How to testify

Lds Church News ^ | Sept. 19, 2009

[Colofornian]

SNIP

Sharing testimonies is an important part of the Latter-day Saint experience. We bear testimonies in many settings — in the home with family and among friends and associates or in missionary experiences. In Church, one Sunday is set aside every month for the bearing of testimonies during sacrament meetings.

SNIP

In his address at the October 2004 general conference, Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve...said that his experience throughout the Church leads him to worry that too many members' testimonies linger on "I am thankful," and "I love," and too few are able to say with humble but sincere clarity, "I know." As a result, he noted, meetings sometimes lack the testimony-rich, spiritual underpinnings that stir the soul and have meaningful, positive impact on the lives of all those who hear them.

He...counseled, "We need to replace stories, travelogues and lectures with pure testimonies. Those who are entrusted to speak and teach in our meetings need to do so with doctrinal power that will be both heard and felt, lifting the spirits and edifying our people."

SNIP

As we listen to general conference this October, we will hear many bear pure testimony. Numerous times over the years, we have heard President Thomas S. Monson, first as an apostle and now as president of the Church, bear such testimony. May we, as Primary children sing, be inclined to "follow the prophet" in our endeavor to nurture, strengthen and share our testimonies that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us, that Jesus is the Christ, Joseph Smith was the prophet who was raised up to restore the fullness of the everlasting gospel...

[DelphiUser]

So you do believe in and worship three gods?

Don't be an idiot, we believe in the Godhead, as defined by the Bible...

Here is one scripture you might find interesting: Acts 17:29-31

29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now ccommandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

There are more scriptures, Since you probably have not studied this one (because it refutes the Trinity) let me break it down for you: Verse 29 We are God's children, so he will not be dissimilar in form to us. (no gold, no stone and no formless spirit essence either.

Verse 30 God did not condemn men in their ignorance, but now the Jesus has come, people should know better.

Verse 31 God the father has appointed the Day of Judgment, and Jesus will judge all men. Jesus was raised from the dead in promise that all men will be raised from the dead, and then judged.

God will not be defined by men, God defines men.

You really ought to go read When Jesus Became God: The Epic Fight Over Christ's Divinity In The Last Days Of Rome

The link is to a short synopsis of the book by that title. The book was written by a Jew (who had no dog in this fight) as an intellectual scholarly exercise. You might be shocked by some of the things he discovered by reading the actual records, in the original languages.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“but most who respond want to know “which Jesus” and there is only one, so the questions are inane.

Apparently JESUS CHRIST disagrees with your post!

“Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. Matthew 24:23-26
“

[svcw]

I am going by your answer, that is the only way for me to know.
You said “Jesus has always been my Savior”.

[Tennessee Nana]

Now one of us needs to die and go find out, I already know so...
___________________________________________

So you are dead ???

You died ???

That’s how you know ???

Why are you hanging around ???

Unfinished business ???

[DelphiUser]

I don’t maintain the list... I just pinged it...

[Monkey Face]

OK. I can see that neither of you are open to any opinions but your own, so with that, I’ll leave y’all to discuss me and my beliefs, and head out to do some errands.

Don’t be too quick to judge things you don’t understand.

[Tennessee Nana]

Mormons don’t believe in Get out of Hell free cards.
__________________________________________

And yet, you, a mormon, have handed out more of those cards of yours here in this thread than you have that other unbelievable literture, the book of mormon...

[svcw]

Sorry MF that you feel that way.
I can tell you the day and circumstances that I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior.
I was hoping that you could tell me the same.
Your response “Jesus has always been my Savior” answers the question I asked. Which according to your own answer you have not.

[Godzilla]

Like Paul - if all else fails - I lay aside all pretenses and vanities, throw up my hands and claim I “know nothing more than Christ, and Him Crucified...”

Well put.

[Godzilla]

So you do believe in and worship three gods?
Don't be an idiot, we believe in the Godhead, as defined by the Bible...

Which is composed of three 'gods'. They also believe in a universe filled with gods. So who is being an idiot. . . . .

[DelphiUser]

Yawn, I'm so tired of "Christians" who don't know their own Bible.

This is the last time I'll do your research for you, the first is where Nathan Curses David, The second is where David rejoices that God will not leave his soul in hell.

2nd Samuel 12:1-13

1 And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:
3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.
4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
5 And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:
6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
7 ¶ And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
8 And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
11 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will ado this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

Second scripture, Psalms 16, 1- 11

1 Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.
2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;
3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.
5 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.
6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my bright hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Please also note that Nathan tells David that God gave him his wives and if they had not been enough would have given him more, this is a prophet in the Old Testament explicitly saying God approves of polygamy. (just for the record.)

You have a nice day Nanna, I'll check in when I can and see if you have more questions about what's actually in the Bible.

[Tennessee Nana]

From your # 147

Nathan, God’s prophet of the day, damned him to hell for a very long time for it.
_________________________________________

Again I ask:

When did Nathan do that to David ???

Source ???

Bible scripture only please...

[svcw]

Godhead? Did you just put that in yourself?

Refutes the Trinity?

Acts 17:29-31: Acts 17:29-31

29"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

[Monkey Face]

I don’t know how I can make you understand that there has never been a day in my life, even as a child, that I didn’t know Jesus Christ was my Savior...my Personal Savior.

A lot of people have epiphanies, and from that point on, they KNOW. You are obviously one of them. For me the epiphany is endless.

You can read whatever you want into my answer, but I won’t change it. He is my Saviior. He is my Life. And He has Always been my Help and salvation.

[Tennessee Nana]

MF

It was not that ;long ago when you told us that you spent you life going freom one non-Christian belief to another...

Including years inh the New Age movement...

You admitted that you had just recently joined the mormons..

Now you say Jesus has been your Savior all your life since a child...

As there are several Inmans who have indeed been saved since they were children, or young adults...

And they can pin point an actual day or close...and you cannot..

Do you understand that claiming now that you have always believed in Jesus as your Savior seems disingenuous ???

[Monkey Face]

OK. Let me try this again. Just because I spent years looking for a church doesn’t mean that I spent those same years looking for Jesus.

I knew He loved me and I knew I had to find the right setting to be at my best spiritually. I would have to give you a detail of my life as a child to understand what, when, how and why, and I’m not willing to do that; you can accept my comments or not.

But it won’t change the fact that I have always known that Jesus loved me, and that He is Unchangeable.

If it seems duplicitous, then that’s for you to deal with.

[svcw]

Then MF I will pray for you. That you will know the day Jesus became your personal Savior and that day will be now.

[ejonesie22]

Now now, as we have been told, there is only one god, there is just a lot of them....

[DelphiUser]

DU: Mormons don’t believe in Get out of Hell free cards.

---

TN: And yet, you, a mormon, have handed out more of those cards of yours here in this thread than you have that other unbelievable literture, the book of mormon...

I love it when antis indulge in wishful thinking!

[Monkey Face]

I know how old I was. I’m not willing to discuss it because of the events surrounding it.

But your prayers are most welcome, anyway.
;o]