Saturday, December 23, 2023

Doran’s Testimony 2023

 Several years ago, Tanya and I visited a synagogue in Chicago as part of a work convention. After a brief tour, the head Rabbi held a Q&A session with our small group. This Rabbi was clearly a very educated and intelligent man, and each of his responses were insightful. Towards the end of our time together, a colleague inquired about the multitude of truth claims inherent in Judaism. To the best of my recollection, the Rabbi indicated that he felt that Judaism was a good path that he had inherited, and that he was satisfied with his choice to follow the tenets of the Jewish faith. I was taken aback by the underwhelming conviction of this response, and wondered how anyone could devote so much of their lives to something that represented only “a good path.” As I have pondered this experience over the years, and hopefully matured in my understanding of things (giving myself the benefit of the doubt!), I have come to appreciate the honesty and candor of this good Rabbi. In truth, faith has never been synonymous with certitude. Alma suggests that faith represents what we are hoping for (Alma 32:21), but it isn’t what we clearly see (see also Hebrews 11:1). Similarly, we read that we view the promises of life “afar off” and can be “persuaded of them, and embrace them” (Hebrews 11:13), but the clarity of the vision is certainly not experienced with 20/20 sight. This ofttimes frustrating reality seems to be the purposeful design of mortality, which propels us to make choices about beliefs. And, according to Elder Anderson, faith is indeed a choice (CR, October 2015). This lengthy intro is the backdrop to my sharing of my personal testimony, which is a declaration of what I am seeing and what I am choosing. In many ways my testimony is living, breathing, and ever-changing —because I am living, breathing, and changing. The curriculum of life is stretching for sure, and experience is always shaping, refining, and adapting my views. So, what I see and declare today, may not be identical to what I will see and declare a year from now. But for today, here is a brief sampling of a few things I see and choose: 1) The life, teachings, and mission of Jesus fills me with things that are good. I feel peace when I think of Jesus. I feel hope when I think of Jesus. I feel strength, help and healing whenever I center my thoughts, actions, and perspective on Him. I gladly choose to believe in Jesus. 2) The joys of life always seem to be associated with relationships. Thus, the invitation to love God and neighbor are really an invitation to experience relational joy. Family life then, becomes the ideal training ground to learn how to love and be loved. I have been blessed throughout my life with a family environment where I could experience love, growth, and refinement that has blessed me at every turn. I choose to believe that families and relationships are central to what life is all about. 3) I have inherited and chosen my association with the restored Church of Jesus Christ. Although my faith is centered in Jesus, I continue to have communal experiences that are powerful, instructive, and healing. Although imperfect like me, I choose to be blessed by, and contribute to, my larger church community. 4) Finally, my own searching and pondering have led me to believe that the human family is made up of the “stuff of eternity” (see Elder Uchtdorf, CR, April 2014). The concept of eternity is something that inspires heavenly hope, help, and healing for all—especially for me! I see life as an educational course, which doesn’t conclude at the end of a limited mortal journey. As children of Heavenly Parents, our progress is Their eternal work and glory—and there are no clocks ticking or final buzzers blaring in the eternal sphere. I choose to believe that we can find hope and joy in this life—and in next—because we are all family. And that means something! Again, my imperfect attempt in this writing is to share a brief synopsis of a few things that are personally valuable that I see, experience, and choose. In essence, this is my faith—the things that I hope for, although my view certainly has mortal limitations. Likewise, I respectfully acknowledge that others may see things differently than I do—and that is okay. Seeking, experiencing, and choosing are what we are all about, and we are in it together!

Thursday, November 16, 2023

Kayli’s Testimony

 What is a testimony? I looked it up because I questioned myself on whether or not I actually know. I have summarized it like this: A declaration of truth.

That led me to consider what "truth" is. I have summarized it like this: Light. Unchanging. Forever. It is the knowledge of what is. Anyone can know what "truth" is for themselves. It can and will be confirmed to you personally through peace spoken to your heart by the comforting Spirit of Christ. 

Much like my mother and my siblings- I find peace and light through music. 

I would like to share some lyrics from; "Oceans- Where Feet May Fail". My friend sent me this song during a particularly dark time in my life. And despite the seemingly never-ending dark and heavy weight I felt- this song managed to shine light and testify to me of truth. I will share lyrics and insert my thoughts in:

 "You call me out upon the waters- the great unknown where feet may fail. (He called me to this life during this specific time. Life is filled with "unknowns" and I may lose sight of His plan- my "feet may fail".) And there I find You in the mystery-In oceans deep my faith will stand. And I will call upon Your Name. And keep my eyes above the waves. When oceans rise my soul will rest in Your embrace. For I am Yours and You are mine.(I often visualize Peter in this moment. Christ called Him out to the waves- even in a storm. He asked Peter to trust Him. And Peter did the best He could to keep His eyes up. But eventually the waves grew and  Peter called out to Christ to help him. And Peter was saved by Christ- held in His embrace. I want to do what I can to walk into the arms of the Savior. But sometimes the waves of life seem so big. The storms seem to be raging in my life. I have stumbled and I will stumble again. I'm human. I'm imperfect. And despite that? He calls me to Him. To follow Him. To trust Him. He offers peace, hope, love, and forgiveness. He holds out His arms to me personally.) Your sovereign hand will be my guide...You've never failed and You won't start now...". (God is in the details. I believe that. He is in the beauty around us. God is good. He has blessed us with "choice". We can choose how to navigate ourselves and our lives. It is never forced upon us. Following Him means letting Him guide your way to what He has to offer. And what He has to offer is more than we can imagine. What He has to offer is eternal peace, joy, love, happiness. If that is what you seek? He won't fail you or lead you astray. 

