Purely for Posterity

Intro--
Try to think of something witty to lighten the mood a little. (This didn't really happen. I was too nervous. I did mumble something about still believing in miracles because we were able to make it to church on time --9am)

I was asked to speak today a little bit about Elder Carlos Godoy's talk, "Testimony as a Process, " given at this last General Conference.

I'm happy to speak about this topic, as it is something that truly applies to each of us. Because you are here today, I believe you have a testimony of the gospel. Building a testimony is a process. I like to think about testimony as a living thing. As with all living things, they grow in stages and need to be nourished or they don't flourish.

But first let's review.

What is a testimony?

A testimony is a witness of something.

According to the church's web site:

A testimony is a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost.

Next we may ask ourselves: How can I gain a testimony?

Elder Godoy addresses this in his talk. He tells of an experience he had one Sunday when the sunday school teacher asked the class to share a powerful spiritual experience they had while developing their testimony of the Church. Elder Godoy felt that, as an area authority, the teacher was waiting for him to share an impressive experience. Yet he could not. Later, in Sacrament meeting, he bore his testimony saying "It was not a remarkable experience that I had to share but a sincere testimony that I have about the truths of the restored gospel."

He quotes President Packer: “The Spirit does not get our attention by shouting or shaking us with a heavy hand. Rather it whispers. It caresses so gently that if we are preoccupied we may not feel it at all. . . .

Occasionally it will press just firmly enough for us to pay heed. But most of the time, if we do not heed the gentle feeling, the Spirit will withdraw and wait until we come seeking and listening and say in our manner and expression, like Samuel of ancient times, ‘Speak [Lord], for thy servant heareth’ (1 Sam. 3:10.)” (“The Candle of the Lord,” Tambuli, July 1983, 30–31; Ensign, Jan. 1983, 53).

Elder Godoy goes on to say:

"Great events are not a guarantee that our testimony will be strong. Laman and Lemuel are good examples of this. They were visited by angels and even then, almost in the very next minute, they were questioning the will of the Lord. Some great leaders of these latter days can also teach us about this principle. They were taught from on high during the early days of the Restoration and still were not strong enough to endure to the end. These experiences show us that to receive the witness of the “still small voice” sometimes can have a stronger impact on our testimonies than the visit of an angel."

Everyday the spirit whispers here a little, and there a little. Like little drops in our testimony bucket, growing that tiny mustard seed. I have been blessed to have experiences where the has spirit whispered and confirmed to me the truthfulness of certain principles of the gospel. Here are a couple:

Last spring, we were surprised to find a nest in our apple tree after pruning the branches. My kids and I marveled at the craftsmanship of the nest. It was so carefully made. The thoughtful craftsmen build the nest right in the crook of the branches so that it would be well protected. It stayed empty for a while and I figured it was an old abandoned nest. One day I peeked in a found a beautiful blue egg. The next day there were two. There ended up being four eggs in that little nest. We very careful watched as the mother and father Robin took turns laying on the eggs and protecting their nest. In rain and wind and storm. Those robin parents faithfully stayed by their nest. One day we peeked in and found one of the eggs had hatched! It was so exciting! The next few days the other eggs hatched too. The mother and father were very busy feeding their hungry babies. They were also very protective and we didn't get too close to them anymore. About two weeks after the eggs hatched the baby birds flew away. Just like that. We watched as they jumped from the nest and flew around the yard for a day or so and took off. Ready to start families of their own and "fulfill the measure of the their creation." I drew so many parallels from that simple experience. The spirit confirmed to me that our Creator is gentle and wise. He took time to ensure each of His creations would be able to fulfill their life's mission. And at a time when I was feeling a little overwhelmed by the needs of my little nestlings, this experience pierced my soul and strengthened my testimony of my life's mission.

Sometimes just being at the right place can have a profound effect on our testimonies. I remember having to go to a leadership meeting about 7 years ago. Honestly, I wasn't thrilled at having to go. I had a new born baby and a busy toddler and was tired. But the prospect of sitting for two hours with no kids appealed to me and I went. Luckily for me, Elder Costa was the speaker and the way he spoke about his love for the scriptures impressed me in a significant way. He kept saying he wasn't sure why he was asked to speak, because he felt like his english wasn't very good. But my testimony changed at that meeting. Perhaps not in a life or death kind of way, but I feel I might be a different person if I hadn't gone to that meeting. I wanted to passionately love the scriptures like he did and decided I would approach my scripture study in a new way. I am SO thankful for the sweetness and peace that have come into my life because of the scriptures and because of Elder Costa's testimony of them.

