The History of My Testimony: from an LDS Blogger

My parents were converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also known as Mormonism. They raised me in their adopted faith, teaching me everything they understood to be true.

It is custom for youth in the church to be baptized at the age of eight, and my family followed suit. At some point after this, I tired of 'churchy' things. I didn't like wearing 'church clothes.' I didn't like spending large swathes of my weekend learning gospel topics about which I felt pretty knowledgeable. Worse, I didn't know why the church mattered so much to the people around me.

I had been taught by my parents and leaders that, if I wanted to understand Mormonism, I needed to read The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ and ask God if the book was true.

As it says in the book's introduction, "The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God's dealings with ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fullness of the everlasting gospel ... We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true ... Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Lord's kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah."

I knew Jesus Christ and prophets and the gospel were important to my parents. I wanted to understand why. So I picked up a copy of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ and began to read.

I was young, but I was still an avid reader. Regardless, it took me over a year to finish reading. I didn't understand half of what my eyes passed over, but I kept going. Finally, I reached the portion of the book now affectionately called Moroni's Promise, Moroni 10:3-5, only 29 verses from the sad yet hopeful end.

"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true ..."

So I did. I prayed. I asked God, in the name of Christ, if the book was true.

It's cliche to say, but I experienced a feeling I never had before. It was like the love of a parent, sibling, friend, grandparent, and stranger all wrapped into one. It was a love without source, and yet from everywhere at once.

In that moment, I knew The Book of Mormon was a true account. The book bore testimony of Jesus Christ, and so I knew He was my redeemer. I also knew that Joseph Smith had to be a prophet, and that I belonged to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Of course, all this logicality went over my youth-addled head. To my recollection, my reaction to the sacred event involved running off to play with my toys. Regardless, as my knowledge and understanding of the world and the gospel grew, I retroactively realized how important it was to learn of Jesus Christ when I did. Gaining a testimony of the Bible and other works of scripture only served to increase my devotion to Him.

Since that time, I've had a lot of learning to do. I'm made mistakes. I've fallen away from Christ and had to find my way back. But as I try to please my Redeemer, every day, I find happiness. I find purpose. I find strength.

I will never pay back what Christ did for me that day I finished the Book of Mormon. I will never pay back what he did for me in the garden of Gethsemane and on that cross. But I write for Him. I keep this blog for Him. I believe in Matthew 5:16, and I hope that, every so often, my little light will help someone glorify my Father in heaven.