A few things I know...

Because I did not want to take time away from you and I was not feeling well during our testimony meeting I did not share my testimony. However, I feel that it is important for you to know where I stand......

I grew up in a pretty small town in Minnesota called St. Cloud.  Winters were brutal, like freeze your ears of brutal. When my high school friends and I would walk outside in the middle of January we would cover our faces and scream as loud as possible all the way to the car in order to keep the cold from swallowing us. Probably didn’t help that we were wearing cheerleading uniforms huh?

When I was younger, in elementary school I loved the snow. Everything about it, how if felt falling on my face and tongue, how fresh snow smells and I especially loved it when the snow was slightly wet, perfect for packing into snowball and forts.

At recess during those cold months my classmates and I would play “King of the Hill”.  We’d push all the snow we could gather into a big pile and then pack it as hard and tall as possible. If more girls than boys were interested in playing then the girls would make fancy stairs and draw designs around it with our gloved fingers. Everyone playing would put one foot in a circle to figure out who would be the first king. “Engine enigine number nine going down Chicago line, if the train should jump the track do you want your money back? Y-E-S spells yes and you are NOT it!” Round and round until the last boot in climbed the hill. The goal of the game is to see who can stay on the hill the longest without being pushed off. If you successfully pushed the king off the hill, then you were the next king.

“Wherefore, Stand ye in Holy places and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold it cometh quickly saith the Lord”

Standing in Holy places is not the hard part spoken of in this scripture. I love going to the Temple, not hard to stand there. I love attending all …okay I loved attending MOST of my church meetings, not hard to stand there. I don’t mind standing up for all my beliefs. Standing in the moment or making the choice to stand is Holy places is not so hard.

For me, it’s more difficult to “be not moved”.  Temple sessions last a few hours, sacrament meetings an hour, the time we spend standing in the Holy places in small BUT being not moved means not being moved from the spiritual increase we received from standing in the Holy place. Taking the increase with us and being commented to not move from it. Not moving even an inch. Being loyal to that knowledge and the covenants we made while standing those Holy places. It means not allowing our bodies or minds to be moved away from the things we know to be true through our thoughts and actions.

I picture it like my elementary school king of the hill game. As kings or in our case queens of the hill we have an overwhelming number of opponents trying to push us off the hill or trying to make us move.  The Only difference is our lives are not a fun game in the snow (Which I might add I was quite good at…girl got skills) it is our lives. We need to be not moved from our Heavenly Father and his amazing plan for us.

I hope the experience of this year’s girls camp was an opportunity to temporarily stand in a place where you learned a little bit more about being in Holy places and I pray that camp helped you strengthen the commitment to be not moved  from ALL things Holy.  I know beyond any doubt that whether it is hard for us to get to the Holy places or to be not moved; with the help of the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can accomplish all hard things.

I know our Savior lives!! I know Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are real, and they are somewhere. I know the gospel has been restored to its correct order in our time. I know our Savior, who is real and somewhere is the head of this gospel and this is part of our eternal plan. I know these things because I have studies about them, I have asked in prayer if they are true and then I have acted upon the feelings I have received during those prayers.  As I quietly act upon the teachings of Jesus Christ I find those truths confirmed over and over again. I am beyond grateful for the Saviors atonement, I am thankful for the gift and guidance of the Holy Ghost in my life. 

I am grateful for being part of this year’s camp experience and above that I am eternally grateful to have spent a week with you brilliant young women! You are inspiring, you are chosen and I love you! Thank you for being incredible!

Susan Lee