I do believe in Christ. I know he lives and succors us in our trials and our weaknesses. His Atonement is real and has the power to cleanse us of sin and give us strength to do things we could not with our own abilities alone.

I first gained this knowledge as a young teenager. Because of the pressures of teenage life, I felt alone and overwhelmed. One night while sitting alone in my bedroom, I picked up my scriptures with the intent of sincerely reading them for the first time. I had read the scriptures in church and with my family, but before that time I had never really studied them personally. Not knowing where to begin or how to read them, I just thumbed through them and then started reading. I came across a verse that touched my heart and filled my soul with peace. The verse is found in John 14:18. The verse reads, "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you."

Tears filled my eyes as I for the first time, felt and recognized the Spirit communicating with my soul. I felt as if it were two arms embracing me and giving me comfort. I truly felt the presence of the Savior and in that moment gained a knowledge of his reality and sincere love. Since that time I have had many similar experiences that have drawn me nearer to the Savior and confirmed and fortified my testimony of him. I know that he will never leave us comfortless, but will come to us in our time of need.