I just want to take a minute to write down my testimony.
To give you just a bit of background, I moved to Utah almost 2 years ago and since then, I have been in the same ward. I first started attending this ward because that's where one of my really good friends attended and I didn't know anyone else so I just went with her. We were only here together for a few months but I quickly became very attached to others living in the ward and had made too many friends to leave when she did. I know that part of that has to do with our bishop.
I've been in a lot of wards and I've had a lot of bishops, but I've never felt as close or even as much love for any of those other guys than I have with Bishop Sheppard. We're talking about a 6'8" tall Englishman with the coolest accent who could legitimately be one of The Beatles. However, last year, he had some health problems that caused him to have both kidney's removed. He was absent from church for a few weeks but was able to return quickly and I have been so amazed at his strength in serving so diligently despite his health issues. If you didn't already know the situation, you never would have guess that there was something wrong. Well, about a month ago Bishop was finally able to get a kidney as a live transplant from his wife. It was so cute when he told us that. He said something along the lines of, "It turns out she was a perfect match, but I already knew that." I just love people in love. It makes me so happy. Along side of that announcement came the announcement that due to the transplant, Bishop and his wife would not be able to attend church for 5 months and he was going to be released. And that brings us to today.
In a couple of hours I'm going to go to church and I'm going to get a new bishop. If you don't know me, then you don't know that I'm hugely emotional. But I basically cried the entire day he announced he was getting released, I can only imagine what I wreck I will be today. I don't think I'm going to do my make-up. But just thinking that this man and his wife--who is equally if not more important to me--will no longer be in my life brings a ridiculous amount of tears to my eyes. Next month I will have been in the ward for 2 years. I have seen people come and go in that time and I've seen so many of them leave as having been changed because of the influence of Bishop Sheppard and the love that he has. That love has been instrumental in making me who I am today. I have gone through some pretty rough stuff and I have almost giving up on the gospel but I was able to turn it all around because of Bishop Sheppard and his wife. It is incredible how much love they have, not just for me, but for every one of us. And what just blows me away, is knowing that that isn't even a fraction of the love that our Heavenly Father has for us. I am so grateful for the opportunity, because of people like Bishop and his wife, to learn of that love and of my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to come to church every week and continue learning of Him. I'm so grateful for the Atonement of Christ that has helped bring me back to the gospel. I know that this church is true. It has taken me a long time to get to that point, but there is not a doubt in my mind that the church is true. That we have a living prophet on the earth today and that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers when in His plan it is best. But most importantly, I know that He loves me and He loves each of you. I say that, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
To give you just a bit of background, I moved to Utah almost 2 years ago and since then, I have been in the same ward. I first started attending this ward because that's where one of my really good friends attended and I didn't know anyone else so I just went with her. We were only here together for a few months but I quickly became very attached to others living in the ward and had made too many friends to leave when she did. I know that part of that has to do with our bishop.
I've been in a lot of wards and I've had a lot of bishops, but I've never felt as close or even as much love for any of those other guys than I have with Bishop Sheppard. We're talking about a 6'8" tall Englishman with the coolest accent who could legitimately be one of The Beatles. However, last year, he had some health problems that caused him to have both kidney's removed. He was absent from church for a few weeks but was able to return quickly and I have been so amazed at his strength in serving so diligently despite his health issues. If you didn't already know the situation, you never would have guess that there was something wrong. Well, about a month ago Bishop was finally able to get a kidney as a live transplant from his wife. It was so cute when he told us that. He said something along the lines of, "It turns out she was a perfect match, but I already knew that." I just love people in love. It makes me so happy. Along side of that announcement came the announcement that due to the transplant, Bishop and his wife would not be able to attend church for 5 months and he was going to be released. And that brings us to today.
In a couple of hours I'm going to go to church and I'm going to get a new bishop. If you don't know me, then you don't know that I'm hugely emotional. But I basically cried the entire day he announced he was getting released, I can only imagine what I wreck I will be today. I don't think I'm going to do my make-up. But just thinking that this man and his wife--who is equally if not more important to me--will no longer be in my life brings a ridiculous amount of tears to my eyes. Next month I will have been in the ward for 2 years. I have seen people come and go in that time and I've seen so many of them leave as having been changed because of the influence of Bishop Sheppard and the love that he has. That love has been instrumental in making me who I am today. I have gone through some pretty rough stuff and I have almost giving up on the gospel but I was able to turn it all around because of Bishop Sheppard and his wife. It is incredible how much love they have, not just for me, but for every one of us. And what just blows me away, is knowing that that isn't even a fraction of the love that our Heavenly Father has for us. I am so grateful for the opportunity, because of people like Bishop and his wife, to learn of that love and of my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to come to church every week and continue learning of Him. I'm so grateful for the Atonement of Christ that has helped bring me back to the gospel. I know that this church is true. It has taken me a long time to get to that point, but there is not a doubt in my mind that the church is true. That we have a living prophet on the earth today and that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers when in His plan it is best. But most importantly, I know that He loves me and He loves each of you. I say that, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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