President
Benson taught, “Please remember this one thing. If our lives and our faith are
centered upon Jesus Christ and
his restored gospel, nothing can ever go permanently wrong.” I testify brothers
and sisters, that the way we center our
lives on Christ is by learning and living the gospel. As we do so, we will come
to feel and know that the course we are following is right and the things we
are learning are true. That which starts as faith can become a testimony as we
seek for knowledge and listen to the Holy Ghost, who testifies of all truth. Obedience
and continual seeking will lead to your testimony “growing brighter and
brighter until the perfect day” and you have a perfect knowledge of all things.
We know though, that our testimonies can be lost, so what is it we must do to
fortify ourselves and continue to be strengthened? The ways that came to my
mind are: Remember Heavenly Father loves you, Rely on Jesus Christ, Feed your
testimony, and Live true to what you know. I’d like to share some thoughts
about each one.
1. Remember Heavenly Father loves you. President Uchtdorf, in
powerful talk entitled Receiving a Testimony of Light and Truth, taught, “The Everlasting and
Almighty God, the Creator of this vast universe, will speak to those who
approach Him with a sincere heart and real intent. He will speak to them in
dreams, visions, thoughts, and feelings. He will speak in a way that is
unmistakable and that transcends human experience. He will give them divine
direction and answers for their personal lives. Of course, there will be those
who scoff and say such a thing is impossible, that if there were a God, He
would have better things to do than hear and answer a single person’s prayer.
But I tell you this: God cares about you. He will listen, and He will answer
your personal questions. The answers to your prayers will come in His own way
and in His own time, and therefore, you need to learn to listen to His voice.
God wants you to find your way back to Him, and the Savior is the way.5 God wants
you to learn of His Son, Jesus Christ, and experience the profound peace and joy
that come from following the path of divine discipleship.”
It is
amazing to consider that we can pray every day to the most infinite powerful
being in the universe. He knows and loves you and wants to hear from you. In
Doctrine and Covenants 10:5, the Savior teaches, “Pray always, that you may
come off conqueror; yea that you may conquer Satan.”…..another verse in 2 Nephi
32:9 reads, “ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform
anything unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in
the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy
performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.” I know that if we pray with
sincerity our relationship with our Father in Heaven will be strengthened. We
will be blessed. We will feel of His love and that love will strengthen and
uphold us more than anything else. In another talk President Uchtdorf taught,
“This is the paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are
EVERYTHING to God.” Remember that sacred truth and strive to rely on it. Others
may forsake you but Heavenly Father never will.
2.
Rely on Jesus Christ.
When I was pondering for this talk, I read something my institute teacher
mentioned and noticed something that I never had before. Section 8 of the
Doctrine and Covenants is the Lord speaking to Oliver Cowdery, but His words
apply to each of us. The Savior said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, that assuredly as the Lord liveth, who is
your God and your Redeemer, even so surely shall you receive a knowledge of
whatsoever things you shall ask in faith, with an honest heart, believing that
you shall receive...” The creator of the universe, Jesus Christ, has promised
that you will receive a testimony as surely as He lives if you ask in faith.
The Lord is a God of truth and cannot lie. Whether you feel like you have a
testimony or don’t, if you do your part, in the Lord’s time you WILL receive
one. President Eyring has said “Acting on even a twig of faith allows God to
grow it.” So don’t give up as you continue seeking. Know that the more you have
fight for something that more precious it will be to you. “…The trial of your
faith, being much more precious than of gold...” because it leads you back to
Him! God’s promises are sure and He is mindful of you and your seeking. He will
answer and He will deliver. Elder Holland taught “Don’t you quit. You keep
walking, you keep trying, there is help and happiness ahead. Some blessings
come soon. Some come late. Some don’t come until heaven. But for those who
embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. Trust God and believe in Good
things to come.” Near the end of my mission I felt that I didn’t had the
strength to endure and it was very frightening and discouraging to me. I was
praying at church and had the thought to look up strength in the topical guide.
