I Believe

I just found out from a friend what Big Love's newest episode is planning to share. For those of you who havent heard of that show, its about a polygamist fmaily who broke apart from the church to practice polygamy. The newest episode is said to aire scenes inside a temple, showing parts of some of the temple ordinances we perform in there. In TV Guide, there is a publicity shot of the first wife, obviously standing in the temple, dressed in a temple dress and wearing the apron and head piece we wear. When I saw this picture, I was in shock. I really felt a rock drop in my stomach. The temple is something we all hold dear to us. Its a holy place set aside on earth...God's house here. The ordinances we perform are not secret, they are SACRED. If you do not know the difference, look it up. (If you want to see the article, go to page 48 on this site. http://www.tvguidemagsales.com/WeeklyIssues/TVG030909.pd I dont want to post it)

I was recently told that for years other religions have had to put up with this, and now its our turn. That along with our church being widely known, so will our sacred rites. So what, are we supposed to sit back and sigh and just say "Well, had to happen sooner or later"? Are we supposed to watch at the world picks apart our beliefs, GOD'S sacred rites (NOT ours) and say and do nothing just because this has happened before to others? We are taught from youth to stand strong. To stand for TRUTH and RIGHTIOUSNESS. To be strong in all opposition and to be warriors for the Lord. I am not saying that we should battle this. Oh, it will aire no matter what. But what they are attacking now isnt just a little thing.

For years that HAVE made fun of us, remember. Missionary work. Our strong family bonds. Church attendance. Old practices of polygamy. The list can go on forever. This isnt the first straw of abuse from media and those alike...its getting close to the last. Yes, we have all sat back and laughed at the monks smacking their heads in Monty Python. At the Catholic church's mishaps and at who knows what else. And know what? I feel bad now. I feel the hurt they felt as their beliefs were bashed. But people, this isnt just belief that is being made fun of. Big Love started that when their first show aired.

For those of you who are endowed members of the Church. Remember how it feels when you step into those temple doors. How peaceful and precious every moment felt as you walked the hallways of the temple. The feeling of stepping into the celestial room and KNOWING you are in God's place on earth. The temple is blessed. It is set aside for the ordinances that GOD has given us to do on this earth. Yes, it is horrible that other religions have had their rites bashed for years. But if you truly believe in this faith, you know that those are beliefs...THIS is GOD's rites and ordinances. There is a difference. Its one thing to bash man. Quite another to bash God. Friends who dont believe. I am not saying you are evil. That what you believe is WRONG. But like I do not bash what you hold to be true, dont bash what I believe in.

I know this church is true. I KNOW that God lives and Jesus Christ is His son and lives too. I believe with all my heart that this church was brought back to us by God, given to Joseph Smith to share with the world. How many times in the bible did God ask a simple mortal to do His work? How come it seems to impossible today? I know it is true. I know the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. That it was written by true people who lived and breathed as we do. I have been to the temple. I have felt the holy spirit there and I KNOW that the temple is a place of God. I know that what we do in there is sacred, special, and holy. I believe in the priesthood. I have felt it touch my life. I have had priesthood blessings and have felt them heal me of my afflictions, whether it was an illness or just stress. I know God hears my prayers. He has answered them more than I can count. Yes, I struggle. I am not as active in going to church as I should be. I struggle with tithing. I am no perfect. But my belief, my faith, my knowledge in WHAT I believe...I know it is all true.

So how can I just sit back, turn on the tv, and willingly watch a show that you know Satan is helping along. Shane and I decided when this show first aired, to never watch it. We knew it would go no where good and that even the light prods at our faith were bigger than they looked. Remember the whole "frog in boiling water" story? Well...watching a show that you know publicly puns at your faith will only lead to bigger bashes, more abuse. And things like this can only weaken your testimony.

I know we cant do much. But we can stray from watching shows like this. We can make sure our non member friends know what we really believe. We can pray and go to the temple and remember these testimonies that we have all worked so hard to strengthen throughout our lives.

We will "stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things,
and in all places" (Mosiah 18:9)

I believe.