I know that Jesus Christ lived upon this earth.

I know it not only because history records His life and crucifixion, but because His way of being continues to meet me in my own living—where guilt does not heal, but repentance does; where shame does not transform, but mercy does; and where truth does not dominate, but invites.

I know He was crucified for the transgressions of the world—not because humanity was irredeemable, but because humanity was worth redeeming. A transgression is not an identity; it is a crossing, often made in ignorance, pain, survival, or fear. Christ’s Atonement was not about freezing us in condemnation, but about lifting us into greater light, understanding, and responsibility.

I know He lives after the crucifixion because resurrection is not only an event—it is a pattern I have lived. I have known loss, error, and breaking; and I have also known restoration, correction, and growth that did not come through force or fear, but through grace paired with agency. Death—whether spiritual, emotional, or circumstantial—has not had the final word in my life. Life, with more light than before, has followed.

I know that Christ came to the American continent because I know the nature of the Christ I follow. A just God does not abandon His children by geography. The witness found in the Book of Mormon aligns with the Christ I already know: the same Christ who teaches, heals, forgives, and honors agency. I do not know this because I was compelled to believe it, but because it fits—spiritually, morally, and doctrinally—with a God who speaks to all His children and provides more than one witness of His Son.

I know these things through three witnesses, which is God’s own pattern.

I know them with my mind, because they hold together under honest questioning rather than collapsing beneath it.
I know them with my heart, because they bring peace that is settled, not frantic—clarity, not control.
And I know them through the Spirit, not as a shout, but as a steady confirmation that remains even when life is difficult and unanswered questions persist.

Most importantly, I know these things because I am grateful.

I am grateful for the things that have helped me rise above my own transgressions—not by denying them, excusing them, or weaponizing righteousness against others, but by learning, repenting, and choosing better. Gratitude is the evidence of grace received, not righteousness claimed. It keeps faith from becoming domination and turns it instead into service.

I do not claim perfection. I claim growth.
I do not claim authority over others’ conscience. I honor agency, as Christ did.
I do not demand agreement. I offer witness.

By their fruits ye shall know them.

And the fruit in my life has been greater responsibility, deeper humility, and a clearer desire to lead with righteousness that heals rather than harms.

That is how I know.

#ArtistShimmer @CaveCreekWard http://www.creeker.site