In preparing my Sunday School lesson for today on 'testimony' I have compiled the following excellent information for my students ages 16-18, whom I love and care for deeply. I desire for them to know and understand these beautiful truths as I do. I know that as we are each prayerful and humble and sincere, the Holy Spirit will teach us what is right and what is error. He helps us to discern between the two and then teach and 'testify' to others' the things which we have learned.
What Is a Testimony? - It is important to understand what a testimony is and what a testimony is not. First, it is not an exhortation, a call to repentance, a travelogue, a sermon, or an instruction. It is a simple, direct declaration of belief—a feeling, an assurance, a conviction. It is usually stated in the first person, I, followed by a strong verb expressing belief, such as “I know that …,” “I testify that …,” “I bear testimony that …,” or “I have a strong assurance that …” You probably have heard special witnesses of Jesus Christ use the words “I give you my witness that …” or “I witness that …” Testimonies are often most powerful when they are short, concise, and direct.
Elder Oaks: 2008, Testimony. A testimony of the gospel is a personal witness borne to our souls by the Holy Ghost that certain facts of eternal significance are true and that we know them to be true. Such facts include the nature of the Godhead and our relationship to its three members, the effectiveness of the Atonement, and the reality of the Restoration.
A testimony of the gospel is not a travelogue, a health log, or an expression of love for family members. It is not a sermon. President Kimball taught that the moment we begin preaching to others, our testimony is ended.
What Is a Testimony? - It is important to understand what a testimony is and what a testimony is not. First, it is not an exhortation, a call to repentance, a travelogue, a sermon, or an instruction. It is a simple, direct declaration of belief—a feeling, an assurance, a conviction. It is usually stated in the first person, I, followed by a strong verb expressing belief, such as “I know that …,” “I testify that …,” “I bear testimony that …,” or “I have a strong assurance that …” You probably have heard special witnesses of Jesus Christ use the words “I give you my witness that …” or “I witness that …” Testimonies are often most powerful when they are short, concise, and direct.
Elder Oaks: 2008, Testimony. A testimony of the gospel is a personal witness borne to our souls by the Holy Ghost that certain facts of eternal significance are true and that we know them to be true. Such facts include the nature of the Godhead and our relationship to its three members, the effectiveness of the Atonement, and the reality of the Restoration.
A testimony of the gospel is not a travelogue, a health log, or an expression of love for family members. It is not a sermon. President Kimball taught that the moment we begin preaching to others, our testimony is ended.
Consider
the following examples from the scriptures.
“This
is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we
saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record
that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—that by him, and through him, and of
him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten
sons and daughters unto God” (D&C
76:22–24; italics added).
“I
know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you, concerning that which
is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ
shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and
mercy, and truth” (Alma 5:48;
italics added).
“And
now, behold, I will testify unto you of myself that these things are
true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come
among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people,
and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken
it” (Alma
34:8; italics added).
“For
I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported
in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted
up at the last day” (Alma 36:3;
italics added).
Other
examples are found in Jacob 7:12,
Alma 7:8
and Alma
36:30, and Joseph
Smith—History 1:25.
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To
be able to teach by the convincing, converting power of the Holy Ghost, you
must have a testimony of what you are teaching. President David O. McKay said:
“It is your duty to teach that Jesus
Christ is the Redeemer
of the world, that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, and that to him in this
last dispensation there appeared God the Father
and his Son in person. Do you believe it? Do you feel it? Does that testimony
radiate from your being? … If so, that radiation will give life to the people
whom you go to teach. If not, there will be a dearth, a drought, a lack of that
spiritual environment in which the Saints grow. … You can teach effectively
only that which you yourselves feel” (Gospel Ideals [1953], 190).
You
can obtain a testimony and continue to strengthen it by (1) studying the
scriptures and the teachings of latter-day prophets, (2) praying, (3) fasting,
and (4) obeying God’s commandments. You will also see that your testimony
becomes stronger as you continue to share it.
What does it mean to 'bear testimony'?
A
testimony is a spiritual witness, given by the Holy Ghost, of the truthfulness
of the gospel. When we bear testimony, we declare to others what we know to be
true by the power of the Spirit. The foundation of a testimony is the knowledge
that Heavenly Father lives and loves us, that Jesus Christ is our Savior, that
His gospel has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and that The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Savior’s true Church.
