We Do Not Doubt Our Mothers Knew It.

One of my favorite stories in The Book of Mormon has always been the story of the stripling warriors. As a kid, I remember just feeling fired up when reading about their faith and their success in fighting for the right - knowing that I myself was engaged in that same kind of battle. As I have grown up, the story has come to have a different meaning to me...

In the Fall of 2010, I was sitting in a sacrament meeting one Sunday alone in one of the back rows of a chapel in Illinois. I was listening to a woman talk about her son who was serving a mission at the time and the thought came in my head to read in Alma 56. I immediately opened my scriptures, and the rest of the chapel fell away, it was just me and the words. My eyes quickly found verses 47 - 48 which read:

Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

...as I read those last words I felt like a chorus of people were reading words along with me. I sat in that chapel feeling surrounded by something - something like calm and gratitude - and I let myself cry. I reached down towards my bag and pulled out the papers I was working on to send in for my mission and my decision became unshakeable and final. I had always been certain I would serve a mission, but that didn't mean I didn't have some worries and "but what ifs" - but in that moment I was done with all of them. I wanted to serve my Lord and my King, show Him how much I love Him and His gospel - and I wanted my children to never have a doubt that their mother knew it.

This scripture has become a strength to me every time I want to take a break or listen to the adversary, I think about my future children and how nothing means more to me in the world than them knowing that I know that Jesus is the Christ and God is our loving Heavenly Father and that they appeared to a young boy and called him as a prophet so that the gospel could be restored, and I press on. I find myself being motivated a lot by them. As I know that my entire life and testimony has been influenced by the life of discipleship that my mother has lived. I owe her everything.


In this weekend of celebrating Mothers I've decided to start a series of posts containing the short testimonies of some stripling warriors that I know - and how their mothers have influenced them in this fight for the cause of Christ and boldly declare that

We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

I Am Repenting.

Repentance: is much more than just acknowledging wrongdoings. It is a change of mind and heart that gives you a fresh view about God, about yourself, and about the world. It includes turning away from sin and turning to God for forgiveness. It is motivated by love for God and the sincere desire to obey His commandments. (Ref from True to the Faith)

I've been thinking a lot about repentance lately. When I was a kid I remember thinking of repentance as a big scary word - something bad that we needed to be afraid of.
Now as an adult, repentance is my best friend. Repentance is the sweetest thing in the world.
There have been times on my mission where I have felt myself crave repentance. Not because I've done anything really wrong - but because I hadn't been doing something as right, good, exact, fully, as I could.
That relief. That fresh view about myself, my Heavenly Father, and the world - tastes so so good.
Repentance is healing. It is healing our soul from the disease of sin.

Elder Richard G Scott once said:

"If one of you has seriously sinned, repent—now. It is not good to violate the commandments of the Lord. It is worse to do nothing about it. Sin is like cancer in the body. It will never heal itself. It will become progressively worse unless cured through the medicine of repentance." (Dont Face the World Alone)

I love that. Our Savior Jesus Christ has given us the cure; He has provided us the medicine. It is our decision whether we are going to take it or not. We can be healed. We can be clean. It is our decision.

How do we gain that?

The Book of Mormon teaches the doctrine of Christ so simply.

In 3 Nephi 9:13 Christ asks "will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?"

Earlier in 2 Nephi 31 the Savior explains perfectly and simply that "returning to Him" means having faith in Him, repenting, being baptized in His name by somebody who holds His authority, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

verse 11 states: And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son.

and verse 12: And also, the voice of the Son came unto me saying: he that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me: wherefore, follow me and do the things which ye have seen me do

So what does that mean for those that have already been baptized by somebody who holds the authority of God?

We must continue to grow and cultivate our faith in Jesus Christ, repent till the end, renew our baptismal covenants in partaking of the sacrament, be worthy and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, progress till the end, and help others take these steps as well.

That is where healing comes from. That is where peace comes from. That is the way that He has shown us to return to live with our Heavenly Father and our families forever.

His invitation is to heal us. Our decision is whether we will let Him.

Repentance is changing to be more like Him. When we live more like Him, we are happier. Period.

So this post is about repentance. It is about my repentance. How I am now repenting for my lack of attention to my own blog. I am forgetting those weeks of neglect and being a better representative of my Savior Jesus Christ.

Posts to come. Count on it. It wouldn't be lasting repentance if I went back to my heathen non-posting ways.

Testifying Tuesday: Sister Kahrs Too Can Testify

Hi! I am Sister Kahrs!
(Sister Kahrs: full-time missionary from Las Vegas can be found writing over HERE)

Hello to all that read Hermana Anderson's blog! Isn't she amazing!?

I am so grateful to share my testimony of the Book of Mormon. It has been such a great strength for me in my life. It has brought a deeper understanding and relationship with my Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. This book, this sacred book, testifies of Him and who He is and how much He loves us. This is another testament of Him. I have felt that so much in my life. As I have gone through trials and struggles in my life I have turned to prayer and The Book of Mormon, especially as a missionary.