There have been times in my life when I have been called to do things that I absolutely did not feel I could do. Miraculously, with the help of the Lord, I have been able to do them. Just having faith in His ability to increase my ability produced blessings and sweet experience that I will treasure forever. Similar to the five loaves and two fishes. We give the Lord what we have and He will increase it. I witnessed that in my own life and those experience have strengthened my testimony.

Jeremy and I have a testimony of tithing. I'm sure many of you have had those experience were you exercised your faith and even though your budget was tight, you payed your tithing and made it to the next paycheck.

Brothers and Sisters, once we have a testimony, we do not keep it on a shelf. We do not keep it to ourselves. There are powerful destructive forces in nature; hurricanes, earthquakes, storms, fires. I believe a testimony is an equally powerful constructive force. Building up, beautifying, and saving all around it.

I will be forever grateful for the two young missionaries who went to a cold dark land, far, far away from their own and learned one of the most difficult languages in the world to teach the gospel and bear their testimonies to a people who were not necessarily thrilled to receive them. My mom and grandmother were one of the few baptized in Finland in the 1970's. I would not be here today if they had not been taught by those faithful missionaries.

I am also grateful for the little boy who invited my dad to primary. That simple gesture ultimately resulted in the baptism of my father and the rest of his family. Once again, if not for that little boy and his family, I would not be here today. I and my children are the direct result of the little seeds of missionary work that were planted long ago. When I think of the joy that has come into my life and that will be perpetuated by my children because of the testimony of others, my little testimony cup overflows and I want to share it with everyone.

Why do we need a testimony?

The apostle John prophesied, "And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony...." (Rev. 12:10-11)

Brothers and Sisters, we need a testimony to overcome the adversary. We need a witness of the gospel to progress onward to eternal happiness. It is key. It is vital. It's like there's this great secret in all the calamities and trials that occur in our lives and to unlock it we need a testimony. Otherwise it gets lost in our own self pity or depression and we cast away the opportunity to grow closer to the Lord, to unravel the mysteries of his Kingdom and to learn who we really are.

There is something so sacred about a testimony born in the midst of trial. I think the trial sanctifies the testimony. Take for instance, Job. When he proclaims, "I know that my redeemer liveth." in the midst of his suffering. Or Mormon, in his letters to Moroni. The beauty of his testimony shines all the more when you consider the terrible wickedness and destruction that surrounds him. And then we have Brother Joseph. His testimony stands brightly today more than 160 years after his death, consecrated by his trials and sealed with his blood. All of us here today have greatly benefited from that singular testimony.

Brothers and Sisters, testimony is a process. We are all in different places in our testimony. We are not going to be in a perpetual state of perfect testimony.

I love Alma's words to the Zoromites:
“But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words” (Alma 32:27).

We need to hang on to that desire. Sometimes the world bears down on us. It is SO easy to get caught up in worldly things. Not necessarily bad things, just busy things that take us away from that desire. Every once in a while we need to "wake up and arouse our faculites..." We must nourish our testimonies so that they will blossom and sustain us during our trials. When our testimony is bursting within us, we need to share it and be that incredible force for good.

I know that there is a God in Heaven and that He is merciful and just. I am aware of it every time I look out upon the grandeur of the mountains and the miracle of the smallest form of life. I know that He has a plan of great happiness for us. And that He is aware of me, a little spec in the universe, and that He loves me. I know that our Savior, Jesus Christ offered himself as a sacrifice in order to help fulfill that plan because He loves me too. I know that our Father in Heaven wants us to be successful and gives us everything we need to succeed and return to Him, including the gospel, prophets, the Holy Ghost and scriptures to guide us. I know that if we follow the teachings of our Savior, we will be happy and we will live with Him again and all our loved ones again someday. Everything good, sweet and wonderful in my life is a direct consequence of my membership in this church. It thrills me to know this. I am so thankful for opportunity to share my testimony with you today.

In the name......