 "Rescue" by Lauren Daigle: "You are not hidden. There's never been a moment you were forgotten. You are not hopeless. Though you have been broken, your innocence stolen. (This pretty much speaks for itself. Hearing these words brings me peace. Our Father and Heaven is aware of each and everyone of us. We have never been and never will be "forgotten". No matter how lonely, crazy, or hard this life may be. No matter how broken we feel.)...I will send out an army to find you in the middle of the darkest night, it's true, I will rescue you. (This makes me think of the Good Shepherd going out to find that one. Everyone is important to Him). There is no distance that cannot be covered over and over (Our Savior has suffered individually for each of us. With that comes the blessing of starting over. Trying. Again and again. His Atonement covers everything-every distance- no matter "how far" we think we've gone.) You're not defenseless. I'll be your shelter, I'll be your armor...". (Although I often feel alone and maybe even unprotected in this world...He has offered protection in and through Him.)

I have come to know for myself personally- and honestly, sometimes I feel as though I have to relearn and come to know again who I am and whose I am. I am a daughter of Heavenly Father. Every single person on Earth is sons and daughters of Him. I am important to Him. His love is eternal. And His love is personal- individual. That reminds me of a quote I wrote down a week or so again that said something like; "He loves us where we are. And He loves us too much to let us stay that way". I believe through Him we can change. We can improve. We can find peace, hope, love, forgiveness and light. It is because of Him that we aren't bound by our weaknesses. It is because of Him we can.

Trent's Testimony

 Ever since my mission days when I was asked to study for 2 hours-- one personal study and one companion study, I had in my mind that your testimony gets stronger by acquiring more insights, knowledge and perspectives than you previously had.  I still remember one of the prophets saying that he almost understands the endowment(after going for a lot of years), and thinking that was because he hadn't studied it enough(I'm not implying that I understand more than he).  But in the last couple of years, I have come to find that the gospel is best felt and experienced and also that it is pure and simple.  Studying the gospel gives us an opportunity to feel and think, which is why we're asked to study. The 2 great commandments provide a perfect  perspective.  You can learn those two principles very early in life, and then continually be refined by the things you learn and the perspectives you gain and your willingness to share them with your neighbor.  I am happiest in my life when I am doing good-- whether it is doing a service for a neighbor, or answering a student's question, or having a conversation with my wife.  All things good come from God.  The plan of salvation makes so much sense, because it rewards each person for all the good he/she does.  Everything else is just noise that distracts us from doing those pure and simple things to spread love.  For the way that I feel when I think of the following things-- I know them to be true: God loves me individually and has provided a Savior that loves me as evidenced by the promptings and guidance from the Holy Ghost.  Families are sacred, and are the most effective unit for sharing and spreading God's love.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church, with Prophets, Apostles and leaders chosen by revelation to guide and communicate principles that are divine and eternal.  The Book of Mormon is true, and brings us closer to God because of its purity and the way it came into this world.  I share this testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Grandpa C: Thoughts on my Testimony of Jesus Christ Elder Brother, Redeemer and Savior of the World

Nov. 2023

What is the evidence of my testimony? 

One of the evidences of my testimony, revealed to me when praying recently, is the simple fact that I, as a human being, with God-given intelligence and sound powers of reasoning, have persisted in following the commandments of God as revealed to living prophets. This consists in regularly studying the doctrine in the Holy Scriptures and the revealed word and writings on gospel topics, serving faithfully in my callings, forming a committed marriage to a faithful daughter of God in the temple, going on two church missions with her to Cambodia and Massachusetts, in addition to my first mission as a 20 year-old in 1960 to The Southern States and Florida mission, raising a loving family with spouses, grandchildren and great grandchildren that bless those around them.  I am currently in the process of trying to endure to the end as a faithful follower of Jesus Christ.

 I have had spiritual confirmation of my testimony in various ways throughout my life and I will share a few of those in the following.  

 As I think about the evolution of my testimony it cannot be tied to one or two events or experiences. Gaining  a testimony for me requires an acknowledgment of all of my life experiences. There isn’t a day that goes by without my thoughts being influenced by my testimony. It impacts what I think, what I say, how I act and react.  

My upbringing was influenced by people around me who had varying and different levels of testimony and influence upon me.That would include my parents, brothers and sisters, members of my LDS ward as I grew up, friends I associated with in school and at church along with all the people I have met since those early years. . 

I was taught the principles of responsibility and dependability in my home and it served me well through all of my years since: as I grew up, married, and helped in raising our children.  It influenced my service in the church, how I served in my church callings. I wouldn’t think a day would go by where those attitudes didn’t come into play in home, school, my vocations and avocations,and as I changed over time. 

Recently, during the course of reading several chapters in the Book of Mormon, thoughts and feelings came to me that reminded me of similar experiences in the past. I remembered a time on my mission to Florida when  I shared some statements in 3rd Nephi Ch. 11 concerning the survivors of the terrible destruction associated with the crucifixion of Jesus. These people had gathered around the temple in the land of Bountiful discussing events that they had recently experienced. As they were talking with each other, they heard a voice, a voice that appeared as if it came out of heaven, “it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice,...it being a small voice, it did pierce them…to the center.” A second time the voice was heard but they couldn’t understand it. It was not until the third time that they understood the voice that came from God the Father, saying: “Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.”  

As the people looked into heaven, they saw Jesus descending from heaven and who then invited them to approach him and feel the wounds of his crucifixion. 

As I related that experience to the individuals who had invited them into their home I felt a tingling feeling go through my body that what I was telling them was the truth.  

