So, yesterday was awesome. We were in Chapter 4 that covered the Book of Mormon. Well, the girl that taught this lesson (Shalayne) is always so prepared and just gives some great lessons. Today however, she invited her father to come and share a personal story and his testimony of the Book of Mormon. He started off by relating how when he was 12 (living in UT) he would often go on priesthood outings that involved camping and fishing and all that good stuff. Well, one Saturday they were playing baseball and this bishop comes out and asks the boys to throw him the ball. After they did he promptly put it in his pocket and asked the boys to follow him to the local chapel. Well, he was quite irritated by this--the fact that it was Saturday, and he was going to have to do "churchy" stuff instead of playing baseball.
As he sat in the chapel with his head down vowing not to get sucked into one of these tricks again, the bishop entered the room helping a very elderly fragile lady (he guesses she was probably in her late 80's). After she had made her way to the front, she began to speak and introduced herself as the granddaughter of Martin Harris. She then shared her story of when she was a little girl and Martin called the family together as he was about to pass on so that he could share his story and testimony of the Book of Mormon with them one last time. She spoke to them of how Martin had recalled thumbing through the gold plates that the angel held and hearing the voice of God testifying of their truthfulness. Martin Harris then testified how he knew the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. This sweet old woman then bore witness of how she too knew these things to be true and how those young men were now bound to the testimony that she bore as the granddaughter of Martin Harris to the divinity of that sacred work. Shalayn's father then shared how in that moment the Holy Spirit bore witness to him that what she had shared was true and that the Book of Mormon was truly the word of God. He then told us how we too were now bound to his testimony.
It was humbling and powerful to feel the spirit so strongly in the room again reaffirming my own testimony of the Book of Mormon. It was incredible to think how I was only two testimonies away from that of one of the three witnesses to the gold plates, who handled them and heard the voice of God himself testifying of the sacred book. At that moment the testimony of the three witnesses became so real and so tangible to me. I almost felt as if I were there beholding the sacred event...it seemed so real to me in my mind's eye--it still does even now. How grateful I am for that marvelous work and how much it has touched and shaped my life. I know that it truly is the word of God.
The man then pulled out a metal case and unlocked it. As he opened it he pulled out a very old book that was covered in a protective cloth. As he opened the cloth, it revealed an well-used original edition of the Book of Mormon. It had come from his grandmother, named Palmyra, who had been born in the Joseph Smith home and who, in 1950, was called to be a caretaker of the home. He showed us a typo that was found in the numbering of the book on page 112. This typo meant that this was one of THE very first copies published, as the typo was discovered after a few printings and then fixed. It made me wonder whose hands had touched it and whose voice had testified of that sacred work. It was truly a sacred meeting.
I would like to add my personal testimony of this book and its translator. My testimony is very precious to me, as it took me countless hours of sincere study, prayer, pondering, and pleading to know of its truthfulness. I feel blessed to add my testimony to the thousands of others, that I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Book of Mormon is the word of God; that it was written by prophets of God for our day; that Joseph Smith was called to bring it forth and translate it for us; and that a man can truly get, "nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." I, too, am bound to that testimony and that sacred witness that was given to me by the Holy Spirit. I love the words found in that book. I love my Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, who came and atoned for our sins and suffered for our sorrows that he might know how to succor us and enable us to overcome all things. He lives! I know this and cannot denyit! What comfort this knowledge brings me! And how it causes every fiber of my being to rejoice! I know the Book of Mormon was written as another witness to the Bible to testify of its reality, and I thank my Heavenly Father every day for it. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
As he sat in the chapel with his head down vowing not to get sucked into one of these tricks again, the bishop entered the room helping a very elderly fragile lady (he guesses she was probably in her late 80's). After she had made her way to the front, she began to speak and introduced herself as the granddaughter of Martin Harris. She then shared her story of when she was a little girl and Martin called the family together as he was about to pass on so that he could share his story and testimony of the Book of Mormon with them one last time. She spoke to them of how Martin had recalled thumbing through the gold plates that the angel held and hearing the voice of God testifying of their truthfulness. Martin Harris then testified how he knew the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. This sweet old woman then bore witness of how she too knew these things to be true and how those young men were now bound to the testimony that she bore as the granddaughter of Martin Harris to the divinity of that sacred work. Shalayn's father then shared how in that moment the Holy Spirit bore witness to him that what she had shared was true and that the Book of Mormon was truly the word of God. He then told us how we too were now bound to his testimony.
It was humbling and powerful to feel the spirit so strongly in the room again reaffirming my own testimony of the Book of Mormon. It was incredible to think how I was only two testimonies away from that of one of the three witnesses to the gold plates, who handled them and heard the voice of God himself testifying of the sacred book. At that moment the testimony of the three witnesses became so real and so tangible to me. I almost felt as if I were there beholding the sacred event...it seemed so real to me in my mind's eye--it still does even now. How grateful I am for that marvelous work and how much it has touched and shaped my life. I know that it truly is the word of God.
The man then pulled out a metal case and unlocked it. As he opened it he pulled out a very old book that was covered in a protective cloth. As he opened the cloth, it revealed an well-used original edition of the Book of Mormon. It had come from his grandmother, named Palmyra, who had been born in the Joseph Smith home and who, in 1950, was called to be a caretaker of the home. He showed us a typo that was found in the numbering of the book on page 112. This typo meant that this was one of THE very first copies published, as the typo was discovered after a few printings and then fixed. It made me wonder whose hands had touched it and whose voice had testified of that sacred work. It was truly a sacred meeting.
I would like to add my personal testimony of this book and its translator. My testimony is very precious to me, as it took me countless hours of sincere study, prayer, pondering, and pleading to know of its truthfulness. I feel blessed to add my testimony to the thousands of others, that I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Book of Mormon is the word of God; that it was written by prophets of God for our day; that Joseph Smith was called to bring it forth and translate it for us; and that a man can truly get, "nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." I, too, am bound to that testimony and that sacred witness that was given to me by the Holy Spirit. I love the words found in that book. I love my Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, who came and atoned for our sins and suffered for our sorrows that he might know how to succor us and enable us to overcome all things. He lives! I know this and cannot denyit! What comfort this knowledge brings me! And how it causes every fiber of my being to rejoice! I know the Book of Mormon was written as another witness to the Bible to testify of its reality, and I thank my Heavenly Father every day for it. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
3 comments:
Thanks Chelsea, Uncle Gordon
Oh..What a sweet Story! I love hearing stories like that! Carline
so amazing to hear your teacher's dad's words!! you already know it's true, but like you said, it just reaffirms it and makes it all the more real, almost tangible. thanks so much, chels!
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