My Testimony

 

My Testimony:

When I was young, my father was always sharing with me his favorite scripture passages.  He would often challenge me to memorize them.  The first I memorized was  Psalm 23, The Lord is my Shepherd.  I was probably 10 years old.  My dad’s love for the gospel was apparent in everything he did in life.  He later challenged me to memorize this section of 2^nd Peter, chapter 1:

15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

19 We have therefore a more sure word of prophecy; to which word of prophecy ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: [JST]

20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is given of any private will of man. [JST]

21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

 

Peter is testifying that He saw God, the Father, when he was with Christ in the holy mount.  Then he says to Christ’s disciples (and us)—“Lean on my testimony until you gain your own (until the day star arise in your hearts).” 

Another scripture passage he encouraged me to memorize was Isaiah 53.  Yes, the whole chapter!  I have this memorized to this day and it has been a source I can turn to in my mind when I need comfort and assurance that the Savior is with me. 

I’m sure that I relied on my father’s testimony as my own slowly developed over the years. But, as I look back over my life, I never remember a time that I didn’t believe.  That doesn’t mean I never had doubts or questions, but I always knew that what I had been taught was true. 

One of the reasons for this is that our Savior works with the law of witnesses.  My parents were witnesses to me of the truthfulness of the gospel as revealed through the scriptures; they demonstrated (through their actions as well as words) that they believed in the power of prayer, and in the importance of studying the things we had been given.  I have also had the privilege over the years of hearing the words of our Prophets and Apostles.  The earliest prophet I remember with any clarity was Harold B. Lee.  I went with my family to some event in honor of my grandfather, WW Clyde, on the BYU campus.  President Lee was in attendance.  I even had the opportunity to shake his hand.  The next prophet was President Ezra Taft Benson, and then Howard W. Hunter (he lived on our street as I was growing up). Gordon B. Hinckley was the prophet from the time I was 25 until I was 48.  I remember when he passed away I wondered how I could ever love the next prophet as I had loved President Hinckley.  My love for President Monson was almost instantaneous, as it has been for President Nelson.  These men are witnesses of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  They are amazing, intelligent, honest men who have committed all of their time and energy to building up God’s Kingdom on earth.  They have also given up prestigious careers in order to serve. I have absolutely no reason to doubt their words. 

Another witness that has meant a lot to me through the years is that of Alma, when he is speaking with the anti-Christ, Korihor,

44 But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets  which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.

This is just a fun video that makes me think: Who is the artist, who created this...I know that our world did not come into existence out of nothing.  I know there is a supreme creater.  I know the creater is Jesus Christ, under the direction of His Father.

Chocolate Giraffe

So, have I ever questioned?

When Roy and I had the hardest trial and experience of our life, our faith was tested.  We had professed belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ for many years (at least I thought it was many years at the time J ); but all of a sudden, it was not just a nice church to be a part of; now it was essential to know if everything I had professed to believe my entire life, was true.  We experienced three days of hell as we went through the motions of life along with planning a funeral.  We pondered, we prayed, we cried.  We turned to the Lord through prayer.  What we didn’t do was give up and say that God couldn’t be real if He would allow something like this to happen to us. Through this time period, both of us had the confirmation (I should say re-confirmation) that the gospel was unquestionably true—thankfully! Because if it wasn’t true, there would be nothing out there to comfort or encourage us at this time of loss.

I mentioned that I leaned on the testimony of my parents and others when I was young.  Our prophet today has said that we have come to the point in time where we cannot survive spiritually without our own personal testimony that the gospel is true.  President Nelson also gives us instruction on how we can gain personal revelation and strengthen the testimonies we have. He says,

“The Prophet Joseph Smith set a pattern for us to follow in resolving our questions. Drawn to the promise of James that if we lack wisdom we may ask of God, the boy Joseph took his question directly to Heavenly Father. He sought personal revelation, and his seeking opened this last dispensation.

In like manner, what will your seeking open for you? What wisdom do you lack? What do you feel an urgent need to know or understand? Follow the example of the Prophet Joseph. Find a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort.

Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the principle of revelation.”

Does God really want to speak to you? Yes! “As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course … as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints.”

You don’t have to wonder about what is true.  You do not have to wonder whom you can safely trust. Through personal revelation, you can receive your own witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and that this is the Lord’s Church. Regardless of what others may say or do, no one can ever take away a witness borne to your heart and mind about what is true."

You can read all of this talk here:Revelation for our Lives 

I am so grateful for the witness I have from the spirit that the gospel is true.  The Book of Mormon is true.  Joseph Smith was a prophet.  Russell M. Nelson is our prophet today and if we follow his counsel, we can truly be happy and at peace, even when life is difficult and our world sometimes seems to have lost the very idea of peace; and most importantly, Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  He is the Savior of the world and my personal Savior.  From the living Christ:

"We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son."

 

I have a great desire to be with my family forever.  Here are a few pictures of some of the family members that mean so much to me:

Max, Mav, Bev (playing in their aprons and chef hats)

Avie: I never knew that the eyes of fair people stay
dialated longer.  Avie even has one eye that is "fairer"
 than the other one.

Hyeji made it through the first six grades
of Elementary School.  Now she is moving on.  My
grandchildren are growing up so fast!