I must admit, that I am an avid reader. So much so that I have on more than one occasion been called a bookworm. When I was a child (when I first started really reading,) one of my favorite book series, was Choose Your Own Adventure. In these books, there were many moments of decision. The reader would have to make a choice of action, which would send him/her to a designated page to continue the story. Each choice made had a drastic effect to the outcome of the adventure story.

Like these children's adventure books, we all have moments of decision in our lives. In these moments the choices we make have a drastic effect on the outcome to our own life story.

Some of our important choices we can make while we are young, so that when the moment of decision comes in our young adult lives, the choice is already made. Some of these decisions include:

What moral standards will I live by?

Whom will I serve? (The Lord)

Where will I marry? (The Temple)

What habits do I want to break and/or establish?

However other important choices must be made right then in the years of Young Single Adulthood, like:

What education should I gain to provide for my future?

Whom should I date?

Whom should I marry?

Knowing the importance and impact these choices will have in our lives, some young adults try to avoid making them, but that in itself is a choice.

"Some of our important choices have a time line. If we delay a decision, the opportunity is gone forever. Sometimes our doubts keep us from making a choice that involves change. Thus, an opportunity may be missed. As someone once said, "When you have to make a choice and don't make it, that in itself is a choice." Choices, President James E. Faust, Liahona, May 2004

Yet, our Father in Heaven tells us that we have no need to fear. He has given us the tools necessary to be able to make the right choices with confidence, and peace. What tools are we given?

First, He has given us the great example of His Son Jesus Christ. By looking at the Savior’s life and following His example we can know the sort of life to live. When we know the general sort of life we should live to receive happiness, we definitely know what sort of choices we should make to keep in line with that sort of life.

Second, we have the Holy Scriptures and a Living Prophet who are given to us that we may receive guidance and direction in every aspect of our lives.

Third, we have been given the gift of the Holy Ghost to be our companion to guide and direct us in our lives. When we are in tune and obedient to His still small voice, we never have to fear making the wrong choices.

Now, sometimes we do make mistakes. The Lord knew we would. That is why He sent His Only Begotten Son to bring about the Atonement. Alma explained this in the Book of Mormon when he taught:

"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every 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.

Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me." Alma 7:11-13

In knowing all this, let us take new courage in facing these most important choices in our lives by applying all the tools that God has given us to insure our happiness and eternal joy.

When I was a little girl I used to have the most terrifying nightmares, every night. It got to the point where I would do anything to be able to avoid sleep.

My parents, not knowing about the nightmares, thought that I was just trying to stay up late. So they made the rule that if any of the children were going to stay up in our household after bedtime they would be put to work. When this tactic didn't work to get me to go to bed, like it did my older siblings, my parents knew that something was wrong.

When I told my mother that I was avoiding sleep because of my nightmares, she asked me if when I prayed at night, I asked the Lord to watch over me while I slept and asked for him to send me good dreams.

Where prayer had been a constant part of my life from my earliest years, and where my prayers always covered many things, I had never thought to ask the Lord to give me good dreams.

I still remember that evening all those years ago, when I confided in my mother about my nightmares. It will forever be ingrained in me how after our conversation, my mother knelt down beside me, and while encircling me in her arms prayed to our Heavenly Father in my behalf. She asked Him to send His angels to protect me and to give me good dreams so that I would not have to fear sleep. That night was the first night in weeks that I slept in peace.

Years later, as a young adult, I again experienced trouble sleeping. This time, bad dreams did not keep me awake. It was the realities and responsibilities of adulthood which weighed so heavily upon my mind and heart.

Again, my wise mother knew something was wrong. When I told her what was on my mind, she asked me if I had taken my concerns to the Lord in prayer. I had, but I still couldn't stop thinking about them and so I could not get to sleep easily. When I told her this, Mother pulled out her scriptures and read me this,

"Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day." Alma 37:36-37

What I needed was Faith. Not just faith to take my concerns to the Lord, I needed faith to then hand them over to Him completely. I needed to trust that He would take care of them. Once I learned how to do so, my nights were once more filled with peace despite the added pressure of being a single adult in this crazy world. And then, come morning, I found myself naturally feeling/expressing my gratitude to the Lord for watching over me and my concerns so that I could sleep in peace.

(P.S. When you wake in the morning after giving thanks to the Lord, don't take all those concerns back on you shoulders, continue in faith that He will carry them for you as you travel the course of the day.)

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we promise to stand as His witness in all times and places, to carry His name as our standard for all to see. Sometimes this is a simple matter of living up to our beliefs on a daily basis and being examples of His ways among our fellowmen. Often it requires something more.

Perhaps one of the scariest things about discipleship is the fact that it requires us to open our mouths and testify of Jesus Christ to our friends and family, sometimes even to the complete stranger. Why is this such a daunting task? It might have something to do with the fears and inadequacies Satan whispers into our hearts. We do not want to offend, we do not want to be rejected, we do not want to create an awkward situation with someone we see every day.

