My Testimony - My Witness

Prefatory Note to Reader:

Often as I write, I wish I could sit down with every reader and deliver my thoughts personally. I think of you—sometimes personally and sometimes collectively—and try to envision my invisible audience. I struggle to organize black-and-white text to express my emotions with full color; I wrestle with words to convey my thoughts with conviction and clarity.

Inevitably, my attempts to explain, share, and testify fall short of the power of personal delivery. Yet, technology has allowed me to break through the barriers of time and space and reach a mind-boggling number of individuals—beyond the possibility of face-to-face discussion. So thank you for reading, and I pray my message makes it to you with the spirit it is intended.

This post—My Testimony—is unique among my writings. Not because it is substantially different or more important, but because I am attempting to summarize what I believe into a single post. (It’s like trying to describe a lifetime of beautiful sunsets—or even one sunset for that matter. Each radiant sunset displays a unique combination of colors and clouds within the context of the temporary, telestial landscape. Describing such a sublime, breathtaking scene is nearly impossible. Anyone who has attempted the task over the phone for example, is left to rely heavily on wishy-washy words like “beautiful,” “gorgeous,” or “awesome,” and usually conclude with something like, “You just have to see it for yourself.”)

I know what I have seen, and it seems the memories burn brighter and the colors more vivid with each new sunset of experience. But I cannot share that vision with you. As demonstrated in the first chapter of the testimony of St John the Apostle, you have to “come and see” for yourself.

Accordingly, I will not explain myself a great deal, nor will I attempt to define or defend my thoughts using the world’s logic or academic sources (though you must know my appreciation for legal, historical, scientific, and other sources of information). But as I said, this is something unique. It is a spiritual witness of what I know from other sources—just as real, and just as (or far more) convincing. I invite you to read with an honest and open heart to what I am trying to describe, and listen with celestial ears. 

My Testimony

God—Our Loving Father

I know God lives. I know He loves me. I felt that love when I was a boy. It was so personal and so real, yet beyond the limits of the inadequate words I may use to describe it. It was just as real (or more so) than our physical senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. But it was different. It was spiritual (and mental and emotional), not just physical. It was full, complete, and perfect love, and I just knew I was a loved son of a Holy Being. My whole soul knew it. I have felt the same loving embrace many times since my boyhood, providing layers of constant assurance that I am not alone.

Jesus Christ—The Son of God

I have come to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. This knowledge has distilled upon my soul through daily study of the Holy Scriptures and the witness of the Holy Ghost. In the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, I read of His personal ministry to the people in the ancient Americas following His resurrection. I learned and loved His teachings, ministry, and miracles in the New Testament, and His role as the God of the Old Testament. The combination of these witnesses is clear and convincing, but it was the witness of the Holy Ghost that made me know He is real, and that I will someday stand before Him. We all will. And He is really who He said He was—the King of Kings, the Great Immanuel (God with us), the Great I Am (Jehovah, the Creator of Heaven and Earth). He is the promised Messiah. He will appear to the Jews, his ancient covenant people, in their moment of crisis when the whole world is against them. They will see the marks from the nails and spear in His hands, feet, and side. And they will hear Him proclaim, “These ... are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends (Doctrine & Covenants 45:52). But it is not the Jews only to whom He shall appear. And it is not them only He will save. He has saved us all from our two great obstacles—sin and death. Salvation and Exaltation are available to all who will receive Him.

His Teachings Bless Lives

I know Jesus Christ is the only way to personal hope and happiness in a troubled world. I have seen and experienced a lot my short lifetime—both good and bad. I have learned that when I keep my focus on Him I maintain a spiritual strength and hope to carry me through any hardship. And I have seen the same in others. As a full-time volunteer missionary and as a lay minister, I have seen people rise above enormous obstacles—involving sin, suffering, and even death—by embracing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was the Master teacher, the most effective minister, and the only perfect person to walk the earth. He demonstrated power over the elements (earthly things) so He could more effectively teach of heavenly things. Because of Him, all that is unfair about life will be made right. I am sure of it! That includes loneliness, failure, fear, abuse, neglect, miscarriage and other premature death, persecution, uncertainty, unanswered questions, seemingly unanswered prayers, and any other hardship that is inflicted upon us. In His ultimate wisdom (see Isaiah 55:8-9) He may not deliver us right away. But He will deliver us! He can and will help us—now and down the road. His gospel teachings are the only healing balm for a disintegrating world.

I have felt of Christ’s enabling and healing power. He has enabled me to do much more than I am able to do on my own. He has healed my heart in times of sorrow, and helped me to keep on trying. He desires that we should be perfect, but perfection is not possible for us yet. Yet each day we can do better than yesterday, until eventually through Him we will reach perfection.

Biblical Prophets

I know God speaks through prophets—past and present. The Old Testament prophets were ordinary people who were given extraordinary priesthood power and responsibilities. I know the record of the Holy Bible is true. I derive great strength from Old Testament stories: the promises God gave to Abraham, the miracles that accompanied Moses and the Children of Israel, the courage of Daniel and his fellows in the face of social pressure, and countless others—Ether, Job, Isaiah, and the list goes on. None of the prophets were fully accepted in their time, and many were killed for speaking the truth. Yet their record is true, and God has preserved and perpetuated their words across the globe.

When the Lord Himself condescended from His throne above to complete His earthly ministry, he was treated as the prophets before Him. He was “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). He established His church with priesthood authority and the keys of the Kingdom of God on the earth (see Matt 16:19). And then, after atoning for the sins off all mankind, He gave His life as a witness and culmination of His mission for the Father. After His resurrection and assention into heaven (and under His direction), His Apostles continued the work He gave them to do (see Matt 28:19), but they too were killed and scattered. And with them went the authority to continue God’s work. The world paid for the rejection of the Son of God and His authorized servants as it plunged into the dark ages. Though many continued to search for truth, it was not to be found in purity and authority (see Amos 8:11-12).

