Carbon County, where I grew up, was only about 30 percent LDS. Many of my friends were not LDS. Two of the men that were my closest friends were LDS but not the kind that would stand up for the church. Fact is, later on one of them joined the Catholic church. Two of the girls we went with were Episcopalians (Church of England) and the third girl was Greek Orthodox. The Greek girl always had some smart remark about the Mormons and then she and I would get into an argument. She would always come up with some scripture or other and then say that the Mormons didn't believe in the Holy Bible. I would defend the church the best I could, which, at times, was not very good, because even though I had grown up in the church I really didn’t study the gospel. A couple of times the car was stopped and we were told if we did not knock it off we could walk home, and that was quite a distance.
Then something happened to me that I would never have thought would happen. My Bishop had the nerve to call me on a mission. I will be eternally grateful to him. You might not be as grateful because if he had not done it at the time he did you would not have to be listening to me.
When I was called on my mission, I was not sure about my TESTIMONY. I thought I had one but I also knew I would have to look at other people and tell them that: Jeg ved at Gud liver og Han er mine Himelske Father og at Jesus Kristus er Hans Son, vore Frelser og vore Forloser og et Mormons Bog er Guds ord ligesom Biblen er Gud’ s ord. (Give in English) I wasn’ t sure that I was ready for that because what if someone asked me, “ How do you know these things, prove that what you say is the truth?”
I started to take the intellectual or scientific approach. This approach relies on knowledge of facts and reason. Just like Brother Mangelson in his profession. Have him come and tell why he gathers facts. The prosecuting attorney will take those facts and build a case against the person or persons he has charged. If the facts line up right and the attorney can show beyond reasonable doubt the person(s) is/are guilty then they get a conviction. If the facts do not line up, then there is a good chance the person will go free.
What happens if you base your testimony on facts and reason and some one comes along and shows you that some of your facts are not right? What happens to your testimony?
FOR EXAMPLE: 1.You study all the South American histories and culture to prove that the Book of Mormon is true, not necessarily studying the contents of the book. You believe they know where Noah’ s Arc is, or you know someone who has a sliver of wood that is supposed to come off the cross that Jesus was crucified on. There is one church that used to sell pieces of the cross. I do not think they do it today.
You believe the church to be true because your parents believed it or someone you respect believes it. What happens to your testimony if one of them falls away from the church or moves away? You need to learn that you can not survive in the church on another's testimonies. On the other hand if you want a testimony that God is our Father and Jesus Christ is his son, our Redeemer and our Savior you must go beyond the intellectual approach. You must rely on revelation.
How do we receive revelation? Some receive it through personal contact with Deity (such as Adam, Moses, Joseph Smith) others receive it through dreams, others by experiences and others by the burning in the bosom. Paul the apostle first heard a voice and the voice he heard said,"Saul, Saul, why persecutist thou me?” and Saul asked, "Who art thou, Lord?" And the voice said to him, "I am the one whom thou persecutist." It was not at this time that he was converted to the church but later on.
His‹ ‹conversion was not done by the teachings or hands of man. He writes in Galatians 1:12 “ For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." Paul never knew Jesus and never met him before Jesus was crucified. He was converted thro ugh revelation. Paul also wrote in to the Corinthians in his first letter 2: “ But it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God."
What spirit is he talking about? The Holy Ghost.
In John 7:15-17 It says that the "Jews marveled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never been learned? Jesus answered them, and said: My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself."
Joseph Smith read James 1:5-6: "If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."
In the Book of Mormon, Moroni states, in 10:4-5: "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. 5. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. "
You may not receive a personal visit or a voice but you will receive a conviction in your heart that it is true. This testimony is not based on only fact and reason although they may be part of it. You may receive a burning in your bosom that Jesus is the Christ and be eternally grateful for what He did for us in becoming our Savior and our Redeemer and our Brother.
When you tell your parents that you love them, what facts will show that you believe it? It is like the Lord said, "If you love me‹ ‹keep my commandments.” That is the same with the church if we testify that we love God and Jesus then we will keep their commandments.
You young people, if you have had a chance to feel a knot in your stomach when a Prophet dies or someone strikes out at the church or its leaders or you hear someone use God’ s name or Jesus' name in a swearing situation (in vain) then you are on the way to developing a testimony. Prayer is a key that opens the gate to having a testimony. Do not let your key rust.
(If time permits tell about the film at Legacy and the feelings it brought.)
If I had time I would like to tell you about some of my sacred experiences that have strengthened my testimony. That is another new talk.
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