Testimony as a process

Jesus Christ is the son of God. On this earth, He was born of Mary. He lived among the people and throughout His life He taught the truths of His Father, our Father in Heaven. He suffered for our sins in Gethsemane bringing about the Atonement. Through the Atonement, all mankind can be saved. His everlasting Atonement makes it possible for me, a sinner and imperfect child, to be made whole. By means of His Atonement, I can overcome the spiritual separation from God that comes through sin and can ultimately return to live with God the Father and Jesus Christ as a perfect being. Jesus Christ hung on the cross and gave His life so that we might live. He was resurrected on the third day and manifested Himself to the apostles. In His resurrected state, He visited the people on the American continent. He allowed each to feel of the prints of the nails in His hands and feet and the wounds in His side. He taught these people, as He had done in Israel, the truths of the Father and the principles of the gospel. These words and other testimonies of prophets before and after His mortal life are recorded in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon was translated by Joseph Smith who restored the gospel in this dispensation. Joseph Smith saw God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Through direct guidance from God, he reestablished the Lord’s church. God does speak to his holy prophets. Our prophet today is President Thomas S. Monson. He is called of God and is set apart by the keys of the priesthood. He speaks to God and receives revelation from Him. He is the Lord’s mouthpiece on earth. I know these things to be true, because I have received a personal witness from the Holy Ghost.
My testimony did not come all at once, nor did it occur after a single great event. My testimony has increased and been molded through countless experiences. Allow me to share one with you.
I love to sing. It is one of my most favorite things in the world to do. However, it can also be the scariest thing for me to do.
Earlier this summer, I sand a musical number when my sister reported her full-time mission. I chose to sing a favorite hymn of mine, I Know that My Redeemer Lives. While I was practicing with my accompanist before the meeting, I was ridiculously nervous. This was the largest crowd for which I had ever sung and the congregation would be filled with a great number of family members and friends. As we rehearsed, I came to the line, "He lives to calm my troubled heart". The Spirit touched my heart, and I knew this was truth. My Savior could bring peace to my soul. I said a silent prayer and asked for that blessing in my life. The time came for me to sing, and I found that I was filled with peace and I wasn't at all intimidated.
Later in the summer, I was asked to sing a musical number for a fireside hours before the meeting. Since it was last minute, I opted to sing I Know that My Redeemer Lives again. Since I would be on the stand already, I volunteered to lead the opening hymn. During the song, I again became very nervous. My throat began to close and there were parts of the third verse that I couldn't even sing. I was growing very anxious. I imagined myself standing to sing the musical number and finding that nothing would come out. I saw myself red with embarrassment, nervously rushing off the stand and out the side door.
As I sat down during the opening prayer, I said another silent prayer in my heart. I asked the Lord to once again calm my troubled heart as I knew He could. After the prayer, it was my turn to sing. Even as I was walking up to the pulpit, my heart was still racing. I had faith that the Lord would once again provide. Just as my accompanist played the first note, my anxiety left, and I was filled with peace.
I was able to share my testimony through this song and receive a witness of the Godhead. Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers. Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and can calm our troubled hearts. The Holy Ghost brings peace and comfort to our souls. With God, all things are possible.
Elder Carlos A. Godoy of the Quorum of the Seventy gave a talk this past conference titled “Testimony as a Process”. He opened his talk with an experience where he had attended a Sunday school class in a beautiful city in Brazil.
He said, “At some point in the lesson, the teacher asked the class members if they would share a powerful spiritual experience they had while developing their testimony of the Church. While some brothers and sisters were sharing their stories, I mentally reviewed my own experiences as a convert for something I could share with them, but I could not think of anything very remarkable in my process of gaining a testimony.
“While I was thinking and listening to the others’ experiences, I realized that the teacher expected me to participate. She was listening to the other members, and she let me know that she was waiting for my great experience to be shared. After all, I was an Area Seventy, and I should have something impressive to share. Feeling that the time was passing and she was waiting for me, I tried harder to find something that would fit in this category of a powerful event, but I was not able to think of anything, to the disappointment of the teacher. For all I wanted to help, I could not meet her expectation.
“Fortunately that was a fast Sunday, and during sacrament meeting, I took the opportunity to express my testimony to the congregation and especially to that sister and her Sunday School class. It was not a remarkable experience that I had to share but a sincere testimony that I have about the truths of the restored gospel."
He further explained, “Sometimes we think that to have a testimony of the Church, we need some great, powerful experience, or a single event which would erase any doubts that we have received an answer or a confirmation.”
A testimony is process. It grows gradually though experiences. It does not come all at once. It grows as individuals show willingness to serve in the Church and to study, pray, and learn. It increases through obedience as individuals adhere to God’s commandments and counsels.
The first step in the process is righteous and sincere desire to obtain a testimony through the witness of the Spirit. Alma along with Ammon and his brethren went about teaching anyone that would listen. “And it came to pass that they did go forth and began to preach the word of God unto the people, entering into their synagogues, and into their houses; yea, and even they did preach the word in their streets.” (Alma 32:21) Alma found success with the poor. These people were not allowed inside the synagogues to worship, so their contact with church was limited. He taught them the basic principles of the gospel. He taught them of faith. As he taught, he noted that they would not know of a surety of his teachings completely at first. They must desire to understand his teachings for themselves. He taught them, “But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.” (Alma 32:21)
Alma then compared the word to a seed. He instructed them to take his words and plant them in their hearts. They were to nourish them by pondering them. If the word was good, it would swell within them. They would receive a witness of the Spirit.
