I Am, Because of Him!

Area: Valley Hi/Heritage
Companion: Sister Riley Powell

I am a witness of the wounds in the hands and feet of Christ. Not because I have seen him physically, but because I know that he has graven me upon the palms of his hands. I am, because of him! The power of the Holy Ghost has born witness to my heart of the reality of the Savior and his love. I do not need to see him with my eyes to know that he is the way to eternal life. I can feel the prints of the nails in my very being. I know that he lives, and that through him I have changed and can continue to change to draw closer to Heavenly Father. I bear witness that I am not the same person who left home a year and two months ago. That is all the evidence I need.

"Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." (1 Nephi 21:16)

Sister Record and Sister Johnson

I had the opportunity to go on an exchange with Sister Johnson. She happens to be Sister Rowley's MTC companion. She came here to our area and we did not have a single appointment. Somehow we just knew that it was going to be a day full of miracles. I told her at the beginning of the exchange that this day was going to be a day of finding. It sure was! Everywhere we went we did not see a single person we had planned. None of them were home. The miracles came in "preaching by the way". We went to several apartment complexes that day, and we gave out more copies of the Book of Mormon than we have in several weeks. In one of the apartment complexes we saw a woman getting out of her car. We approached her and ended up teaching her the entire restoration, standing at the bottom of the stairs to her apartment. She was so open. As we asked her questions throughout, she said that she felt like we were sent to her by God and that he was trying to tell her something... That is right. We were sent by God, and he knows her heart. The spirit was very strong as we testified and as she accepted the invitation to act.

We met so many people that day. All of them were preaching by the way miracles. If we are not careful, we can easily miss such opportunities. That night we met and taught a member who hasn't been to church in a while. He was very kind and assured us immediately before we said much that he still had a testimony. Since that seemed to be an important topic for him, we went with it. He told us how he had converted because of the influence of his wife. One night, he needed to know for himself if the church is true. He knelt in prayer and offered up the desires of his heart. At this point in the story, he choked up. The witness he had gained was something he could never deny. The feeling of the spirit entered into every feeling of his heart. The visit with him was powerful, and spirit filled. I hope that we all can stand firm in what we know, and never let the troubles of the world distract us from continuing in the truth.

On Saturday we met a man across the street from where we were at. He had some neat hippie vans. We commented on them and he told us all about how he got them and where he's lived. It was fascinating. As we got to talking, we learned that he lived in Germany for quite a while and recently came here. He didn't have much of a concept of who God is, so we taught him about God. It is always a delight to teach someone about God. Here in Texas, most people have a strong belief in God. Texas is full of devoted Christians, which I love. It felt kind of like when Ammon was teaching King Lamoni about God. This man we talked with believed that there was a higher power. We testified that this higher power is God, our eternal Father and that we are his children. The conversation naturally flowed into the plan of salvation, which he was very intrigued by. It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord leads us to those who are prepared to receive the gospel. We just have to act. Even if that means walking clear across the street to talk to someone who is in their car with their window rolled down.

Just as I said in my last letter, we truly have the power to choose. We have the power to choose to seek opportunities to share our testimonies, we have the power to choose to be happy, and to see the good despite whatever whirlwinds may be around us. Love is a choice. Confidence in Christ is a choice. Everything is a choice. And the power is within us to choose the right. This is called agency. Or the ability to know right from wrong and to choose for ourselves.

I love God. I love His work. If there is one thing I want people to know when I interact with them, it is that I love God. Obedience is how we show our love to Him.

Mom, Dad, Lorielle, Jason, Chris, Eric, Grandma and Grandpa Record, and other family members, I don't know if you know how dear you are to me. Words cannot begin to express it. I simply pray that the spirit will manifest to you what you mean to me. I am so grateful that we are family. I promise you that I will continue to stand for truth, and return with honor. Not just when I return to you, but when I return to my Father in Heaven. I am now and forever, all in!

Sincerely,
Sister Record