I Believe

Sunday mornings have one thing in common, that would be Maxwell telling me he isn't going to church, "Church is stupid. Why do we go?" I guess if he were older I could explain. Since he's 7, I tell him he Jesus wants us to and then just tell him to get dressed.

What I would tell him, if he were older, is that our spirits are like muscles. (This is something he would like to hear because he is all about running, jumping and anything that lets his body move.) Once in college, my roommates and I had a conversation about exercise. Wouldn't it be nice if we could just exercise for 12 hours straight and have it over with? None of this everyday thing. But, of course, that doesn't work. We have to work out regularly for it to have an effect. Spiritual matters are the same. The exercise of our spiritual muscles has to be regular or they will atrophy and become weak. That's why we go to church each week. Why we read our scriptures and say prayers everyday. An occasional intense workout doesn't hurt, either.

Conference weekend, to me, is just that, like a spiritual spa visit. An overabundance of spiritual body building that gives me the motivation to keep going. I look forward to this weekend, to hearing what our prophet and leaders have to tell us. I'm never, ever disappointed. Then, there's the choir. Really? The Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing "Spirit of God", nothing like it.

I believe in going to church. That's what I need to tell Max. I believe in flexing my spiritual muscles and getting stronger. I believe in partaking of the sacrament to renew my baptismal covenants and to make the commitment to do better this week. I believe in listening to inspired messages that will answer my prayers. I believe in spending time with my ward family, being buoyed up by their association. I believe that I am a member of Jesus Christ's church and that He wants me there. I believe He cares, I believe He loves me. I believe.