What We Can't Live Without

Okay, so I can live without two of these - I am currently, but it is a pretty cool shoe. :) (I just needed a graphic to make the post more interesting!)

Sunday in Relief Society (our Church women's group), we had an activity/object lesson I really enjoyed. The instructor had taped a number of papers to the board and asked us which one of all the many things written on them we could not live without physically/spriritually. We were to call out things that we thought we could part with and she would remove them one-by-one. Here are the ones I can remember:

Mobile home, vacation, radio, TV, music, Prophet, family, apostles, spouse, job, indoor plumbing, children, home, shoes, boat, testimony, ability to walk, music, car, spouse, temples, ability to see, internet, boat, home teachers, sunday school, public school, church meetinghouse, priesthood, secondary education, prayer, ability to hear, shoes, grocery store, scriptures, furniture, electricity, friends.

What do you think you could do without? Some of these things were hard to take away. There were some strong arguments made for why we needed a number of these items. No internet/electricity means no facebook or blogs! :) Luckily we don't live where it snows so I didn't think the shoes were a huge deal. Without money/home/grocery store I figured I could wander & live off the land. Losing the ability to walk would make that a bit more difficult. There were a number of people who felt very strongly that we could not live without the priesthood. It was by the priesthood that our world was created, and without it we would not exist....

When I looked at the board in the beginning of the exercise, I came to the realization that with a strong testimony, all the rest could be taken away and it really wouldn't matter so much to me. I'd know that everything would be alright in the end. I'd have hope for the life after this one and what trials I experienced here, though hard, would be viewed as the temporary things they were. There have been many times in the world when groups of people (and once where all of them) were without priesthood keys and ordinances. Though priesthood is an essential part of the world and of Christ's church, we can live temporarily without it. If I were taken into bondage, the one thing I would need - and the one thing I could take with me if I were to die - would be my testimony. If prayer were against the law or if my brain were not working to form the words/thoughts I would at least want to have my testimony & faith to get me through.

I feel so blessed to have the faith & strength of testimony I have developed throughout my life. It feels like it has always been there. At times it is weaker and sometimes stronger than others, but I am blessed that it has ALWAYS been there.

I just finished reading the Chronicles of Narnia. What an amazing man C.S. Lewis must be! The books made me picture the Lord a little as a lion :), but I loved reading them & they did a lot to solidify my faith & testimony. The helped to sharpen my perspective on life. When we are about the Lord's work, we cannot really go wrong. Trials (or difficult adventures) may come, but if we have a testimony of the Lord & strive do His will, come what may, all will be alright in the end.