My belief in Jesus Christ has grown over a period of many years. Growing up in the Catholic Church, I learned about Him and I started developing my faith in Him as the Savior of humankind. I remember that during a time of uncertainty in my teenage years, when I was not sure in what church or doctrine to believe, I received my first testimony of Christ and of His crucifixion. At that time I could not really understand the importance of that experience, because it was quiet and simple. Only later, when I became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I learned how the Spirit of God operates, I was able to realize that the simple experience had helped me and guided me in my search for the truth in the following years.

Since I became a member of His Church, I have had many opportunities to expand my knowledge and testimony of Him, and I know now that He is our Savior, and that He is the Son of God, and that He leads His Church. I know that I need to expand my knowledge and testimony of Him until they will become perfect. This will not be possible in this life, but every day I can try and do my best to get a little closer to this goal.

It is almost 40 years since I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have no regrets. My testimony of Jesus Christ has grown over many years little by little. At the beginning, I was attracted by the glow that I felt when I attended the church meetings and activities where the priesthood power was manifest, though at that time I didn’t fully understand that power and authority. My habit of reading the scriptures also provided an anchor and increased my spiritual growth. Initially, the concept of Atonement was a most foreign idea to me and I worked through The Book of Mormon and the other standard works more than 10 times, through which I gained much insight in the Gospel, and to my relationship with Jesus Christ. That learning process has been slow and step-by-step but sure.

Understanding the concepts of the Sonship of our Savior is one thing; really feeling of His power in our life is a different thing. The latter happened in my life through responding to callings and engaging in services and service in the Church of Jesus Christ. While I was diligently and carefully attending to the needs of my fellow brothers and sisters in the Church, the Spirit touched my feelings and I learned more and more about the tender mercy of the Lord. Those moments were vivid and real; and I grew to love the Lord and His work.

Only recently have I grown to understand that the Atonement is much more universally applicable in my life. Previously, I thought the Atonement was there only to help us overcome difficult things and mistakes we make, sins we commit, but as I faced other difficult situations, searching for solutions, I have become aware that the influence of the atonement is much more extensive and deeper. This, then, lies at the core of my deep conviction that the atonement of Jesus Christ is real, and He is our Savior. I so testify in the
sacred name of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I know that this life is not a matter of chance. I know that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and who sent His son Jesus Christ to live and die for us, so that we may all return again to his presence. God and His son Jesus Christ knows each one of us by name and has a plan for each of us.

There are miracles that still happen today, just as when the Savior walked the Earth. I have been witness to miracles in my life and I know that through Jesus Christ, all things are possible. He has not abandoned us. One of my favorite scriptures is Isaiah 49: 14-16

14 But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.

15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

He will not forget us, ever. He is always there, making our burdens light. He suffered for us, died for us, all so we could be with him again. He need only look at the palms of his hands to remember us.

I’m striving each day to follow the example of my Savior Jesus Christ. He has shown us the way to be happy, to find peace, to find joy. He has instructed us to take His name upon us and to be like him. To become Christ-like we must first know Christ and then we must live our lives as Christ lived his. To become Christ-like we become filled with love. We love each other as Christ loves us. We forgive one another as Christ forgives us. And we love and forgive ourselves, and see ourselves as Christ sees us.

I have been blessed to live a life where I was always aware of Jesus Christ and of His role in my life as Savior and Brother. Hand in hand with this knowledge is the reality that I am also a daughter of God. This knowledge has blessed my life every day in very specific ways. I have a confidence in myself and in my abilities; a confidence that has nothing to do with my talents or capabilities, but rests solely on the fact that I have inherent, eternal value as a daughter of a Heavenly Father. This has given me the courage and determination to try many things in my life that I feel completely incapable of succeeding in on my own. However, I have pushed forward because I know that it is what God wants of me, no matter how poorly I may feel I perform. If He asks, I will give it my best.

I feel grateful for the Atonement of my Savior in very tender, personal ways, many of which cannot be shared because there is simply no way to talk about them. However, there are still many things that can and should be said. I am so grateful for the testimony I have of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that He was and is literally the begotten Son of God. I know that He lived a life on this earth, that He chose to give His life for the salvation of mankind. I know that before He gave His life He suffered for the sins and the sorrows of this world. I know that after He gave His life He literally rose again. I know that He lives today. He was not just a man who taught good principles and lived a good life while on this earth; He is the Creator of this earth and continues to rule next to God.

The power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in my life is something I try to use every day. So many times I fall short. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by how far I still have to go. I continue judging people when I know I shouldn’t. I make snap judgments about other children of God. I really try to remember that they are just as loved of Him as I am, and that I have a responsibility to love them, too. That is really not an easy thing to do, but I continue to try. His ultimate proof of love for me means I can become more like Him, if I do not give up. I am so grateful for the unconditional love that Jesus Christ has for me and for each of us, because just as I will not give up on myself, no matter how hard things may become, I will also not lose faith in the goodness and potential of others.

From my childhood I learned about Jesus Christ and the importance of His atonement. I have gained knowledge through reading His word and learning of Him; this has always given me a great pleasure. During my years of personal I study, and as I learned about Jesus Christ, and the role He played as Savior and Redeemer, I also learned that we can receive knowledge not only through our reasoning power, but even more importantly, through the Lord’s Spirit.

While studying the scriptures, I realized a real flow of knowledge that poured into my mind. It penetrated my soul in way that erased doubt and gave me a sense of pure happiness and love that never experienced before on earth. No knowledge have I acquired has had the greater impact on my heart and mind than the knowledge that Jesus is the Christ. This knowledge continues to influence my decisions daily, and I try to follow His perfect example.

I know that by studying and receiving numerous spiritual experiences that Jesus of Nazareth is the God of the Old Testament, yes the Lord, and the creator of this Earth and all that exists. He came to earth and taught us the only path that could take us back to our Father; He healed the sick, comforted the afflicted and raised the dead. His words of wisdom and love inherently have the power to elevate men and to assist them in understanding to understand their and His true nature. I witness that at the end of the Savior’s mortal ministry, He offered the most sublime act of love. Through His infinite atonement He took upon himself, voluntarily, the sins, sorrows, frustrations and sufferings of the whole human family. He forgave all who were willing to submit to Him as He submitted to the will of the Father. He volunteered to be crucified and to bring to all eternal life. He lives and will return as promised to reign in peace and righteousness over His people. But above all, I know he is willing to help me carry my burdens, to wipe away my tears with love, and to lead me through the storms of life, He is not far away. He knows me and loves me more than I can understand. I am humbled and grateful for the testimony that was given me by a loving God, who I learned to call Father.