Testimony - My Talk.

During this time of year, the evaluations processes begin for all publicly traded Oil and Gas companies. This is a long, drawn out process that involves a third party evaluator and all publicly traded oil and gas companies. Back and forth and back and forth is the dialogue as each party represents the interests most important to themselves as they try and determine what it is that is a virtually unseen commodity; the hydrocarbon reserves of that company. The only determining factors are a series of tests which are then scrutinized and manipulated by a number of varying factors. My job, is to act as the liaison for my company.

I have seen battles fought over the unseen reserves as it is only in my company’s best interest to have as many reserves assigned as possible. This makes the stocks go up, this makes the shareholders very happy. The third party evaluators job is to make sure nothing is over evaluated, that nothing unforeseen, nothing is too manipulated that would result in those commodities being over evaluated and cause issues further on with the Canadian Securities Commission.

What fascinates me the most within this process is that a simple decimal point movement can change a well’s production from 10 to 30 years and all of the calculations are based on what is virtually unseen. Our Engineers have calculated a wells reserves from past performance; drill stem and production tests and predicted or proven production and for new wells, which is where my primary focus is, in what can only be considered as best case scenarios.

How much of our life’s are judged by what is unseen? How much of what we know can only be found within our hearts because proof is something much more difficult to arrive at.

In the past few years I have been on one of the most difficult and challenging journeys of my life and for the most part, one that I hope will never be played out again. When our lives are shaken to the very core, some of us can find ourselves somewhat weakened, as I did, and we must re-establish within ourselves what we know to be true.

What is a testimony? In researching the topic, LDS org is quite specific:

A testimony is a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost. The foundation of a testimony is the knowledge that Heavenly Father lives and loves His children; that Jesus Christ lives, that He is the Son of God, and that He carried out the infinite Atonement; that Joseph Smith is the prophet of God who was called to restore the gospel; that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Savior's true Church on the earth; and that the Church is led by a living prophet today. With this foundation, a testimony grows to include all principles of the gospel.

In reading this, I understood why my testimony had been challenged. I was missing the very fundamental truths for myself that would have given it roots. I didn’t have a keen knowledge my own place as a daughter of my Father in Heaven. I can now say I do and for that I am so very grateful.

In an article written by John Cormack, a past general authority, he writes of the principals of a sound testimony. He believes it requires three very distinct components.

The first; That one must be:

Rooted in Christ –

I Quote; “our testimonies will be in good ground if they are rooted in Christ. Christ is the source of our greatest strength and comfort in times of stress or doubt.”

In this October’s General conference, President Uchtdorf summarized this concept very well when he said;

“ our relationship with God is most sacred and vital. We are His spirit children. He is our Father. He desires our happiness. As we seek Him, as we learn of His Son, Jesus Christ, as we open our hearts to the influence of the Holy Spirit, our lives become more stable and secure. We experience greater peace, joy, and fulfillment as we give our best to live according to God’s eternal plan and keep His commandments.” End Quote

It is simple, know our Savior, understand his role in our exhalation and renew our covenants in remembrance of his sacrifice so that we will have a stronghold in the footings of our testimonies.

In rooting our children Sister Rosemary Wixom, the Primary General President – said “No child needs to walk the path alone so long as we speak freely to our children of the plan of salvation. Understanding the plan will help them hold to the truths that they are children of God and He has a plan for them, that they lived with Him in the premortal existence, which they shouted for joy to come to this earth, and that through the Savior’s help, we all can return to our Heavenly Father’s presence. If they understand the plan and who they are, they will not fear.”

Having our children Know without a doubt of the divinity and their place within the plan of salvation will go far in the building of a strong and unbendable faith.

Further to this, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf also has said, “The Holy Scriptures and the spoken word of the living prophets give emphasis to the fundamental principles and doctrines of the gospel. The reason we return to these foundational principles, to the pure doctrines, is because they are the gateway to truths of profound meaning. They are the door to experiences of sublime importance that would otherwise be beyond our capacity to comprehend. These simple, basic principles are the key to living in harmony with God and man. They are the keys to opening the windows of heaven. They lead us to the peace, joy, and understanding that Heavenly Father has promised to His children who hear and obey Him.” END QUOTE

I have a profound faith in the fundamentals of the gospel. It was when I reached back and reminded myself of all the great lessons of my youth from primary, Sunday school and Young Women’s that I was able to focus again on the important things of the gospel and rebuild a stronger and more secure foundation of faith.

Dr. Marcus Bach –once said; “We catch on to the truth and technique of expectation in those rare moments when we are stirred by an awareness of a guidance seemingly higher and greater than our own, when for a little while we are taken over by a force and an intelligence above and beyond those commonly felt. Confident and free, filled with wonder and ready acceptance, we permit ourselves to be taken over by our unquestioning self.”

Truth is universal; it was embedded in our beings in the pre-existence. When we come upon it in this realm, it is familiar; it is what seems was always a part of us, it rings true because somehow, we’ve heard it before.

The second principle of a Sound testimony is;

Desire –

Faith begins by a desire to know if the gospel is true. To desire is to want or long for something. It is a strong wish. When we desire to gain a testimony, desire to know, desire to believe, testimony can begin and will start to grow.

Quoting John Carmack again; “Alma also explained that one must start on the road to a testimony by having a desire, or as he stated, you must “awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, … even if ye can no more than desire to believe.” (Alma 32:27; italics added.)

Desire begets faith and testimony. Testimony isn’t achieved by logic and study. For example, we can list hundreds of evidences that the Book of Mormon and the New Testament are true, but the skeptic can probably match us point by point. Without desire, the skeptic is “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

I don’t believe it was ever intended that the gospel be proven true by physical or that documentary evidence would ever be acceptable to all. It is in this life that a believer must come to their own witness by faith, not by logic and proof alone but by an unspeakable faith that will bring peace to the soul. The starting point is desire.

