt me.
I didn't know that forever had an ending and that promises were conditional. When you promised forever, I promised it right back. Last night you broke my heart. I cried all night because of you. It was all I could do not to cry at work. You took back your promise and you took all of me with it. I want my heart back and I want to forget. I don't want to remember you anymore and the promises you couldn't keep.

Yesterday, Today, Forever

I was reading in my scriptures last night and came across a scripture in 2nd Nephi. For those of you reading this who are not of my faith, 2nd Nephi is a book of scripture in the Book of Mormon which we use as a companion to the Bible. As I was saying, I came across a scripture that intruiged me. It said "For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show until the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever." 2nd Nephi 29:9 This scripture made me stop and ponder. Many people consider my religion to be false, some even say that it is a cult. I have heard many snide remarks and rude comments against my faith. The early Saints in my church were persecuted for believing that God spoke to a man here on earth. They tarred and feathered Joseph Smith for saying that God talked to him. They burned houses and drove women and children out of their homes for being baptized and believing that the priesthood had been restored. And eveuntually they killed Joseph Smith and drove the Saints to Utah, all for believing that this new church was true.
That's why this scripture made me stop and think. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He not only said so in the book of scriptures my church believes that Joseph Smith found in Palmyra, New York and translated with the help of God, it is also in the Bible, a book of scripture that all Christians believe has come from God. The scripture can be found in Hebrews, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8 If Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, then why would His church be any different now then it was then? How did Jesus set up the church when He was alive?

• He called Propehts and Apostles to guide his people.
• Matthew, Thomas, Peter, etc.
• He taught of baptism by immersion
• Romans 6:4
• He set an example of worshiping in temples
• Psalms 5:7
• He used the priesthood and blessed the lives of other with it
• Exodus 40:15

And there are so many more examples. My church believes in all of these principles. We have a prophet on the earth who speaks to and receives revelation from God. We are baptized by immersion at the age of eight or older. We have built temples all around the world and worship in them and partake in ordinances that God taught about in days of old, such as baptism for the dead, 1st Corinthians 15. The priesthood was restored through Joseph Smith and is very much an active ingredient in my religion. My brother holds the prisethood as does my dad and all other worthy men.
I repeat, if Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever, then how can my church not be true? What other church in exsistence can look at all the principles of their church and honestly say that they have all of the aspects in their church that Christ taught about and preached of? I can. I am so grateful for that. I am grateful for the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I am amazed everytime I read them at how perfectly they work with each other. Each has important and vital information that helps me to become a better person. I am in love with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the same now as He was before, and so is His church. Although our meetings are more regular and in a building rather than the top of a mountain, it is the same. No matter which meeting house you go to whether it is here in Perry, Ohio or somewhere in Siberia, the message is the same and we are Christ's true church.