The Line

Dear all, 

I hope y'all had a wonderful Easter! He is risen! Truly, HALLELUJAH! Words cannot express my gratitude for this, the most important truth we have ever been taught. Because of Jesus Christ, all will live again. All have the opportunity to find new life in Him and return to God's presence. I find comfort in Christ. I know that my Redeemer lives! 

There is only one thing I love more than being a servant of the Lord, and that is being a busy servant of the Lord. This week flew by like a tornado of appointments, contacts, meetings, and wonderful-ness! 

Ice Cream at the mission home. The perfect way to end the first day in the field!

This week, I had the wonderful opportunity of welcoming the new missionaries to the Mighty TSAM. Each one has a unique personality and I love each and every one of them. They may not see it now, but they are truly powerful servants of the Lord. 

Minivan selfie with the new missionaries

My experience with the new missionaries left me pondering, and I'd like to share a few thoughts. 

Three days before the fall of the Alamo, Colonel William B. Travis lined up his men and said: "My brave companions... our fate is sealed... our business is not to make a fruitless effort to save our lives, but to choose the manner of our death... Should any man prefer to surrender, or to attempt an escape, he is at liberty to do so. My own choice is to stay in the fort and die for my country, fighting as long as breath shall remain in my body." He then drew his sword and used it to draw a line in front of his men. As he finished, Colonel Travis turned to his men and offered them a choice: "I now want every man who is determined to stay here and die with me to come across this line. Who will be first?" Every man instantly crossed the line, determined to give his life for his country, which every single one of them did. 

In the TSAM, we take new missionaries to the Alamo within hours of their arrival. As a lead sister training leader, I had the opportunity to be with the new missionaries at the Alamo this last Wednesday. We lined up all 16 of the missionaries front and center, right in the middle of all the tourists. Sister Johnson read the story of the Alamo, and people stopped to listen. I watched the missionaries' faces as she read, and it was interesting to see their different levels. Some were uncomfortable with the attention and had a hard time focusing, while others knew exactly what was about to happen. When Sister Johnson finished, she looked all the missionaries in the eye and asked: "ARE YOU READY TO CROSS THE LINE AND COMMIT YOURSELF DURING THE NEXT 18 TO 24 MONTHS TO THE LORD AND TO HIS WORK IN THE TEXAS SAN ANTONIO MISSION?" Each and every missionary crossed the line without hesitation. It was incredible to see. 

With the new missionaries at The Alamo.
A member family happened to be there and wanted to take a photo with us after we had handed out
 a box of  copies of The Book of Mormon.

I still remember the day that I crossed that line. I remember watching Elder Pew read the story to us, and hearing Elder Hatch invite us to cross the line. Of course I did, along with the rest of my group, but it wasn't until much later that I recognized the significance of that event. I physically crossed the line on January 21, 2015, but it wasn't until much later that I recognized the need to cross the line with all my heart, might, mind, and soul. It wasn't until that day that I became a true disciple of Christ. 

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: there are no neutrals. Elder George A. Smith said it best when he said: "There is a line of demarcation well defined between the Lord’s territory and the devil’s territory. If you will stay on the Lord’s side of the line you will be under his influence and will have no desire to do wrong; but if you cross to the devil’s side of that line one inch you are in the tempter’s power and if he is successful, you will not be able to think or even reason properly because you will have lost the Spirit of the Lord."

The scriptures teach us again and again that there is no gray area in which we can cowardly sit, content with not taking a stand. You are either with the Lord, or you are not. 

In the words of Sister Hannah Cornaby:

"Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?

Now is the time to show.

We ask it fearlessly:

Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?

We wage no common war,

Cope with no common foe.

The enemy’s awake;

Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?"

(Hymns, 260)

Brothers and Sisters, the enemy is awake. He will do everything he can to get you to cross to his side, and he will not give up. We are waging a war, every day a battle for the cause of righteousness. But we have an advantage: 

We know who will win the war.

What is left to us is to decide whose side we will be on when the curtain closes on this epic between good and evil. 

"Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself" (2 Nephi 2:27). 

"Choose ye this day whom ye will serve, whether the gods which your father's 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). 

The choice is left to you. 

"My decision has been made. I've put my hand to the plow. I've crossed the line. So as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ" (TSAM Purpose Statement). 

Sister Johnson and me with President and Sister Slaughter at the temple.

As for Sister Waite, I will serve the Lord.

Love, 

Sister Waite

Hallelujah!

