My Testimony
Hello Friends and Family!
I love being a missionary! I’m beyond convinced that it is the
best thing in the whole entire World. I thought for this week’s letter, I would
do something a little bit different. After being able to watch General
Conference, and feel of the Holy Ghost testify to me of the truthfulness of the
Prophets of God, and of this Church and Gospel, I feel that I should just give
my testimony of what I know, and believe to be true.
I love the definition that Preach My Gospel gives for the the word
testimony, “A testimony is a spiritual witness and assurance given by the Holy
Ghost.” After being able to watch General Conference, I was reflecting over my
own testimony. You could say that I was doing a self-assessment of where my
testimony was at, where I could be better, and a few things were that I knew to
be true no matter what. I have been striving to pray for guidance constantly,
as a missionary, as to where to be, when to be there, and what to say whenever
we meet someone. Because of the countless miracles that have been so mercifully
shown to Elder Sorensen and I, I do know that the Holy Ghost is the powerful
Third Member of the Godhead. That my testimony in its power to guide us, if we
but ask, has deeply impacted the way I will forever view the Holy Ghost. Before
my mission, I thought the Holy Ghost only acted as a direct and powerful
feeling before an event. However, I have learned that often times the Holy
Ghost manifests itself through a simple positive thought, positive feeling, or
positive emotion. For example, we may be walking by a house, and Elder Sorensen
or I may have a simple positive thought to knock on that particular door, and
it is only AFTERWARDS that we fully realize that it was the Holy Ghost that
lead us there in the first place. Again, often the Spiritual Guidance we may
receive may only best be realized after the miracle is fully seen in fruition.
I not only believe the Book of Mormon to be Another Testament of
Jesus Christ, but I now know it is. Being
honored to serve in the Bible Belt, I have seen individuals attempt to tear
down Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and in turn, The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints. Not a day goes by when someone doesn’t attempt to deface
the Book of Mormon. It truly is being
attacked at every corner, in the heart of almost every individual, and in
nearly every other denominational church. However, it appears that with each
passing day, my testimony of the Book of Mormon only increases. I know that as
part of the Restoration of the gospel, God brought forth the Book of Mormon:
Another Testament of Jesus Christ. I do in fact know that by the power of God,
Joseph Smith translated this book from an ancient record written on gold
plates. I do know the Book of Mormon is “a record of God’s dealings with the
ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the
fullness of the everlasting gospel”. I not only know, but passionately believe,
that the Book of Mormon is a powerful witness of Jesus Christ. It is not the
LDS version of the Bible, like many individuals in the South think, but instead,
it is a separate witness to the life and teachings of the Savior of the World. I know it helps us understand His teachings,
including those in the Bible. I have
seen everyday that the Book of Mormon is convincing evidence of the Restoration
of the gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I know that any individual, no
matter who they may be, can know for themselves that the Book of Mormon is in
fact true. I have seen that as individuals take the challenge to gain this
knowledge by the Power of the Holy Ghost, they can only do this through reading
it, pondering its message and teachings, and to have a true and sincere desire
to know if it is true. I know that if anyone but does these things, and asks Heavenly
Father to confirm it as a witness of His Son Jesus Christ, that Heavenly Father
will confirm that it is His additional Witness given through the World through
the Prophet Joseph Smith. I have seen that as individuals know that the Book of
Mormon is true, that they come to know by the same Holy Ghost that Joseph Smith
is and was the Prophet of the Restoration, and that the gospel of Jesus Christ
was restored through him, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saint is led by a prophet and apostles today.
Because I have continued to receive a stronger testimony every day
of the Power, and truth of the Book of Mormon as Another Testament of Jesus
Christ, I have (like said above) also received the promised witness that Joseph
Smith was the Prophet that Restored Jesus Christ true Church to the Earth. I do
know that in 1820, as He had done throughout history, our Father in Heaven
again chose a prophet to restore the gospel and the priesthood to the Earth.
That prophet’s name was Joseph Smith. As a young man, Joseph Smith was confused
by the differences among the many churches in his area and wanted to know which
church was right. Knowing he did in fact lack wisdom, he followed the counsel
given in James 1:5, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth
to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him”. I know
that as we all lack wisdom, we must all ask our Loving Heavenly Father to
reveal the truth unto us. There is perhaps no greater name known in the South, or
at least here in LaGrange, than that of Joseph Smith. Interestingly, the main line attack by
opponents to the Church tend to argue the personality (many believing he had a
mental defect that allowed him to write such a book) and personal character of
Joseph Smith (many also believing he profited greatly, financially, by the
printing of the Book of Mormon). However, what these opponents rarely take into
account, and what any individual has a hard time justifying, is the actual Book
of Mormon. Every single argument against the Prophet Joseph Smith that I’ve
seen and heard (and there are literally hundreds) completely dissipate at the
bindings of the Book of Mormon. There is no opponent, no foe, and no counter
argument that can ever compete with the joy, peace, and pure love that an
individual feels as they truly read and pray about the Book of Mormon. I know
the Book of Mormon to be the Word of God. I have felt the Holy Ghost testify
this to me, and I can never or would never deny it.
