I posted this and then took it off because I thought it was too long and kind of felt funny doing it. Since a few of you asked where it went here it is again. It is a 15 minute talk I gave in church a few weeks ago. So you don't have to read it all. It was just a great opportunity of growth for me and so I am sharing it.
TESTIMONY
Elder Gordon B. Hinckley once spoke of meeting a young naval officer from Asia. The officer had not been a Christian, but during training in the United States, he had learned about the Church and was baptized. He was now preparing to return to his native land.
President Hinckley said: “Your people are not Christians. What will happen when you return home a Christian, and, more particularly, a Mormon Christian?”
The officer’s replied: “My family will be disappointed. … As for my future and my career, all opportunity may be foreclosed against me.”
President Hinckley asked, “Are you willing to pay so great a price for the gospel?”
With his dark eyes moistened by tears, he answered with a question: “It’s true, isn’t it?”
President Hinckley responded, “Yes, it is true.”
To which the officer replied, “Then what else matters?”1
It’s true, isn’t it? Then what else matters?
Of course, for all of us, there are other things that matter.
But how do we find our way through the many things that matter?
How do we get that kind of conviction, that strong testimony?
We find our way through the many things that matter As we simplify and purify our perspective. Some things are evil and must be avoided; some things are nice; some things are important; and some things are absolutely essential.
John 17:3 the Savior says, “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”4
How do we get that kind of conviction?
Any one who desires to know the truth can receive that conviction.
President Hinckley said “When [an individual] is motivated by great and powerful convictions of truth, then he disciplines himself, not because of demands made by the Church but because of the knowledge within his heart.”
And we can get that kind of conviction by gaining and strengthening our testimonies.
Well, first what is a testimony?
A testimony is a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost. The foundation of a testimony is the knowledge that Heavenly Father lives and loves His children; that Jesus Christ lives, that He is the Son of God, and that He carried out the infinite Atonement; that Joseph Smith is the prophet of God who was called to restore the gospel; that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Savior's true Church on the earth; and that the Church is led by a living prophet today. With this foundation, a testimony grows to include all principles of the gospel.
So how do we get our own personal testimony?
Well, a testimony does not come from our own reasoning powers.
Things of God are only understood by the Spirit of God.
President Spencer W. Kimball said that “testimonies are feelings, not merely the accumulation of facts”
We can study and read and study and read all we want but it is not until “the whisperings of the still small voice is heard” until the spirit testifies to us that what we have read and study are true that we gain our testimonies.
Job 32:8 But there is a spirit in man; and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
Each of us may know for ourselves, through the Holy Ghost, that it is true, and as President Hinckley said “with as certain an assurance as that the sun will rise in the morning.
A testimony of the gospel “is received when the Holy Spirit speaks to the spirit within [us. “Testimony comes through the quiet influence of the Holy Ghost It comes with a calm, unwavering certainty.”
The results of a testimony can be miraculous and life changing, but the gift of testimony usually comes as a quiet assurance, without a spectacular display of God's power.
For some of us receiving a testimony is a vivid experience. For most of us, a testimony comes in a less spectacular way.
President Marion G. Romney explained how he got his testimony: “Sometimes a testimony comes to a person slowly, over an extended period of time. I do not remember a testimony coming to me suddenly. … I cannot remember when I did not have a testimony. It has, of course, been strengthened through the years, but I can never remember when I did not believe. But whether a testimony comes suddenly or by degrees, it does something to a person. One is different after he receives a testimony
Alma 5:45–46 Alma says, 45. And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety?
46. Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God, Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true. For the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.
Even Alma, who had already been visited by an angel and had seen God sitting on His throne, still needed to fast and pray so he could receive a testimony through the power of the Holy Ghost.
I was trying to find some letters from my Dad that he wrote to me while I was away at school. I remember him bearing his testimony often to me in those letters, mostly about keeping my standards high and staying clean and pure but I couldn’t find them. But I did find some letters from him from my mission. And this one goes perfectly with my message today.
