Anyone who knows me but at all knows that I am not necessarily the most out spoken person when it comes to my testimony. I have one but I tend to keep it close to my heart and to myself. However, while I was sitting in fast and testimony meeting today, an experience that I had recently kept coming to mind and I just couldn't get it to leave me alone. Trying to find an open slot to get up and bare your testimony in a singles ward is really tricky though so just stayed in my seat and told myself I'd come home and blog it to the cyber world.
This week I had the opportunity to go down to St. George to watch one of my best friends Bri play basketball at Dixie State. Bri plays for BYU Hawaii and I hadn't seen her since Christmas. I told my mom that I wanted to go but she wasn't thrilled about me driving 8 hours all alone and I couldn't find anyone to go with me. I'd about given up hope that I would get to see her when at 11:00 the night before one of Bri's boyfriends and my friend that goes to the U sent me an instant message. I had totally forgotten that maybe he would like to go with me and was so pumped when he said he had been trying to find a ride down.
This friend that decided to go down with me is honestly one of the smartest guys that I know. This friend is from Logan and since he doesn't have a car down here at school he occasionally rides back and forth from home to Salt Lake with me. We have very different tastes in music and as a result we tend to have some very interesting and deep talks on our drives. I mentioned that this friend is very intelligent. At a young age this friend decided that he didn't quite buy into the church and has been somewhere between an atheist and agnostic ever since. This is so sad for me but I try my best not to be pushy. It's always interesting whenever we find our way to religion because surprisingly we both are very good at respecting each other's views. On this trip he ended up bringing up a few of the key points that he disagrees with. I was able to listen to his thoughts and respond to them with words that I know are not my own. I pointed out some facts that he had neglected and when it came to me telling him that there is reason behind everything that God does he asked me something to the effect of how I knew that well enough to claim that. My response wasn't very intelligent but all I could muster was this simple phrase. I told him "I am going to play the faith card. My faith can't prove anything to you but you can also never disprove it." Our religion based conversations carried on for a while long but they always seemed to end on that note. I could make my case as best I could but I always ended up relying on my faith. My mom once shared a quote with me but I didn't know who originally said it until recently. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said "All that I have seen teaches me to trust the creator for all that I have not seen" This is what I fall back on when my testimony is tested. I find it interesting how an conversation with someone so smart who brings forth many good questions about the church can only strengthen my testimony. I'm so glad for the testimony that I have.
I know that my Redeemer lives, that he came to this earth to be and example for the world and to atone for my sins as well as the sins of the world. I know that God the Father and his son Jesus Christ appeared to the boy Joseph Smith in the grove and that he did under their direction establish the only correct gospel on this earth today. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a living prophet called of God to guide us in these latter days.
I know that was a bit of a random tangent but I'm thinking about having this printed for a journal so felt I needed to include it.
2 comments:
Dani -- I'm so glad you recorded your testimony for the rest of us to read. I had tears in my eyes before I finished it! It's so neat to hear you say (or should I say to read) that the words were not your own...you were definitely inspired. Good job on the missionary work! Thanks again for sharing these special thoughts with us.
Dan, that is awesome! I find it's good to write stuff like that down just to remind you later on. I find you wise beyond your age!
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