Receiving a Testimony

                My husband and I have been out of state for the past six weeks visiting and helping our children and grandchildren and returned home early Tuesday morning a week ago.  Late that evening our doorbell rang, and I found our Bishop standing at our door and asking me to speak in sacrament meeting the following Sunday.  He gave me the topic of gaining a testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and handed me a conference talk given in General Conference by Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.  This is the talk I delivered.

                Elder Hales explained in his talk that leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are often asked, “How do I receive a testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ?”  He answered that question by saying, “Gaining a testimony and becoming converted begins with study and prayer, then living the gospel with patience and persistence and inviting and waiting upon the Spirit.  The life of Joseph Smith and the pattern of the Restoration are excellent examples of this process.  As you listen to my message today of the events of the Restoration, look for the steps that lead to testimony:  desiring to know the truth, pondering in our hearts, then feeling and obediently following the promptings of the Holy Ghost.”

                Elder Hales then proceeded to tell the story of Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He reminded us that Joseph was born into a family that prayed and studied the Bible.  He reminded us that Joseph became interested in religion in his youth and wanted to know which church he should join but was confused by the teachings of the various priests.  He explained the Great Apostasy and how the Apostles were killed, Christ’s teachings corrupted, and the priesthood taken from the earth.  He reminded us of God’s promise to restore the gospel in the latter-days.

                Elder Hales said, “Over the centuries, the world was prepared for that restoration.  The Bible was translated and printed.  A new land was discovered.  The spirit of reformation swept through the Christian world, and a nation was founded on the principles of freedom.”

                We know from history that the American colonists declared independence from Great Britain in 1776 and battled for eight long and costly years to gain that independence.  The Constitution of the United States was written and signed in 1787.  Only thirty-three years later in 1820, Joseph Smith was asking himself, “If any one [of these churches] be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?”

                Joseph turned to the Bible for the answers to his questions and read in the Epistle of James, “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.”

                In obedience to the instructions, Joseph went to a grove of trees near his home to pray.  As he prayed, “a pillar of light … descended,” brighter than the noonday sun, and “two Personages” appeared.  “One of them spake …, calling [Joseph] by name and said, pointing to the other – This is My Beloved Son.  Hear Him!”

                Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph, answered his questions, and told him that the true Church of Christ was not upon the earth.  Joseph could see that the members of the Godhead were (and are) separate and distinct Beings.  He understood that They knew who he was and would answer his prayers.

                Elder Hales continued:  “Like Joseph, many of us find ourselves seeking the light of truth.  Just as the world was prepared for the Restoration, each of us is prepared to receive the light of the gospel in our own lives….

                “Like Joseph, we must search the scriptures, pray, and exercise faith.”

                I have been an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints all my life.  All eight of my great-grandparents crossed the plains to the Great Salt Lake Valley after joining the Church, and my grandparents and parents were active in the Church.  I attended Church meetings regularly, graduated from Primary, earned my Young Women’s awards, and even earned my Golden Gleaner Award as an adult.  I graduated from four years of Seminary at a time when only three years were required for graduation.  I prayed, studied the scriptures, and was married in the Salt Lake Temple.  I tell you these things, not to boast but to prove that I was active.  I followed the teachings of the prophets and had a strong belief in the gospel, but I never sought or received a confirmation from the Holy Ghost.  I was a believer, but I was not a convert.

                My life proves the truthfulness of the following words of President Marion G. Romney: “Membership in the Church and conversion are not necessarily synonymous.”

                I became a convert when I was thirty years old, married, and the mother of three children under the age of four.  At that time I was serving in the presidency of the Primary in the Anchorage Third Ward.  During one fast and testimony meeting, I managed to pay enough attention to the testimonies to realize that many children were going to the podium to bear their testimonies.  One child after another said, “I know Joseph Smith was a prophet” or “I know the Church is true.”  I began to silently ask questions such as “Do they really know these things or are they simply repeating what they have heard other people say?” and I eventually asked, “Do I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet and that the Church is true?”  I thought and thought and then realized that I could not say “I know.”  I believed these things, but I did not know for sure.

                That very day I embarked upon a six-month quest to learn for myself whether or not I had learned, believed, and lived the truth.  I believed strongly with absolutely no doubts, but I needed to know for myself. 

                I knew enough to know that I had to start with Joseph Smith and learn for myself whether or not he was a true prophet of God.  I began to read every book and article I could find about him.  I guess the Lord was trying my sincerity because several weeks passed before the Holy Ghost whispered to me that I needed to study the Book of Mormon if I really wanted to know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet.

