The Mortal Test

A spirit I was, a mortal to be…
The father came and spoke to me.
You’ve kept, my child, your first estate
and now it’s time to delegate…
A mother to give you mortal birth
a body and a place on Earth.
I know you’d like your mother, “kind”
but I have something else in mind.

You see, my child, it’s easy to be
in a holy family that pleases me.
What’s not so easy and takes more grit
is to be placed with parents that are unfit.
A childhood filled with fear and unrest,
you must endure and pass the test.
As you struggle through confusion and pain
Your efforts to find me again will not be in vain.

I love you and I’ll guide you back
if you will withstand Satan’s attack.
Your progression greatly will be multiplied
and I’ll be there waiting on the other side…
with rewards beyond you wildest dream
because you took the path extreme.
The Earth will be your proving ground
but Heaven is where you will be crowned.
You will receive rewards so sweet,
just toss them all at Jesus‘ feet.

You will then be allowed to look upon my face
and once again receive your heavenly mother’s embrace.
I know you can do this, I have no doubt
because you’re a spirit Divine and devout.
I’ve planned this life and task to do
because I have great confidence in you.

(1 Corinthians 10:13)
I know God won’t give me anything that I can’t handle…
I just wish He didn’t trust me so much!!!!!

My Testimony

I was inspired to write this poem during our Stake Conference in November of 2004. I had been reading LDS poetry from a book that I had borrowed from the church library and I had this feeling of frustration that all the LDS poetry that I had read so far kept painting this “rosy” picture of happy childhoods and “goodly” parents and how the heroin’s had to find their own testimonies. I thought to myself, why doesn’t anybody write about not being born into this church, yet finding their testimony? I was thinking these thoughts while listening to Conference when the Lord whispered into my heart…”Why don’t YOU write that poem?” I wrote it that night after Conference.

My childhood was not pretty. I was raised in several “homes” and foster homes. Both my parents were alcoholics…in fact, they met at an AA meeting! Both of them had several failed marriages and relationships which resulted in various children. I have siblings, step-siblings and half-siblings, some of whom I’ve never met, even to this day. Others I was raised with on and off at different times and various circumstances. To say the least…it was a confusing, chaotic, and unstable childhood. Through all the chaos and confusion, there was one consistent thing in my life- that was the AV 1611 King James version of the Holy Bible.

My father, (believe it or not) was a southern Baptist preacher! He would preach about the love of Christ and the peace which passeth all understanding, but my father never knew peace, nor did he have a clue about the meaning of the word “love.” (I struggle with the meaning of it myself) As my siblings all turned to drugs, alcohol, sex or insanity as an escape from the torment of our lives, I turned to the Bible. I started memorizing it at an early age. By the time I was 16 years old, I was carrying my Bible with me to school every day and quoting whole chapters. When I was 26 years old, I quoted the first 14 chapters of Matthew on a TV show called,”The Parade Of Miracles”. It was broadcast from a church called The People’s Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, Texas.

I didn’t know Christ or His love, but I wanted to know him. I longed to know him. As I poured over my scriptures, I found reference to Christ in every chapter I could from both the Old and the New Testaments. I wrote poems, read books (many books),about Christ, New Testament times and Old Testament times. As I matured into adulthood, I started “church hopping”, checking out many different churches and religions, each one claiming to have the only truth. Each one claimed that they were the the true church, and with each new church, I came away feeling empty. Finally, after my marriage failed and I started raising my two children alone, I decided to give up on church altogether. Although I could quote scripture better than most preachers I knew, I still lacked an understanding of who Christ was. I knew about him, but I didn’t know him. My problem was 18 inches long. There are 18 inches between your head and your heart. I had Christ’s words in my head, but they had not reached my heart. If I missed Heaven…it was going to be by 18 inches!

Then, one night I happened to see a commercial for a free Book of Mormon, another Testament of Jesus Christ. Wow! It had never occurred to me that the Book of Mormon was a “Testament of Jesus Christ.” I had the Old Testament and the New Testament, what was this? A third Testament? I had never heard of such a thing! Maybe that was the missing piece! I grabbed my phone and dialed the number! When the person on the other end asked if I would like someone to visit me, as well as receive my free copy of the Book of Mormon, I said,” yes!” I had my first visit in February 2004. God bless those missionaries! I sure gave them a run for their money! I knew we were in the “last days”, and the the Bible says,”Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4). I did not trust them; I knew many false prophets would arise in the last days, but I gave them my word that I would not make any decisions until I had read the Book of Mormon.