Our Heavenly Father is aware of all our struggles and He gives us the Book of Mormon to help us in those struggles. There was one time I was doubting my testimony of God and knowing if he was really there. So I decided to put all that I have been taught to the test. Then one day, not right away, I came across the scripture in Alma 30:44 - It says that all things denote there is a God. When I read that I just knew that He was there just by looking around me.

I know that He lives and loves us and gives us the Book of Mormon to help bring us joy. I have seen that in my life and I know that all men everywhere can as well when they read and pray about it. The Book of Mormon is how I know that there is a prophet on the earth and that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
This is my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Testifying Tuesday: Dad Too Can Testify

Testifying Tuesday is officially part of the blog. Every Tuesday I will post a different person's testimony of The Book of Mormon - or how they came to know that The Book of Mormon is a true word of God.


I thought I would start out with the man that has influenced my life the most - my dad

My dad has been a quiet example to me all of my life. He is one of the most Christ-like people that I know and he works hard as a disciple of Jesus Christ without any self-promotion. I remember as a teenager sometimes waking up early to finish some homework, or getting up in the night to get some water, or maybe just being up WAY too late and seeing my dad sitting at the table at 4:30am studying his scriptures. I remember walking by his room and seeing him kneeling beside his bed in humble prayer. I remember how every. single. night. we would have family scripture study and family prayer. No matter what - he made sure that we had it. The very few times he was out of town - I think he called us to make sure we had had prayer and scripture study that night. Mostly, I remember seeing my dad dropping whatever he was doing and leaving the house in a shirt and tie, not even uttering a complaint or a sigh, to go and serve some other lamb of the fold. Seeing the importance of the gospel in his life - it easily became the main focus of my life. He is faithful, humble, and obedient - or in other words, he is powerful. His example has shaped my desires - which have shaped who I have become. I asked him to share his testimony of The Book of Mormon. The testimony that changed the life of his children - and therefore the lives of those we meet.

Dad Too Can Testify:
      I have been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 52 years.   During those years I have lived in three different countries, five different states and earned two bachelor degrees and one DDS.  I have had many experiences including marrying and raising four children and working as a general dentist in suburban Chicago.   I have enjoyed many good things in life, particularly the love and warmth of good family and many friends. 

       Recently I was feeling that I wanted to know more clearly and succinctly truths regarding my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I felt that I wanted to know more concisely Heavenly Father’s will concerning me.  I also wanted to feel stronger spiritually.  I wanted to feel greater love towards others and a greater ability to resist temptation.  I wanted to have a purer heart and happier mind.  I wished for a clearer answer to my prayers and a greater closeness to my Heavenly Father.  I wanted to know with greater assurance that God knew who I was and heard and answered my prayers.  I wanted greater faith and increased ability to lead my family and to do well in my career.   I wanted greater peace of mind and peace of conscience. 

This was quite a list of desires and goals.

      I had heard that someone had read the Book of Mormon from beginning to end once a month for a year with a very positive spiritual result.

      In order to find these spiritual gifts I decided to read the Book of Mormon with great intent.  I had first read the Book of Mormon from beginning to end when I was 18 years old.  Since that time I have read it from beginning to end about once every three or four years, for a total of about 10 to 12 times.  

This time I read the Book of Mormon once a month for each of three consecutive months.    I would get up early in the morning and read 18 pages before I started the day.   Once I finished the book I would start again.

     The results for me were very good.  I allowed the good feelings and thoughts that I had as I read to change my attitudes and character.  With time I realized that my spiritual goals were being fulfilled.  It was a gradual benefit but a benefit nonetheless.  I was grateful for the gradual changes that took place in my character.  Even though others may not have noticed any positive changes in my character, I did.  I can say for me the spiritual power of studying the Book of Mormon is immense.  I love the deep drinks of spiritual living waters if gives to my soul, because the book speaks of Jesus Christ.  The book teaches of Jesus Christ and explains Him to my soul in such a way that I am motivated to be a better person.

The Book of Mormon is of God and teaches of Jesus Christ.  It is a true book of Holy Scripture. 

The Title of my Blog...

...comes from a song written by President James E. Faust called "This is the Christ":

They heard His voice, a voice so mild;
It pierced them through and made their souls to quake;
They saw Him come, a man in white,
The Savior who had suffered for their sake.

They felt the wounds in hands and side,
And each could testify; This is the Christ;

This is the Christ, the holy Son of God,
Our Savior, Lord, Redeemer of mankind.
This is the Christ, the healer of our souls
Who ransomed us with love divine.

I read His words, the words He prayed
While bearing sorrow in Gethsemane;
I feel His love, the price He paid.
How many drops of blood were spilled for me?