It was while I was still in the MTC and I was still learning when I asked my parents for some of their personal testimony gaining experiences. And I wrote this,
“This sharing experiences is getting hard. I can not think of any. Or I can’t relate things to my life. I hope that makes sense. I just can’t express my feelings. I feel like I don’t have a testimony sometimes. I know I do !! But we have to testify to so many different things. When did I know that God lives, that Jesus died for me, that the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith was a prophet, etc...I don’t know when. People have these big stories and I have nothing. Anyway that is my problem, Everything else is great!.
This was my dad’s reply:
You said in your letter that some of the other missionaries can give stories about when they were converted to the gospel. Some can give and do have some beautiful experiences of when they were converted. To some they are converted that way and to others they have always known, they don’t have experiences like that. I am like that. I could not tell you of when I knew the gospel was true. I have always known it. Maybe it was when as a child I would see Dad (my grandpa) go out and do missionary work, or when we would go to the church peach orchard or maybe when we were pulling weeds around the old Ward House. Or when I would be sitting in a church meeting that I would feel the spirit and it would testify to me that what I was doing or saying was right. I did not and still don’t understand everything about the gospel, but I know from the experiences I have had in the gospel that this is the Lord’s church and his hand is guiding it. So no I can’t give you a date, or a time because I don’t know when I didn’t know it was true.
I am so thankful for my parents and their testimonies and that I was able to borrow their testimony for a while.
We each will receive our own testimonies in different ways but it will always be through the Holy Ghost.
There are things we can to do to prepare us to receive our testimonies.
1. Desire to believe
2. Search the Scriptures
3. Do the will of God
4. Ponder and pray with faith in Christ
5. Fast and pray often
So we have gained our testimony, we had that desire, we have studied, we have obeyed, prayed and fasted and the Holy Ghost has born witness to us that Jesus Christ is the son of God, That Joseph Smith is a prophet of God who restored the gospel and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church on this earth. We can now say that we know for ourselves that these things are true. We have that conviction.
Then what? Are we good, is that it?
President Harold B. Lee said: “Testimony isn’t something you have today, and you are going to have always. A testimony is fragile. It is as hard to hold as a moonbeam. It is something you have to recapture every day of your life” (quoted by J. M. Heslop in “President Harold B. Lee Directs Church; Led by the Spirit,” Church News, 15 July 1972, 4).
Elder George Q. Cannon wrote: “It is not enough that we knew of the truth of this work yesterday or the day before or a week or a month or a year ago; we ought to and must, in order to be happy, know it to be true to-day. … We can only retain the testimony of the truth in our heart by living near unto God” (Gospel Truth, sel. Jerreld L. Newquist [1957], 1:343).
Our testimonies grow gradually through experiences. No one receives a complete testimony all at once. It grows as individuals show willingness to serve in the Church and to study, pray, and learn. It increases as individuals obey God's commandments.
Alma compared a testimony to a seed that must be cared for in order to grow into a lovely tree.
Alma 32:37–38. 37. And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say; Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.
38. But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.
I think of this summer. On some of those hot days “when the heat of the sun cometh” and when I just don’t feel like doing anything, when those trials come, when those temptations come when those doubts come-
Our we taking care of our testimony? Are we nourishing it? Is it as strong now as it was last week or last year?
Alma 32:41. But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.
There are many examples of people in the scriptures who did not nourish their tree, who stopped taking care of their testimony and lost it for a while. Alma, the Younger who seeks to destroy the church, Laman and Lemual, who just never get it and thus there people are destroyed, Peter who denied Christ.
And then we can see what happens to those who do nourish their tree and continue to care for their testimony, like: Nephi who is always enduring to the end, Moroni, who strengthens everyone around him; And Esther who stands up for what she believes.
The gaining of a strong and secure testimony of the gospel, to know that this gospel is true is the duty, privilege and opportunity of every one of us as members of the Church
And it is our most precious possession.
And thus it is something we should share with members and nonmembers alike.
Our Testimonies grow as we share it.
There is nothing like discussing the scriptures and gospel principles with nonmembers and then being able to say “I know these things are true.” You can’t argue with that, you can question that, you can’t refute it.