A funny thing happened as I started reading the Book of Mormon-I recognized my beloved Bible on every page! It didn’t start in First Nephi,either…it started with the introduction to the Book of Mormon and then the testimonies of the witnesses. I recognized God’s numbers, His “set” way of organization; I started pulling out God’s numbers-3,8,12-from the very first pages and I knew that this book was lining up with my Bible. As I read on, I decided that the Book of Mormon was either written by God or by Satan, but it could not have been written by any man! The wisdom was too deep. It lined up too well with the Bible, on so many levels. I knew that it was just not possible for man to have written this book. As I realized this, at first, I feared in my heart that the Book of Mormon was a counterfeit. Was this the strong delusion sent by Satan in the last days that my Bible had warned me about? Were these missionaries the false prophets that I knew would arise in the last days? I was sure in my heart that the Book of Mormon was a supernatural book, but to which end? I also knew that “ol’ smutty face” was a master of imitation and forgery. If anybody could make a “copy” of the Bible, yet twist it, he could! But the missionaries kept telling me to pray about it, and ask God if it was the truth. Satan wouldn’t advise me to ask God about anything! The Bible says in Isaiah 55:11 that God’s word will not return void and it didn’t. I had not memorized all that scripture for naught.

There was only one conclusion I could make about the Book of Mormon. My Bible came back to me and testified to me as I read each page of the Book of Mormon. The Holy Spirit was there too, and so were the missionaries…patiently putting up with my endless questions. I swam through a sea of confusion, but God knew my heart and he guided me back to him. Praise God!!! I’ve finally found the true church of Jesus Christ, and I can testify from my very soul that the Book of Mormon is the truth. It changed my life and it is the final piece to the puzzle of my life. The pieces have come together and I finally have the whole truth. I finally know Christ…REALLY know him, and I have felt his love for REAL this time. I’m home…at last!!!

Yediyd…..a Hebrew word. It means: beloved friend.

My testimony of the Book of Mormon has been a process. Although I received answers to prayers while seeking and even had events that were profound, mine is a testimony of application. I have seen personally the change in myself. This is the literal testimony of its teachings. For some time the Book of Mormon, for me, was the blue book that the missionaries distributed to those whom they contacted. Although I felt that their efforts were just, I struggled to know just why that blue book was so important. I wondered why so many would give all, including their lives to protect and declare its teachings.

The scriptures below outline in part, why I believe the Book of Mormon is true. It is not the “Book that is True”; it is the collage of true stories that hold personal application. It is individuals or analogies, that I can personalize and like its participants, grow little by little. The Book is substantiated through proven applications. The proof comes when you liken and then apply what it teaches. You will never find fault in this book, if you try to disprove it through the application of its teachings.

Third Nephi 26: 9-10
9 And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith,(it is not enough just to receive it- we must try it out!) and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater• things be made manifest unto them.

10 And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater• things be withheld• from them, unto their condemnation.

The book of Mormon is not about reading, it is all about trying and applying. As The Savior teaches they should “first try their faith”. If they try their faith and believe these things, then shall the Lord make greater things manifest. If you want to know it is true read and then apply, read and then apply.

Ether 3:10-13
10 And he answered: Nay; Lord, show• thyself unto me.

11 And the Lord said unto him: Believest• thou the words which I shall speak?

12 And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst• not lie.

13 And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed• himself unto him, and said: Because• thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you.

Second Nephi 33:10
10 And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe• in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words• of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach• all men that they should do good.

Moroni 10:32-33
32 Yea, come• unto Christ, and be perfected• in him, and deny• yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love• God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect• in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins•, that ye become holy, without spot.

I know the Book of Mormon is true, because I know that I can live better and have lived better when applying its teachings. Change is the visible, tangible testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.
In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
Jonathan Johnson

One day while attending college and being on my own for the first time, I knew that I had a decision to make in whether I wanted to be a part of the Church or not. I desired more than anything to be happy in this life and to make the right decisions, and at that moment know without a doubt, if the Church was true.

I knelt down and prayed to my Heavenly Father to know if the Church was true and that I would be able to find the answer. I rose from my knees and opened my Book of Mormon and began reading Nephi I. I continued to read for the next few hours and then again read the next day after my classes. As I approached Mosiah 18:10, I had the most happy and loving feeling run through my body. I knew that what I was reading was true without a doubt. It reads, “Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you.” I knew without a doubt that that scripture was written just for me. I knew without a doubt, and have never questioned since, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true.

The commandments that Heavenly Father has given us are simple. In order for us to have true happiness in this life and the next, we must follow all that the Savior and our Heavenly Father have asked of us.

My wife and I are fifth generation Latter-day Saints, but although I love and respect my ancestors, I don’t consider my testimony as having come because I am emulating them or merely following in their footsteps. My knowledge of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ has come into my own heart and soul in many powerful, personal ways. I feel a strong desire to share my testimony of this process in case it may help someone else who is searching in their own life to find truth and happiness through knowing what God wants them to do with their life.

