Nourishing And Bearing Your Testimony

If we want to keep our relationship with Heavenly Father alive and meaningful we can follow the counsel of Amulek "... to live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you [us]. Last year Primary children around the world practiced a song about prophets. And so my mind, being mostly blank during my … mission …, gave me the opportunity to bear testimony to the greatest event in the history of the world since the crucifixion of the Master. An example of this that is relevant to the church would be if you were presented with the CES Letter, but instead of reading the CES Letter you began seeking out apologetic works instead, taking those at face value while attempting to debunk the CES Letter because it creates cognitive dissonance within you. Overview of Testimonies and Spiritual Witnesses in Mormonism. "We should be patient in developing and strengthening our testimonies. Horses, Steel, or other Anachronisms: As we cover in the anachronisms section, we are often told that the terms that are anachronistic in the Book of Mormon are words that the authors were familiar with in a "loan shifting" method to make sense of the words.

Nourishing And Bearing Your Testimony Gary Stevenson

As a member of the Church, opportunities to bear your spoken testimony come in formal church meetings or in less formal, one-on-one conversations with family, friends, and others. Using the term indoctrination is typically associated with brainwashing and I realize how upsetting that idea can be, but let's look at this from the technical definition of the word: "The process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically. Nourishing and Bearing Your Testimony Elder Gary E. - Etsy New Zealand. " "Temple mirrors of eternity remind us that each human being has "divine nature and destiny"; that "sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally"; and that, growing together in love and faithfulness, we can give children roots and wings. You may have heard the last verse: "Now we have a world where people are confused. The bandwagon effect taps into both our need to be included and our desire to be on the right path, which can make it a powerful influence in a religion that can carry such huge costs for leaving.

Elder David A. Bednar - "Put On Thy Strength, O Zion" | POSTED BELOW. Her talents and skills are shared unselfishly. Logically Fallacious, Special Pleading). My Strongest Spiritual Witness. An inspired insight or revelation may shed new light on an issue. What would be the alternative view of how a testimony should be acquired? “Nourishing and Bearing Your Testimony” by Gary E. Stevenson “Nourishing and Bearing Your Testimony” by Gary E. Stevenson. President M. Russell Ballard - "Follow Jesus Christ With Footsteps of Faith" | POSTED BELOW. Gerrit W. Gong, "Temple Mirrors of Eternity, A Testimony of Family", Ensign, Nov. 2010, 36–38.

Nourishing And Bearing Your Testimony Lesson

I have a clear memory of a training meeting in Kenya. But never have I heard more sincere and grateful prayers or met with happier people. But always as we ran-we looked up at the tall white wood tower where the life guard sat as the watchman. Nourishing and bearing your testimony gary stevenson. If you live as long as I have, you will come to know that things have a way of resolving themselves. Use "I know" statements. For many, a testimony comes slowly—a piece at a time.

For this section I can only ask that you hang in there with me and keep an open mind, because what I want to cover are some of the ways we gain a testimony of what is true along with how our mind works to protect that testimony even when we are presented with evidence that tells us that our previous beliefs are not what we thought they were. And so our lives must become a meaningful expression, the symbol of our declaration of our testimony of the living Christ, the Eternal Son of the Living God. He began each sentence by addressing Heavenly Father with the most sincere and simple expressions. Nourishing and bearing your testimony lesson. • Joseph Smith is the prophet of God through whom the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored in the latter days.

Nourishing And Bearing Your Testimony For Jesus Christ

On a personal note, this church education path was something that began to shake me into being willing to dive into looking at church history. And I knew after that, that the cancer was gone, that I should sin no more, and shortly after that I knew I was called to join the Catholic church - a church I had never stepped foot in. This also is why I have strong problems when parents gleefully proclaim that their eight year old "chose to be baptized" when in reality they are only doing what they think is the only way. In 2006, M. Russell Ballard gave a General Conference talk that included the line "where will you go" when referencing those who leave the church: "If any one of you is faltering in your faith, I ask you the same question that Peter asked: "To whom shall [you] go? " It affects every priority you set and every choice you make. A Primary song expresses what happens when we earnestly seek to learn from the scriptures. When they propose a plan — it is God's plan. Rather, our light is the Light of the World reflected in us as we simply strive to do as He did. Nourishing and bearing your testimony pdf. This, my university friends, is not an abstract concept. Once a month I have the opportunity to teach a class made up of the teenage boys from my congregation. But I always remembered the counsel in my patriarchal blessing, which said, "Be wise in choosing your companions.