Then each month in fast and testimony meeting we can testify that we know certain gospel principles are true. And we can explain how we know. A good testimony meeting can draw us each together as the spirit touches each of our hearts and in turn strengthens testimonies.
And I think most importantly sharing our testimonies with our children is a great blessing. It doesn’t have to always be in a formal setting like a fast and testimony meeting
It’s when we do the will of the Lord, it is when they see us in action. When they see us studying the scriptures, when they see us doing our visiting and home teaching and serving in our callings and serving others, it is when they see us praying and hear our prayers and during FHE. It is when we provide them with opportunities to feel the spirit and when we help them recognize it.
I asked my children if they could think of a time when they had felt the spirit. And I got a couple of answers I’m not sure about, like when I found a penny on the bottom of the pool.
Ethan remembered one and it was when I was getting ready to leave on a trip to California with my youngest Lauren and we were driving up to my brothers house close to Fort Worth so he could watch the rest of our kids while I was gone and we were all packed up and the car was loaded and I couldn’t find my driver’s license. I needed it to drive the distant but I really needed it for my ID so I could get on the plane when that time came. Well, according to Ethan I was pretty “annoyed”. We were all looking all over for it. I remember saying a prayer and not too long after Ethan came in from outside with my license that he had found in the glove box of the car. And I started to cry. He said he had said a prayer too and that he then remembered he saw me put something in the glove box and that is were he went to look. That was a great opportunity for us to talk about the spirit and how I was feeling and the power of prayer. Again, through our experiences our testimonies grow.
Bearing our testimonies helps us understand and value our feelings. It helps our testimonies grow within us. And sometimes bearing our testimonies just helps us realize we have one.
I want to share a couple of testimonies from those we know who have that conviction:
President Gordon B. Hinckley: 1997 “I want to bear you my testimony. I know that God our Eternal Father lives. I know that. I know that He watches over us, His children. He is the great God of the universe. He is the Governor of the universe. And yet He listens to each of us, His children, and how thankful we ought to be. I know that Jesus is the Christ, The Redeemer of the world, He who wrought a great Atonement in behalf of each of us. I do not care what you remember from this meeting, but I hope that you will remember this, that you heard Gordon B. Hinckley say that he knows that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of the world, and that they appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, that the Book of Mormon is true, that the priesthood is upon the earth, and that we exercise it in behalf of the sons and daughters of God. That is my testimony and it is as real and as true as the sunrise in the morning.”
President Thomas S. Monson: 2008 “I know without question, my brothers and sisters, that God lives. I testify to you that this is His work. I testify as well that our Savior Jesus Christ is at the head of this Church, which bears His name. I know that the sweetest experience in all this life is to feel His promptings as He directs us in the furtherance of His work. I felt those promptings as a young bishop, guided to the homes where there was spiritual—or perhaps temporal—want. I felt them again as a mission president in Toronto, Canada, working with wonderful missionaries who were a living witness and testimony to the world that this work is divine and that we are led by a prophet. I have felt them throughout my service in the Twelve and in the First Presidency and now as President of the Church. I testify that each one of us can feel the Lord’s inspiration as we live worthily and strive to serve Him. It’s difficult for me to find the words to convey to you, my brothers and sisters, my heartfelt appreciation for the lives you live, for the good you do, for the testimonies you bear. You serve one another willingly. You are dedicated to the gospel of Jesus Christ. With all my heart and the fervency of my soul, I lift my voice in testimony today as a special witness and declare that God does live. Jesus is His Son, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. He is our Redeemer; He is our Mediator with the Father. He loves us with a love we cannot fully comprehend, and because He loves us, He gave His life for us. My gratitude to Him is beyond expression.”
I hope that you have been renewed today and have a greater desire to strengthen your own personal testimonies. For the gospel is true and it does matter.
I want you to know and especially want my husband and my children to know that I too know this is the gospel of Jesus Christ and it is the only true church on this earth. I know my Heavenly Father lives and loves me and that Jesus Christ is our Savior. And I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God who restored the gospel to this dispensation. And I know this because the Holy Ghost has testified this to me.
8 years ago