There have been a few times in my life when I have felt to shout "Hallelujah!" Some have been as silly and simple as doing well in a volleyball tournament, and some are sacred and I hold them near and dear to my heart. But there is one reason to praise the Lord that I will forever shout from the rooftops. 

I stand with those who followed Christ as He entered Jerusalem for the last time, shouting, "Hosanna in the highest!" 

I stand with the Nephites when our resurrected Savior visited them, saying: "Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God!" 

I stand with every follower of Christ who has ever felt to shout "Hallelujah!" as they pondered the sacrifice of their Lord. 

Hallelujah! 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

How great the love of Heavenly Father that He would send His Only Begotten Son to suffer and die for the rest of His children! 

How great the love of the Savior, to submit to the will of the Father, saying "Not my will, but thine, be done." 

Hallelujah! 

To think that the Father's Only Begotten, the only one to ever walk this earth and live a perfect life, would descend below all things, "suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind," taking upon Him our infirmities, "that He may know according to the flesh how to succor his people," fills me with such joy, and love, and gratitude that I cannot express in words. 

There is no sin, no fear, no heartache, no loss, no sadness, no challenge, no weakness that we cannot overcome with Christ. 

Brothers and Sisters, Hallelujah! 

In the beginning of His earthly ministry, our Savior said to His disciples: "Follow me." With unwavering faith, they "straightway" left their lives behind and followed their Master. 

That invitation still stands and is open to us. 

Follow Him and find new life. 

I have found new life in my Savior. Because of Jesus Christ, I have been made clean. I have been made whole. I will live again. 

You can, and will, too!

Hallelujah! 

Before entering into Gethsemane, our Redeemer said to His disciples: "Watch with me." Because of the lateness of the hour and the weakness of the flesh, they were unable to do so, and fell asleep. The Lord suffered alone. 

In this our day, our Savior invites us still to watch with Him. We are to love, follow, and obey. 

I will never leave my Savior alone. I will ever love Him. I will follow Him. I will obey. I will stand beside my Savior forever. 

I am wide awake. And ever will be.

May we all take the time to love and appreciate the Savior. May we all continually follow Him. May we all keep our eyes from drooping in sleep. 

The Monte Vista District

Hallelujah!

I love you all! 

Sister Waite

Don't Put Away The Map!

Dear all,

"What do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth... Shall we not go on in so great a cause? (D&C 128:19,22)"

I love the Lord and I love His work! This week has been incredible. So full of miracles and excitement! I have learned much and felt much. There is no greater work in this world!

I'd love to share one experience from this week that taught me more than I had bargained for.

The other day, President Slaughter asked us to come by the mission office, which is about 12 minutes away by the freeway. We hadn't planned on heading that direction, but when President calls you go! Two of the major freeways in San Antonio cross in the middle of our area, and unless you really know where you're going, you will probably
get on the wrong freeway. We got in the car and I checked the map to make sure I knew where I was going, and then got overconfident and put away the map. We got going on the freeway, and pretty soon I didn't recognize where we were. Suddenly, downtown San Antonio was much closer than normal. I exited the freeway and could not recognize where I was. My companion, bless her heart, could not figure out how to get the GPS to work, despite my panicked instructions. I was finally able to pull off the frontage road into a nice neighborhood. I was scared and had no idea where I was. I took a few moments to breathe before taking the GPS from Sister Paul in order to get directions. It took a few seconds to find us, every second making my heart beat faster. FINALLY, it found us and told us how to get to the mission office. We eventually made our way there. An hour out of the way, but we made it.

There are so many things I learned from this experience, but I'll share one:

DON'T PUT AWAY THE MAP.

Heavenly Father has given us so many "maps" to help us get back to Him (and avoid downtown San Antonio). We have the scriptures. We have living prophets. We have our parents. We have our other leaders. SO MANY MAPS.

They all help us stay on the right road. If we ignore our map and put it away, even when we think we know what we are doing, we are going to get lost.

In a couple weeks, we have the opportunity to receive guidance from our living prophets! In the past, I have listened to what they have said, picked a few favorite one-liners, and soon forgot the rest. But this time, I will not put away my map.

I'm sure there are many other things you can learn from my mistake. I would love to hear some of them!

Have an incredible week and know that I love y'all!

Love,
Sister Waite

In The Service of My Fellow Beings

My frizzy hair and pruny fingers after my service.

I guess orange juice deserves a photo. Sister Paul and me.