I read a story about Daniel in Daniel chapter 10. He had a vision and was
overcome with sorrow. He felt he had no strength and wondered if he could
continue. The rest of the story continues, “Then there came again and touched
me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me, and said, O man
greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And
when he had spoken unto me I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for
thou hast strengthened me.” Christ came to Daniel to comfort and strengthen
Him. That was exactly what I needed to hear at that time. From that and other
experiences I know the Savior will always be with us to strengthen us through
every trial of faith. We can truly always rely on Him.
3.
Feed your testimony. Just
like a plant needs water, sunlight, and soil to thrive and grow, our
testimonies need things to stay strong because they are not static. Everyday
the things we do can strengthen or weaken them. Daily studying and reading of
the scriptures, sincere, frequent praying and pondering, church and temple
attendance, and obedience to the commandments of God give your testimony the
nutrients it needs to stay strong. In a world that moves further and further
away from truth and God’s light, we can’t be casual in our discipleship and
still withstand evil. Recognizing and remembering times the Lord has spoken to
us in the past will also fortify our testimonies. Sometimes I believe also that
God is or has answered us but we have difficulty recognizing that answer. Some
people feel the Spirit as a burning in the bosom, others as peace in their
heart and mind, or sometimes to others a gospel principle just makes sense. All
of these are ways the Spirit testifies of truth. I would encourage you to study
a table in Preach My Gospel chapter 4 about roles of the Holy Ghost and find
which ways it has touched you that maybe you haven’t realized. Relying on those
experiences will give you strength. I believe a lot of us know more than we
think.
Live true to what you know. It takes a lot of effort to keep your testimony strong and continue on the path, but I know it’s worth it. This is the path that will lead to eternal life. Again from that talk about testimonies, President Uchtdorf explained, “Some may say that the steps are too hard or that they are not worth the effort. But I suggest that this personal testimony of the gospel and the Church is the most important thing you can earn in this life. It will not only bless and guide you during this life, but it will also have a direct bearing on your life throughout eternity.” I thought of a few examples where this principle is illustrated. In the war chapters of Alma, Captain Moroni takes time to fortify every city against attacks from the Lamanites. In chapter 50, first he has them dig hills of dirt around each city. Then he placed timbers the height of a man on top of the hills Verse 2 continues, “and he caused that upon those works of timbers there should be a frame of pickets built upon the timbers round about; and they were strong and high. And he caused towers to be erected that overlooked those works of pickets, and he caused places of security to be built upon those towers, that the stones and the arrows of the Lamanites could not hurt them.” I imagine people could have thought Captain Moroni was excessive in his preparation, but he did not have to fear when attacks came because of them. I also like how he built towers, to watch for the enemy and defend against them. We can avoid temptation and choose the right and similarly our most prized possession, our testimony, will be protected. Another example comes from a talk called Mountains to Climb by President Eyring. He shares a story about a job he used to have with a contractor building footings and foundations for new houses. They would first pour the footing and wait for it to cure. Then they placed metal bars inside the form to strengthen it further, though it seemed tedious, and maybe even unnecessary. The house that would be built there would be stronger because of their efforts. He related later in the talk, “It is never to late to strengthen the foundation of faith.” And it’s worth every effort. I remember an experience that started my testimony. I had some people close to me who told me these things were true and others who didn't. I was about twelve. This was about the first time that something really rocked my faith to the core. I needed to know for myself. I remember reading the four gospels and the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. I sat on my bed and read by the light of the lamp till it was dark outside. I felt the Holy Ghost so strong. From that I knew Heavenly Father really heard my prayer. He loved me and He answered. Reading about the ministry and teaching of Christ helped me to know Him better. I am amazed by His love and mercy and infinite power. Their love can and will find you if you seek for it.
I think sometimes people resent questioning and doubts. They resent trials of your faith. I believe God allows those trials of our faith because it causes sincere seekers of truth to hit their knees. I am grateful for this experience and others since because of the growth that came as a result. But after this experience, that was not the end. Faith and testimony require continual nourishment. You must be willing to live according to whatever answer you receive. John 7:17 reads, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine."