Another momentous testimony affirming event took place on a Sunday in October of 1962, after I had come home from my mission in Florida. Bonnie and I had been seeing each other and dating exclusively since I returned in June of that same year.  The Saturday night before this Sunday she challenged me to find out where I felt this relationship was going, and not to contact her until I knew  for myself whether I was serious about our relationship. Well, we had been writing to one another (she was working in Salt Lake) multiple times each week and seeing each other every weekend. On Sunday evening I would ride back to Provo to my room and board location with her when she drove back to Salt Lake for the next week’s work. 

On my mission in Florida, I had been influenced by a statement by Elder Marion G. Romney concerning D&C 9:8 about making correct decisions.  You were to study it out in your mind, make a decision and then if it is right you will receive a burning in the bosom. I assumed that a burning in the bosom would be similar to that feeling I had received on my mission. I spent the whole of Sunday fasting and praying, seeking that confirmation. Finally, late that Sunday it came.

That I had received a correct, confirming answer to my prayers is clearly in evidence as you examine our resulting decision to marry and commit ourselves to one another.  That is 60+ years of ongoing proof that the spirit had confirmed a decision on that fall Sunday in 1960.   

One last instance–a few years later, during the time we were in Oxen Hill, Maryland, I read through the Book of Mormon again. I gained a witness that the prophets of the Book of Mormon were real people, testifying of Christ and His teachings. I knew that in a way I had not known it before. 

What do I have a testimony of? 

Thinking back it seems that most of the instances of testimony building for me have been associated with the Book of Mormon and the witness from the Holy Ghoast that what I was reading was true.  I have come to see that for  me, the Book of Mormon is more to me than “another Testament of Jesus Christ.” For me it was the crowning testament of Jesus Christ.  The Book of Mormon prophets throughout the 600 years before Christ, and the 400 years after knew His name and taught His teachings. They knew and understood the principle of the atonement and his gift of grace. They knew that He was to come in the meridian of time and they were aware of the signs of his birth and death. Some of them were ministered to by Him when he appeared after His resurrection. He prayed for them and their children and ushered in a period of peace and prosperity that lasted for several centuries. 

The veracity of the Book of Mormon as restored in the Fullness of Times has numerous implications and makes numerous connections for me.  It confirms the Prophet Joseph Smith as a Prophet of God and ratifies Joseph’s account of seeing God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ in the Sacred Grove. As a result, Joseph  saw other  heavenly messengers such as Moroni to whose charge the Gold plates were given which were eventually translated by Joseph Smith by the gift and power of God.  John the Baptist restored the Aaronic Priesthood to him and Oliver Cowdery.. They were visited by Peter, James and John who restored the Melchizedek Priesthood.

 He was taught the importance of temples and step by step learned what the purpose of the temple was. Priesthood keys and certain ordinances were introduced in the Kirtland Temple as heavenly messengers restored them. A fuller understanding of ordinances and the endowment of power was made available in Nauvoo, and in the Nauvoo Temple. 

Joseph gave all of the necessary keys to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in Nauvoo before his martyrdom. Brigham Young understood the first steps of the succession in the presidency shortly after Joseph and Hyrum were removed and the First Presidency was no longer intact. Brigham Young, as president of the Twelve Apostles led the church to the mountains in the west and to the Salt Lake Valley, a location previously revealed as the location to which the saints were to start their new settlement. 

One of the first major construction projects was to build a meeting place, which was called the Bowery. And then plans were set in motion to construct the Salt Lake Temple, the third temple in this dispensation. This work was slow going and Brigham saw the need to put in writing the details of the endowment ceremony before his death. Thus the construction of a temple in St. George was begun and he along with Apostle Wilford Woodruff began this project. The St. George temple was initially dedicated  for use in January of 1877, with the formal dedication being done in a General Conference of the church held in St. George Utah, the first time the General Conference of the church was held at a site away from Salt Lake.  This was the first temple where all of the temple ordinances related to sealing and work for the dead were performed.  Brigham passed away in August of 1877, having completed his work as the prophet and seer succeeding Joseph Smith. But the keys held by him have been passed down in an orderly way from that time to the present.  President Russell M. Nelson holds those keys today. 

Since that time there have been adjustments made in parts of the endowment ceremony but nothing has been changed concerning the ordinances and covenants of the temple.  Mom and I have seen many of these “adjustments” take place during our time as active temple attenders, with the most profound being introduced this year, 2023. The temple today represents the place where the plan of salvation becomes clearly laid out to enable us to understand the plan of exaltation.

All of the events cited above certify the testimony I have of the life and Gospel of Jesus Christ and support the stories of his life and earthly ministry described in the Bible. This is the testimony that I share with each of you who read this account. May you be blessed as I have been blessed.

Grandma C: How I Felt God’s Love Through Alex’s Short Time on Earth

 We lived in Raleigh, North Carolina, for three years and Derek was a year old when we moved back to Utah.  During our time there, the young daughter of our friends died of cancer.  My heart hurt for them.  I didn’t know how they could endure the loss of that sweet little girl. I couldn’t imagine how any parent could deal with that kind of pain.   Only months earlier I had seen her laughing as she rode on her father’s shoulders.  She was so full of life and light.

      I went to the funeral in our chapel and saw the small casket taken down the aisle with Lynetta, the mother,  walking behind, dressed in a red suit, a faint smile of greeting on her face.  That memory is still fresh.  Lynetta was a woman of faith and that was apparent from the way she presented herself to all of us, as well as the way she taught.    She knew her separation from her beloved child was only temporary.    I marveled and I have  remembered.  She was a blessed “example of the believer” in my life.