It isn’t that I had never read the Book of Mormon previously because I had read the book numerous times; I knew the story line and could even quote scriptures from it.  This time was different because I was on a journey to know the truth.  I did not start my study with First Nephi but began with Moroni 10:4-5:  “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

“And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”

I then read the experience of Alma and the teachings of Abinadi.  I read the conversion story of Alma the Younger and the sons of King Mosiah.  I read the conversion stories of King Lamoni and his father.  Even though I was asking God “with real intent” and had “faith in Christ” that I would receive an answer, I still had not received a confirmation from the Spirit.

I next studied Third Nephi and the resurrected Christ’s visit to the Americas.  I read and prayed every day.  I searched, and I pondered.  I needed to know.  I eventually arrived at Third Nephi 27 where the disciples asked Jesus Christ what they should call His church and read the following in verses 4-8:

“And the Lord said unto them:  Verily, verily, I say unto you, why is it that the people should murmur and dispute because of this thing?

“Have they not read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which is my name?  For by this name shall ye be called at the last day;

“And whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day.

“Therefore, whatsoever ye shall do, ye shall do it in my name; therefore ye shall call the church in my name; and ye shall call upon the Father in my name that he will bless the church for my sake.

“And how be it my church save it be called in my name?  For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel.”  (Emphasis added.)

                 I knew that the name of our church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I knew that we pray, speak, and do all things in the name of Jesus Christ.  I pondered upon the experience of Joseph Smith and his vision of God, the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ.  I thought about how he translated the Book of Mormon in a short period of time and then re-established the Church of Jesus Christ on earth under the direction of Christ.  I remembered that the Church had started with just six official members and had grown to more than a million members.  [There are now more than 14 million members of the Church.]

                I realized that I had found the missing piece to my puzzle.  I knelt beside my bed in prayer and pleaded with Heavenly Father to give me a confirmation of the truthfulness of what I had read.  In my pleading, I asked Him to help me to know that I know.

                I was still praying when I began to feel a wonderful warm feeling.  The Holy Ghost filled my soul so completely that I felt like I was glowing, almost like a giant light bulb, with a bright light shining from every part of my being.  I thanked Heavenly Father for confirming to me what I had believed all my life, ended my prayer, and sat upon my bed.  The Holy Ghost continued to be with me for a long time, and I basked in the light.  I felt absolutely wonderful because I could finally say, “I know” - and I knew that I knew!

                A few years ago I wrote my testimony for my children as part of their Christmas present.  After sharing my conversion story, I wrote:  “I have relied on this testimony many times in past years and have even gone back to Heavenly Father for reconfirmation numerous times.  Over the years, I realized that this testimony meant much more than I thought at first.”  Then I shared some of the other truths I know because I know Joseph Smith is a true prophet and that the Book of Mormon is true.

                President Gordon B. Hinckley spoke about how a testimony of the Book of Mormon is the foundation to much more knowledge.  He said, “I repeat, if the Book of Mormon is true, the Church is true, for the same authority under which this sacred record came to light is present and manifest among us today.  It is a restoration of the Church set up by the Savior in Palestine.  It is a restoration of the Church set up by the Savior when He visited this continent as set forth in this sacred record.”

                Elder Douglas L. Callister of the Quorum of Seventy stated:  “The testimony of others may initiate and nourish the desire for faith and testimony, but eventually every individual must find out for himself.  [Emphasis added.]  None can permanently endure on borrowed light….

                “It is a grand thing to know – and to know that you know and that the light has not been borrowed from another.”

                Elder Callister said that as long as we “casually read and pray” we will “never” find out the truth, “worlds without end,” but if we “set aside a period of fasting and pleading, the truth will be burned into [our] heart, and [we] will know that [we know]….

                “If you want to know that you know, a price must be paid.  And you alone must pay that price….”

                Brothers and sisters, I paid the price and can say “I know” - and I know that I know.  This knowledge changed my life – not outwardly but inwardly.  I continued to follow the same patterns as I had done previously, but I was spiritually stronger and more committed.  I know that the Book of Mormon is a true witness of Jesus Christ and that we can move closer to God by reading this great book.  I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is truly the Church of Christ that was restored to the earth in the latter days.  I know that there is a living prophet upon the earth, even Thomas S. Monson, who leads us and guides us in the paths we should follow.  I know that God lives and that He knows each one of His children by name and loves each one of us.  I testify of the truthfulness of these things because I know they are true.  I encourage you to pay the price and learn the truth for yourself.  You can know – and know that you know!

