I have a firm testimony of the divinity and atonement of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Said testimony is based upon principles of faith and power. I am not one of few when I say that I have not seen him. Neither am I one of few when I say that I have felt his presence and his boundless mercy and love for me, which I know he gives freely to all of God’s children. My testimony of the Messiah did not come over night. I remember being a ten-year-old boy, sitting at the dinner table listening to my parents converse with the Elders in our ward about their scripture studies. We had two fine young men at the time. Elder Cole and Elder Shore were both from Utah, as so often is the case. Elder Cole had not read The Book of Mormon before embarking on his two-year mission to teach the future saints in the Texas Houston East Mission. To his credit, he read it as soon as he realized it’s importance, and the power and influence that the spirit may have through it. Upon this discovery, he fell in love with The Book of Mormon, and added great insights to our after dinner conversations. As such, his companion Elder Shore did not lack in his insights either. I remember one insight in particular, which Elder Cole found in the scriptures. In the book of Alma chapter 20 verse 23 there was an old king, who, in bargaining for his mortal life, offers half his kingdom as ransom. In Alma chapter 22 verses 15 to 18, this very same king offers his whole kingdom and the very life, which he had before desired to safeguard, if he could but know The True and Living God. The spirit had touched this old king and shown him the great worth of his spirit. Upon hearing of this revelation, I too wished to know of the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon, for the spirit had wrought a change in my young heart, just as that old king’s. The way which this great missionary companionship spoke of The Book of Mormon and it’s stories, made it seem as if they truly had known the people of whom they spoke. It appeared to me, for the first time in my life, that they were more than simple fairy tales listed in a book, but that they were real experiences, of real people, who really loved God. If those Elders could know such a thing, then why not I? The Lord’s promises are for all his children. That is what the scriptures teach, and if they are true, I too could know. So at the age of ten years, I followed good examples, and I began reading The Book of Mormon on a daily basis (Which practice I have not failed to follow, even to this very day.), making new friends within it’s pages, just as those Elders had. Upon my completion at the age of 11, I prayed to know of the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints. I received an answer for all my efforts, and I have never been able to doubt since, that the Church is true, and that Christ, truly leads it through his prophet, and all that is implied therewith. There were the beginnings of my true testimony, and it has only grown since then as I have felt of the power of Christ’s redeeming atonement through repenting and working through life’s challenges. I also know of his love for all men, for he has allowed me to feel of his goodness. I received council from my mother as my Sunday school teacher, that I should ask the Lord a question to which I already knew the answer. By so doing I would be able to know of a certainty how The Spirit felt when it told me that an answer was yes, and by connection, how it wouldn’t feel if the answer was no. The simple challenge was to merely ask God if he loved me, and to then wait and listen. I learned that God wants to answer our prayers, and just as our parents want to tell us of their love for us, God is waiting for every opportunity to let us know of his love as well. I have repeated that exercise multiple times in my life, always with the same results. I feel wrapped in the Lord’s love every time I ask him. I have extended that challenge to many others as a missionary serving in the Argentina, Buenos Aires South Mission, to find that they too received the same answer. I now extend that same life changing opportunity to all who read of my testimony and it’s foundations. I hope that all can feel of the Lord’s infinite love, which he has for all. He loves those who are in the gall of bitterness just as much as he loves the humble and the meek in spirit. I find the poem and hymn “Come Unto Him” by Theodore E. Curtis particularly fitting. It reads “I wander through the still of night; When solitude is ev’rywhere-; Alone, beneath the starry light; And yet I know that God is there.; I kneel upon the grass and pray; An answer comes without a voice.; It takes my burden all away; And makes my aching heart rejoice.—When I am filled with strong desire; And ask a boon of him, I see; No miracle of living fire; But what I ask flows into me; And when the tempest rages high; I feel no arm around me thrust; But ev’ry storm goes rolling by; When I repose in him my trust.—It matters not what may befall; What threat’ning hand hangs over me; He is my rampart through it all; My refuge from mine enemy.; Come unto him all ye depressed; Ye erring souls who’s eyes are dim; Ye weary ones who long for rest; Come unto him! Come unto him!” I have a testimony of many things in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, but what I know more than anything else is that he lives and loves each of us. That no pain goes unnoticed by him, and that if we have unwavering faith, he will heal us of the wrongs done to us, and consecrate them for our benefit. It may take time, but it takes as much faith to make a miracle, as it does to accept that the Lord’s answer is no; to accept that he knows better than us.
