"Be Like Him": My 4th of July Witness
By Ann Smith
When I was about 16, I attended a ballet camp at BYU in Provo. It was on the 4th of July, and we were watching the fireworks on the field right next to the Stadium of Fire. I remember lying on a blanket watching the fireworks and talking about our Savior’s second coming. During the camp we had a counselor that shared spiritual thoughts and scriptures with us each day to help strengthen our faith in Christ. During the fireworks, I think the counselor shared a scripture and started a discussion about the second coming of Jesus, and I really pondered in my mind how I could be ready for that day. I remember feeling a strong impression that what I needed to do to be ready for Christ’s second coming was to become like Him. At that moment my heart was filled with a powerful desire to be just like Jesus– To be completely and totally unselfish, loving, patient, gentle and serve others always. It was one of the most spiritual and joyful moments in my life, when I knew that I felt the Spirit of God enlighten my mind and fill me with a desire to follow Jesus Christ and love others the way He does. So, from that very moment I tried my best to love and serve others and to unselfishly share everything I had, and to love everyone around me the way Jesus would. During this time, my whole soul was filled with the Spirit, and I felt so much peace and great joy as I made this effort. I remember feeling– this must be what Heaven feels like—pure love! I went home a few days later and it was harder to keep that perfect love in my heart, and the spiritual high wore off, but I have always loved that experience because I knew that God had inspired my mind with what I needed to do to be ready to meet our Savior again. I also learned that following Him, truly trying to be like Him, is what fills us with His Spirit and with complete peace and joy.