Testimony

                My friend Janet gave a wonderful lesson about testimonies to the Relief Society sisters in my ward last Sunday.  She asked a question that I pondered often during her lesson:  what is a testimony?  The question has many answers, but to me, a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ is everything.  It is the difference between night and day; it is the difference between bitter and sweet.  It is the difference between simply believing and knowing.  It is receiving revelation from God.

                I come from a long line of people who belonged to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  All eight of my great-grandparents were among the earliest members of the Church and crossed the plains to Utah, the last line arriving on the railroad.  I grew up as a member of the Church and always believed what I was taught.  I was a good member of the Church and lived the religion, but I was not a solid convert.

                The time came when I was in my thirties when I desired to know for myself; I wanted to receive the confirmation of the Holy Ghost; I wanted to know that know.  I realized that the Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ held the key for getting that confirmation, and I embarked on a prayerful and sincere study of that book.  The confirmation did not come quickly or easily.  After I paid the price in desire, personal study, and sincere prayer, the confirmation came and changed my life forever.  The Holy Ghost filled my entire body with light, an experience that galvanized my soul and filled me with pure joy.

                Lorenzo Snow had a similar experience when he was baptized and confirmed in June 1836.  He later explained that he “believed they [the Latter-day Saints] had the true religion, and I joined the Church.  So far my conversion was merely a matter of reason…. I was perfectly satisfied that I had done what was wisdom for me to do under the circumstances.”

                President Snow was content with this understanding for a time, but he later “yearned for a special manifestation of the Holy Ghost.”  Even though he had not received a manifestation, he expected to receive one.  I recognize his situation as being very similar to my own.  I had no doubts about what I had been taught but simply longed for a confirmation from God.

                “This manifestation did not immediately follow my baptism, as I expected,” President Snow recalled.  “But, although the time was deferred, when I did receive it, its realization was more perfect, tangible and miraculous than even my strongest hopes had led me to anticipate.  One day while engaged in my studies, some two or three weeks after I was baptized, I began to reflect upon the fact that I had not obtained a knowledge of the truth of the work – that I had not realized the fulfillment of the promise:  `He that doeth my will shall know of the doctrine;’ [see John 7:17] and I began to feel very uneasy.

                “I laid aside my books, left the house and wandered around through the fields under the oppressive influence of a gloomy, disconsolate spirit, while an indescribable cloud of darkness seemed to envelop me.  I had been accustomed, at the close of the day, to retire for secret prayer to a grove, a short distance from my lodgings, but at this time I felt no inclination to do so.

                “The spirit of prayer had departed, and the heavens seemed like brass over my head.  At length, realizing that the usual time had come for secret prayer, I concluded I would not forego my evening service, and, as a matter of formality, knelt as I was in the habit of doing, and in my accustomed retired place, but not feeling as I was wont to feel.

                “I had no sooner opened my lips in an effort to pray, than I heard a sound, just above my head, like the rustling of silken robes, and immediately the Spirit of God descended upon me, completely enveloping my whole person, filling me from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, and O, the joy and happiness I felt!  No language can describe the instantaneous transition from a dense cloud of mental and spiritual darkness into a refulgence of light and knowledge, as it was at that time imparted to my understanding.  I then received a perfect knowledge that God lives, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and of the restoration of the Holy Priesthood, and the fullness of the gospel.”  (See Teachings of Presidents of the Church – Lorenzo Snow, pp. 60-61.)

                Like President Snow, I realized that there is a huge difference between simply believing the gospel and having its truthfulness confirmed by God.  It is the difference between night and day in my spiritual life. 

                President Gordon B. Hinckley eloquently explained:  "Each time we encourage a man to read the Book of Mormon we do him a favor.  If he reads it prayerfully and with a sincere desire to know the truth, he will know by the power of the Holy Ghost that the book is true.  And from that knowledge there will flow a conviction of the truth of many other things.

                "For if the Book of Mormon is true, then God lives.  Testimony upon testimony runs through its pages of the solemn fact that our Father is real, that he is personal, that he loves his children and seeks their happiness.  If the Book of Mormon is true, then Jesus is the Son of God, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh…. If the Book of Mormon is true, then Jesus is verily our Redeemer; the Savior of the world. If the Book of Mormon is true, then this land is choice above all other lands; but if it is to remain such, the inhabitants of the land must worship the God of the land, the Lord Jesus Christ…. If the Book of Mormon is true, Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, for he was the instrument in the hands of God in bringing to light this testimony of the divinity of our Lord….