Dear all,

This week was absolutely incredible! We saw so many miracles!

* We were walking through an apartment complex, and some children yelled out "Hey Mormons!" We waved and said hello. The kids were so excited to see us! It turns out that missionaries used to visit their family, but stopped going by. They told us that they've been reading the Book of Mormon and wondering where the missionaries went!
*  We had an investigator tell us that she wants to give her friend a Book of Mormon! We offered to practice with her and she loved it! 
*  There have been several times we've knocked on someone's door and they've answered and told us that they're not usually home at that time. We've been able to set appointments and it's been great!
*  We've received several promising referrals and they just keep coming!
*  I didn't burn my grilled cheese sandwich just now! (Which was really great because I love grilled cheese!)

I also had the opportunity to attend Mission Leadership Council, where President Slaughter asked us all what made our missions great. My mind immediately jumped to every single one of my companions! I still marvel at the inspiration that goes into assigning companions and proselyting areas. I have learned something unique and different from every single one of my companions in the field. Sister Gagon, Sister Montclair, Sister Risenmay, Sister Harrison, Sister Johnson, Sister Kirkman, and now Sister Paul! They all hold a special place in my heart!

I recently reached a point in my mission where I felt I was doing all that I could to serve God, but knew that I had more to give. I searched and searched for ways to improve and increase my service.

I talked a little bit louder, walked a little bit faster, and pushed myself a little longer, but I still felt like I had more to give.

"... when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God," and whosoever will lose his life in the service of God shall find it."

I love what President Kimball said about service: "We become more substantive as we serve others-indeed, it is easier to 'find' ourselves because there is so much of us to find!"

It wasn't until I read in Mosiah 2:17 that I realized that I could do all I wanted to serve God, but until I was serving my fellow men, I wasn't truly serving my God. I decided this week to experiment and do all that I could to serve those around me. My life has been forever changed.

The sweetest experience happened less than 24 hours ago. We walked into the home of one of the strongest women I have ever known. We could tell she was a little frazzled and frustrated, and all I wanted to know was how to help her. I noticed a giant pile of dirty dishes in the sink and immediately asked if we could wash them for her (which was probably a little bit selfish of me because I absolutely love doing the dishes!) This sweet sister accepted our offer, and we began to wash. It took a lot longer than I had anticipated, and by the end my hair was frizzy and poofy and my hands were red and pruny. But they got done, and I could see the countenance of this sweet sister lift.

That night as I wrote in my journal, I  was pondering the day and what I had learned, when an image of our Savior standing at a kitchen sink, washing dishes flashed into my mind. The question "If Christ had my opportunities, what would He do?" followed quickly after. As I thought about that, I could almost see my Savior walking even faster than I had been, speaking with more power, and pushing even longer. I could hardly finish my journal entry for the tears.

The scripture "How knoweth a man the master whom he has not served?" (Mosiah 5:13) has taken on new meaning for me.

When we serve God, we come to know Him because we draw closer to Him, yes. But I now know that we come to know Him even better because we are walking the paths that He has walked before us. As we serve others, we are filled with the love of God for all men and begin to understand more about how He feels about us!

The Lord loves us so much and in His infinite wisdom has allowed us to feel an inkling of that love as we serve others.

What an incredible week it has been!

Love,
Sister Waite

Mysterious Ways

Dear all,

This week can be described by one cliche: 

The Lord moves in mysterious ways!

Take, for example, an experience from yesterday. We were coming out of our dinner appointment when we received a text from President Slaughter, asking us to report as soon as possible some information that we had unfortunately left in our apartment. We decided that as we headed back to the apartment we would visit a few people on the way, to make the best use of our miles. We chose a family, and I checked a map to make sure that  I knew where we were going. I was sure that we needed to turn right on Marshwood and right on Ingram, then left on the next road, then a right, then arrive. I checked and rechecked. Getting lost in San Antonio is not the most fun thing! We started off, turning right on Marshwood, then right on Ingram. Pretty soon, I realized that somehow I had taken a wrong turn. Luckily, I had strayed into a more familiar part of the area. Knowing that turning around probably wouldn't be the most time effective, I wracked my brain to remember families who lived in the area who would need a visit.

"What about the Averys?" I thought.

"No, they haven't answered the door or phone in three months. Who else could we try?" I answered myself.

"..."

"I know there are other families around here. There's the ... that one with the dog... No, they live too far away. Who else?"

"The Averys."