As a perfect example of the truthfulness and power of the Book of
Mormon, I did want to share just a few miracles from this past week. First, the
miracle of Cecilia. Elder Sorensen and I received a Bible referral from a woman
living in an apartment complex in town. We were able to stop by, sit down, and
have a short and simple and spiritual lesson with her about the Restoration of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She agreed to try her best to read some of it, and
to pray to God about it. We left with a prayer, and continued on our way.
Yesterday, Elder Sorensen and I felt prompted strongly that we should swing by
her apartment for a follow up visit. We knocked on her door, and Cecilia
answered. She stepped outside, looked at us, and before we could even get a few
sentences out, she said, “I’ve been reading and praying like you asked me too.”
Slightly caught off guard, we smiled and asked how she has been liking it. She
then said, as recorded in my journal from yesterday, “The other night, after
reading and praying about it, I woke up in the middle of the night. I felt this
strong feeling that I should pray again about the Book of Mormon. I rolled out
of bed, got on my knees, and asked God if it was true.” There was some silence, and I remember Elder
Sorensen asking if she had received an answer. She smiled. She continued, “I
felt this overwhelming feeling come over me. I know this is the truth. I know this is the
true Church. I’ve tried every other church, and they all feel the same. I’ve
met with missionaries from all different types, but when y’all stopped by about
a week ago, it felt different. I knew something was different about your
Church. That’s why I decided to read and pray about it. I have, and I know it’s
true. What should I do from here?” This is just ONE of many miracles I’ve been
able to witness so far on my mission regarding the power of the Book of Mormon
as Another Testament of Jesus Christ. I
cannot wait to work with Cecilia in the future.
Another miracle we were able to see this week was with Dorothy.
Now, Dorothy is awesome. She has been meeting with the missionaries for over
TWO YEARS! She requested the audio tapes of the Book of Mormon from Elder
Sorensen and I, and we dropped those tapes off several weeks ago. After
dropping them off, we lost all contact with Dorothy, and assumed (also, I’ve
learned to never assume) that she wasn’t interested anymore. However, right
after meeting with Cecilia, we walked over to where Dorothy lives, and knocked
on her door. She welcomed us in, sat us down, and said, “I finished it.” Again,
I was confused, and we asked for further clarification as to what she meant.
She laughed at the expression on our faces and said, “GUYS I LISTENED TO THE
WHOLE BOOK OF MORMON!” We all just laughed, and she could not get over how
shocked we looked! My very first
question, instinctively, was, “Sooo what’d you think?” Her response, “It was
long. Really long.” We all had a good
laugh, and then the Spirit was able to prompt me to ask her the next question,
“So Dorothy, with reading it, do you believe it’s Another Testament of Jesus
Christ? Is it true?” She smiled, and said, “Well one thing I know for sure, no
man could have written that or made it up.
Impossible! I’m praying to get a
for sure answer, but logically I know that Joseph Smith couldn’t have just
‘done’ that.” I just felt the Spirit so strongly in that moment. Since then, we’ve been able to meet with her,
and she said the last time we met with us these very words, “Guys it’s true. I
know it is.” She has started repenting on her own, and having her own desire to
change (without the constant assistance from us as missionaries). I know the power of the Book of Mormon causes
us, as children from our Heavenly Father, to desire to change our ways that is
not in accordance to God’s commandments. That’s what the purpose of the
scriptures are meant to do: create a desire for us to change and repent, and to
grow closer to the Savior in doing so. If the Book of Mormon ISN’T Scripture, then
why would it draw people closer to their Savior, as I have been blessed to
witness first hand? I know of the surety and truthfulness of the Book of
Mormon, and therefore also know that Joseph Smith was then a Prophet, and that
this Church is His true Restored Church lead by Prophets and Apostles.
I want to close with just a few thoughts on General Conference. I
have almost never felt
“The moral footings of society continue to slip, while those who
attempt to safeguard those footings are often ridiculed and, at times, picketed
and persecuted. Wars, natural disasters, and personal misfortunes continue to
occur. It would be easy to become discouraged and cynical about the futur -or
even fearful of what might come...The history of the Church in this, the
dispensation of the fulness of times, is replete with the experiences of those
who have struggled and yet who have remained steadfast and of good cheer as
they have made the gospel of Jesus Christ the center of their lives. This
attitude is what will pull us through whatever comes our way. It will not
remove our troubles from us but rather will enable us to face our challenges,
to meet them head on, and to emerge victorious… I testify to you that our
promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather,
though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our
love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and
bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There
will be nothing in this world that can defeat us. My beloved brothers and
sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.” (“Be of Good Cheer,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2009, 89, 92).
I love you all! Until next week -
Elder Robb
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