      Later, when we lived in Orem, another “mother who knew” strengthened me.  Her daughter, who was in Quinn’s Primary class, also died of cancer.  Her  faith in God’s promises lifted all of us who mourned for their family.  But there was more to come.  Their teenaged son also contracted cancer and endured unsuccessful treatment until he eventually asked his parents to let him move on.  He said that he and his sister “had work to do together in the Spirit World.”    He was brave and faithful and so were his parents. Still, this mother spoke sometimes of her “heavenly homesickness.”    

      Neither of these mothers knew how their examples would help me, and no doubt others, in years to come.  Their faith inspired me.

      When Alex came into our family in 1983 he was welcomed with great joy.  Love surrounded him for all of his years on earth.  He was secure in his place in his siblings’ lives as well as with his parents.

       Waking up for feeding times when he was an infant was a noted extra blessing to me of holding him and feeling that pure, beautiful spirit.  It was obvious that he had come so recently from the presence of God.

       As he got older, that purity and innocence  remained to a large extent.  I wondered how I could ever send him to public school, to fend with “natural” children.  I decided he would be home schooled. I wondered how a child like this could make his way through this fallen world.   He was not perfect, of course. He could get impatient or upset.   On one occasion his cousin Corey was playing at our home and had pestered Alex and pushed him in fun until Alex reached his limit of endurance.  He pushed Corey back and then ran down the hall to his bedroom.  He pulled the blanket over his head and cried.  He was very much a normal little boy but there was still something more that can only be described as purity.

       When he was five years old he started to have stomach problems with occasional vomiting.  Dr. Clark thought it was stomach flu.  But it came and went for some time and I took him to a pediatrician.  The illness was still not diagnosed.  But when I noticed some yellowing in his eyes I took him back to Dr. Clark who became concerned and sent us to the hospital for a scan. There was a growth on his adrenal gland.   It was at this time that I had an epiphany and unwanted questions came to mind: Was Alex not expected to stay long in this world?  Was he here to receive a body and a family and move on?   

       We were referred to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake where exploratory surgery revealed the neuroblastoma in his abdomen with involvement in several organs.  The only treatment available would be chemotherapy and the prognosis was not favorable.  A new chapter in our lives began.

       Howard was called as bishop of our ward at this time.  Some thought this call would demand too much of our family at such a challenging time.  I thought it could be a blessing, and we were so much in need of blessings!   God perfectly knew our circumstances when that call was made.

       The chemo was not successful but Alex was remarkable in his acceptance and endurance. Over time, he lost the ability to walk, he became bedfast, he lost his eyesight , we increased the amount of morphine for pain and turned his body in his bed more often for his comfort. It was heartbreaking to see what this precious child was enduring. Tears were shed in the shower every night and I slept in the other twin bed in his bedroom.

      But we were not left comfortless.  Through it all, Heavenly Father was mindful of Alex and our family and we were given the help and strength to get through each day.  We saw tender mercies and the caring of family, friends, ward members.  I could not have functioned without the enabling power of Jesus’ atonement and without the grace and comfort given to Alex.  The hymns of the Church became my prayers of gratitude and thanksgiving to the Savior. I knew His promises were true. Alex knew they were true.   And while we experienced the heartbreaks of mortality we could be yoked securely with Jesus, our perfect brother and friend.

     Alex knew Jesus loved him and helped him.   I quickly wrote down some things he said at different times that I wanted to remember with exactness.  “Jesus is OUR leader.”   “I’ll bet Satan’s getting mad because we won’t follow him!”  “Thank Thee for these beautiful surroundings.”   “Mom, you don’t have a good day if I don’t.  That’s why Derek put both of our names in the temple.”    “When I was in the bathroom I asked Jesus to help me and I said, ‘I love you, Jesus.’”   “Do you think Dad could give me a blessing in the morning, because he has the truth and the power of the Latter-day Saints.”   (Many times those blessings, faithfully requested, brought a decrease in his pain.)   “Heavenly Father and Jesus want me to have these problems but they don’t want me to have pain.”    “I wish everyone would pray for me.”   “If I die, what about getting married?”   “Tell me a Book of Mormon story.  I just love the Book of Mormon.”   “I’m glad every day isn’t a bad day and I’m glad Heavenly Father gives me some good days.”   “I just love Christmas and the family party and the sacks that Grandma and Grandpa give to everyone.  But I don’t love it just to be greedy. I love it because it’s Jesus’ birthday.”    “Today I heard someone say ‘You’ll feel better soon’ when my side was hurting, and I don’t know if it was Jesus or someone else.”  “I need to go to heaven!” The evening before he died, he had the energy to say his own prayer.  It was a long prayer and he stopped every few words to catch his breath.  He expressed appreciation for the world and for all of his family.  He asked Heavenly Father to help him sleep well.

      I will be forever grateful for the many tender mercies that made the last challenging months of Alex’s life easier for him.  He never needed the morphine pump for his pain.  Pressure on his stomach became less and he didn’t continue the vomiting. He accepted each additional problem without becoming depressed.  He used mind control and told himself “I’m not going to think about it, I’m not going to think about it” and mentioned the body part that was hurting.  He spent periods of time gazing into space with an intent look on his face.  On two occasions, I heard him speaking to someone I couldn’t see.  He said, “And I’ll do anything you want me to do.”     When Alex told me he needed to go to heaven I knew he would soon leave us.  I had been concerned that he  would not want to leave and move on to a new life without his mom.  I was seeing him as the little boy I had known and loved for over six years, and that boy wanted his mom at his side.  But Alex was so much more than my little boy and he was ready to continue his mission on the other side of the veil.  How valiantly he had lived out his time with us!  How much he loved us and taught us!  How honored we are that he was sent to us and will be part of our eternal family!