With an earnest desire can and will come doubts; we all have them, some more than others, I probably being one more apt to doubts, but none the less they are real.

Howard W. Hunter once said when addressing this very issue;

"I have sympathy for young men and young women when honest doubts enter their minds and they engage in the great conflict of resolving doubts. These doubts can be resolved, if they have an honest desire to know the truth, by exercising moral, spiritual, and mental effort. They will emerge from the conflict into a firmer, stronger, larger faith because of the struggle. They have gone from a simple, trusting faith, through doubt and conflict, into a solid substantial faith which ripens into testimony.” End Quote

It is my experience that irrevocably knows, these doubts can even affect older generations, members who have even taken out covenants. I found that personally, as I faced these and with a genuine and prayerful desire to reestablish the truths I once held so firm on I was able to overcome the doubts and find my testimony again.

The third component of a solid testimony is based on;

The Gospel Experiment –

Quoting John Carmack again;

“A spiritual experiment similar to scientific procedures is the way one gains conviction about gospel principles and is an essential ingredient in achieving the rich soil in which the seed of testimony may grow.”

Jesus explained, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” (John 7:17.)

In other words, as you try it you can know it is true. This requires the faith to try, but it yields spiritual evidence. To the member who tries the experiment what will result are a conviction; knowledge and a light that will give strength to your testimony.

And as D&C 50:24 gives wisdom to; as a member continues, he receives “more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.”

So when I declare that I know this gospel is true, that Christ lives, and that Thomas B Monson is God’s prophet, I am saying, in effect, that doing and serving have brought me the conviction that this work is true.

Further wisdom comes from the words of

Robert D. Hales – Oct Conference; -

“But think of it: in our premortal state we chose to follow the Savior Jesus Christ! And because we did, we were allowed to come to earth. I testify that by making the same choice to follow the Savior now, while we are here on earth, we will obtain an even greater blessing in the eternities. But let it be known: we must continue to choose to follow the Savior. Eternity is at stake, and our wise use of agency and our actions are essential that we might have eternal life.” End Quote

It is when we dedicate ourselves to our desire to always know, always strive to be AT ONE with the Savior and HIS plan for us that we can fortify ourselves against doubt. Satan’s plan is that he wishes to confuse us and now, he has more tools then ever to call into question our own beliefs, our own covenants, our own commitment to truth.

Bishop Richard C. Edgley in speaking of today’s challenges said; “Because of the conflicts and challenges we face in today’s world, I wish to suggest a single choice—a choice of peace and protection and a choice that is appropriate for all. That choice is faith. Be aware that faith is not a free gift given without thought, desire, or effort. It does not come as the dew falls from heaven. The Savior said, “Come unto me” (Matthew 11:28) and “Knock, and it shall be [given] you” (Matthew 7:7). These are action verbs—come, knock. They are choices. So I say, choose faith. Choose faith over doubt, choose faith over fear, choose faith over the unknown and the unseen, and choose faith over pessimism. END QUOTE

I would not be doing any favors in speaking of the struggle I have gone through without speaking of the dangers that can result in the loss of faith.

Bishop Edgley spoke of Alma’s formula when he admonished us to always choose faith;

His words again;

· If confusion and hopelessness weigh on your mind, choose to “awake and arouse your faculties” (Alma 32:27). Humbly approaching the Lord with a broken heart and contrite spirit is the pathway to truth and the Lord’s way of light, knowledge, and peace.

· If your testimony is immature, untested, and insecure, choose to “exercise [even] a particle of faith”; choose to “experiment upon [His] words” (Alma 32:27). The Savior explained, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:17).

· When logic, reason, or personal intellect come into conflict with sacred teachings and doctrine, or conflicting messages assault your beliefs as the fiery darts described by the Apostle Paul (see Ephesians 6:16), choose to not cast the seed out of your heart by unbelief. Remember, we receive not a witness until after the trial of our faith (see Ether 12:6).

· If your faith is proven and mature, choose to nurture it “with great care” (Alma 32:37). As strong as our faith is, with all the mixed messages attacking it, it can also become very fragile. It needs constant nourishment through continued scripture study, prayer, and the application of His word.

In closing; Elder Richard G. Scott spoke in conference as well about how strong moral character results from consistent correct choices in the trials and testing of life. Such choices are made with trust in things that are believed and when acted upon are confirmed.

Some of the empowering principles upon which faith is based are;

· Trust in God and in His willingness to provide help when needed, no matter how challenging the circumstance.

· Obedience to His commandments and a life that demonstrates that He can trust you.

· Sensitivity to the quiet promptings of the Holy Spirit.

· Courageous implementation of that prompting.

· Patience and understanding when God lets you struggle to grow and when answers come a piece at a time over an extended period of time.

In the words of Robert Browning –

“Truth lies within ourselves: it takes no rise from outward things, whatever you may believe. There is an inmost center in us all, where truth abides in fullness and to Know rather consists in opening out a way whence the imprisoned splendor may escape than in effecting entry for light supposed to be without.”

The scripture I was assigned for today’s talk is; Alma 30: 44

But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of aall these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the bearth, and call things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its dmotion, yea, and also all the eplanets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.

I conclude with my own testimony, one that I can now say has borne the test of turmoil and hopelessness. I know my place in my Father’s kingdom and I know where HIS truth resides. I am forever grateful for my membership and for all that being Mormon has brought me, both the good and the bad.

I have a few favourite authors, one I admire greatly; Maya Angelo penned a poem about faith and Christianity. I use it now, using her words to express my faith.

When I say I am a Christian," by Maya Angelou

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow!

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen