Nephi and his brothers
One of my favorite things about Brigham Young University is the opportunity I have to study the words of Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (mistakenly called the “Mormon” church). Currently, I am taking a class on the Book of Mormon, a key piece of scripture of our religion. Recently, we have been reading about an ancient prophet named Nephi. Nephi, as a young man, was the spiritual leader of his siblings. His older brothers did not have faith in God, and often mocked Nephi for his belief in God. Nephi’s older brothers could not understand the truths that Nephi tried to teach them. In 1 Nephi Chapter 15 Verse 3, it states, “For [Nephi] truly spake many great things unto [his older brothers], which were hard to be understood, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought.” Nephi continues in verse 11 by saying, “If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.”
These verses caused me to pause and reflect. Seeking the truth is often difficult and takes a long period of study. Understanding the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ takes action and a personal choice to ask God and seek understanding. This caused me to reflect on my journey to gain a testimony of the truthfulness of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
What is a testimony? It is a word often used in the Mormon Church which many people, even inside the church, do not fully understand. Official website, Lds.org defines a testimony as “a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost.” A person can have a testimony of specific principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, such as baptism or repentance. All of these small testimonies of the principles and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ combine to form a testimony of the truthfulness of that doctrine. I would like to share my story of how I began my journey to receive a testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.
Through prayer and scripture study we can gain a knowledge of the truth.
Growing up in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, my parents both had strong testimonies of the Church. They shared with me from a young age how being a member of the LDS Church had blessed their lives in so many ways. My dad and I would often have long conversations about different parts of the Church, including why we read the scriptures, why we pray, and so forth. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a child is baptized when they are eight years old, instead of when they are an infant. At this age, a child becomes accountable for their actions. When I turned eight, I vividly remember my parents sitting me down in our kitchen and having a very serious conversation with me. Of course, I had been going to church every Sunday my whole life, so I knew that it was the time for me to get baptized. I knew that baptism meant that I would be cleansed from my sins, and that afterwards I would be confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (otherwise known as the Holy Spirit in other religions; this means that I would more fully be able to be guided by God in my everyday life). I was excited to be baptized; I had been waiting for this moment for years. But when my parents sat me down, they said something I did not expect. They explained that this was a very big decision, and they asked me if I, personally, really wanted to be baptized. They didn’t want me to do it for any other reason but my own desire. I am so grateful for my parents example and their decision to encourage me to seek for my own testimony of the gospel. From that moment, I decided that I wanted to know for myself that the LDS Church is God’s true church on the earth today. Since that time, I have consistently prayed, attended Church, read the scriptures, and asked God to reveal truth to me. Slowly, over time, and as I chose to seek for the truth, I came to a sure knowledge that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is indeed the true Church on this earth today. As I have watched my friends and siblings go through the same process, I have learned that anyone, no matter what background they came from, can come to this knowledge as well. I know this to be true.
By Mercedes T.
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