Despite all of my efforts to push the thought away, I could not get them out of my head. I've been a missionary long enough now to know what that means, and I should have responded to it faster, I know.

So we went over.

And wouldn't you know it? They let us in gladly! They apologized for not seeing us for a while, and told us about how they are so busy and are never home. We had an incredible lesson with them!

The Avery family was not on our plans. In fact, we actually planned on heading the opposite direction. but because Sister Waite got turned around and apparently doesn't know how to read a map, the Lord was able to lead us right to them.

The Lord works in mysterious ways!

Another example? The Stephens family, the family we set with a baptism date a few weeks ago, recently moved into another ward covered by a different set of missionaries, They're going to be baptized over there. At first, I was a little sad. This is my family, after all! But then I realized that they are going to learn things that only the elders in that area could teach them! We were able to find them, and begin the conversion process, and now the elders get to help them along even farther!

The Lord works in mysterious ways!

"God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants his footsteps in the sea

And rides upon the storm.

Ye fearful Saint, fresh courage take;

the clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy and shall breaking 

In blessings on your head.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

but sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err

And scan his works in vain;

God is his own interpreter,

And he will make it plain."

(Hymn #285)

I can't even begin to count the amount of miracles and little "mysterious ways" that I have been a part of this week. It is a pleasure to serve the Lord and witness so many miracles!

I love you all! I hope you have a wonderful week full of miracles!

Love,

Sister Waite 

Sacrament Meeting Talk

This is a talk that Abbie gave on Sunday Feb 21, 2016 in sacrament meeting. She was the last speaker. I thought it was so beautiful and wanted to document it here. Love you, Abbie!

14 months ago, I first stepped foot on Texas soil, and I stand before you today an entirely different person. I have experienced the Restoration. I am a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, called of Him by prophecy and revelation and assigned to labor in the Texas San Antonio Mission. I can imagine no greater place to serve! I can think of no
greater place to come to know my Savior and His gospel.

Brothers and Sisters, the blood of the Restoration runs deep within my soul. I pray for you everyday that you may feel the same.

God is a God of miracles. There have been two miracles in the history of the world that have changed the eternal destiny of mankind: the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

As members of the church, we speak often of the Atonement, and rightly so! As Jacob says in Jacob 4: "Why not speak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge of him?" But how many times do we just glaze over the Restoration, making it seem as though it is just another event in church history, instead of the reason FOR church history. How often do we forget that the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the second greatest thing to ever happen on the earth? It is our unique message to the world! I can walk up to someone on the street and tell them their family can be forever, and they can say "Yeah, I already knew that." But if I tell them that there is a prophet on the earth today, chosen by God to teach us the best way to follow Christ, they can't say that. They don't already know that! It is a unique message! If we can come to understand that, and help others understand, our testimonies will be built on the solid bedrock of truth!

As a missionary, I have come to know my loving Heavenly Father, who has taught His children His gospel since the very beginning of time. I have come to know my Father who chose Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses to lead mankind and teach repentance.

I know our loving Heavenly Father who sent His Only Begotten Son to not only lead us and teach us repentance, but to make repentance possible. The scriptures teach us that He is the only way to salvation. In Mosiah 3, King Benjamin says:

"... There shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent."

Jesus Christ is the only way to gain salvation. There is no backdoor into the celestial kingdom, no side stairwell that we can sneak through if we time it right.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should no perish, but have everlasting life."

Jesus Christ walked this earth. He lived for us. He suffered for us. He died for us. He rose for us. He lives today. This is the very center of the gospel, the very reason we are here. He is the only Way.

There was a time that this world fell away from the way of Christ. They distanced themselves from God and cast themselves into spiritual darkness (it is little wonder that we call this time the dark ages!) The fulness of the gospel could not be found. The joy of partaking in priesthood ordinances, the joy of making covenants, the joy of Christ
could not be found on the earth.

How wonderful it is to know our Father in Heaven loved us enough to call prophets today to lead us and teach us repentance. There are so many who do not know this!

I have a friend whom I love very dearly who is a member of another faith. We grew up together, but when I came on my mission, I hadn't heard from her in about a year. She somehow found my email address and started emailing me each week, asking questions about the gospel. I remember thinking, "I'm a missionary. I've totally got this. Someone schedule the baptism!" One week, she asked me about prophets and why we need them today. I don't remember what I told her, it was probably a quote straight from Preach My Gospel, but her reply broke my heart. She told me that she just couldn't believe that. That God had given us all that He was ever going to give us and that was that.