                "I repeat, if the Book of Mormon is true, the Church is true, for the same authority under which this sacred record came to light is present and manifest among us today.  It is a restoration of the Church set up by the Savior in Palestine.  It is a restoration of the Church set up by the Savior when he visited this continent as set forth in this sacred record" (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, 39).

                Elder Douglas L. Callister also spoke about the importance of knowing the truth for ourselves:  "The testimony of others may initiate and nourish the desire for faith and testimony, but eventually every individual must find out for himself.  None can permanently endure on borrowed light.

                "… It is necessary, however, that each find out for himself and carry that burning testimony into the next life….

                "It is a grand thing to know - and to know that you know and that the light has not been borrowed from another."

                Elder McCallister told the story of a young acquaintance who had not yet paid the price to know.  He said, "I told my friend that as long as he casually read and prayed, he never would find out, worlds without end.  But when he set aside a period for fasting and pleading, the truth would be burned into his heart, and he would know that he knew….

                "If you want to know that you know, a price must be paid.  And you alone must pay that price….

"… As a fire will not burn, except the flame be revealed, a testimony cannot abide except it be expressed" (Ensign, Nov. 2007, 100-101). 

                I know for myself that the Book of Mormon is the true word of God.  This testimony changed me from an active, believing member of the Church to a strong, capable, converted member who could finally say "I know."  Receiving this confirmation did not change my activities because I was already doing the right things.  It did, however, help me to keep my priorities straight while giving me power to perform my duties better. What is a testimony?  Everything that is needed

I Know for Myself

                   A testimony is a personal conviction of gospel truths, based on knowledge revealed by the Holy Ghost.  Most Church members have a testimony of some principle of the gospel, and on this foundation a more complete testimony can be built.  A testimony motivates us to live righteously, and righteous living causes a testimony to grow.  A testimony of the Savior and his gospel is essential to our exaltation.

                    A testimony is really quite simple and has three main elements as explained by Elder Bruce R. McConkie, who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:  "A testimony in our day consists of three things:  It consists of the knowledge that Jesus is the Lord, that he is the Son of the living God who was crucified for the sins of the world; it consists of the fact that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God called to restore the gospel truths and be the revealer of the knowledge of Christ for our day; and it consists of knowing that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true and living Church upon the face of the whole earth, the one place where salvation is found, the organization which administers the gospel and therefore administers salvation to the sons of men" (in "Gaining a Testimony of Jesus Christ," Ensign, Dec. 1980, 15).

                    The three elements described by Elder McConkie are critical for a testimony because they are the foundation for a testimony of other gospel truths.  Everything in the gospel of Jesus Christ depends on these three elements.

                    It is important that we know for ourselves that Jesus is our Savior, that Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church on the earth.  We cannot depend on the testimonies of other people.  We can be taught and inspired by them, but ultimately we can only gain a strong testimony when we feel the witness of the Holy Ghost ourselves.

                    "When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

                    "And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist:  some, Elias; and others, Jeremias [Jeremiah], or one of the prophets.

                    "He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

                    "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

                    "And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona:  for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 16:13-17).

                    Peter testified of the truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.  He gained this personal knowledge when Heavenly Father revealed it to him through the Holy Ghost.  We know that Heavenly Father reveals truth through the Holy Ghost because the ancient American prophet, Moroni, told us:  "And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things" (Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Moroni 10:5).

                    Peter had walked with Jesus and witnessed the many miracles that Jesus performed, but he received his testimony just as we can and do.  Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated:  "The original Apostles were eyewitnesses to the ministry and resurrection of the Savior (see Acts 10:39-41)….

                    "[But] an eyewitness was not enough.  Even the witness and testimony of the original Apostles had to be rooted in the testimony of the Holy Ghost.  [President Joseph Fielding Smith] has told us that the witness of the Holy Ghost makes an impression on our soul that is more significant than `a visitation of an angel'" (Ensign, May 1983, 80).

                    Each of us can obtain a testimony of Jesus Christ and his gospel.  President Gordon B. Hinckley stated, "Every Latter-day Saint has the responsibility to know for himself or herself with a certainty beyond doubt that Jesus is the resurrected, living Son of the living God" (Ensign, May 1983, 80).