06 January, 2012
My Testimony
I have a firm testimony of the divinity and atonement of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Said testimony is based upon principles of faith and power. I am not one of few when I say that I have not seen him. Neither am I one of few when I say that I have felt his presence and his boundless mercy and love for me, which I know he gives freely to all of God’s children. My testimony of the Messiah did not come over night. I remember being a ten-year-old boy, sitting at the dinner table listening to my parents converse with the Elders in our ward about their scripture studies. We had two fine young men at the time. Elder Cole and Elder Shore were both from Utah, as so often is the case. Elder Cole had not read The Book of Mormon before embarking on his two-year mission to teach the future saints in the Texas Houston East Mission. To his credit, he read it as soon as he realized it’s importance, and the power and influence that the spirit may have through it. Upon this discovery, he fell in love with The Book of Mormon, and added great insights to our after dinner conversations. As such, his companion Elder Shore did not lack in his insights either. I remember one insight in particular, which Elder Cole found in the scriptures. In the book of Alma chapter 20 verse 23 there was an old king, who, in bargaining for his mortal life, offers half his kingdom as ransom. In Alma chapter 22 verses 15 to 18, this very same king offers his whole kingdom and the very life, which he had before desired to safeguard, if he could but know The True and Living God. The spirit had touched this old king and shown him the great worth of his spirit. Upon hearing of this revelation, I too wished to know of the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon, for the spirit had wrought a change in my young heart, just as that old king’s. The way which this great missionary companionship spoke of The Book of Mormon and it’s stories, made it seem as if they truly had known the people of whom they spoke. It appeared to me, for the first time in my life, that they were more than simple fairy tales listed in a book, but that they were real experiences, of real people, who really loved God. If those Elders could know such a thing, then why not I? The Lord’s promises are for all his children. That is what the scriptures teach, and if they are true, I too could know. So at the age of ten years, I followed good examples, and I began reading The Book of Mormon on a daily basis (Which practice I have not failed to follow, even to this very day.), making new friends within it’s pages, just as those Elders had. Upon my completion at the age of 11, I prayed to know of the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints. I received an answer for all my efforts, and I have never been able to doubt since, that the Church is true, and that Christ, truly leads it through his prophet, and all that is implied therewith. There were the beginnings of my true testimony, and it has only grown since then as I have felt of the power of Christ’s redeeming atonement through repenting and working through life’s challenges. I also know of his love for all men, for he has allowed me to feel of his goodness. I received council from my mother as my Sunday school teacher, that I should ask the Lord a question to which I already knew the answer. By so doing I would be able to know of a certainty how The Spirit felt when it told me that an answer was yes, and by connection, how it wouldn’t feel if the answer was no. The simple challenge was to merely ask God if he loved me, and to then wait and listen. I learned that God wants to answer our prayers, and just as our parents want to tell us of their love for us, God is waiting for every opportunity to let us know of his love as well. I have repeated that exercise multiple times in my life, always with the same results. I feel wrapped in the Lord’s love every time I ask him. I have extended that challenge to many others as a missionary serving in the Argentina, Buenos Aires South Mission, to find that they too received the same answer. I now extend that same life changing opportunity to all who read of my testimony and it’s foundations. I hope that all can feel of the Lord’s infinite love, which he has for all. He loves those who are in the gall of bitterness just as much as he loves the humble and the meek in spirit. I find the poem and hymn “Come Unto Him” by Theodore E. Curtis particularly fitting. It reads “I wander through the still of night; When solitude is ev’rywhere-; Alone, beneath the starry light; And yet I know that God is there.; I kneel upon the grass and pray; An answer comes without a voice.; It takes my burden all away; And makes my aching heart rejoice.—When I am filled with strong desire; And ask a boon of him, I see; No miracle of living fire; But what I ask flows into me; And when the tempest rages high; I feel no arm around me thrust; But ev’ry storm goes rolling by; When I repose in him my trust.—It matters not what may befall; What threat’ning hand hangs over me; He is my rampart through it all; My refuge from mine enemy.; Come unto him all ye depressed; Ye erring souls who’s eyes are dim; Ye weary ones who long for rest; Come unto him! Come unto him!” I have a testimony of many things in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, but what I know more than anything else is that he lives and loves each of us. That no pain goes unnoticed by him, and that if we have unwavering faith, he will heal us of the wrongs done to us, and consecrate them for our benefit. It may take time, but it takes as much faith to make a miracle, as it does to accept that the Lord’s answer is no; to accept that he knows better than us.
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