The Reformation and Restoration

I have a deep appreciation for the religious reformers and martyrs who brought the Holy Bible into my language. Martin Luther, William Tyndale, John Wycliffe, and many others sacrificed all that they possessed—even their own lives—to bring the word of God to the common person. I know I under appreciate their sacrifice, and I pray I may do my part to use the tools they gave to me.

In the early 19^th century, an ordinary young man was called by God like the prophets of old. I have the same witness and appreciation for His calling as I do of all the ancient prophets. Joseph Smith really did see God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. They appeared in response to his sincere prayer to personally usher in the dispensation of the fullness of times. The long awaited and anticipated work of the Father there commenced, and continued to distill upon the earth line upon line, revelation upon revelation. I revere the prophet Joseph who literally brought the heavens down to earth. All that is good in my life is a result of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in these latter-days before the return of Christ. I look forward to His coming with great anticipation.

Latter-day Prophets

When I was a boy, I had an opportunity to be in the same room as the prophet. In response to my prayerful and sincere inquiry, the Spirit of God bore sure witness to me that he was indeed God’s prophet on the earth today. I felt the power of his mantle in a way I cannot explain or deny. I knew he was an ordinary man who had been given extraordinary responsibilities and power to speak and do the Lord’s will. Like a latter-day Abraham, he is truly the Lord’s called and chosen mouthpiece. I have had the same reassurance as the prophet continues to speaks, and as one prophet died and his successor took his place. I sustain Thomas S. Monson as the Lord’s prophet, seer, and revelator—authorized to exercise all priesthood keys. I know he is the Lord’s chosen servant, like Peter of the New Testament.

A Marvelous Work

I know God’s hand is in the development of technological tools and discovery of every kind leading up to the eventual return of our Lord and Savior. From the Constitution of the United States of America to the development of the telephone and other communicative technology, the work of the Father is moving forward in miraculous ways. All true and useful advancements in science and religion are from the hand of God to move His work forward, and they will continue until our Savior returns.

I have a sure witness that this Church—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—is truly the Lord’s church on the earth today. He is at its head. It is not just another church or sect. It was not made by men or women, and it is not guided by mere men or women. It is the Lord’s church which He established from the beginning with Adam and Eve. It holds the same priesthood authority and power that was restored to prophets in every dispensation—Noah, Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The ancient covenants and promises have been renewed, and so has the commission Christ gave to His apostles.

I love and rely on the holy scriptures and the words of the prophets. The Holy Bible and The Book of Mormon are companion witnesses of the divinity of Jesus Christ and the reality of His resurrection and prophesied return in the latter-days. The Doctrine and Covenants provides clear, guiding principles for His church. And endless latter-day revelation through prophets, seers, and revelators is available as fast as I can receive it. It is remarkable to me that in my pocket, I have access to more revealed light and truth than any generation in the history of the world. I pray I may receive and use it well!

The Second Coming of Christ

As is evident in many of my writings, I look forward to the Messiah’s return with great anticipation. As a boy I learned about and loved my Savior, and wanted to see Him personally and touch His hands. As a teenager I engaged in more specific study and thought about the events surrounding His coming and my part to play in it. As a missionary I preached every day of His eventual return—the fundamental reason for my service. As a father of a growing family, I desire to “prepare [my] children to hear the word at the time of his coming” (The Book of Mormon, Alma 39:16). As a student in law school, I developed a greater anticipation for His return to put an end to the mess we have made for ourselves. A similar feeling stirs in me as I follow world events and attitudes on news and social media. Forefront in my mind is the truth that “only the gospel will save the world from the calamity of its own self-destruction.”

I see the world reaching out for a Savior, but they know not where to find Him (see Doctrine & Covenants 123:12). Of particular interest to me is the return of the Jews to Jerusalem. When I lived in St. George, Utah, my LDS Bishop came from a Jewish family. He had a deep respect for the way their Jewish tradition prepared his family to receive the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. When I was in law school in Ohio, I became friends with a Jewish young man to whom I gave a copy of the Book of Mormon. I testified to Him that we too have awaited the coming of Elijah the prophet, and that he had come! (Read the prophet's account in section 110 of the Doctrine & Covenants.) I shared with Him my witness of the Messiah who came and would come again, and I invited Him to read. My prayer is that He will hold onto all the truth and wholesome tradition he has, and embrace the restored truths of the gospel of Christ.

I love this work, and I love the Lord. He is the light and life of the world. He humbly came into the world and gave His life for all mankind. He taught the truths of eternity and paid the price for our weakness so we can enjoy salvation and exaltation.

Invitation

Ask Him—He knows, He cares, and He will answer you.

The question every soul (myself included) needs to ask God is whether this work is true—the Book of Mormon; latter-day prophecy, visions, and revelations; and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is either true, or it is not. It is either God’s work or it is not. And we can know it. Millions do (myself included) because we followed the Savior’s invitation to ask, seek, and knock—and He answered. If we are sincere in our search for light and truth, God will not leave us to wander in darkness.

Thus, in closing, I extend the invitation and promise found in the Introduction to the Book of Mormon:

We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3-5.)

Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah.

As I mentioned at the beginning, I wish I could deliver these words to you, personally. Someday I hope to do so.

This blog and my thoughts are my own, and should not be seen as a representation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For official Church teachings, please visit mormon.org, lds.org, jesuschrist.lds.org, josephsmith.net, or any other official Church website.