In grade twelve the youth of Calgary were invited to be in a dance festival. We spent many long hours preparing for this event. Our youth activity night was dedicated to practices. We would go to the chapel early on Saturday morning to practice. We did this for months. Paul was my dance partner. Hundreds of youth came from all over the region. This was very exciting because normally we did not see this many youth, who all believed as we did, in one place. It was powerful and it was so much fun to be among young men and women who held the same standards.
I was in two different dance numbers. Since there were so many of us they asked that anyone who knew how to sew should make their own costumes. I made my two outfits and the outfit for Paul. For one dance I wore a white dress with a silver bodice. For another we were supposed to be at a 1950's soc hop. I wore a black skirt with a yellow ribbon around the bottom. Yellow shirt and black bandana around my neck. Also, yellow socks. They wanted us all to match so we didn't wear shoes...just our yellow socks. By then end of the night the top was yellow and the bottom was black.
I remember the finale. More than a thousand of us standing on the floor of the arena singing As I Have Loved You. We were holding a small light. It must've looked really awesome. I don't know how it looked from above. But I do know how I felt. I felt tears streaming down my cheeks and the arms of my peers around me as we sang with our lights and our hearts.
There was peace in this moment and I knew the power of the spirit as I stood among youth who held tight to their testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel. This was a blessing in my life and has given me strength through the years.
I am so grateful to my Father in Heaven for allowing me to come to this earth with a knowledge of the gospel and with the faith to believe and embrace truth.