As a young boy growing up in Utah (U.S.A.), I prayed many times to have the feeling of the Holy Ghost confirm to my heart that the LDS Church was true, or to hear the “still, small voice” and thus be able to stand in testimony meeting and bear testimony that I knew the Church was true. I didn’t seem to get the answer I was seeking, but I knew that living the gospel felt right, so I was disappointed but not disillusioned. I still lived the gospel in every way.

As a young college student at Brigham Young University, I finally began to understand what it meant to feel the confirming inspiration of the Holy Ghost as I read the Book of Mormon and pondered the experiences of Nephi more deeply than I had as a high school student. What an eye-opener! I could begin to feel the truths of the gospel and the truths found in the scriptures, and it was exciting for me. Many verses from each of the standard works—the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, made indelible impressions on my heart, mind, and soul as I read them. Each time I would read them I gained new insights and felt the truth of the words I was reading.

I have come to love each of the standard works, and to know that each of them is true, and that a loving Heavenly Father grants unto each of us as His children spiritual knowledge as we seek it with pure motives and as we allow seeds of truth to grow in our hearts. It makes so much sense that He would not make the truths of the gospel be so obvious or so readily available that thinking people would not have to yearn and struggle in some way to find those truths, since one of the most important reasons for this life is to learn to understand truth versus error in a way that makes our spiritual self more mature, so we can have greater faith than when we were innocent children.

I hope that people who use the Internet in their search for spiritual knowledge in their own life will go to the primary sources—the scriptures, including both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, and the Book of Mormon which is such a powerful witness of the mission of Jesus Christ and our relationship to Him; and personal prayer to Heavenly Father, who will guide their searching if they sincerely ask in faith. Why rely on the words of some who criticize the LDS Church? Why not find out for yourself through a deep and sincere study without letting someone else do your thinking for you? Many critics climb an intellectual ladder without understanding that God wants them to climb a spiritual ladder, and they get lost in intellectual arguments and entanglements just like Isaiah and the Apostle Paul prophesied that they would.
Nothing that I have read on the Internet (including some of the attempts by intellectuals to criticize the LDS Church) has made me doubt the truthfulness of the gospel, the reality that Jesus Christ lives and is our personal Savior, the divine calling of Joseph Smith, the truth of the Book of Mormon and of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I feel saddened that people could be led by critics to misunderstand if they don’t seek to sincerely find out for themselves, by humbly reading and prayerfully considering the Bible (preferably the King James Version if reading in English) and the Book of Mormon on their own.

I belong to this church and remain active in it because every blessing I have comes, either directly or indirectly, from my membership and my testimony of this gospel.

I know that I am a daughter of God who existed before I came to this earth and who covenanted with my Heavenly Father (God) to come down and live a righteous live and serve and love those around me. I know that if I keep those covenants and the covenants I continue to make, I will be blessed to return to Heaven and live with Him and all my loved ones and be part of a beautiful eternal family. I have learned through personal experience and the scriptures that I can pray to Him at any time and in any place for personal guidance and protection, and that He hears and answers my prayers and answers them according to what HE knows is best, for which I am ever grateful.

I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and my literal Savior, and that when He suffered in Gethsemane and died on the cross, He did it partially for me. I know that He loves me and knows and understands me and watches over me daily. I’m so grateful for his incomparable sacrifice on my behalf, and I pray that I can live worthy of His atonement.

I have a powerful testimony that the Book of Mormon, as well as the Bible, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price are books of scripture that speak the words of God. I’m grateful for them and can truly feel peace and strength when I read from them, especially from the Book of Mormon. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet, called of God to restore the true church to the earth, make available the Book of Mormon, and teach us the doctrines of eternity. I love his teachings–they bring hope to my heart. I know that we’ve had a prophet on the earth ever since Joseph Smith, and that Thomas S. Monson is that man today. I praise and sustain him. And I love his stories!

If you are seeking a greater fulfillment and joy in your life, I invite you–plead with you, even–to learn more about this wonderful church. You will find a more magnificent joy in its truths than you have ever felt before in this lifetime. Your relationships and daily activities will be blessed and strengthened in your living the doctrines of this church, which are all designed to bless and help us, not hurt or restrict. I can honestly say that I have never in my life regretted living the gospel and keeping the commandments, but I have made many mistakes, some more serious than others, which almost always invoke regret and sometimes even pain and suffering. Fortunately, the Atonement of Christ gives me hope for repentance and redemption. It is in His name, the name of Jesus Christ, that I share this testimony. Amen.