Uchtdorf - The Power of a Personal Testimony - October 2016

President Uchtdorf discusses what is mean to have a testimony, how we obtain a testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel and how we continue to strengthen it throughout our lives.  He starts by talking about a testimony of Jesus Christ being the most motivating force in our lives.

• Our motives and thoughts ultimately influence our actions. The testimony of the truthfulness of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is the most powerful motivating force in our lives. The testimony of Jesus Christ and the restored gospel will help us in our lives to learn of God’s specific plan for us and then to act accordingly. It gives us assurance of the reality, truth, and goodness of God, of the teachings and Atonement of Jesus Christ, and of the divine calling of latter-day prophets. Our testimony motivates us to live righteously, and righteous living will cause our testimony to grow stronger.

What Is a Testimony?

• For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the term testimony is a warm and familiar word in our religious expressions. It is tender and sweet. It has always a certain sacredness about it. When we talk about testimony, we refer to feelings of our heart and mind rather than an accumulation of logical, sterile facts. It is a gift of the Spirit, a witness from the Holy Ghost that certain concepts are true. A testimony is the sure knowledge or assurance from the Holy Ghost of the truth and divinity of the Lord’s work in these latter days.
  

A testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ will always include these clear and simple truths:

• God lives. He is our loving Father in Heaven, and we are His children.
  
• Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and the Savior of the world.
  
• Joseph Smith is the prophet of God through whom the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored in the latter days.
  
• The Book of Mormon is the word of God.
  
• [The current President of the church], his counselors, and the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are the prophets, seers, and revelators in our day.
  

How Do We Get a Testimony?

• No good thing comes without effort and sacrifice. If we have to work hard to obtain a testimony, it will make us and our testimony even stronger. And if we share our testimony, it will grow. A testimony is a most precious possession because it is not acquired by logic or reason alone, it cannot be purchased with earthly possessions, and it cannot be given as a present or inherited from our ancestors. We cannot depend on the testimonies of other people. We need to know for ourselves.
  
• We receive this testimony when the Holy Spirit speaks to the spirit within us. We will receive a calm and unwavering certainty that will be the source of our testimony and conviction irrespective of our culture, race, language, or socioeconomic background. These promptings of the Spirit, rather than human logic alone, will be the true foundation upon which our testimony will be built.
  

How do we receive a personal testimony rooted in the witness of the Holy Ghost?
The pattern is outlined in the scriptures:

• First: Desire to believe. The Book of Mormon encourages us: “If [you] will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, … even if [you] can no more than desire to believe” (Alma 32:27). Some may say, “I cannot believe; I am not a religious person.” Just consider, God promises us divine help even if we have only a desire to believe, but it has to be a true and not a pretended desire.
  
• Second: Search the scriptures. Have questions; study them out; search in the scriptures for answers. Again, the Book of Mormon has good advice for us: “If [you] give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart” through diligent study of the word of God, the good seed “will begin to swell within your breasts” if you will not resist with unbelief. This good seed will “enlarge [your] soul” and “enlighten [your] understanding” (Alma 32:28).
  
• Third: Do the will of God; keep the commandments. It is not enough to enter into a scholarly debate if we want to know for ourselves that the kingdom of God has been restored upon the earth. Casual study is also not enough. We have to get in on the action ourselves, and that means learning and then doing God’s will. We need to come to Christ and follow His teachings. The Savior taught: “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:16–17). And He said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
  
• Fourth: Ponder, fast, and pray. To receive knowledge from the Holy Ghost, we must ask Heavenly Father for it. We must trust that God loves us and that He will help us to recognize the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
  

What Is a Testimony Good For?

• A testimony provides proper perspective, motivation, and a solid foundation on which to build a life of purpose and personal growth. It is a constant source of confidence, a true and faithful companion during good times and bad. A testimony provides us with a reason for hope and gladness. It helps us cultivate a spirit of optimism and happiness and enables us to rejoice in the beauties of nature. A testimony motivates us to choose the right at all times and in all circumstances. It motivates us to draw nearer to God, allowing Him to draw nearer to us (see James 4:8). Our personal testimony is a protective shield, and like an iron rod it is guiding us safely through darkness and confusion.
  

Our testimonies are personal.  They cannot be borrowed, inherited, or passed from one generation to another.  The choices we make in our lives make it easier or harder to obtain.  It requires patients, perseverance, and humility, but we are assured if we will ask with a sincere heart, we can learn for ourselves that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true.  I have come to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true after living the principles, exercising faith, reading the Book of Mormon, keeping the commandments, and fasting and praying.  The actions I took demonstrated my desire to know the truth for myself and as I knelt and prayed to my Father in Heaven, he sent the Holy Ghost to touch my heart and soul.  He sent His spirit to confirm to me the truthfulness of this message.  He can do the same for you, but we must show our willingness to know, our sacrifice to understand, and our desire to live by the answers we receive.