Happy Monday! I am absolutely LOVING this weather! I just got back from taking my 8 month old twin babies (nanny kids) to The Botanical Garden’s. It was gorgeous with a breeze blowing outside. We had a WONDERFUL time. I am so excited for this cool weather and I am looking forward to many more cool months!
Yesterday we got such an AWESOME opportunity to hear about Testimony from Ashlee LeSuer. She gave us much to think about and we had some great testimonies that followed, including hearing from our newest sister, Jennifer that was baptized on Saturday.
As Ashlee was speaking I was thinking of the times that I had experience with my Testimony. Which have been a lot through the years. We all get so many chances to grow our testimony or fill our testimony tank. I find it so interesting how we some times look as our testimony like an ON/OFF switch. We go through phases of our lives where we may have depleted our testimony and some of us may think, “Oh it’s on again!....Oh wait, it’s off….It’s on….It’s off!” Have you had times in your life where you felt this way? I like to see it a bit differently. I like to think of it as a gas tank. We get out of our testimony what WE put into it. Are we filling up our testimony tank? Or are we just letting it stay at half full or a quarter of a tank? Could your tank be nearing empty? We might search for the answers to how we might again fill this tank again. Those answers are found in the “primary answers” as is nearly every answer to our questions to increased spirituality are. Scriptures, prayers, church and temple attendance. President Packer suggests another way to build our testimonies.
President Boyd K. Packer said: "A testimony is to be found in the bearing of it. Somewhere in your quest for spiritual knowledge, there is that 'leap of faith,' as the philosophers call it. It is the moment when you have gone to the edge of the light and step into the darkness to discover that the way is lighted ahead for just a footstep or two."
I was thinking of times when through other’s examples of “bearing their testimonies, I was able to increase mine. While living in Orem, Utah I was given the pleasure to be primary chorister for 5 years. I LOVED IT! During the time there I felt inspired to ask special permission to use a song I had learned at EFY (Especially For Youth Summer camp at BYU) in my primary song line up. This song was written by Kory Kunz after the FINAL testimony of Elder Bruce R. McConkie. After the Bishop heard the song he thought it would be an awesome challenge for our Senior Primary and granted the permission. We worked on the song for months. All different parts and talked about testimony, had them listen to his last testimony and talked to the kids about letting their OWN testimony SHINE through singing this song. When they sang it, We all felt the spirit so strong and I saw how they were feeling their testimonies through as I watched some these children sing with tears coming down their cheeks. We performed this song as the CLOSING song to our primary program that year and I do not believe there was a dry eye in the congregation. It was one of those moments when you could tangibly feel the spirit surrounding you. We were even asked to visit a BYU ward to sing that song in their sacrament meeting. It was a blessed time where I saw these Senior Primary children transform their OWN personal testimonies through bearing it through singing this testimony of Elder McConkie with all their hearts.
As I told you at Mother’s Day, I was able to fly home and have a reunion with these youth (who are now a lot of them in their Senior year of HS) and sing this once again for their Mother’s (who all say it is still their favorite song) on Mother’s Day. The power of how they sang it, even seemed to multiply. What an awesome opportunity to see the starting for some of them as to finding THEIR OWN testimony through sharing their talents. I want to share with you the song as well as the closing testimony today. If you don’t want to watch the whole 7 min talk, put it forward to 6 min and watch from that point on (although I think you should listen to all of it.). An important thing to know about this particular talk is Elder McConkie passed away 10 days after he gave this POWERFUL witness of our Savior! Enjoy!
As you listen to this song, think of a bunch of 9-11 yrs singing this with all their hearts..
Sister’s, I am eternally grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am thankful that someone as imperfect as I can be forgiven from my sins and try again. I am thankful for The Book of Mormon that bears a second witness of our Savior and teaches me of the faith and obedience that is required to make it back to the presence of my Father in Heaven. I am so thankful for a prophet that leads and guides this church under the direction of the Savior. I know that I can turn to the prophet for truth and if I follow, I will always be safe and be able to find peace amidst the turmoil all around me. I am so thankful for opportunities all around me to share even the small part of the gospel that I know. I know that as I continue to bear my testimony that I can continue to grow and progress toward the Woman of God that I need to be. In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen
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