My Life at a Glance

   My name is Nolan Moore. I was born into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and was raised in Vidor, TX by the best parents I could have asked for. I follow in the faith of my fathers. I am proud to be a Texan. Many dislike the pride that Texans are known for displaying so boldly, but none can dispute my heritage. 9 generations ago, it was my greatest grandparents who entered Texas with Stephen F. Austin and 299 other families to settle what was then Mexico. I am proud of my heritage. My family has taught me many things. The experiences that we have shared have shaped my life and given it form (However lopsided that form may appear). Towards the end of sixth grade I began home schooling. The decision was taken with much prayer and consideration, and it was determined to be the best thing for me at the time. Multiple times in the following years I prayed for guidance concerning my education, and it was always the Lord’s will that I continue studying at home, as opposed to doing so publicly. From the experiences I gleaned from home schooling, my spiritual and mental progression was able to go unimpeded and unhindered as I learned to think for myself, and make my own opinions on all matters, receiving great influence from my daily scripture studies. I was also able to develop many of my God given talents during these years, such as confidence in all that I do, and leadership abilities. It has been said, “Sometimes being a leader means being alone.” Or in other words, a leader, magnifying his position is required to make the right choice, not necessarily the popular choice. In doing so, the leader may become unpopular, and have to stand alone in his decisions, simply knowing that he did his best, while all else shun him. That was my standing all to often as I did all I could to elevate my standards to those that the Lord had asked of me. Beyond even that, all knew of my integrity. Through those experiences, I learned to be confident in my decision-making, knowing that I would only do the best I could to live the gospel, and knowing that I didn’t need others to make me who I wanted to be. I learned to love the scriptures, and look forward to seminary as they strengthened me daily for every challenge I faced. I often made mistakes as a youth, some graver than others, but I was always able to find peace through true repentance. As the years moved on, I continued my studies, defining my character, and preparing to serve and honorable full time mission. Having received a witness of the divinity of our Savior at a young age, I always knew what to do, and who to follow, and was constantly reminded that I could pray, that the prophet would never lead me astray, and that above all else, I was loved by my family, and by my Father in Heaven. At the age of 17 I completed both my Duty to God and my Eagle Scout awards along with graduating from seminary. At the age of 18 I entered college at Lamar University. After a year of studying, I was called to serve in the Argentina Buenos Aires South Mission where I completed an honorable full time mission of 2 years, as had been my dream from my youth. I learned many wonderful things, which cannot all be written here, much less listing those whom I served alongside and the experiences we had together. It truly did change my life, and as clichéd and overused a phrase as it may be, it was the best two years of my life. I learned to love, not only the people I served, but also their culture, and their language. I have a firm idealistic belief and testimony that the atonement is for everything in our lives, and that the church is not merely what we do on Sundays, but it is a lifestyle that must shape our every action. This belief causes me to look to the gospel and the scriptures in all that I do. Our Father in Heaven gives us all agency to act as we please, and to think for ourselves, thus I prayerfully chose my own major (Currently Electrical Engineering) for college, and I will someday get married to a girl of my choosing. I fill my time as I see fit, and choose my own hobbies. However, I will always reap the consequences, thus I look to the scriptures and the Spirit for guidance not only in the mundane daily activities, but especially in moral judgments, my stance on political matters, and the dealings I have with family, friends and acquaintances. While being far from perfect, I strive continuously to improve daily. I have a love for inspirational poetry and hold the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence as sacred, inspired documents. My family is the most important thing to me, and I firmly attest to the divinity of the family in God’s plan. I believe that if all people would embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ as he taught it in his mortal ministry, that the world would have far fewer moral dilemmas. I truly believe that if all would live Christ like lives, that many of the world’s greatest problems would vanish. There would still be difficulties, and challenges, but nothing that we would be incapable of handling with the Lord’s blessings pouring down upon us. I realize that I may be the last person to be able to say such a thing, for my many shortcomings, however that is what the atonement is for. I believe that each person does the best that they can. I have trouble imagining someone waking up one morning and thinking, “I want to be bad today.” I believe that people are inherently good, and that they may be misled from time to time, causing them to make one mistake after another until they realize just how far they have gone, at which point, in their confusion, they may not know how to return to their previous self, or they may be disempowered to do so alone. It could be that their confusion causes them to merely be complacent with their current state. I realize that the causes and effects may be different, and that each case truly is individual, and only to be judged by our Father in Heaven, I feel this to be a fairly general scenario. In the book of Alma chapter 17, verse 11 we receive the promise that by our firm and patient examples, we can be the means of saving many souls. I know that to be true. So instead of merely stating a problem, I wish to give a solution. That each of us pray to know where we can start improving, and to receive strength to do so, that we too may be greater examples, and lead more Christ like lives. If each person elevates their standards, it will be far less difficult for those around us to do likewise. Thus my invitation is for each of us to elevate our standards one at a time until we feel that we are leading more Christ like lives, and to then repeat this process, constantly giving ourselves honest, personal, and frequent moral inventories, and setting achievable goals.

