We Stand Together

Many of you already know that I was released as a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints a few weeks ago. My two years + were up and it was time to flip to the next chapter of my life. I thought my current post-mission "chapter" of life would be boring and not as rewarding as it was on a mission, but I was wrong. The Lord still finds a way to bring amazing experiences to me that testify of the truthfulness of the restored Gospel. I really want to share with you just one experience I had this last Sunday! In order to do it justice, ill share a few stories that help explain it. A preface never hurt anyone right?

 This story has everything to do with some stripling warriors

I grew up with a pretty large group of friends, most of which belonged to the LDS church, as I did. As we all were around the same age, we would always be in the same Sunday classes and around the same grade in school. We became really close. One year, when we were all around 15 years old, our church youth leaders took us to BYU Utah on a week and a half long trip. Towards the end of our experience there, there was a testimony meeting in which all of us boys bore our testimonies of the Savior and how much we love Him and each other. We felt very united and it caused an even stronger bond between us all. Other groups on the trip named us the "stripling Warriors" after the Ammonite sons led by Helaman. (the story starts in the Book of Mormon Alma 53) On the bus ride home, we all shared a spiritual experience that for me, is a little too sacred and personal to share on this blog. But I can say that Heavenly Father was teaching us that night with the spirit and it motivated us all to prepare to serve full time missions when we came of age.  

The oldest of us began to go on missions a few years later and we all were preparing ourselves to follow their examples. However, a few of us began to fall from the church. It was and still is the most sad thing to see my brothers who i love, fall away from what we all know to be Heavenly Father's truth and direction. This story is how we as a brotherhood, as stripling warriors, continue to stand together.

This story will continue in a latter post...