On the flip side, our testimony of Jesus Christ, the power and peace that we feel from living His gospel is the greatest blessing we can have in this life. It is the greatest gift we can share with those we love. Christ has commanded those who love Him to feed His sheep. So, why do we hesitate?

I am just as guilty as many in this department. I'm a very quiet and shy person. I value and cultivate my ability to love and accept those around me as Christ would. Sometimes, it feels like sharing my testimony of Christ and the joy I have found within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is placing a judgment on those that I love; like I am somehow saying I am better than them, or can not appreciate where they are on their own spiritual path. I often hold back because I don't want my friends to feel I do not love and accept them for who they are without requiring them to believe just as I do. It becomes uncomfortable for me to share the belief that I belong to the one true church, Christ's church, on the earth today. It feels a little like saying, I live in a better house than you do, and since you don't live here with me you are somehow of less value than I. If I invite you to live with me, and you don’t, what becomes of the relationship then?

As a disciple of Jesus Christ this is something I need to learn to overcome. I need more practice showing people that I love them first, then that I love them enough to offer them the best path to happiness that can be found on this earth.

This is a lesson I once learned from a neighbor of the Jehovah’s Witness faith. When my family moved into his neighborhood he was one of the first to greet us. Not with a bunt cake and a smile, but with empty hands ready to be put to work. He saw our moving van pull in and immediately changed into his grubbies and came to lend a hand. He did not start a conversation with "what religion are you" or even an invitation to join his faith. He simply introduced himself and asked what he could do to help.
We saw him again a few days later. He stopped by on his way home from work to make sure we were settling in and fill in any questions we had about the house and neighborhood-- trash days, school bus routes, anything he thought we might need to know. Still no mention of an ulterior motive, he simply extended his hand in friendship.

The next time I saw him, I looked out the window to find he was quietly shoveling our driveway, clearing it of the snow that had fallen during the day.

The following week he finally brought over a small gift: a popular children's bible for my children and expressed his firm belief that families and children were happier with Christ in their lives. He then extended the invitation that if we had not yet found a congregation in the area to call home, or if we were searching for a religion, to worship with him and learn more about his faith. I appreciated his thoughtfulness and tactful approach. I was not offended in the least. I'd known him first as a friend, not a stranger at my door telling me his house was better than my own. I told him I was honored that he would share his beliefs with me, then assured him that my family was very active in a different religion, the LDS Church. We had found our truth and weren't looking to change. He was just as accepting of my declaration as I was of his. He ended with a simple offer that if we ever did want to know more, or simply had questions about his beliefs that he would find it a privilege to share these things with us. I shyly extended the same offer and the conversation stopped there.

It was not, however, the end of our friendship. He continued to first be our friend, and second a missionary for his beliefs in Jesus Christ. I have tried to follow his example since then.

When I open my heart to share my beliefs with someone close to me, I try to see them and myself, first in terms of our relationship and second our spiritual journeys. There is good to be found in every religion. Faith in Jesus Christ will always lead a person to a better, happier life, no matter where this introduction to Him begins. If I share my beliefs it is because there is a specific need or question that the truth that I have can help them with.

I have a dear friend in my neighborhood now that is of a different religion. What church we attend on Sunday does not enter into the relationship, it only matters that we each share a deep love for our Savior Jesus Christ and a desire to be like Him. We discuss matters of faith openly between us, sometimes from her perspective, sometimes from mine, but always with Christ at the center. Still, when I began to feel the Spirit nudging me to give her a Book of Mormon I hesitated. Would that one simple act put a strain on our friendship? Satan would certainly have me believe so. It took me weeks to work up the courage to approach her with that precious book in hand. I tried to devise the perfect way to present it. I prayed for strength and a clear path of what I should do. Then one day we were together having a good time, enjoying each other's company when it finally occurred to me: it didn't need to be anything grand, it shouldn't be anything out of the ordinary for our friendship. Like every other religious discussion we have, it was simply about two friends connecting on a spiritual level. It was about me and her, a shared love of Christ, and a book of truth that I wanted to share with her.

How did I finally present the book that day? With love and friendship.

I shared with her the promptings I'd felt from the Spirit to give her the Book of Mormon. I told her how nervous it made me to think she might feel I didn't love and accept her for who she currently was, or what congregation she worshiped in. But I also confessed that part of the reason my love for the Savior was so strong, was because of the peace and joy I find each time I open my scriptures. I admitted I was human, but also that I loved her and wanted her to have a copy of the Book of Mormon, not to pressure her to join my spiritual path, but to add to her own. I knew she had been accessing the church's web site and felt comfortable asking me occasional questions when our beliefs differed. She openly defended my beliefs to others she knew who had misconceptions about the LDS Church, but I felt I had neglected to give her access to the best knowledge of all: another testament of Jesus Christ. I asked if she would accept this book from me, not because I felt she needed to be different than she was, but that I wanted her to understand that if she ever did want to know more, or investigate my church more in depth I would be honored to share those things with her.