My Testimony

   I have a firm testimony of the divinity and atonement of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Said testimony is based upon principles of faith and power. I am not one of few when I say that I have not seen him. Neither am I one of few when I say that I have felt his presence and his boundless mercy and love for me, which I know he gives freely to all of God’s children. My testimony of the Messiah did not come over night. I remember being a ten-year-old boy, sitting at the dinner table listening to my parents converse with the Elders in our ward about their scripture studies. We had two fine young men at the time. Elder Cole and Elder Shore were both from Utah, as so often is the case. Elder Cole had not read The Book of Mormon before embarking on his two-year mission to teach the future saints in the Texas Houston East Mission. To his credit, he read it as soon as he realized it’s importance, and the power and influence that the spirit may have through it. Upon this discovery, he fell in love with The Book of Mormon, and added great insights to our after dinner conversations. As such, his companion Elder Shore did not lack in his insights either. I remember one insight in particular, which Elder Cole found in the scriptures. In the book of Alma chapter 20 verse 23 there was an old king, who, in bargaining for his mortal life, offers half his kingdom as ransom. In Alma chapter 22 verses 15 to 18, this very same king offers his whole kingdom and the very life, which he had before desired to safeguard, if he could but know The True and Living God. The spirit had touched this old king and shown him the great worth of his spirit. Upon hearing of this revelation, I too wished to know of the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon, for the spirit had wrought a change in my young heart, just as that old king’s. The way which this great missionary companionship spoke of The Book of Mormon and it’s stories, made it seem as if they truly had known the people of whom they spoke. It appeared to me, for the first time in my life, that they were more than simple fairy tales listed in a book, but that they were real experiences, of real people, who really loved God. If those Elders could know such a thing, then why not I? The Lord’s promises are for all his children. That is what the scriptures teach, and if they are true, I too could know. So at the age of ten years, I followed good examples, and I began reading The Book of Mormon on a daily basis (Which practice I have not failed to follow, even to this very day.), making new friends within it’s pages, just as those Elders had. Upon my completion at the age of 11, I prayed to know of the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints. I received an answer for all my efforts, and I have never been able to doubt since, that the Church is true, and that Christ, truly leads it through his prophet, and all that is implied therewith. There were the beginnings of my true testimony, and it has only grown since then as I have felt of the power of Christ’s redeeming atonement through repenting and working through life’s challenges. I also know of his love for all men, for he has allowed me to feel of his goodness. I received council from my mother as my Sunday school teacher, that I should ask the Lord a question to which I already knew the answer. By so doing I would be able to know of a certainty how The Spirit felt when it told me that an answer was yes, and by connection, how it wouldn’t feel if the answer was no. The simple challenge was to merely ask God if he loved me, and to then wait and listen. I learned that God wants to answer our prayers, and just as our parents want to tell us of their love for us, God is waiting for every opportunity to let us know of his love as well. I have repeated that exercise multiple times in my life, always with the same results. I feel wrapped in the Lord’s love every time I ask him. I have extended that challenge to many others as a missionary serving in the Argentina, Buenos Aires South Mission, to find that they too received the same answer. I now extend that same life changing opportunity to all who read of my testimony and it’s foundations. I hope that all can feel of the Lord’s infinite love, which he has for all. He loves those who are in the gall of bitterness just as much as he loves the humble and the meek in spirit. I find the poem and hymn “Come Unto Him” by Theodore E. Curtis particularly fitting. It reads “I wander through the still of night; When solitude is ev’rywhere-; Alone, beneath the starry light; And yet I know that God is there.; I kneel upon the grass and pray; An answer comes without a voice.; It takes my burden all away; And makes my aching heart rejoice.—When I am filled with strong desire; And ask a boon of him, I see; No miracle of living fire; But what I ask flows into me; And when the tempest rages high; I feel no arm around me thrust; But ev’ry storm goes rolling by; When I repose in him my trust.—It matters not what may befall; What threat’ning hand hangs over me; He is my rampart through it all; My refuge from mine enemy.; Come unto him all ye depressed; Ye erring souls who’s eyes are dim; Ye weary ones who long for rest; Come unto him! Come unto him!” I have a testimony of many things in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, but what I know more than anything else is that he lives and loves each of us. That no pain goes unnoticed by him, and that if we have unwavering faith, he will heal us of the wrongs done to us, and consecrate them for our benefit. It may take time, but it takes as much faith to make a miracle, as it does to accept that the Lord’s answer is no; to accept that he knows better than us.