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I went to stake conference today and in one of the talks the speaker related a story of when he went on a trip to europe with his college. For the last week or two they went back to Paris and were left to go where they wanted and they had to meet back there to catch a flight back to the US. So he goes to visit people from his mission in Germany and stops along the way somewhere to do some family history. He ends up spending all his money and has none to get back to Paris. He borrows some money from the bishop he helped baptize but forgot to borrow money to stay there overnight. So he's stuck in Paris with $35 in his pocket in the middle of tourist season with all the hotel's booked and his flight leaves the next day. He prays for help and is given the distinct impression to walk down the street two blocks and turn right and there will be the hotel his is to stay in. So he walks there, sees the hotel and the spirit confirms to him that that is the hotel and he goes in and asks for a room. The clerk at the desk tells him their booked and have been for months as is every other hotel in the area. Because he was told by the spirit to go there he asked again if he was sure they didn't have a room. The clerk got a bit upset with him and again said he was sure. Then the man asked him to check his book and make sure. The clerk was upset, but pulled out his book and while flipping through it continued to explain they have been booked for sometime. As you may have guessed, he found the vacancy and he was able to stay there for $32 and had $3 for the bus fare to the airport. I'd like to see a pill that could do that!

Now, before you say it, I know you've probably never received an impression from the spirit like that before. And to be entirely honest, neither have I. But I know that you can, and that it's been done innumerable times before.


Here's the real deal of it: You will never know completely, without a doubt, until you chose to believe without knowing. Some people go their entire lives never knowing, just believing. And that's enough. Sometimes we get all caught up in the knowing. Like in testimony meeting, when everyone says they know the church is true, they know Joseph Smith was a prophet. To know that is all well and good, but to believe works just as well. God won't give you any way to know until you've proven that you don't need it and will believe regardless. If he did give you a way to know without a doubt, he would be giving you a sign. One of those things that Alma 32 tells us we shouldn't ask for.

You have my sympathy. I've been where you are. To pull past the doubt I just looked at "the happy state of the righteous." I looked at how happy people were who were following the commandments. I looked at how happy I was when I pulled closer to God. And I thought, even if it is false, if I follow it I will be happy. I decided it was worth believing, and I was content to just believe. Now I cannot doubt. I know. I have so many experiences that I cannot deny that God lives. He has given me so much more than just warm fuzzies that my brain could've made up. I've seen His hand in my life so much. I know that He lives. You can too. But you have to prove to Him that you really want to by first believing, and being okay with that. Then look for Him in your life, believing that you will see him, and oh what blessings you will receive!

I know this was a long read... sorry. You have my best wishes.

I'll have to entirely agree with hapahaole, and Itesa.

I have a lot of great of great people in my ward in which I am very grateful for, one of which who had taught often in my classes liked to speak on a certain phrase. "Fake it till yah make it" His simple yet enlightening message goes along with Alma 32:27, if you even try to live (or in other cases try to believe) the gospel and its teachings I can assure you you that there will be a great many opportunities in the future to know whether or not if your Heavenly Father is true or not.

As for myself, without my Heavenly Fathers help, I would not be here today writing to you. You see, when I was but a newborn my liver had failed me. If you are familiar with this, the liver takes care of all the poisons in the body. With a failed liver, my body become intoxicated, the skin turns yellow, the temperature rises and so forth. At a certain point, they determine that you will pass away. I had passed that point by about 12 degree's, at this time my father and the bishop gave me a health blessing in my mothers arms. My mother, explained that she felt great warmth in me as the blessing proceeded and greatly felt the spirit. After which, my temperature had dropped extremely fast by medical standards and I was able to leave the hospital in under a week. I'm am alive today due to the great testimonies of my father and bishop, never be afraid to ask others about their testimonies for they could help you more then you know.

I too have had times where I doubted. There are times when you feel the spirit and times when you wonder. It's hard to always have a spiritual high. Do you read your scriptures, and pray every day? those things do help.

I can give you just a small experience of God's power in my life. Every year my family and I go to one football game, called the Labour Day Classic. It has been a tradition for many years. This past year, I woke up that morning feeling very sick. I didn't want to move, or do anything. My parents knowing that this was a family tradition called my neighbour over and him and my dad gave me a blessing. In it was said that I would feel well and know that it was not coincidence but from God. As I started to feel better when they laid their hands on me, I wondered if it was coincidence and just as I wondered those words came out of my dad's mouth. It confirmed to me that God does know my thoughts and healed me so I could attend a family event.