Download The Power of Testimony: Stories from General Conference and more Summaries Voice in PDF only on Docsity!
Episode 22
Stories from General Conference
TESTIMONY
NARRATOR: The topic of this collection of “Stories from General Conference” is Testimony, here on the Mormon Channel.
The Lord said, “Nevertheless, ye are blessed, for the testimony which ye have borne is recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon; and they rejoice over you, and your sins are forgiven you.” Doctrine & Covenants 62:3.
There is incredible joy that comes when the Spirit bears witness to our souls; bringing light and understanding into our lives. Our testimonies grow as we share that witness.
The Prophets have stated that the strength of the church lies in every member’s individual testimony. Testimonies create a solid foundation of faith that brings power into our lives to withstand temptation. President Thomas S. Monson illustrated this principle by relating the following analogy in the October 2006 General Conference:
(President Thomas S. Monson, Sunday Morning Session, October 2006)
My dear brothers and sisters, both within my view and assembled throughout the world, I seek an interest in your faith and prayers as I respond to the assignment and privilege to address you.
In 1959, not long after I began my service as president of the Canadian Mission, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, I met N. Eldon Tanner, a prominent Canadian who just months later would be called as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, then to the Quorum of the Twelve, and then as a counselor to four Presidents of the Church.
At the time I met him, President Tanner was president of the vast Trans-Canada Pipelines, Ltd., and president of the Canada Calgary Stake. He was known as "Mr. Integrity" in Canada. During that first meeting, we discussed, among other subjects, the cold Canadian winters, where storms rage, temperatures can linger well below freezing for weeks at a time, and where icy winds lower those temperatures even further. I asked President Tanner why the roads and highways in western Canada basically remained intact during such winters, showing little or no signs of cracking or breaking, while the
road surfaces in many areas where winters are less cold and less severe developed cracks and breaks and potholes.
Said he, "The answer is in the depth of the base of the paving materials. In order for them to remain strong and unbroken, it is necessary to go very deep with the foundation layers. When the foundations are not deep enough, the surfaces cannot withstand the extremes of weather."
Over the years I have thought often of this conversation and of President Tanner's explanation, for I recognize in his words a profound application for our lives. Stated simply, if we do not have a deep foundation of faith and a solid testimony of truth, we may have difficulty withstanding the harsh storms and icy winds of adversity which inevitably come to each of us.
NARRATOR: This foundation of faith -- our testimony -- is deepened and strengthened as we learn to listen and obey the promptings of the Holy Ghost in our lives. In the April 2009 General Conference, Elder Allan F. Packer shared a story from his youth which forms an analogy for this concept.
(Elder Allan F. Packer, Saturday Morning Session, April 2009)
When I was a young man in high school, one of my passions was American football. I played middle linebacker. The coach worked the team hard, teaching us the basics. We practiced until the skills became natural and automatic. During one play against our biggest rival, I had an experience that has helped me over the years. We were on defense. I knew my assigned opponent, and as the play unfolded, he moved to my right into the line of scrimmage. There was a lot of noise from players and fans. I reacted as the coach had taught us and followed my man into the line, not knowing if he had the ball. To my surprise, I felt the ball partially in my hands. I gave it a tug, but my opponent didn’t let go. As we tugged back and forth, amid all the noise I heard a voice yelling, “Packer, tackle him!” That was enough to bring me to my senses, so I dropped him on the spot.
I have wondered how I heard that voice above all the other noise. I had become acquainted with the voice of the coach during the practices, and I had learned to trust it. I knew that what he taught worked.
We need to be acquainted with the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and we need to practice and apply gospel teachings until they become natural and automatic. These promptings become the foundation of our testimonies. Then our testimonies will keep us happy and safe in troubled times.