It was a sweet moment for both of us. She didn't feel pressured, and I didn't feel I had to magically transform into the world's greatest missionary. I simply had to be who I was: a friend.

Did she take the Book of Mormon I offered her? Yes.

Did it put a strain on our relationship? Not at all.

Did she immediately join the church? No.

But now she knows, when she's ready to know more I want her to learn it from me.

That's the lesson I learned from my Jehovah’s Witness friend. Christ loved everyone during His mortal ministry. He accepted them for where their life was at the moment. He called them friend and opened the door for them to learn more. Friend first, missionary second is the gospel sharing method I'm most comfortable with. Friends share things from their heart.

Early in the morning on the day after the Sabbath a mighty work was at hand. We know nothing of what occurred inside the Garden Tomb, testifying of the sacredness of the actual event, only that soon afterward the earth shook and two angels rolled away the great stone from the mouth of the tomb.

Two guards appointed by Pilate had been keeping watch. The chief scribes and Pharisees were so concerned with Christ’s prophecies about rising again they didn’t want to take any chances His followers would try any tricks (Matthew 27:62-64). In doing so they unintentionally gave quite a witness to the heavenly events. The two guards fainted at the sight.

Around this same time a group of women, many of whom had been disciples (devoted followers) of Jesus since He began His ministry in Galilee, were on their way to the tomb to anoint His body in the proper oils, thus giving Him the burial Jewish law required. They must have presented a desolate sight, grieving for the loss of their beloved leader and teacher.

The time line here gets a little fuzzy. Seeing the open tomb Mary Magdalene fears the worst. She runs to find Simon Peter, telling him, “They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him” (John 20:2). Mary believed someone had taken the Lord’s body, unwilling to let Him rest in peace but causing mischief even in His death.

While this was going on the women had looked into the tomb and saw two angels within (We discover there were two angels through the inspired translation of Joseph Smith in the King James Version of the Bible). “Why seek ye the living among the dead?” the heavenly visitors ask (Luke 24:5). The women are told to go immediately and tell everyone Christ had indeed risen.

No one believed them at first. In their grief and agony at such a loss, it isn’t too hard to imagine their doubt. As the women went on proclaiming the good news Simon Peter and John raced to see the tomb for themselves. Mary Magdalene was perhaps forgotten in their wonder at the sight of Christ’s burial clothes left undisturbed on the stone bench (by this time it seems the angels had left). Only then did they realize what had happened: Jesus the Christ had been resurrected!

Mary Magdalene had not come to this knowledge. In her mind she could not get past grieving over the loss of the Lord. She still thought someone had taken Him away. James E. Talmage, an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church), describes Mary as a noble woman and devoted soul.

“Mary became one of the closest friends Christ had among women; her devotion to Him as her Healer and as the One whom she adored as the Christ was unswerving; she stood close by the cross while other women tarried afar off in the time of His mortal agony; she was among the first at the sepulchre on the resurrection morning” (Talmage, James E., Jesus the Christ, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981, p.264-65).

Only when she found herself alone at the tomb did she look inside. Once again there were two angels who asked the grieving woman, “Why weepest thou?” to which she answered, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him” (John 20:13). She turned away from the tomb only to be met with the presence of another. She assumed he was the gardener, or caretaker of the garden. She also assumed he must know what had happened to the occupant of the tomb. When she is against asked why she is crying she responds, “Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away (John 20:15). She never calls Him by name.

Here is one of, in my eyes, the most beautiful events recorded in history. Perhaps it speaks to my heart of how the voice of someone we love, whether it be a treasured friend or family member, can be recognized even in the face of death. The man spoke just one word, “Mary.”

“One word from His living lips changed her agonized grief into ecstatic joy…. The voice, the tone, the tender accent she had heard and loved in the earlier days lifted her from the despairing depths into which she had sunk. She turned, and saw the Lord” (Talmage, James E., Jesus the Christ, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981, p.681).

In her joy she reached out. Christ beckoned for her to pause. “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God” (John 20:17).

Even as a resurrected being, when Christ could have stood in glory of what He had accomplished, He instead turns our attention to the Father.

Mary did what was asked of her, though again no one believed. How could they, when she hadn’t been able to understand until she saw the living Christ for herself? To Mary’s testimony came that of the other women. Once Christ had visited with our Father, He came to them, and then to others.

Christ was risen. All that He taught and prophesied had come to pass. He truly was the Messiah, the Redeemer of all mankind.