February 23, 2015- Matthew's Testimony

Hey everyone!
We had a great week this week. Our friend KC Foltz made the decision to be baptized! He is 13 years old and is a sharp kid. His family has a really cool story too. His Grandma, Sister Odonahue, was raised in the gospel but fell away and made some wrong choices. Her actions not only took her away from the peace of the gospel, but also put her children on paths that brought them a lot of struggle. She said that when she finally realized what had happened, she felt an overwhelming amount of agony for the consequences of her actions that hurt her children. She worked hard to come back, got a temple recommend again, and has been going there weekly since. As part of her reactivation, she promised the Lord that she would do all she could to bring her children back. Recently, her son Casey and his son KC (funny, I know) left California and moved in with her for a time. She immediately got to work. Casey is a member of the Church but isn't very involved anymore and his faith has dimmed. But his son KC accepted the invitation to listen to the missionaries and work towards baptism. He's a great kid. I remember one of the first lessons we had, he asked us "What is a testimony?" What a great question! What is a testimony? Why do so many Latter-Day Saints focus on bearing their testimonies? How does one gain a testimony?

A testimony is something that you know to be absolutely true and is centered on the gospel. It's obtained by a witness from the Holy Ghost about certain principles of the gospel. We experiment upon the word of God by reading the scriptures and applying what we read in our lives. We see the difference and blessings that come from living those teachings. Knowing that a principle of the gospel is true means you have a testimony of that principle. Testimonies are never complete in this life, I think. There is always something more to learn and a deeper understanding to attain. I love my mission because it has taught me a deeper level of understanding on the most basic principles of the gospel: faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, covenant keeping and making, and being led by the Holy Ghost. I truly know that these principles bring blessings and happiness to our lives. 

So after explaining what a testimony was, I asked KC what he knew was true. He said "Well, I have a testimony! I know that the power of God is real!" Since this was his second lesson and hadn't grown up learning about the gospel, I was a little surprised. I asked him how he knew that. He said

"Because of my Grandma. She's gone through a lot of pain and sadness. She has had 2 husbands pass away and has been through a lot. But she's happy! Only the power of God could make her happy after all that." What a simple testimony.

I agree.

I know God lives and loves us. I know the fullness of the gospel has been restored to the earth through Joseph Smith. I know with all my heart that the Book of Mormon is true. I love that Book. I know these things through a number of real-life experiences. I hope you all can identify what is the root of your testimony and take the time to think about why you know it to be true. Then search the scriptures, live what you learn, and watch your testimony grow. It's a guarantee formula for everyone! 

Love you all!
Elder Norton