Sharing my testimony has always been difficult for me, the words just don't come out with as much emotion as what I really feel. I have always had a testimony of the living Christ, and his work here on this beautiful world, and I know that my Heavenly Father has apointed prophets and seers for this time. However, when I share my testimony, I like to focus on the part that has grown the most recently. For me that is prayer. I have a firm testimony in the gift of prayer and the strength it has and can give me. I have been counseled in my patriartlcal blessing to use the gift of prayer and scripture study frequently in my life. Unfortunately, I haven't always been as diligent about talking to my Heavenly Father as I should have or need to. In fact, for a few years I struggled to say prayers except at meal time. I had begun to view them as a tedious chore to be done every night. It wasn't until a couple of years a go that I realized that Heavenly Father asks us to pray to him out of submission and force (because he knows everything we need), but because he wants to talk to us and wants to help us and if he can teach us a lesson in the proses, then all the better. He is like a visiting teacher who instead of giving me an hour of his time once a month, he has devoted every minuet of each day to help me through all my emotional and physical pains and challenges I face. I have tried to face many of them alone, making several major mistakes on the way. I have been stubborn, refusing to ask for help because I was so sure that I could do it on my own. Some of these experiences have been big, while many others have been as small as my most recent, finding my box of contact lenses. This particular time, I had been looking for weeks, sure I would remember where I had put them. It was only after I started having migraines because I was so over due on changing my contacts, that I finally knelt down and prayed for help, knowing I could not find them myself. I kid you not, 5 minuets later I looked under the bathroom sink (for at least the 10th time) and tada! there they were. Heavenly Father was testing my humility, again. But because of that simplest lesson in being humble, my faith in prayer has grown that much stronger. I greatly admire Nephi (in Helamen 7) for his personal strength when he prays for days on end in the middle of a wicked city, enduring much mockery. I am easily embarrassed about saying prayers in public, even in a church setting, but especially in places like restaurant and such. It wasn't until I started eating out with my best friend Taylor, that I realized it was fine to say a prayer over my food before I ate. She gave me the courage to thank my Heavenly Father for what he had given me, no matter the situation. Sure I regularly get strange looks, but not once has someone laughed or pointed fingers. Is it possible that it even causes them to stop and ask them selves if they should be doing the same thing? It is through this great gift that I have received the greatest part of my personal revelation, including my testimony of the Book of Mormon and the experiences and principles it testifies of. I owe a great deal of thanks to Moroni for having the personal strength and testimony to be able to receive the power of the Holy Ghost to put together such a powerfully inspiring book of scripture. I say this in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, Amen.