Michael's Farewell

Michael arrived safely to the Colombia MTC and is very excited to be there.
For those that weren't able to be at his farewell, I've shared some excerpts from his talk.

"Before I was baptized and received the gift of the Holy Ghost, I wanted a confirmation if the church was true. I was taught by my Mother, family, and in Primary. I learned about the Godhead, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, about the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the restoration of the Church; these things helped me develop my own testimony. As I knelt down on my knees, praying to my Heavenly Father about whether the church was true, the answer came to me as if a car had hit me, and the divine answer was YES the church is true. SO, what is a testimony? A testimony is a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost. The foundation of a testimony is the knowledge that Heavenly Father lives and loves His children; that Jesus Christ lives, that He is the Son of God, and that He carried out the infinite Atonement; that Joseph Smith is the prophet of God who was called to restore the gospel; that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Savior's only true Church on the earth; and that the Church is led by a living prophet today who holds all the keys and is the mouthpiece of the Lord. With this foundation, a testimony can grow to include all principles of the gospel.

Our testimonies are constantly changing. Just as anything else they aren’t stagnant, and are either growing stronger, or getting weaker. The wonderful thing is that we decide what direction they go in. Will we nurture it, share it and help others attain one of their own? Or will we slowly abandon it, forget about our covenants and let it fall by the wayside? When we build on a strong foundation and strengthen our testimony day by day, month by month, and year by year, we will be blessed and become closer to Jesus Christ. At the same time, when we are faced with trials, our foundation is what we will depend on to get us through those difficult times. It is of the utmost importance to have a strong relationship with our Savior and a true understanding of what the atonement is.

Heavenly Father, and His son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, are always there for us, but we have to do our part. Jesus Christ sacrificed everything when he came to this Earth, and served others at all times in all places. We always need to follow his example and keep in mind of how much he’s done for us. Because without him, we have no purpose and if we are not willing to sacrifice some things in this world today, we cannot fulfill that purpose and endure to the end.

I am a member today because of a man named Dennis Frazier. I actually never met him. Sadly, he passed away the week I was born. He and his wife Maria, shared the gospel with my grandma and she knew that it was true and was baptized. We never know whose heart we can touch with our testimony and the lasting effect that it will have. We may be the last helping hand someone may need to make a lasting change. Robin Williams once said, “No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.” Brothers and sisters, this Gospel can change everybody’s lives and our mission today is said in Moses 1:39 “For behold, this is my work and my glory - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”

I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of Ecuador. I look forward to sharing the gospel with those who have been waiting for it, with those who have never heard of it, and with those who have lost their way. I hope that they will feel my love for the Lord, my love for His gospel and my love for them. I pray that I may stand and serve honorably as a witness of Christ so that others may begin and continue to build on His foundation.

Brother and Sisters, Jesus Christ has come, and He will come again.
This is my testimony and the message I am excited to share with the people of Ecuador. I have a testimony that the Godhead exists, that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are always there for us, and we are not alone. I believe that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and that through repentance, we may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. I know that Joseph Smith restored the true and only living Church on this Earth. I also know that President Thomas S. Monson is our Prophet today. As members of the Church, our goal is to bring back our brothers and sisters to our Eternal Father and Jesus Christ. This is Our Mission, should we choose to accept it." -Michael