Part of this pondering process is prayer. Moroni taught, “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Jesus 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. And by the
power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:3-5) Modern revelation states, “If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:61) Search and ponder upon the principles you are taught. Pray about them further. Relate them to truths you already understand and feel. Eventually, these principles will align with the others and become part of a fervent and undoubting testimony.
Sometimes, we find ourselves discouraged when this witness doesn’t come right away. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin relates this story about President David O. McKay. “In his youth, he knelt and ‘prayed fervently and sincerely and with as much faith as a young boy could muster’ that ‘God would declare to [him] the truth of his revelation to Joseph Smith.’
“President McKay related that when he arose from his knees, he had to admit that ‘no spiritual manifestation has come to me. If I am true to myself, I must say that I am just the same [boy] that I was before I prayed.’”
Elder Wirthlin continued, “I don’t know how young David felt in his heart at that time, but I’m sure he must have been disappointed—perhaps frustrated that he didn’t receive the spiritual experience that he had hoped for. But that didn’t discourage him from continuing his search for that knowledge.
“The answer to his prayers did come, but not until years later, when he was serving as a missionary. Why was the answer to his prayer so long delayed? President McKay believed that this spiritual manifestation ‘came as a natural sequence to the performance of duty.’”
Elder Wirthlin advised, “Don’t you be discouraged if the answer to your prayer does not come immediately. Study, ponder, pray, sincerely having faith, and live the commandments.
“’Dispute not because you see not,’ Moroni taught, ‘for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.’”
Elder Robert D. Hales affirms this. “Testimonies often come when there is a willingness to serve where we are called. They come when a decision is made to strive to be obedient. Testimonies come during efforts to help, lift, and strengthen others. They come from prayer and from studying the scriptures and applying them in our lives. Whatever our circumstances, there seem to be moments in each of our lives when we can be given the knowledge
that God lives and that Jesus if the Christ. There is no greater search in life that we can embark upon than the quest to gain a testimony of truth.”
There are times we miss the witness of the spirit, because we are waiting for some grand event. We read in the Book of Mormon that the voice of the Spirit is not harsh or loud neither a voice of thunder neither a voice of great tumultuous noise. By contrast, it is a still voice, a small voice, yet it can pierce the very soul and cause our hearts to burn. (Helaman 5:30, 3 Nephi 11:3)
Elder David A. Bednar explained, “As we gain experience with the Holy Ghost, we learn that the intensity with which we feel the Spirit’s influence is not always the same. Strong, dramatic spiritual impressions do not come to us frequently. Even as we strive to be faithful and obedient, there simply are times when the direction, assurance, and peace of the Spirit are not readily recognizable in our lives. In fact, the Book of Mormon describes faithful Lamanites who ‘were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not’ (3 Nephi 9:20). The influence of the Holy Ghost is described in the scriptures as a ‘still small voice’ (1K Kings 19:12) and a ‘voice of perfect mildness’ (Helaman 5:30). Thus, the Spirit of the Lord usually communicates with us in ways that are quiet, delicate, and subtle.”
Be open and receptive. Immerse yourself in opportunities to receive that witness. Be righteous and humble. Have ears to hear when Heavenly Father leads us to someone who can better teach us about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Your testimony may be strengthened by the comments made by a church leader or teacher, family member, neighbor, friend, or even a stranger. Know that if you have the desire to learn and receive a witness, the Lord will provide a way.
It is important that we live the principles we desire to understand. Merely thinking about these things will not provide us with that opportunity. Live the gospel and experiment upon the word. As you live it, you will be prepared to receive the witness of truth. Living this way will also contribute to the development of the testimonies of those we serve and encounter.
President Boyd K. Packer said, “A testimony is to be found I the bearing of it.” I am taught in my education classes that the best way to solidify knowledge is to vocalize it. We need to put our thoughts and impressions into words.
Alma proclaimed, “O that I were an angel and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God” (Alma 29:1). Share what you know. Bear your testimony often. We have an entire meeting dedicated to the bearing of testimonies. There are many chances to bear witness in our other church meetings as well. Realize that there are countless informal opportunities to testify as well. Bear witness to your family and your friends. It need not be anything planned or structured. It can and even should be spontaneous. When the opportunity arises, share your testimony. Don’t let formalities of speech cause you to hesitate. A testimony can be a very simple. Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer. I treasure the Book of Mormon because of the truths it contains. I live that standard, because I was counseled by a living prophet. My prayer was answered.
To those who faithfully bear testimony, the Lord said, “Ye are blessed, for the testimony which ye have borne is recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon; and they rejoice over you, and your sins are forgiven you.” (Doctrine and Covenants 62:3)
Again, I bear witness that Jesus Christ lives. He has the power to save. He triumphed over death and has atoned for every one of our sins. We can be made perfect through Him. Salvation comes through Jesus Christ. He is “the way, the truth, and the life” and “there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ.” Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer. These things I know to be true because I have received a personal witness from the Holy Ghost. I testify of these truths in the sacred name of Jesus Christ. Amen.