At first, I was angry. How could she believe something like that? I went on a hunt. I searched and searched for something I could send her that would change her mind. Then I found this quote from President James E. Faust:

"What has happened to David’s living God? It is the greatest insult to reason to suggest that God, who spoke so freely to the prophets of the Old Testament including Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, and the other prophets, now stands mute, uncommunicative, and silent.

"We may well ask, Does God love us less than those led by the ancient prophets? Do we need his guidance and instruction less? Reason suggests that this cannot be. Does he not care? Has he lost his voice? Has he gone on a permanent vacation? Does he sleep? The unreasonableness of each of these proposals is self-evident."

I read that and realized that I needed to ask myself those questions and come to a true knowledge for myself that we need prophets today. I responded to my friend with a brief testimony and told her that I loved her. That was nearly a year ago, and I have not heard from her since.

Brothers and Sisters, I can stand before you today and declare that God does not sleep. He has not left us alone. He will never leave us alone. He has restored to us the knowledge of the covenants He made with our fathers and is offering to us those same blessings. The truth of this is etched onto my heart and it will never fade.

The absolute fact that our loving Father in Heaven saw fit to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth brings me so much joy! The fulness of the gospel is available to us NOW.

One spring morning, nearly 200 years ago, Joseph Smith knelt in a grove of trees to ask God where he could go to find Him.

In his own words, Joseph says:

"I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other--
(Joseph), this is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!"

Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. In Their infinite and eternal love, They called him to be the Prophet of the Restoration. Through him, They restored every truth, every principle, and every priesthood key necessary for our salvation. At some point, every single one of us in this room has felt the truth of this to some
degree, or else we wouldn't be here.

When I was a junior in high school, I had the opportunity to visit the Sacred Grove. My seminary took a group of his students, and we visited church history sites for two weeks. The way the trip lined up, we visited the Sacred Grove during the second week. I was so excited. I just knew that if I could visit that wonderful place, I would gain a
powerful testimony. I was counting the days! When we finally made it to Palmyra, we were taken to the grove and Brother Greer turned us loose. I found myself a quiet place and opened my scriptures. I read in Joseph Smith-History and began to pray. Then I waited. And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

I can still picture the place I was sitting. I can see the trees and feel the misty air. I can hear the birds and smell the fresh scent of nature. And I was sitting there; waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting.

I remember thinking, "Maybe I didn't ask hard enough." So I asked again.

And again.

And again.

And I waited.

And waited.

Pretty soon it was time to leave. I knew that I would probably never be able to visit that sacred place again, and I didn't want to leave... I hadn't received the witness I so desired yet! I was one of the last stragglers onto the bus. I sat in my seat and listened to my peers tell of their incredible experiences in the grove. I sat in silence.

That night I prayed and asked why. Why didn't I get an answer in the grove? It just wasn't fair. I listened to all of my friends tell the story of their spiritual experiences, didn't I deserve one, too? What had I done wrong?

I will never forget the answer I received that night. It was as if my Heavenly Father were right next to me, lovingly saying: "Sister Waite, you already know. You have read, pondered, and prayed about the Book of Mormon. You have prayed about Joseph Smith. You received the answers you were seeking. Was that not enough?"

I think that too often we make our testimonies conditional, saying things like: "If I can visit the Sacred Grove, I'll know that the gospel was restored through Joseph Smith," or "I won't know that President Monson is the Prophet of the Lord today until I shake his hand and look into his eyes," or "Until I kneel at Christ's feet, I won't really know that He is my Savior." This should never, ever be the case. We can know it now.

Brothers and Sisters, I love you. God loves you. And because He loves you, He has restored His gospel to this earth! Because of this Restoration, we have a knowledge of the covenants that the Lord has made with our fathers and are able to partake of those blessings. We have the opportunity to make covenants ourselves! What a wondrous blessing!

There is a verse of scripture that has absolutely changed the way I see the word of the Lord. Jeremiah 20:9 reads:

"... his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay."

Brothers and Sisters, the fire of the Restoration is shut up deep within my bones and I cannot put it out. I cannot stay any longer. Because of my knowledge and testimony of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I have been converted and cannot stay the same any longer. I cannot stay my tongue in declaring this glorious message!

After enduring persecution for his testimony, the Prophet Joseph Smith said:

"Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it..."

Brothers and Sisters, Joseph knows it. God knows it. And I know it.

And I will never deny it.