     The night after he passed through the veil I tried to sleep. As I went in and out of consciousness I felt/heard a choir of numerous voices singing “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.  Well done, thou good and faithful friend.”   I knew Alex was being received 

with all the honor and respect and love that he deserved. 

      And I know we will see him again and from that time through forever, he will be “ours to keep.”

       


Trisa's Testimony, February 2023

I didn't have words in Sunday School to answer the question, "How does having Christ in your life help you through trials and loss?"  Ultimately He makes all the difference. He isn't afraid of my darkest moments and places, he sits in them with me and then gently helps get me out. Sometimes, it takes a while for me to realize just how much he carried me, that has never stopped him from helping again. He is my consistent friend--happy, sad, excited, drained, joyful, afraid, optimistic--he accepts and accompanies me through it all.

Isabelle's Testimony, March 2023

Oh, how the gospel has blessed me throughout my life. Oh, how the mere knowledge of Jesus Christ has opened my eyes to hope on even the darkest days. Oh, how I yearn to spread this knowledge to everyone who has never had the privilege of feeling the fulfillment of committing yourself to Heavenly Father. What could be more comforting than knowing that there is someone right by my side who loves me more than I could ever comprehend? Knowing there is a Savior who gave His life to give me mine!! Knowing that no matter the mistakes I make, no matter how many times I make them, I will ALWAYS be forgiven. And I will ALWAYS have a second chance. And a third, and a fourth.  And as many as I could think I’ll ever need! I am blessed to know that when I don’t feel like I can make it through, Jesus Christ already has, and He knows exactly how I feel.  Just as said by Elder Holland, “it is not possible to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s atonement shines”.

What a comfort it is to know that no one is ever too far gone. Heavenly Father is merciful, He understands. He looks at me when I betray Him and he just loves me. He wants the best for me. And since I’ve put in the work to know Him, He has blessed me with the desire to serve Him, to follow Him. Because that is how I show Him my gratitude, my loyalty. I am eternally indebted to the Lord for giving me this life, for giving His son to save me. I know that He loves us, and He has blessed us with the restored gospel on this earth. And how lucky we are to live in this time!! I am so grateful for the unchanging truth that lives in my heart. That He lives. 

In Jesus name I say these things. Amen 

Tyler’s testimony of a living prophet

Over the last few years I have become very grateful for our modern prophet, President Russell M. Nelson.  In these turbulent times, his guidance has been a source of comfort for me.  Throughout COVID and the unrelenting garbage we call society, President Nelson has provided timely and relevant guidance on how to navigate these difficult times.  

I frequently watch as people fall away from the Church because they disagree with certain policies or doctrines, but they seem to have forgotten what separates our Church from other Christian churches. Our Church is unique in that we have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. One aspect of the restored gospel is that we believe in a modern prophet who provides direct guidance on how to apply the teachings found in the Bible and Book of Mormon to our present-day circumstances.  While the scriptures contain important doctrine and instruction, they can't effectively address the specific challenges of our time.  Through revelation, the prophet can provide tailored guidance to help us navigate the unique challenges we face today.

The prophet's role is similar to that of Moroni, who led his people to war.  Our prophet leads us through the storms and challenges of the world, providing us with the spiritual armor and direction we need to navigate successfully.  With the help of the Holy Ghost and the prophet's guidance, we can find joy and peace in our lives.  I know that President Nelson is called of God to lead and direct our Church, and that he receives revelation to further prepare us to live with Him again. As we follow his guidance, we can be confident that we are following God's will and that we are on the right path.  I am grateful for his prophetic voice and the blessings that come from following his counsel.

Brandon’s Miracle and Testimony

During the second year of my mission, I was serving with an Elder Siddoway from Brigham City, Utah.  He was a fun-loving elder, and we got along well.  We had an opportunity to go to a bulk-food warehouse, similar to Costco, with some other elders in our district on a P-Day. The plan was to go shopping, and then, that evening, be back in time for evening missionary activities.  Everything went well, and we had our shopping for the month all loaded into the vehicle.  It was later in the evening when we were driving back.  I remember it being dark, and then starting to rain.  The elder who was driving, the senior missionary of the four of us, didn't adjust the speed for the winding wet roads of Vermont, in spite of the three of us urging him to slow down.  He'd slow down for a moment, then gradually get back up to a speed nobody was comfortable with.  At one point, this elder was negotiating a pretty intense curve in the road, when he saw ahead of us a car coming that was straddling the double-yellow line.  Our driver saw a dirt road to the side, and, in an effort to avoid striking the other car, turned suddenly to go to this road.  This plan was not successful.  Our car left the road (likely hydroplaning), and according to emergency personnel that came to the scene, flew 50 feet, and then came down in a creek bed, which was about 30 feet below the surface of the road.  The elders in the front seat sustained lower spine injuries due to the impact on the floor of the creek bed.  All of the windows of the car shattered, and beads of glass showered us from all directions.  Ultimately, an ambulance arrived on the scene, and we were all carted away with neck braces and on stretchers, as the first responders struggled to carry us up the steep embankment to the road where the ambulance was located.  Though my face was very bloody, I didn't need stitches there.  I did get stitches in my knee, and had to wear a "kneebilizer" to keep my leg straight for several weeks so the bending of my knee wouldn't result in the stitches coming out prematurely.  My companion and I, a few weeks after the accident, went back to the place, mainly out of morbid curiosity.  While the first responders had stated that "it's a miracle that you're alive" as they pulled us out of the creek bed, my companion and I didn't realize how close we had come to going into the next life.  As many of you are aware, New England is a place where there are many trees.  Typically, ALL farm land, cities, towns and roadways come into fruition by much labor, as very dense forests have to be cleared for them.  This was the case where our car went off the road.  As we walked around the area where our car had left the road, there was only one place where there was enough room for a car to go between two trees, and the bark was missing on the passenger side and the driver's side where our car had passed through.  Traveling around 60 mph, had our car hit any of those thick trees, the damage to us and the car would have been disastrous.  Additionally, when we saw where our car landed in the creek bed below, the slight impact from the trunks of the two trees caused our car to rotate in such a way that the large boulders that were everywhere on the creek were avoided, and our car looked like it had been placed in the spot where it wouldn't hit/bounce off, or impact any of the large, car-sized boulders below.  Visiting this place changed both myself and Elder Siddoway.  In the 2-3 months more that we served together, we decided to aim for "exact obedience," as we were both left with the undeniable impression that our imperfect effort, however small, was the least we could do for the extension of our lives that could have been cut short.  