                    Another ancient American prophet named Alma described how we can gain a testimony by likening the word of God to a seed:  "But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

                    "Now, we will compare the word unto a seed.  Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves - It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me." .

                      "But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow.  And now, behold, will not this strengthen your faith?  Yea, it will strengthen your faith:  for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow.

                    "And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good" (Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Alma 32:27-28, 30, 33).

                    Alma explained that we can know the word of God when we desire to know the truth and allow the "seed" to be planted in our hearts.  When the "seed" begins to "swell" and "grow," we can know that we have received a confirmation from the Holy Ghost that we have received the truth.  When we receive such a confirmation, we may feel comforted or uplifted.  We may feel a desire to serve the Lord and others.  We can all use the counsel in Alma 32 to obtain a testimony of specific aspects of the gospel, such as the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon or the blessings of paying tithing.

                    Alma continued:  "And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say:  Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up and bring forth fruit unto us.  And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.

                    "But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life" (verses 37 and 41).

                    Once the word of God has grown in our hearts, we must nourish it.  As we work diligently and exercise faith and patience, we can develop testimonies of individual doctrines and principles of the gospel.  Our testimonies can grow to include more gospel truths as we progress spiritually.  Continued righteous living helps nourish the portion of our testimonies that we have already obtained.  There are many ways that the Lord has provided for us to experiment on his word and strengthen our testimonies.  [Previous posts have been about faith, repentance, the gift of the Holy Ghost, prayer, fasting, personal revelation, patriarchal blessings, scripture study, following the prophet, and Church service - all principles that help strengthen testimonies.]

                    As we strengthen our testimonies, our testimonies give us strength. Elder John B. Dickson of the Seventy presented an example of how we can gain strength by knowing the truth.  "I am reminded of a little village called Panacaxtlan, situated where the coastal plains meet the mountains of central Mexico.  The village is situated in a lush, green, humid area known as the Huesteca, and the inhabitants are sons and daughters of Lehi.  In 1979, … missionaries began proselyting in the Huesteca.  Fifty-two people joined the Church in Panacaxtlan….

                    "A short time later, a meeting was called in Panacaxtlan at which Church members were given the following options:  denounce the Church, leave the village, or be killed (not an idle threat).

                    "The members, particularly the women, said they knew the Church to be true and would not denounce it.  They also indicated they had worked just as hard as the rest of the community to secure their homesteads, and they would not leave.  Boldly stepping forward, they told their taunters if they were going to kill them, to get on with it.  The moment grew tense as machetes were raised, then finally lowered while the Latter-day Saints stood up for that which the Spirit had testified to them to be true.

                    "These Saints eventually learned, as most of us do, that it is harder to live the gospel day by day than to die for it in an instant, but their early commitment came because the Spirit had touched their hearts and changed their lives.  Their conversion process had taken place as the Book of Mormon helped build their faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God" ("The Incomparable Gifts," Ensign, Feb.  1995, 7).

                    The fact that the Saints in Panacaxtlan had the courage to stand up for the Church testifies of their testimonies.  They obviously had received confirmation through the Holy Ghost or else they would not have stood firm.  We can follow the example of the Saints in Panacaxtlan when we stand up for the gospel and the Church in whatever situation we may encounter.

                    Most members of the Church will not be asked to die in defense of their beliefs, but we are all asked to "live the gospel day by day" as Elder Dickson said.  Daily life presents many obstacles to everyone.  Choosing to live the gospel takes much more courage that choosing to die for it.

                    Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained one way we can strengthen our testimonies:  "Share your testimony ….  Let others know that you know.  Bear your testimony in fast meeting.  Tell your family; tell your friends.  You will find when you share your testimony it becomes stronger, and there are many others around you who also want to embrace the truth" (Ensign, Nov. 1994, 22).

                    President Gordon B. Hinckley stated, "None of us ever need hesitate to speak up for this Church, for its doctrine, for its people, for its divine organization and divinely given responsibility.  It is true.  It is the work of God" (Ensign, Nov. 1996, 51).

I can say that I know for myself that we have a loving Father in Heaven who sent His Son, Jesus Christ to earth to atone for our sins.  I know that they live!  I also know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God called to restore the gospel truths and be an instrument in the hands of God in revealing the knowledge of Christ in our day.  I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true and living Church upon the face of the whole earth.  I know that the Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ is the word of God.  I know these truths because I studied them out, asked God if they were true, and received confirmation from the Holy Ghost that they are true.  I invite you to read the Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ and learn the truth for yourself.