Inspiration Comes From The Unlikeliest Of Places

Fast and testimony Sundays aren't my favorite thing about church.

Don't get me wrong, I love to sit during service and take a break from the sometimes drawn out messages every week on assigned topics but in recent months I've realized that the same people go up to the microphone every week.

Like a stuck record I can tell you how most of them go. From my seat I often play Russian Roulette mouthing and sassing the excuses some of the people at church give 

Example 1

'Good morning brothers and sisters.I am so happy to be here with you this morning. -deep breath- I didn't think I was going to make it to church because

a)my dog died
 b)i fell down a flight of stairs
c)I died in the night and miraculously came back to earth to somehow make it to service

Now I'm just being my normal sarcastic self here but there really is a serious side to what I'm getting at.

A few weeks ago, I sat through another round of what I presumed to be another episode of Testimony Russian Roulette. Immediately my attention was consumed by my chipped nail polish as the usual "Testimony Gang" went up.

This Sunday however was different.

There is a quote that really resonates with me.

It says "and a little child shall lead them" . Although just a tiny chunk of a heavier passage, this Sunday in question was all about the children at our branch.

One after one, each child from the Primary class came and bore their own testimony of knowing that the gospel we hold dear to us as Mormons is true in each of their hearts. For months I had even been afraid to even stand on the pulpit or speak in front of other members at church and here I was being shown up by the tiniest of members.

I remember watching as one of the youngest members at church dragged his mother up so he could bear his testimony beaming with excitement and telling his mom he wanted to do it for weeks.

For months, a new investigator was coming to church and trying to know the truth of the church. His name was Calvin. He was trying so hard to know if the truth we felt as members was going to be true for him too. In my own selfishness, I discounted him as being loose-tongued when he would comment during Gospel Principles, until this Sunday when after months of coming to church, Calvin stood up and walked up to that pulpit.

The Calvin who spoke that Sunday was more sure than anyone of us who bit back our testimonies every week. I remember the strength and conviction of his words, echoing in my heart as he continued to speak. He didn't spew doctrines nor did he use any verses from the Book Of Mormon. Yet his words were more powerful than any scripture

And there in the middle of sacrament, I cried.

Sure, it wasn't on the outside and I didn't draw attention to myself but I suddenly felt hands pulling me from my seat. You need to do this. The voice kept pressing me on and the spirit pulled me from my seat.

I didn't know what I was going to say but as I stood there looking at the children before me, my tongue was guided. I had gone through hell during my years away from church, darkness that I never knew possible seemed to be tattooed unto my skin. Standing there with everyone's eyes on me I realize that I didn't want that for them

As I looked at each of them, their faces glowing with the spirit I pictured myself as a young girl and prayed that they would never endure the hardships or suffer through the disconnect that I endured when I ran away from my last church.

People believe unless a testimony comes with doctrine or with a load of scriptures, that it isn't as strong. If the words of Calvin and I at least touch at least one of those young people and keep them grounded in faith throughout their lives,I will feel like my words helped someone endure through the darkest of dark times and help them remember that despite our hardships that Heavenly Father will never let us down.