When I think about my testimony, I definitely have distinct memories that fill my mind.  To me these memories seem to be in harmony with the Book of Mormon urging to "Remember, Remember" (Helaman 5:12, amongst others).  I remember how I felt when I asked, as a small child, for mom to read the "Illustrated Story of Joseph Smith" again, and again, and again.  I remember again how I felt when, as a missionary, I would share this story with investigators, who would feel similar things when I would quote from Joseph Smith History, "I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me..."(Joseph Smith History, 1:16).  I remember sitting across the altar, looking at my soon-to-be wife Laura at the Salt Lake City Temple, which still stands as THE happiest day of my life.  I remember, with Dad/Grandpa placing fingers on Kate, who was not breathing on her birthday, and blessing her to live.  I remember, as a homesick missionary on my first night at the MTC crying my eyes out, wondering if I would see my family again (this was not long after Alex's passing) and having words come into my mind "I love Jesus Christ," and having my sadness and worry completely vanish.  I remember sitting at various classes at BYU, learning by "study and also by faith" (D&C 109:7).  As a returned missionary, I thought I knew a little bit about church history and the Book of Mormon.  This was proved wrong when I sat down in a lecture room with Susan Easton Black, a tiny little human, who introduced us to the life of Joseph Smith by saying, "I've read directly from over 8,000 journals from people who had first-hand knowledge of their experiences and memories of the Prophet Joseph Smith."  For the next 16 weeks, we went day-by-day, month-by month as Sister Black started in 1805 and continued to 1844 without notes, telling the story of Joseph Smith.  Similarly, I thought, after my mission that I knew something about the Book of Mormon.  After taking a class from Doran's mission president, Joseph Fielding McConkie (what a NAME!), I learned that I didn't know anything about the book!?!  Finally, after about half of a lifetime of service in the Church of Jesus Christ, I have a testimony of becoming like a child, "submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things, which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him..."  (Mosiah 3:19).  If there was anything written on my gravestone other than my name, birthdate, and deathdate, it would be that I had cultivated faith, learned to be 'meek, humble, patient, and full of love." My testimony is that as I live in harmony with the lofty goals stated above, I have experienced happiness, closeness with important people in my life, and peace.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Sherie’s Testimony of Jesus’ Atonement

 Easter has a very intimate meaning for each of us. It includes our Saviors personal help in our times of need. Our Savior will comfort us as we rely on Him .He loves us with a perfect love. He gave his atonement and his life for you and me. He wants to bless us as we turn to Him and seek him. That's what Easter is all about. A perfect person, above us all, descending below us all so he could understand our sorrows and lift us up and ease our burdens that feel too great. All he wants from us is to love Him and serve Him. May we let the lights within us shine and exemplify a degree of His pure love to all those around us. May we show that we love him by striving to follow Him. In doing so, we will be lifted up to greater heights in our lives. He will prepare us for everlasting life, for he overcame death and enabled us to live forever with our loved ones. Happy Easter, and may you be blessed to know that He loves you with a perfect love. He will see you through as you come unto him.

Laura Nielson Christensen: I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me

I have always believed that there was a God and that he loved me. I believed when my mom told me that  before I was born, her Grandma who had passed appeared to her and presented me to her, and said she  was going to have one more child. I believed when my mom told me of her experience on the other side  
where people were rushing about busy in the Lord’s work, where the architecture was beautiful beyond  description, and where she got to hug Jesus and feel the indescribable love that he had for her and  everyone.  

I believed a young women leader, who told me at age 14 that if I read the Book of Mormon, even just a  verse a day, I would always have God’s love and light. What started out with one verse turned into one  chapter. I felt the Holy Ghost strengthen me, guide me in my decisions, enlarge my capacity for learning.  My high school Biology teacher noticed, “What are you doing? Something’s different about you.” 

One night after reading the scriptures and going to bed, I was overcome with a crushing sensation. I  couldn’t see, couldn’t move, couldn’t talk. I thought I was being crushed into oblivion. The only thing I  could do was reach out to God in prayer, in my mind, that he would save me. Immediately I felt that  immense pressure being lifted off my body like a weighted blanket, and filled with peace and relief. I  believed Joseph Smith, when he wrote about a similar encounter. I knew I never wanted anything to do  with that dark side, Satan, and I would do everything I could to keep out of his grasp.  

For me, that meant continuing to read the scriptures, praying, attending and serving at church, keeping  the Commandments and obeying the Word of Wisdom. These have been my anchor that keeps me  grounded amidst the storms of life; pain, temptation, grief, fear, depression, panic, loneliness, fatigue,  anxiety, anger, and discouragement.  

