V. Fulmer

It has been a privilege and a blessing to be a Latter-day Saint woman (also known as a Mormon).  I am grateful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I know that Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ  love each one of us more than we can imagine.  We may be flawed, but we are loved because we are sons and daughters of God.  I believe the Adversary, Satan, tries very hard to make us feel less than we are.  He whispers lies to us like, “You are no good”, “You can never overcome this sin”, “You’re too weak”, “You’re not smart enough” and so on.  Or he would have us believe that we are superior to others, to have a sense of unrighteous pride and arrogance. Either extreme is not of God.  However, the Lord encourages us to “love thy neighbor as thyself.”  This means that in addition to showing love and patience to others, we can love ourselves in a sense that we can strive to reach our fullest potential; we can learn to forgive ourselves, and to be patient with ourselves. Humility does not mean self-deprecation.  We need to be gentle with ourselves, as well as those around us.Being a member of the church has enabled me to not just endure trials and tribulations, but to learn from them.  The gospel has helped me to have a better perspective on life.  There is a plan for each of us, and when we step back and look at the big picture, it all makes sense.  Because of what I have learned through the Bible, Book of Mormon, prophets of God and other church leaders, I have been able to forgive, enjoy life more fully, find purpose in suffering and find inner-peace and joy.I am profoundly grateful to Jesus Christ; for His teachings, His example and for the Atonement.  He took my sins and pains upon Himself so that if I sincerely repent, I can find a greater measure of happiness during my life, and become clean through the blood of Christ and return to live with God again.  Because of sacred ordinances of the temple, I have an opportunity to live with my family for eternity.   Striving to live the restored gospel of Jesus Christ has blessed me in countless ways.  I have a strong desire to share the “good news” with others.  I want everyone to have the blessings that I have and that many other Mormons have enjoyed.  There are millions of members of the church, and the gospel continues to be shared throughout the world.  I am thankful for this opportunity to share my testimony, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.