I had to write a paper for English entitled "This I Believe"--it is part of a National Public Radio project where Americans write a short essay illustrating a core belief. Anyway, when I heard the assignment, I KNEW it was going to have to be about a part of my testimony. But it was made clear in the assignment that we were not to "preach" our religion. So I had my work cut out for me. I finished the essay after a LOT of thought and rewriting (mainly because I had to condense what could have been pages and pages, into about 500 words). I was fairly happy with the results, but my English professor really liked the essay. She said it really touched her heart, which made me feel good. I'm gonna post my essay, because it really does say a lot about an important part of my testimony--my relationship with my Heavenly Father. Here it is (not correclty formatted, I'm sure):

“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”- this phrase is engraved in our national consciousness. But what is happiness? Can we actually find it, or are we destined only to pursue? I have searched for true happiness fruitlessly, until a simple question asked by a friend showed me the way. What I learned is that God is my Father, and that the only way I can find true happiness is through cultivating a relationship with Him.
I was taught from an early age that I am God’s daughter in the literal sense, not just metaphorically. He is all-knowing and all-powerful, and literally moves heaven and earth for my benefit. I have never questioned this belief, but as a young adult I rebelled and stopped living according to the tenets of my religion for a few years. I stopped praying and lost touch, as it were, with my Father. I had a good life—good friends, a great job, freedom to do as I pleased. I was also perpetually cranky and somewhat depressed. I attributed it to stress and decided to take a vacation and visit a friend of mine in Logan, Utah. The drive is beautiful and I took the most scenic route, hoping the beauty would do its magic as it always had and remove my stress.
When I arrived in Logan, I complained to my friend that I felt no better after the drive, and worried that I had evolved into an unhappy person. In response, my friend asked me if I really felt that God loved me. I replied that I knew he did. She explained that she did not question what I knew, but what I felt. I had to admit that I didn’t feel anything about God, because I had ignored that part of my life for so long. My wise friend explained that I could not be happy unless I had not just a belief in God, but a relationship with Him as my Father.
What kind of relationship can one have with God? Because He is my Father, the actions I take are similar to what I would do with my mortal father. When I pray, I speak to Him to communicate--asking questions, expecting answers, and expressing my feelings. I try to listen to what He would have me hear. I realize that it is okay to question Him, if I do so with the intent of understanding His will. I strive to trust him, knowing that He loves me and that everything that happens in my life is for my ultimate benefit, even if I don’t understand and even if it is painful. Instead of just acknowledging His existence in my head, I engage my heart and seek to be nearer to Him.
When my friend reminded me of what I really already knew, a light bulb switched on in my mind and heart. I began working on bringing my heart in line with the things my intellect knew. Since then, I have worked to cultivate a relationship with God, my Father. My life has certainly not become easier, but it has taken on new meaning. I am sure that I will have pain, sadness, and tribulation in my life, and things will happen that I will not understand. But regardless of what happens in my life, because I have a personal relationship with God, I will be happy. ***** (end essay)

So that's my essay. My professor said she wanted us to send them to NPR, I don't know if I will or not, but we have been told we need to use these mediums to express our testimonies about the Gospel, so maybe I will.