Believing and Knowing

I was reading in my church magazine "The New Era" today and I read a story about a girl who was raised to think that Mormonism was completely and totally false. She had a Mormon friend who gave her a Book of Mormon, which was quickly replaced with anti-mormon books by her parents. Later on her friend goes on a mission and sends her a tape of some sort, sharing his testimony of the church to her. She then read the BOM and joined the church and her family practically disowned her... classic conversion story. Anyway, the one thing she said that REALLY stuck out to me was this.

"Could I actually know a church without having studied its scripture?

How true is that statement/question! Now this isn't just related my church, it's related to everything, which brings me to the difference between believing and knowing. Let me think of an example. OK, I LOVE strawberries. If I said I believe I love strawberries, that would be true, but if I said I know I love strawberries, it's a whole different thing. Well, that isn't the best example, but you get the jist, right? Maybe... or not really at all.

Let's look at it this way... I know that my church is true. I have always believed it to be true, but I did my research and my praying and I now KNOW it is true. To be completely honest, I have never read the Bible or the BOM all the way through on my own, (I know, I know... I need to get on that. I am trying!) therefore I believe it to be true, but I don't know with a fullness that it is true. I believe with all my heart and soul, but I want to KNOW with all my heart and soul. Ya get my flow?! This brings me to my next point.

"Actions speak louder than words"

My mother and I were talking about this saying today. There are so many people out there that claim to be christian and religious people, but you have to practice what you preach! You can't say don't do this, but then turn around and do that same thing. You know what that makes you... DING DING DING! A HYPOCRITE! Just a word of advice, no one like hypocrites. Yeah, you go to church every Sunday, and sure you have been "saved," but that gives you NO excuse to be dishonest or unrighteous in your daily life. You have to live your whole life as if Heavenly Father and Christ were standing there watching you, because in reality... THEY ARE! Yes, it's hard sometimes. Trust me... I KNOW, but it doesn't mean it's not possible. So if you claim yourself to be a good Christian person, act like one because you never know who is watching you.

I feel like a preacher or something... ehh I'm just saying what I feel. This has been on my mind all day and I couldn't leave it unsaid.

Thank you reading... if you actually did. I hope you enjoyed my improper sentence structure and grammar because I'm sure there is a lot of that in here. I am off to shred some chords on my guitar. hahahaha Good one, right?! I thought so.

-M. Philly