The Church in my eyes.

Like I said, my name is Elder Penman and I am a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints. One time I was asked why I was serving a mission. Of course at first it was a simple answer "because this is where I want to be" but as i continued to ponder about why i was here i have made a few different conclusions. I came on a mission to show the world that Jesus is the Christ and to bear my witness of Him. I am also out here because I know how much this gospel has blessed my life and the life of my family.

In every aspect of my life, the gospel of Jesus Christ has been there for me. Whenever I have come to a hard decision in my life, I always turn to Heavenly Father in prayer. I know that He listens to my prayers and He answers them. I reason I know this is because its happened to me. There have been many times in my life where I am in a pickle, when I give the situation to my Father, He is always the one to get me out of the situation and back to where i should be in life. And whenever I have a question that I need answered, I like all of His children, have the opportunity to turn to Him in prayer and ask Him. I also can feel the answer that He gives me through the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is a member of the God Head that can be with us 24-7 after we are baptized by the priesthood authority and after we receive the laying on of hands and given the gift of the Holy Ghost. I know that the Holy Ghost is with me, I know it because I can feel it often. I love being able to pray and feel the answers or even see the answers He gives me around me. Because of that, I know that God is our LOVING Heavenly Father.

I am also on a LDS mission because I know that Families can be together forever! My family is going to be together forever and I want other families to be together. When my parents got married, they not only got married for this life but also for eternity in the house of God, or the temple. Because of that, I know that we can live forever. Because of the priesthood, things can be bound on earth and in heaven. When looking at the big picture in life, we know that death is not the end. There is going to be life after this life and whats better than spend eternity with your family that you love so much! Nothing beats that! I want families to be together forever in the presence of God and I know they can be as they follow the commandments that He has given us and if we follow Christs' example and get baptized by the priesthood authority.

What about the Book of Mormon? Well I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that everything that happened in the Book of Mormon is true. Everything just makes sense. I can now understand the Bible and I have another testament of Jesus Christ. Its so amazing! I love it! And because I know that the Book of Mormon is true, I know that Joseph is His prophet that He called to restore the truth to the earth. Today we have the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ because Joseph Smith.

Most of all, the reason I am on a mission is cause i know that Jesus is the Christ. I know that because of Him, i can live with God again. Because Jesus came to earth to Atone for me and take all of my sins upon him. There is nothing that I can do to repay Him for what He did. This mission is only a small fraction of what he did and this is the best way to re-pay him. I love Christ! I love the fact that he suffered for me and my friends and my family. He suffered for every person that has lived, that is living and that will live. What a better way to tell people than to serve a mission. Without Christ in my life, there would be no point in living. Because of him, I have been able to do a lot of things. He is my Light!

I know all of these things to be true because I have prayed about them and through the Holy Ghost I know for sure. I know that each of you can gain a testimony or have yours strengthened through the Book of Mormon and by praying to God and asking Him if its true. When you know for yourself, you will have a desire to go to the temple and be sealed for time and eternity or to just go back and feel the amazing spirit of the temple. I hope you all take what you read today and ponder on it. For those of you that are on missions, are planning on going on a mission, or have been on one already, think about why you are on a mission and what it means to you.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

Elder Cody Penman