I know that God lives and loves me and that he sent his son Jesus Christ to atone for our sins so we could  return to live with him.  

I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that by reading it I have felt it’s scripture power. 

I know that Joseph Smith restored the gospel of Jesus in these last days before Jesus returns. 

I know that families can be together forever through the ordinances of God’s temple. 

I know that we have a living prophet who guides us and that by following him we will not be led astray.
 
God has made more out of my life than I ever could have on my own. When I was praying to know if I  should marry Brandon, God put it in my heart to know that he was the right one. When Kate was about  to be born and her heart stopped beating, God gave me the peace to accept whatever the outcome  would be. When I have been paralyzed with fear and panic, God calmed me. When I was so filled with  resentment I didn’t think I could forgive, God took away my hard feelings, immediately upon asking, and  I was able to forgive. I know that God will help me through whatever lies ahead by just asking and  believing.  

I am grateful to God for all that he has blessed me with. I feel him in nature, in spending time with family,  going to Church, helping others, reading the scriptures. I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Something Worth Hefting: A [Somewhat] Reformed Natural Man's Pursuit Of The Divine (Devin)

 Is it possible to be both gullible and faithless?  If you have the misfortune of being gullible, shouldn’t that attribute protect you from 'being of little faith?'  Or, on the flip side, shouldn’t one’s native cynicism be a shield against naïve, foolish gullibility?    Well, being a person who somehow possesses both attributes from time to time, I can say with great certainty that neither attribute grants immunity from the other.  Yes, I can be (and often have been) both gullible and faithless.  And no, I don’t consider either to be a strength.  Rather, they both are the sorts of ‘thorns in the flesh’ with which I have struggled my whole life.  Happily enough, I seem to be gaining a minor bit of momentum in both struggles over the past few years, but I suspect that neither challenge will completely disappear until I lay down this tabernacle of clay for the last time (an event which is hopefully quite far off, yet!).

When you have eliminated all which is impossible then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth (Arthur Conan Doyle).

 I love this quote.  As a normal person in whom the ‘natural man’ often resides, doubt and disbelief come to me more readily than does faith or belief.  Yet this quote, taken from somebody who had little use for ‘Mormons’ or ‘Mormonism’ himself, points to one eminently rational way to find truth: through the elimination of what clearly is not!  Once you’ve done this, whatever remains is, in fact, what is.

 Let’s apply that statement to the below quote by Emma Smith, the wife of Joseph Smith: 

Joseph Smith could neither write nor dictate a coherent and well-worded letter, let alone dictate a book like the Book of Mormon.  I am satisfied that no man could have dictated the writing of the manuscripts unless he was inspired; for, when acting as his scribe, he would dictate to me hour after hour; and when returning after meals, or after interruptions, he could at once begin where he had left off.  This was a usual thing for him to do.  It would have been improbable that a learned man could do this; and, for one so ignorant and unlearned as he was, it was simply impossible (Emma Smith).

 Some have said that Emma exaggerated Joseph’s ignorance to make her argument more compelling.  Given Emma’s membership in the human race, this is entirely possible.  But, at the end of the day, no matter how biased or unbiased Emma was, we have an actual physical book.  It's something that our eyes can see.  It's something we can study and read.  To borrow a verb, it is something we definitely can heft!  So, how do we explain it? 

 Thanks to the diligent work of many historians, we now have a great deal of information at our disposal concerning the actual method[s] used in bringing the Book of Mormon into existence.  For example, we now know that for much of the time Joseph was sitting in the same room as the plates, gazing intently at a seer stone that was in the bottom of a hat.  Sometimes the plates were visible upon a tabletop.  Sometimes they were covered with a cloth.   There were no notes or any other kind of an outline before him—only a hat with a seer stone in it.   And the creative work was performed as a first draft—with only a few minor grammatical changes having taken place since. 

 I would challenge you to identify a single author anywhere on planet Earth who works this way, with his face pressed into a hat that holds a stone in it.  Similarly, I would challenge you to find any author whose first draft is also the finished book.  The bottom line is that you won’t.  Why not?  Because, given normal human limitations, it is impossible to do it this way.

 As long as I can remember I have loved stories and reading.  In my pursuit of these interests I’ve been to book signings, lectures by authors I enjoy, and other similar activities.  Thus it was that in early 1996 I decided that I was going to make my attempt to live the dream myself, to try to become an author.  I wrote lots of short stories.  I started my own online magazine of science fiction and fantasy.  I received and vetted submissions from other would-be authors for publication.  And, of course, I made the highest (to me) literary effort:  the novel. 

 I won’t lie:  the sky was more blue, the air more fresh, the future more bright when I was working on that book.  I was patient in my effort.  I read books written by famous authors about how to craft and tell a story.  I bought a character-naming sourcebook so I could give my characters names that said something about them.  I wrote, and rewrote, and then rewrote again the novel, page by page, chapter by chapter. 

 The work was incredibly hard—much harder than most work-related tasks I normally do on any given day now.  Coming up with a compelling storyline and interesting characters who were their own persons was anything but easy.  Creating believable dialogue between characters was particularly difficult (yes, their dialogue tended to sound more like philosophical speeches!).  Many days, despite hours of effort, I’d end up without anything new at all on the hard drive.  No, I couldn’t just ‘will it’ to happen!  And nothing—and I mean exactly none of it (!)—was ever remotely finished after the first, or second, or even third draft.  Everything was written multiple times: written and discarded much of the time, or written and then rewritten hundreds of times overall. 

