A Talk on Testimony

More or less as given in Sacrament meeting today. I was really nervous, and the pulpit was down too low for me to read my talk comfortably.

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I will never forget.

It was a September afternoon. My companion and I had just returned to our apartment from a very exciting meeting—the first of its kind. It was a meeting for the sister missionaries in the mission. In our excitement, we never imagined to find ourselves in a life or death situation. The story that unfolded that day I don’t often share, for it does not matter as much as the testimony, which I do share, that was strengthened. It was that afternoon that I was reminded that God is very much aware of each of us. He is our loving Heavenly Father. He has called prophets on earth to teach us of him, to remind us who we are, and of our divine potential. He sent his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price of our sins and die for us that we may return to live with him. He loves us so much, that even after the world rejected and crucified his Son, he called another prophet to remind us that he still loves us. He called a prophet to restore the fullness of the gospel, and to receive the priesthood authority to act in God’s name. That priesthood authority is a very real and righteous power. Of this I can testify.

I did not come to know these things by a miraculous vision, nor as a result of that life-changing September day. My testimony was strengthened there, but it did not originate there.

Today I will speak on the blessings and benefits of having a testimony. Before I do however, I’d like to touch on what a testimony is and how we get one.

The dictionary defines a testimony as “a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter.” In Spanish you’d call it a testimonio, which comes from the word testificar—to testify. Who testifies? A testigo; a witness. When Moroni teaches that “faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore dispute not because you see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:6). He is saying you receive no testimony until after the trial of your faith. To obtain a testimony requires action, a test of faith.

President Uchtdorf explains that “a testimony is a most precious possession because it is not acquired by logic or reason alone. …We receive this testimony when the Holy Spirit speaks to the spirit within us.”

Elder Bednar compared this spirit of revelation to a sunrise. It gradually enlightens our minds and our understanding over time. This brings to mind a scripture I was introduced to as a child in a song from Saturday’s Warrior. “For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little: and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more…” As we work to learn more about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and live by its teachings, we are putting our faith to the test. You will find—through the Holy Ghost—that your understanding increases, as though you are watching the sun rise. Getting a testimony is as difficult to put into words as it would be to explain the wonder of watching the sunrise. You just have to try.

What are the benefits and blessings of a testimony?

I want you to consider with me some stories from the scriptures. It’s hard to truly explain the benefits of a testimony, but you can see the results of them. And as the scriptures say, “By their fruits ye shall know them.” 

Noah built an ark. Joseph helped Egypt through the famine. David slayed Goliath. Daniel walked out of the lions’ den. Ammon protected the king’s flocks. The woman with an issue of blood was healed. 

I could go on and on. The scriptures are full of examples of people acting boldly, with courage because of their faith and testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. President Uchtdorf says, “The testimony of the truthfulness of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most powerful motivating force in our lives. …[it] motivates us to live righteously, and righteous living will cause our testimony to grow stronger.”

Testimonies give us courage, as it did Nephi when he was commanded to return to Jerusalem to get the plates of brass. He told his father, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments…save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” He testified right there of God’s commandments, put his trust in the Lord, and got to work.

Testimonies give us strength, as illustrated in Alma by the 2,000 Stripling Warriors. Never having fought before, when asked if they would go into battle, they replied, “Behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth…” They fought for their families and religious freedom against “the most powerful army of the Lamanites,” and not one of them died. Of his army, Helaman said, “They fought as if with the strength of God.“ Their mothers taught them that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. Their faith was put to the test, and they were rewarded. They did not doubt what their mothers told them.

Testimonies give us hope. Consider Job from the Old Testament. He was “the greatest of all the men of the east.” He was blessed in his family, his worldly wealth, and in his faith. He feared God, and eschewed evil, yet his trials were many. He lost everything yet still testified of the greatness of God, with a hope for the future. As a result, “the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than the beginning.”

For me, my testimony is a constant source of hope, courage, and motivation. It is also the source of great comfort.

When I was about 5 or 6 years old, I can remember crawling into my parents’ bed terrified of death. I can still recall the dream that drove me there. I am the second youngest of seven, and in my dream most of my family was dead or dying as the result of a violent attack. I sought reassurance and comfort from my parents. I wanted to know what would happen after we died. I wanted to know if we could all stay alive together, or all die together—I didn’t want to be left alone, I would miss them too much! I remember asking a lot of questions. I think my mom tried to answer some, but I do remember her finally telling me, if I wanted to know, I needed to look it up. That road-block to try and stem my flow of questions did not work as well as she hoped it would, I’m sure. I followed her suggestion up with, “Where do I look it up? A dictionary?”

For years I sat on those questions. I even acquired a few more. I finally figured out where I could find the answers as I was being taught by the missionaries. The scriptures were the “dictionary” I could use to look up my answers. Though, I didn’t know how to use the scriptures, nor where to begin looking. To me, now, I love the scriptures—they’re amazing. But to 10-year-old me, they were as daunting as the Red Sea. So I began to pay more attention at church. I figured, people study the scriptures at church, that would be the place to figure out my scripture/dictionary problem. It was tough. Little by little I learned. I wouldn’t have been able to tell you any of the stories I was taught—nor where to find them, but I learned the principles. However, I had specific questions that I wasn’t hearing answers to. So I did what I hate doing. I spoke up. I asked a question. Do you know what I got? An answer! The scriptures do teach “ask and ye shall receive…” Well, much like in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, if you give an Erin an answer, she’s going to ask another question. This time my question was simple: how do you know? The answer, my teacher’s testimony, and I could feel what he said was right. But I didn’t let that stop my questions. I asked if there was a place in the scriptures that talked about it, and he gave me a few chapters and told me where I could find more.

Little by little, as I sought after them, I discovered the answers to my, as of then, lifelong questions. I began to learn for myself that God has a plan for me, and that life doesn’t end with death. What a blessing to know that. It brought peace to my soul, but also excitement. If I could learn, and know that—without having to die first, what else could I know? Moroni testifies that “by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”

Closing

As President Uchtdorf said, a testimony is a powerful motivating force. “They testify of things how they really are.” They are personal, because they come from experiences where the Holy Ghost speaks to our spirits, but the truths they hold are universal. God wants us to know the truth so “that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of man, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Eph. 4:14).

I invite each of you to pray to know a single truth. Pick a principle you’ve been wondering about, and look it up in the scriptures—maybe even the Bible Dictionary—then pray and ask God if it is true. Next week you will have the opportunity to testify, or bear witness, of that truth.

I can testify with as much surety as I am standing here, that God knows each of us. He is aware of our situations, our struggles and our strengths. He loves us and is waiting in the wings to lend us confidence, courage, strength, wisdom, and hope. I know that as you strengthen your relationship with and testimony of God, our Heavenly Father, and his Son, Jesus Christ, you will find these things to be true. Of this I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.