President Uchtdorf concluded his talk, Receiving a Testimony of Light and Truth by saying, “It is my testimony that this spiritual light is within the reach of every child of God. It will enlighten your mind and bring healing to your heart and joy to your days. My dear friends, please do not delay the moment to seek and strengthen your own personal testimony of God’s divine work, even the work of light and truth. Your personal testimony of light and truth will not only bless you and your posterity here in mortality, but it will also accompany you throughout all eternity, among worlds without end.”
I know these things are true. They are so precious to me. I know I have a Father in Heaven. He lives and loves each of us. Jesus Christ is His Son and Our Savior. He suffered and died and lived again so that we can and will triumph over every sin and sorrow. I know they have bodies of flesh and bone. I know there are prophets today, that Christ's original church has been restored to the earth today, and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.
These truths change everything.
{CTR Always, ETTE}
I
Live true to what you know. It takes a lot of effort to keep your testimony strong and continue on the path, but I know it’s worth it. This is the path that will lead to eternal life. Again from that talk about testimonies, President Uchtdorf explained, “Some may say that the steps are too hard or that they are not worth the effort. But I suggest that this personal testimony of the gospel and the Church is the most important thing you can earn in this life. It will not only bless and guide you during this life, but it will also have a direct bearing on your life throughout eternity.” I thought of a few examples where this principle is illustrated. In the war chapters of Alma, Captain Moroni takes time to fortify every city against attacks from the Lamanites. In chapter 50, first he has them dig hills of dirt around each city. Then he placed timbers the height of a man on top of the hills Verse 2 continues, “and he caused that upon those works of timbers there should be a frame of pickets built upon the timbers round about; and they were strong and high. And he caused towers to be erected that overlooked those works of pickets, and he caused places of security to be built upon those towers, that the stones and the arrows of the Lamanites could not hurt them.” I imagine people could have thought Captain Moroni was excessive in his preparation, but he did not have to fear when attacks came because of them. I also like how he built towers, to watch for the enemy and defend against them. We can avoid temptation and choose the right and similarly our most prized possession, our testimony, will be protected. Another example comes from a talk called Mountains to Climb by President Eyring. He shares a story about a job he used to have with a contractor building footings and foundations for new houses. They would first pour the footing and wait for it to cure. Then they placed metal bars inside the form to strengthen it further, though it seemed tedious, and maybe even unnecessary. The house that would be built there would be stronger because of their efforts. He related later in the talk, “It is never to late to strengthen the foundation of faith.” And it’s worth every effort. I remember an experience that started my testimony. I had some people close to me who told me these things were true and others who didn't. I was about twelve. This was about the first time that something really rocked my faith to the core. I needed to know for myself. I remember reading the four gospels and the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. I sat on my bed and read by the light of the lamp till it was dark outside. I felt the Holy Ghost so strong. From that I knew Heavenly Father really heard my prayer. He loved me and He answered. Reading about the ministry and teaching of Christ helped me to know Him better. I am amazed by His love and mercy and infinite power. Their love can and will find you if you seek for it.
I think sometimes people resent questioning and doubts. They resent trials of your faith. I believe God allows those trials of our faith because it causes sincere seekers of truth to hit their knees. I am grateful for this experience and others since because of the growth that came as a result. But after this experience, that was not the end. Faith and testimony require continual nourishment. You must be willing to live according to whatever answer you receive. John 7:17 reads, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine."
President Uchtdorf concluded his talk, Receiving a Testimony of Light and Truth by saying, “It is my testimony that this spiritual light is within the reach of every child of God. It will enlighten your mind and bring healing to your heart and joy to your days. My dear friends, please do not delay the moment to seek and strengthen your own personal testimony of God’s divine work, even the work of light and truth. Your personal testimony of light and truth will not only bless you and your posterity here in mortality, but it will also accompany you throughout all eternity, among worlds without end.”
These truths change everything.
{CTR Always, ETTE}
I
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