Don't Drop Your Testimony in the Toilet

One of my favorite movies is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. In that movie, there's a scene where Benjamin recounts the events leading up to his love being hit by a car. Here's the scene, if you want to watch it:

I had a similar experience today. It wasn't nearly as dramatic, but it made me think. Every day, we make choices, and every choice has an impact. Today I went to church with the same woman I always do, and we were early, so I thought it would be a good idea to run to the bathroom. I took a picture in the mirror, as I often do, and then I tucked my phone in my jacket pocket. But for some reason, against my usual pattern, I didn't zip it. The result? My phone fell out of my pocket and into the toilet.

Oops.

I grabbed it immediately and it still turned on, and even now - after hours - it's functioning just fine. So my story has a happy ending. But I still think this, as well as the scene from Benjamin Button, is an awesome analogy.

When I first got my iPhone, I treated it like a rare gem. I was so careful. And then somewhere along the line, I stopped caring so much. And not caring caused me to think zipping my pocket was unnecessary, when I very well knew better. I think we often have a similar experience with the gospel and with obedience.

We love the gospel, and we build up our testimonies and hold them dear to our hearts. And then, we are given choices. And sometimes those choices take us off guard, or we don't see them as important. And often those choices take us down bad roads without our realizing it. It's happened to me. It's happened to everyone. Every choice matters.

My sister and I went to see Mockingjay Part 2 on Christmas, and there was a line in there that really stood out to me. Finnick told Katniss, “It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.” And that's true. I've seen it in so many lives. It takes so much more time, pain, and effort to come back from sin than it does to simply make a choice - even if the choice is difficult. It is better to stay on track. Getting off track isn't worth it - ever. Being disobedient isn't worth it - ever. But being a servant of God is worth it - every single time.

Don't drop your testimony in the toilet, my friends. Make good choices. Zip your pocket. Hold the gospel near and dear to your heart. The effort you make to keep it safe, and to nourish it, will be the greatest choice you'll ever make. I promise that.

I love the gospel. I love my Father in Heaven. I love my Savior. And I hope that I will make better choices in the future, both temporal and spiritual. Agency is an awesome thing! I love you all. Happy Sabbath.