Restoration

Dear all, 

What a wonderful week in the mission field! So full of change! I received a new companion. I love Sister Kirkman with all my heart, and she is missed greatly. My new companion's name is Sister Paul! She has been in the field for just over 3 weeks, but you wouldn't know it unless she told you! She is incredible! I can hardly wait to continue to learn from her!

We've seen many miracles this week! We were contacting a referral this week, and they said they weren't interested, but that we should knock on their neighbor's door! Of course we did! The woman answered hesitantly. We told her who we were, and before we could get much farther, she said "Mormons?" We nodded, and she swung the door open as far as she could, shouting at us to come in! She was so excited! Apparently she had been taking the lessons a few years ago and was on track for baptism, but then she moved and got lost. She was so excited! She asked us when she could be baptized! We are so excited for her! 

We also had the opportunity to speak in sacrament meeting yesterday. For the first time in my life, I was the concluding speaker. The youth speaker and Sister Paul each took about 5 minutes. I looked at the clock and saw that there was still a good 25 minutes left in the meeting. As the choir sang a special musical number, I decided that I would only speak for the 10 minutes they had asked me to, but I looked over at the Bishopric (a mistake on my part, really) and the 2nd counselor managed to sign to me that he wanted me to speak longer. I was terrified, because I had only prepared 10 minutes, but it was interesting to speak the thoughts that the Lord put into my heart. I'd love to share them with you: 

"Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. In Their infinite and eternal love, They called him to be the Prophet of the Restoration. Through him, They restored every truth, every principle, and every priesthood key necessary for our salvation. At some point, every single one of us in this room has felt the truth of this to some degree, or else we wouldn't be here. 

When I was a junior in high school, I had the opportunity to visit the Sacred Grove. My seminary took a group of his students, and we visited church history sites for two weeks. The way the trip lined up, we visited the Sacred Grove during the second week. I was so excited. I just knew that if I could visit that wonderful place, I would gain a powerful testimony. I was counting the days! When we finally made it to Palmyra, we were taken to the grove and Brother Greer turned us loose. I found myself a quiet place and opened my scriptures. I read in Joseph Smith-History and began to pray. Then I waited. And waited. 

And waited. 

And waited. 

I can still picture the place I was sitting. I can see the trees and feel the misty air. I can hear the birds and smell the fresh scent of nature. And I was sitting there; waiting. 

And waiting. 

And waiting. 

And waiting. 

I remember thinking, "Maybe I didn't ask hard enough." So I asked again. 

And again. 

And again. 

And I waited. 

And waited. 

Pretty soon it was time to leave. I knew that I would probably never be able to visit that sacred place again, and I didn't want to leave... I hadn't received the witness I so desired yet! I was one of the last stragglers onto the bus. I sat in my seat and listened to my peers tell of their incredible experiences in the grove. I sat in silence. 

That night I prayed and asked why. Why didn't I get an answer in the grove? It just wasn't fair. I listened to all of my friends tell the story of their spiritual experiences, didn't I deserve one, too? What had I done wrong? 

I will never forget the answer I received that night. It was as if my Heavenly Father were right next to me, lovingly saying: "Sister Waite, you already know. You have read, pondered, and prayed about the Book of Mormon. You have prayed about Joseph Smith. You received the answers you were seeking. Was that not enough?" 

I think that too often we make our testimonies conditional, saying things like: "If I can visit the Sacred Grove, I'll know that the gospel was restored through Joseph Smith," or "I won't know that President Monson is the Prophet of the Lord today until I shake his hand and look into his eyes," or "Until I kneel at Christ's feet, I won't really know that He is my Savior." This should never, ever be the case. We can know it now. 

Brothers and Sisters, I love you. God loves you. And because He loves you, He has restored His gospel to this earth! Because of this Restoration, we have a knowledge of the covenants that the Lord has made with our fathers and are able to partake of those blessings. We have the opportunity to make covenants ourselves! What a wondrous blessing!

There is a verse of scripture that has absolutely changed the way I see the word of the Lord. Jeremiah 20:9 reads: 

"... his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay."

Brothers and Sisters, the fire of the Restoration is shut up deep within my bones and I cannot put it out. I cannot stay any longer. Because of my knowledge and testimony of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I have been converted and cannot stay the same any longer. I cannot stay my tongue in declaring this glorious message!"

I love this work with all of my heart! I can hardly believe it has been nearly 14 months! 

I love you all! 

Love, 

Sister Waite