8-13-11
Well I guess, it’s good to be here today giving a talk since we all love speaking to large groups of people..
So I’m going to lightly touch on a few subjects that will help us nurture and strengthen our testimonies. First I’m going to start with prayer.
Prayer
This is president Hinckley speaking. “I remember two young men who served in my mission. One was a superstar; he was educated, bright, quick, and a little arrogant. We had another who was a sign painter. He came from a sign shop with very little education, but he knew his inadequacies and he relied on the Lord. When he prayed, you know he was talking with the Lord. It wasn’t a rote thing, it was a conversation and that young man accomplished wonders while the other young man went through the motions. The power that is in the one and the absence of power in the other was so apparent. Callupon the Lord. He has extended the invitation and he will answer.
What pres. Hinckley teaches us here is that we need to pray sincerely. Not just have the recited prayer we all use when we can’t wait to get into bed, or especially when we really need to make that putt. Praying should be a conversation; it should be us talking WITH God, not AT God.
Listening to the Holy Ghost
The spirit can be a difficult thing to hear and understand. Its also hard to tell if it is the spirit talking, the Lord putting thoughts into your head, or you just trying too hard. Follow every worthy thought.
Gordon B Hinckley read Moroni 7:13, 16-17. Then said, “That’s the test, when all is said and done. Does it persuade one to do good, to rise, to stand tall, to do the right thing, to be kind, to be generous? Then it is the Spirit of God. . If it invites you to do good, it is of God, and obviously should be followed. The spirit can be a difficult thing to hear and understand. It’s also hard to tell if it is the spirit talking, the Lord putting thoughts into your head, or you just trying too hard. We need to follow every worthy thought. no matter where it takes us. If it is a worthy thought it will take us where we need to be.
Reading the Scriptures
Reading the Scriptures can be a hard and at times tedious thing to do. Many people think that when we talk about reading the scriptures it means starting at the front and reading it like a book. Which is fine if you like to study that way. But I have learned that there are other ways to study than front to back. I like to look up questions I have about the scriptures. Or at least look up something I am interested in. the best times I have ever had reading the scriptures have come when I looked up a topic and followed the footnotes around until it either ended or my time ran out…challenge pres christensen
And lastly, Patience
We need to have patience in all aspects of our lives. We need to have it with family, friends, but especially ourselves. Growing and strengthening a testimony takes work and determination. It is definitely not something that will appear over night. It is something should be strived for. But gaining a testimony never has a crossing the finish line moment. We need to constantly continue to strengthen it. I’m grateful for this church and the blessings that it brings to my life. I’m glad this topic was given to me and I’m especially glad that I have the chance to continue building my testimony. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