With saints of old in joyful cry
I too can testify; This is the Christ;
This is the Christ, the holy Son of God,
Our Savior, Lord, Redeemer of mankind.
This is the Christ, the healer of our souls
Who ransomed us with purest love divine

When listening to this song I have always been affected by how true that statement is to me. I feel that I could stand up with the same conviction as those who had the opportunity to feel the prints in the Savior's hands and proclaim "This is the Christ". I do not need to see Him physically face to face to know that He is the Savior of the world.

That unshakable conviction for me has come through reading The Book of Mormon. In the first page of The Book of Mormon it states that its purpose is for "the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ". I'm not sure I've read a book that has realized its purpose in such an effective way.

As I think about the coming forth of the translation of The Book of Mormon - another testament of Jesus Christ, another affirmation of our Heavenly Father's watchful care, a testimony of His continuing revelation to a world that is full of such confusion and turmoil - I see it standing up with The Bible and proclaiming "I too can testify; This is the Christ". With The Book of Mormon's hand of support and courage to stand up next to The Bible and proclaim lost truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it seems that the Bible, worn from the hands of men desperately trying to disprove another set of hands holding the same Bible, would give a sigh of relief and with a grateful heart, turn to The Book of Mormon for assistance in clearing things up and in sustaining it.

^ picture drawn by Elder Adam Sherrow

Surely all who love The Bible can celebrate in the coming forth of The Book of Mormon. Surely all who have held fast to the truth that God is not a God of confusion, but a loving Heavenly Father can revel in the sweetness of another testament that clarifies the fullness of the doctrine of Jesus Christ, and testifies of Our Father's continued watchful care.

This blog is for me to proclaim that I too can testify of Christ...and that it is through The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, that I am able to do it.

Why I am a Missionary

When contemplating my first post I kept thinking about the letter I wrote before I left for my mission. It gives greater clarity into what it is that I do as a missionary and why I, personally, have chosen to dedicate 18 months of my life to this great work...
 19 year old boys that are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or Mormons) are expected to serve a full-time mission for 2 years. Girls do not have the same obligation but are still given the opportunity to serve at the age of 21. I feel as if I have been waiting for my 21st birthday forever. The desire to serve a mission fills my entire being - it feels as if it reaches through every vein even to the tip of each toe. I can not look at all the blessings of my life, the overwhelming truth of the atonement, the relationship that I have with my Heavenly Father, and the blessings that come through my Savior Jesus Christ and sit still knowing that there is work to be done. After everything the Lord has done for me, how can I not give 18months of my life completely to Him?

When I know that there are people in the world that do not understand that they are children of God, that Jesus Christ suffered and died that they might be redeemed, that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored once again to this earth, that they can kneel down and pray to their Heavenly Father knowing that He loves and understands them - or in other words that there are people that do not understand who they truly are, why they are here, and where they are going - or in other words that there are people that do not feel truly happy and truly peaceful - I must get up and help them find the peace and happiness that they seek. I must help Heavenly Father's children return to Him. I must help in the cause of Christ. So I guess my one sentence answer to this loaded question would be - I am serving a mission because of the deep love and gratitude I have for my Savior, and the love and concern that I feel for Heavenly Father's children. I recognize that the Lord has a need for service in His work. I prepare myself, pack my suitcase, and stand before Him; Here am I, send me.


I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer - that the atonement is real and makes it possible for us to continue in our quest to be more like Him. I know that I am a daughter of God. That my Heavenly Father knows and loves me - that He hears and answers prayers. I know that true and lasting happiness comes from living in accordance with the gospel of Jesus Christ - the message of Christ, the message I bring is a message of happiness and a message of family. I am so grateful for the truths that I know through the assurance and peace of the Holy Ghost - that Heavenly Father provided a plan for us to be happy and to be with our families for eternity. He provided a Savior for us as a way to return to Him. I wish I had the words to express my love and gratitude for all of these truths. I believe in a God that loves - and therefore a God that continues to speak. He has not left us to wander on our own - He continues to speak to us this day through latter-day prophets. I know with my whole heart and soul that Christ has restored His gospel yet again on the earth through His prophet Joseph Smith and blessed us with another testament of Him through The Book of Mormon. Studying The Book of Mormon alongside The Bible, and striving to live a Christ-like life has helped me come to know Him in a way that is so personal and sacred to me. I challenge you all to assess the role of Christ in your life and work to strengthen your discipleship. I challenge you to get down on your knees and talk with your Heavenly Father and feel of His concern and love for you. I challenge you to work harder to be the person the Lord needs you to be. I, too, take this challenge.


I know all of these things to be true and that is why I go. I work to bring the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who seek joy and peace. I strive to aid Christ in His mission to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. I stand as a witness of the healing powers of the atonement. I know that He lives.


"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell:
                                 but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15)