NARRATOR: Testimonies are formed in various ways, and the witness of the Spirit can have a profound and memorable effect on us. In the April 2007 General Conference, Elder
(Virginia U. Jensen, Saturday Morning Session, October 1998)
One evening when I was 11 years old, I heard a commotion outside my window. I looked out the window, and in the street were newsboys carrying stacks of newspapers in their arms announcing the news that President George Albert Smith, the eighth President of the Church, had died. President Smith had been the only prophet I had known in my short time on earth. It was during his administration that I first felt the stirrings of a testimony, and even then I knew how important God's prophets are. I had been taught in Primary and in my home by loving parents that President Smith was our earthly link to our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, that they could talk to me through him. What an empowering concept for a young girl! The Spirit had confirmed in my 11-year-old mind that this was true. When I learned of his death, I felt a tremendous loss.
However, just five days after President Smith's death, President David O. McKay stood in this tabernacle and spoke to those assembled. He had just been unanimously sustained as the prophet, seer, and revelator by the Saints. As he brushed back the tears, he said, "No one can preside over the church without first being in tune with the head of the Church, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is our head. This is his church.... With his guidance, with his inspiration, we cannot fail."
I quickly came to love and revere President McKay just as I had loved and revered President Smith. In fact, I remember seeing him stand at this pulpit, with his white hair gleaming, and thinking he looked just like an angel.
NARRATOR: A growing testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring encouragement and confidence as we experience adversity in our lives. In the October 2007 General Conference, Elder Deiter F. Uchtdorf illustrated this with an experience from his boyhood during World War Two.
(Elder Deiter F. Uchtdorf, Saturday Morning Session, October 2007)
We all go through different life experiences. Some are filled with joy, and others with sorrow and uncertainty.
I remember a time when things didn’t look good for our family when I was a child. It was in the winter of 1944, one of the coldest during World War II. The war front was approaching our town, and my mother had to take us four children, leave all our possessions behind, and join the millions of fleeing refugees in a desperate search for a place to survive. Our father was still in the military, but he and Mother had agreed that if they were ever separated during the war, they would try to reunite at the hometown of my grandparents. They felt this place offered the greatest hope for shelter and safety.
With bombing raids during the night and air attacks during the day, it took us many days to reach my grandparents. My memories of those days are of darkness and coldness.
My father returned to us unharmed, but our future looked extremely bleak. We were living in the rubble of postwar Germany with a devastating feeling of hopelessness and darkness about our future.
In the middle of this despair, my family learned about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the healing message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. This message made all the difference; it lifted us above our daily misery. Life was still thorny and the circumstances still horrible, but the gospel brought light, hope, and joy into our lives. The plain and simple truths of the gospel warmed our hearts and enlightened our minds. They helped us look at ourselves and the world around us with different eyes and from an elevated viewpoint.
My dear brothers and sisters, aren’t the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and our membership in His Church great reasons to rejoice?
Wherever you live on this earth and whatever your life’s situation may be, I testify to you that the gospel of Jesus Christ has the divine power to lift you to great heights from what appears at times to be an unbearable burden or weakness. The Lord knows your circumstances and your challenges. He said to Paul and to all of us, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” And like Paul we can answer: “My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
NARRATOR: Elder Uchtdorf bears powerful testimony of the strength that comes as our testimonies grow. Experience in our lives that increase our testimonies should be recorded so future generations can also benefit. In the process of recording them, our own faith can increase. In the October 2007 General Conference, President Henry B. Eyring spoke about the importance of documenting the hand of God in our lives.
(President Henry B. Eyring, Sunday Morning Session, October 2007)
I was grateful for the choir in their broadcast this morning, which was about the Savior, and grateful to see that the words of one of the songs they sang, “This Is the Christ,” were written by President James E. Faust. As I sat down next to Brother Newell, I leaned over to him and asked, “How are your children?” He said, “When President Faust sat in that chair, that’s what he always asked.” I’m not surprised, because President Faust was always a perfect example of a disciple that was described in Music and the Spoken Word today. I always felt that when I grew up, I wanted to be like President Faust. There may still be time.
NARRATOR: Testimony-building experiences can start in our youth, and should continue through our lives as we learn to listen to the promptings of the Spirit. As our testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ increases, so does our confidence and our positive outlook on life. Sharing our testimonies not only helps others, but helps us personally realize the many times God has blessed us.
This has been “Stories from General Conference” on the topic of “Testimony”. Thank you for listening to the Mormon Channel.
For more information about the Mormon Channel, go to radio.lds.org.
