Young Woman of Faith

Thank you all for your suggestions for improving the content of this blog. I didn't get to email everyone back directly, but I really appreciate your efforts. :)

************

In a general sense, there is so much that I want to say on this site. If I spent a few hours a day I could probably keep up on all the thoughts I have when reading scriptures, hearing talks in Sunday services, trying my best to have and follow the Spirit and watching the testimonies of my family members grow. Today I'd like to share my impressions of a powerful testimony borne by a young woman of faith last week in sacrament meeting. She is 14 years old.

I don't know her very well since I don't work with the youth. Her mother is a very faithful latter-day saint who tries to do her best to love and serve all those around her. This young woman seems like her testimony has grown almost over night. I say that because I don't see her as very outspoken. She gave the youth talk and I was shocked to see her on the stand before the meeting started. I was pretty curious to see what she was going to say and I was a little nervous for her. I've never seen her speak before (that I can remember) and I hoped she didn't feel too pressured into giving a talk. Nobody likes to be pressured into giving talks.

While she was giving her talk I felt such a strong witness that she knows that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. She spoke of struggling on a group assignment because one particular boy in the group obviously didn't want to help out with the work. When it came time to grade the other group members, this young woman wanted to give him the lowest grade possible. However, she gave some thought to it and even talked to her wonderful mother about what to do. They agreed that there may be some things going on in this boy's life that weren't obvious on the surface. Maybe he was having a hard time at home or something else kept him from working harder on the assignment. She wanted to give a grade slightly higher than the lowest just to help him out in some way, but then she said something that touched me even more. She didn't feel honest about doing that either! In the end, she gave him the lowest grade available because the teacher would know that he deserved it. Then her testimony of Jesus Christ and of being His follower touched me even deeper when she said that she would help him out in the future whenever she could instead of watching him do nothing and letting him fail.

I was so touched by her talk and her testimony. This youth speaker bore a powerful testimony of doing what is right. And through her willingness to share her feelings, many people at church were blessed. I am grateful for the friends that she hangs out with because together they are helping each other walk the path that will lead them one day to meet God and be found worthy to stand in His presence.

May we all stand and do what is right.