We had a great week this week. As far as success goes, we are having success but it is moving slower than I would look. We know its just a trial of faith. This week I had an experience that I really believe I should share with you all. This week I have been thinking a lot about the word ¨Testimony¨ and what it is. I have been studying a lot about testimonies and how we can strengthen them. We all know that reading the Book of Mormon is a very important part of having a testimony. We know it as ¨the Keystone of our religion¨ and Joseph Smith himself said...
¨Take away the Book of Mormon and the revelations, and where is our religion? We have none.¨
I decided to really focus on the Book of Mormon and the power it has in our conversion to know that the Church is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet. I have always had a powerful testimony of the truthfulness of this Gospel but I honestly felt that my testimony of the Book of Mormon shouldve been stronger. I decided to read the Book of Mormon again, meditate about it, and ask of God again to know that to know that it was true (the awesome part of growing in you testimony is that you can ask many times if these things are true). I started to read a lot every day. Every free moment I had I dedicated it to reading the Book of Mormon. I prayed at the beginning before I studied and after. Little by little I felt small impressions of the things I read. I kept reading as much as I could. One day we went to a far away small town named Sonoyta to do transfers with some other missionaries and the hour ride I read the entire way both ways and even when we got back to Rocky Point I walked off the bus readying with the book in my hand. I remember that I had just started reading the book of Moroni and I started with a prayer and then started to read. I ready the whole book of moroni before we went to bed that night. I finally had arrived to the moment that I was waiting for. I closed the book, got down on my knees on the hot floor and began to give thanks to God and I finally asked him the question after saying ¨God, I have dedicated the time to sudy, meditate, and to pray to thee to know if this book is true. I am willing to accept the answer you give me so that I might continue preaching of this book¨ and then I asked him. After I prayed, I stayed kneeling down for a couple minutes and just waited. I slowing felt a warm and loving feeling come over me. As I waited, it became stronger. I sat on my bed thinking and meditating for a while knowing that God loved me and that the book was true. As I got in bed that night and laid in my bed, the feeling became even stronger. It was one of the most beautiful feelings I had ever had. That feeling never left me once that entire night until I fell asleep. I could recieve an answer again that the Book of Mormon was true. As I write this, my heart continues to burn because I know that the book is true. And like they said before...
¨And we give our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we have seen. And we lie not, God bearing witness of it.¨
I can say the same now. I give my name to the world and I lie not God bearing witness of it. If you have not read the Book of Mormon, please do it. You can recieve your own testimony and you can know for yourself. It is time for our to be self reliant in our own testimonies so when the hard times come, we will hold to the rod and not let go. Follow the Prophet Harold B. Lee´s counsel...
¨Youth should let no day pass without reading from these sacred books.¨
I Love you all
Elder Smith