 It took me about a year and a half to get it done, working on it almost every day.  And, in the end, all I really had was the intangible satisfaction of having done it.  After all, how many people liked the fruit of my abundant labors?  Put most succinctly:  exactly two.  Who were these generous souls?  First, of course, was me, myself and I!  And second:  my brother Brandon.  Yes, Brandon read it, and, miracle of miracles, he liked it!  But ultimately, I think he liked it because yes, he first liked me.  And if this, condition A, were not in place, consequence B (“liking the novel”) would not likely have happened either.

 I spared no effort to get the novel published.  I sent the manuscript to scores of agents and publishers.  A few responded with a standard rejection form; the vast majority didn’t bother with even that.  In the end, all I accomplished in any commercial sense was to create more fodder for far too many publishers’ reject piles.  After many months of this I chose to go in a more pragmatic career direction.

 So why do I mention this fun chapter of life?  To wallow in my own failure? In the hopes of being mocked?  Nope!  I’ve already had plenty of that in this life!  Rather, when I compare this effort to the way the Book  of Mormon came to pass (!), I’m struck by the dissimilarities.  First, when I wrote my book, I had received almost 20 years of formal instruction, with a university major that required a lot of writing.  In contrast, Joseph Smith had about two years of formal instruction at the early grade-school level.  Second, as a single male with few financial obligations, I had almost limitless time to envision, think, organize, write, and rewrite.  In contrast, Joseph was a married man with plenty of real-world responsibilities which he had to regularly meet.  Additionally, he had only ~65 working days to get the whole shebang done.  And, finally, what to me is most incredible:  he did it all in a single draft.  That is clearly impossible—for anyone—no matter how ‘gifted’ or ‘imaginative’ they are.  If you added up all my edits, my unspectacular opus would have easily grossed hundreds of rewrites.  To come up with a more weighty book—one with advanced Christian thought, numerous philosophically dense speeches, with a highly complex plot involving many unique, plausible characters covering a thousand years of history over a large yet consistent geography—it is clearly impossible.

 Can  you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances (Alma 5:19)?

I went to a fellow class-of ’87 classmate’s 50th birthday celebration at Peteetneet a few years ago.  He invited lots of people from our class to this event.  Though most at the party were born about the same time, I was blown away by the broad array of appearances of my former classmates.  My conclusion?  The body—particularly one with plenty of decades of life on it—cannot lie!   It tells the truth of the life that is lived within it.  It was obvious to even the most unobservant person there (probably me!) which of my former classmates observed the Word of Wisdom and which did not. It was clear who lived with a sense of fun and life and humor and who did not.  And, admittedly less tangibly, there was a light in some eyes that was not in others.  Our bodies—in particular our countenances—tell the tale of the life that is lived in them, and the longer the life, the more telling the differences become. 

 Not so very long ago I was watching Elder Dallin H. Oaks give a talk.  As always, it was an intellectual exercise to do so.  Typical of him, the discourse was a masterpiece of organization and logic.  Quite frankly, I will also admit that I found the talk to be a bit dry!  Just prior to this particular speech Elder Oaks  had come under attack for some unpopular views that he had on marriage and gender.  Many people had said very unfavorable things about him.  As I watched him that day, I had a sudden burst of mental clarity coupled with a very intense feeling.  Atypically for me, tears came to my eyes.  His style of speech was dignified and elegant.  He obviously believed very strongly that Jesus Christ was the Son of God.  He believed in a personal atonement for every sin.  He spoke of hope, and of earnest striving to become more holy.  There was a brightness in his eye, an intellectual vigor to his words, and a clean, honest, and patient steadfastness in him that were readily apparent.  His aged yet well-maintained body bespoke the healthy, consecrated life he had lived.  I realized then with a clarity that often eludes me that he was a man on the watchtower, and whatever he was doing—whatever life he was choosing to live—I needed to choose the same.

 Let me finally (!) finish now with two favorite scriptures:

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (1  Cor. 13:12).


 But behold, verily I say unto you, that there are many who have been ordained among you, whom I have called but few of them are chosen.  They who are not chosen have sinned a very grievous sin, in that they are walking in darkness at noon-day (D&C 95:5-6).

 Tell me this:  do you feel a great tension between these two passages?  On the one hand, we have Paul talking of how we often muddle through this life, never seeing the whole picture, being vulnerable to deception, limited by our easily beguiled bodily senses and notably finite cranial capacity (with some of us being significantly more limited in this regard than others!).   Then, on the other hand, we have the Lord Himself practically commanding us to see the sun in the sky, to live and walk in the light, to banish darkness and unnecessary error from ourselves and choose to be chosen. 

 This, I submit, is prime among the primary challenges of this life:  to walk along a razor’s edge of sorts, with both light and darkness before and around us, with occasional flashes of inspiration, intelligence, and glory on the one hand, together with confusion, doubt, and error on the other.  Here and there our paths are clear and bright.  Once in a while—very occasionally, really—we even get a glimpse of glory, of the grandness of eternity.  But the pendulum endlessly swings:  for every such glimpse there is a concomitant waning, an ebbing: we wallow, we backtrack, we (perhaps needlessly?) founder in the dark.  But, at the end of it all, what ultimately and finally predominates in us?  The darkness, or the light?  I strongly believe that this is exactly what agency is about:  this ultimately we and we alone choose.

 I have seen and continue to see miracles.  I have seen faith, hope, and light in many people’s countenances.  I have personally experienced forgiveness, renewal, and, by the grace of God, even occasional growth (!).  Finally, I have seen consecration in action and its resulting holiness in the lives of others, and I want these same elements to be in my life and in the lives of those close to me. 

 That the grand purposes of God may prevail in my life and in the lives of those dear to me is my great prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!