Katelyn Elgaaen in Utica New York: July 24, 2017 Serving and being Blessed!

This week went way too fast! If time keeps going at this speed soon I will be home, and New York will of been just a dream.

In church the main focus this month has been on the commandments. If you were asked to pick a favorite commandment what would it be? There are TONS of commandments that the Lord has given to his people over the many years there have been people on the Earth. Each one is for a purpose, has a higher reason for it, and ALL of them were given out of love. If I had to only pick 3 commandments one of them would be keeping the Sabbath day holy. For the past 3 years at least, the prophets and apostles have been telling us to make sure that Sunday is a special day where we can go, renew our covenants, and draw closer to the Lord.

The second would be to forgive others. This is not one of the famous 10, but in D&C we are told to forgive All men.

The last and Greatest of Coarse would be to Love God, and also to Love our fellow men. "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:34,35) If you keep this commandment, you are bound to obey with exactness all the others.

Christ says, "If ye love me, Keep my Commandments." I do have a deep Love for the Savior. It is not always easy or popular to be obedient. Something that a speaker said on Sunday was, 'you need to obey the commandments with exactness, like your life depends on it! Because in reality it does. If we do or don't determines how we will spend the next Eternity. You must also live the commandments like your testimony depends on it. If you don't continue to obey and stretch your capacities, you will eventually shrink and have no desire to improve or obey."

Jesus Christ is my BEST Friend. He has Always been there for me, even when I have let him down. I know that He ALWAYS will be willing to help pick me up, dust me off, and lead me back home. Keeping the Commandments is just a simple and small thing that I can do to show my adoration and Love for someone who shows me everyday that He is aware of me.

I hope that we all can continue to build our relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ, and live the commandments like our lives and Testimonies depend on it!