‘But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.’ 1 Peter 3:15
General Conference, ‘Nourishing and Bearing Your Testimony,’ October 2022 “…Do I Know and Understand What a Testimony Is? Your testimony is a most precious possession, often associated with deep spiritual feelings. These feelings are usually communicated quietly and described as a “still small voice.”
It is your belief or knowledge of truth given as a spiritual witness through the influence of the Holy Ghost. Acquiring this witness will change what you say and how you act. Key elements of your testimony, confirmed by the Holy Ghost, include:
God is your Heavenly Father; you are His child. He loves you.
Jesus Christ lives. He is the Son of the living God and your Savior and Redeemer.
Joseph Smith is a prophet of God called to restore the Church of Jesus Christ.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God’s restored Church on the earth.
The restored Church of Jesus Christ is led by a living prophet today. …
“I promise you that as you more fully understand what a testimony is, and as you share it, you will overcome obstacles of uncertainty and fear enabling you to nurture and keep this most precious possession, your testimony.” — Gary E. Stevenson
Psalm 66:16 “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.”
Earlier this week we looked at how the Church is obsessed with trying to control its members by telling them what to say and this last conference was just another example of this. See Testimonies of Mormons 2022 for more info.
Contrary to what Mr. Stevenson declared the most important thing a Christian should testify of is Jesus’ resurrection and how He supernaturally changed their personal life.
2 Corinthians 1:12 “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.”
There’s nothing in the Bible telling us to testify of Joe Smith or a church we might belong to, much less the LDS Church.
God has never given an organization the power or authority to save souls. If a church is led by a man what happened to Jesus? Why isn’t He the one leading the saints?
The only name under heaven by which we are saved belongs to Jesus as it says in Acts 4:12 –
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Furthermore, you won’t ‘overcome obstacles of uncertainty and fear’ by parroting what the Church says. This will only hold people in bondage as their thought life is controlled by others. If we’re to hold thoughts captive to anyone it should only be in Christ as it says in 2 Corinthians 10:5 –
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
Oh please pray for those who listened to or read this man’s talk. It’s obvious the Church is doing what it can to control its members.
With Love in Christ —
Michelle
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Beautifully written. When my dear Mormon daughter posts comments on fb about trusting your feelings, trust your heart, I think of Jer. 17:9. Trust God’s Word, period. And we read in Heb. 1:1-2, prophets are history. Jesus Christ was, is now and is forevermore! Rev. 1:8.
Amen sister, amen!