Sister Rachel Zimmerman: I'm Home!!

Well, my mission came to an end. :( It will come for all of you too, but don't be scared!! It is kind-of sad to be home, but this is just the start of my next mission in life! I wanted to share a few favorite scriptures that have meant a lot to me on my mission, and they sort-of just encompass my testimony!

1- Mosiah 24:13-14 "And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage. And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions."

-I know that this scripture is true. I know that as we face afflictions that we can lift up our heads and be of good comfort because the Lord will ease the burdens that are put upon our shoulders that we cannot feel them. The Savior is there to lift us if we will let him in!

2- Alma 7:11-12 "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of ever kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."

-I love this scripture so much and loved sharing it on my mission with different people. I learned a lot more about the Atonement on my mission. I realized that our Savior truly knows exactly how we feel and how, and He truly does know how to succor me. There were different times on my mission where I felt like there would be no way up, and the moment I knelt down and prayed to my Heavenly Father to use the Savior's Atonement in my life, I was able to be freed from the sorrow that I felt.

3- 2 Nephi 32:3-5 "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark. For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do."

-One of the favorite things I gained a testimony of was the power of scripture study. I love this scripture that it tells us that if we feast upon the words of Christ, which are in the scriptures, then we will know all things that we should do. I've learned a lot about how we can receive so much revelation through studying the scriptures.

I just want to bear my testimony that I know that this church is the true Church of Jesus Christ. I know that it was restored through the prophet Joseph Smith and that we have a living prophet guiding His church today. I know that our Savior lives and that He knows each and everyone of us. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that we truly can become closer to our Heavenly Father by reading it daily. I loved my mission and am so grateful for all that I learned in the last 18 months!

Love,

Sister Zimmerman