The cross had been the bitter fruit of Judas's betrayal, the summary of Peter's denial. He is our loving Father in Heaven, and we are His children. While they are telling this story, people in the audience begin to feel those same emotions and interpret those feelings as the spirit confirming to them its truthfulness of the church. As I outlined above, we as humans are not wired to react in a 'logical way' to having this kind of information thrown at us, and of course my wife reacted like anyone else would, which was to reject what I was launching at her and fall back on church approved sources and apologetics. Why Facts Don't Change Our Minds, New Yorker). I thought of my college roommate who many years ago was baptized and received the gift of the Holy Ghost when we were living together in the dorm. If you have not watched the video, I am going to post just a few short quotes here to give you an idea: Orthodox Judaism: "I started to have a very strong feeling of missing something and seeking something... it really had such a profound impact on me and I started reading about Judaism... As the TV showed those cute little animals on TV as they talked about the heroic way they were saved, I would feel those elevation emotions because I would react to that story as someone who loves animals. He is the Son of the living God and your Savior and Redeemer. Perhaps the life of Thomas the Apostle best demonstrates how weak knowledge is compared to faith. Catholicism: "A friend of mine who was praying for me at that moment, sensed Mother Mary came to me, took pity on me, and asked her son to save me.

Nourishing And Bearing Your Testimony Pdf

40 Day General Conference Challenge DAY 37. Study Guides and Teaching Helps. As John learned, strength to overcome these trials and return to Heavenly Father is found in the word of our testimonies. God be thanked for the gift of His precious Son, to whom we all owe thanks for His sacrifice in our behalf. "You will come to feel light growing in your life. These two bullet points are outlined by Joseph Smith in the "Happiness Letter" that I cover in the second polygamy overview, and these teachings are directly used to coerce young women to marry and have sex with him. Joseph Smith, the Church of Jesus Christ, and living prophets. Even our 7 year-old grandson wanted to make Olympic gold medal cookies for his birthday treat for his school class and he wanted me, his Grandma, to write in frosting on each cookie, "Light the Fire Within. " I loved swimming in the ocean and riding the waves. "I am so profoundly grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ, for a testimony of the Atonement of the Savior. "Have you been attending church? "

I was not aware of confirmation bias, backfire effects, or illusory truth effects at the time, and I felt absolutely alone and, to a large degree, betrayed that I was lied to by the church and no one was even willing to sit down and go over it with me. Brad Wilcox maintains that young people who struggle with the gospel and claim that they don't have a testimony or have "lost" it, really do have a testimony even though their "testimony tank" may not be completely full. Another obstacle can be fear. "6 Ways to Make General Conference More Enjoyable" blog post. With repetition comes the 'Illusory Truth Effect, ' which is defined in the following way: "The Illusory Truth Effect is the tendency to believe information to be correct after repeated exposure. Fortunately the Olympic support team was ready and waiting for just such an emergency. The fourth element of testimony that I shared with the van driver is that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's true church on the earth. Again, this is why the church has made the following statements about gaining a testimony by continually bearing it: Boyd K. Packer: "It is not unusual to have a missionary say, 'How can I bear testimony until I get one? Illusory Truth Effect, Wikipedia). You may think that your college days are more than filled with significant papers to write, critical tests to pass, jobs to do, people to meet and places to go. There is danger to our testimony in only casual study and reading of the scriptures. This is the sacred time when we renew our baptismal covenant, and witness to our Heavenly Father that we do always remember His son Jesus Christ and keep His commandments.

First, "Do I know and understand what a testimony is? I could give examples of this all day, but a final one would be an example I heard on a podcast once. Perhaps you have a roommate, or a sister or a brother or a cousin who has started to drift away from the light. Speaking of the prophet, he commanded us:.. shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me; For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith. This is something I hear often from members, who will often say something like "I cannot deny the experiences I have had" or "How can I turn away from the witness I received from God? The greater our hope = an increased level of our faith and the greater our faith = an increased level of our hope. For example, you might have made $3, 000 in repairs on your car over the last six months that are no longer recoverable and thus a sunk cost. This is not a response that is unique to Mormonism – it occurs with any deeply held belief whether it's religion, politics, or those closest to us. The familiar song says, "No man is an island. " I had never encountered that perspective before, but once he had articulated it I began to notice casual comments from a few general authorities here and there who shared his view. If you're not subscribed to our Calling Plan, these are available for purchase in our store, click here.

Your example is probably the most important help you can give. I confess that I have not always been accurate in my public talks and writings. Your testimony, when constantly nourished, will keep you safe. "Without reservation I promise you that if each of you will observe this simple program, regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God. For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you.. The appeal to the bandwagon can be quite strong – especially in a community such as Mormonism where the church is directly tied to our identities. And what inevitably follows? This is the power that brings men to their knees; this is the power that motivates legions of faithful across the world; this is the power that can save men's souls.

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