The Word of My Testimony

It has been almost a year since I have posted any spiritual thoughts here.

While studying with the young adults/cadets here, at their Institute of Religion class, we recently discussed the War in Heaven as described by the apostle John.  I was very impressed by a particular verse that describes the victory of the saints over the Devil who was cast out of Heaven; Revelation 12:11 reads, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."  He lists three things that enable victory over Satan: the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the testimony of Christ's disciples, and those disciples' willingness to give up their lives if needed for the cause of truth.

The Atonement of Christ has been accomplished and is a certainty.  Members of the Church of Jesus Christ are not called upon to give up our lives in most circumstances, these days.  But we are often called upon to share the testimonies we've received from God.

Culturally, in the Church, we often use the expression "bear testimony".  It's an interesting expression; I think most people just get used to the phrase and tend to equate it with standing in front of people, saying "I know" a lot, and then following those words with basic spiritual facts.  While there's clearly truth to that, I think we often miss the full meaning of the responsibility we have that is stated in those words.  I've never thought much myself about why we use that expression, but to "bear" means to carry; we are carrying to other people the witness we've received from the God through the Holy Ghost.  Naturally, this means we must first seek and receive a witness from God about the truths of the restored gospel in the first place.  When we say, "I have a testimony," it's really an abbreviated way of saying, "I have received a testimony from God; the Almighty has given a witness of truth to me."  That source of truth, and the echoing witness from that source, is what gives power to our words.

It's not always easy, of course, to bear testimony to others.  It's often difficult, in our daily lives, to know when it's a good time to introduce spiritual or religious thoughts in a conversation.  And by "a good time", I mean that there are simply moments and opportunities when people are desirous or otherwise ready to receive spiritual truth, whereas it seems evident to us that there are also many times when bringing up such things without a listener's desire and readiness simply becomes overbearing and unhelpful for them.

An interesting phenomenon is the way that modern technology enables us to share truth with others.  The Internet is known for having enabled a lot of anonymous vitriol and abuse, but through the great variety of forums it contains, it also provides us with opportunities to give a witness of truth that God can endorse.

As I mentioned above, I haven't been active on this site for quite a while.  Even in the last couple of years, I haven't written much here.  That makes sense, in a way, given that I don't expect to have much of any audience here, but I have still been writing about spiritual topics.  I mentioned a while ago (just over a year ago, evidently) that I've spent quite a bit of time writing to people online in comments for Church videos online.  Specifically, I return to the Now You Know series frequently.  It takes a lot of time.  One reason I return so often is because sometimes people have questions for which I don't receive a notification.  I hope that my words of testimony about the goodness of the restored gospel help people.

It's generally difficult or impossible to anticipate then effect our testimony can have, but I only write because I have real hope for good things to come of it.  I hope that through my words, some people will learn things that strengthen their faith--meaning, that they receive additional witness of truth from God that they recognize.  I hope that some people who really aren't familiar with the Church of Jesus Christ get at least a small taste of the great goodness in it and a sense of the work God is doing through it.  I hope that some people open their hearts a bit and, rather than echoing incorrect and hateful ideas about the Church of Jesus Christ and His disciples, they will consider that perhaps there is understanding for them to gain.  I hope that some people who have turned away from the witness they already received will find reason to reconsider their choices.  And I hope that those who are genuinely hateful and who don't open their hearts are confounded and leave so that others who visit are not distracted from inspiring messages of joy and truth.  I've surely made mistakes, but I've learned much for myself, and despite any mistakes, I really do have these hopes.  (If I didn't, there are definitely other things I could be doing with that time I've been spending.)

Last thoughts for now:
The War in Heaven has continued, and it's clear that the war rages on today.  Jesus Christ, the Anointed, will certainly win in a broad sense, but along the way the ground won or lost comes in the form of individual souls, and "the worth of souls is great in the sight of God" (Doctrine and Covenants 18:10).  The power of Christ is eternally reliable, but there's a part for us to play also in the great War; I hope that the word of my testimony is of use to some people as they use the power and grace of Christ to defeat Satan in their own lives.  I hope, as Alma taught in Mosiah 18:9, to live up to the promise I've made "to stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things, and in all places...even until death".