I delivered my talk in Sacrament it was a very rewarding experience for me to be able to share my testimony of the restores gospel- I know this is the true church of God on the earth.
Talk for
Sacrament March 8th, 2020
theme : How did I gain a testimony of the
restoration of the gospel and how have I maintain my testimony-. This
past week I have taken the time to reflect about my conversion process in
accepting the message of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints and
the miraculous blessings this testimony has been in my own life. The most defining event in my life history at
the age of 11 years old - I did hear and accept the message of the restored
gospel of Jesus Christ in these the latter Days.
There are many events leading up to my baptism day. As a very
young child of three years old, my first remembrance of feeling love for my
Heavenly Father, my parents gave me a white bible for Christmas in 1960.
I deeply loved this bible and felt a power of love that came from it
by just holding my scriptures in my hands. I wanted to make my bible look
pretty so I scribbled purple canyon in bible!! Little to says, my
parents were not happy to find I had scribbled in my new bible. I indeed
received a spanking for my actions. We attended the southern Baptist church
as a family. I took to church with me my
little white bible faithfully when attending Sunday School and Vacation Bible
School in the summer months. I learned about the stories of Jesus that were
written in my bible and memorized many bible scriptures. The Holy Spirit
bore witness to me that the Bible stories taught were true. I can
remember being taught that God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit
were one in spirit, without body, parts or passions. So large as to fill
the universe yet so small as to fill my heart. I often thought about this
and wondered about the Godhead. How could this be ? I could not
comprehend the doctrine taught to me. We
attended many Billy Graham revivals with 1000’s of people in attendance and I
strongly felt the holy spirit guiding me.
I was baptized in the Baptist church at the age of 9 years old
committing my life to follow the Savior.
My favorite song was I’ll go where you want me go dear Lord. At the age
of 10 years old my mother and I began a quest of visiting other churches.
We were searching- “How to receive
the Gift of the Holy Ghost ?” We read in the scriptures about the gift of
the Holy Ghost and wanted this gift in our own lives. We attended many
religions looking for how to receive this gift. One night my mother and I
attended a Faith I do not remember what kind, but this event had a huge impact
in our search, it was a great revival, many were singing and praising the Lord
Jesus!! A platter was passed around the congregation asking for a money
donation- if a certain $ amount was
donated- you could come down before the minister and he would heal you and
bless you with the gift of the Holy Ghost. Many in the congregation went
and stood in line waiting their turn. My mother was among those waiting
her turn to receive this gift of the Holy Ghost. As the minister laid his
hands upon each person- he would bless them and healed them, they were overcome
by the Holy Spirit and would fall to the floor, they would then be covered by a
red blanket. I watched in amazement. As the preacher approached my
mother, he repeated the same process as preformed previously, yet nothing
happened to my mother she was not overcome by the Holy Spirit in falling to the
ground like the others. She was told she needed to cleanse her soul.
Several attempts were made and still nothing happened!! I remember I was
so embarrassed- I wanted to crawl under the church bench and hide. This
was my mother- a humble seeker being made a spectacle for all to see. We
left this church feeling unworthy and embarrassed. A feeling of
discouragement overcame us both in seeking for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Months later One morning early my mother knelt
in humble prayer pouring out her soul to the Lord for direction in her
life as a bible school teacher and in knowing how to teach the youth she was
teaching, she had so many questions herself and how could she teach the
doctrine taught in the Baptist Faith? My step- father Charles was attending
the Baptist seminary- training to become a Baptist minister. Our search
of other religions- in looking for the Gift of the Holy Ghost was causing much
contention in their relationship. She needed to be supportive to him and
our Baptist faith. Upon getting off her knees praying, there shortly was
a knock on our front door. There stood two Mormon missionaries, saying
they had a message of Jesus Christ to share. My mother was hesitant, she
told them that she was not interested in their message and closed the door.
As the missionaries left she heard the scripture in her mind “when ye do
it unto the least of these my brethren ye do it unto me.” The Holy Spirit
was speaking to her heart and mind telling her she needed to listen to the
message these missionaries had to share. The next thing she knew she was
running down the side walk in her house coat inviting the missionaries into our
home. My mother and I began meeting with the missionaries and
listening to the message they had to share. I Remember my heart leaped
with joy when I was taught about the first vision of Joseph Smith when God the
Father and Jesus Christ appear to Him in a grove of trees. The
message of the Godhead rang true to my heart and made so much more sense to me
than the doctrine taught in my Baptist faith. My heart leaped even with
more when I learned that I could be baptized by priesthood power and be blessed
to receive the gift Holy Ghost as a constant companion in my life. This
was the gift my mother and I were looking for. We were also given the
Book of Mormon to read and told it was another witness of Jesus Christ and that
there were stories told in the Book of his appearance to the America continent.
When they gave me a book to read, I felt the same joy and power coming
from this book that I felt from my little white bible. I knew it was a
true record of Jesus Christ before I even read it. I often wondered about
the American Indians? How they got here.
The knowledge taught in school did not answer the questions I felt inside
my heart, I was not content. The Book of Mormon spoke to me as I read it
and I knew it was the word of god, it answered my questions about the American
Indians and some of their history, truly
a voice from the dust. My baptism day and being conferred to receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost as a constant companion, as I strive to live worthily
has been one of the happiest days in my lifetime. The joy I felt this day
July 11th 1968- 52 years ago, I have never forgotten!!
We later learned the missionaries that knock on our door had
prayed to be lead to someone looking for the gospel message that day. They listened to the Holy Spirit’s guidance
and were directed to come to our home that morning as my mother was praying for
guidance.
Since my baptism day I have come to understand more about the gift
and power of the Holy Ghost in my life as I have studied the scriptures.
(D&C 130:22) “The
Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son
also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage
of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.
(1 Ne. 10:17–19 “ I, Nephi, was desirous also that
I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy
Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek
him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest
himself unto the children of men. For
he is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is prepared for
all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come
unto him.
19 For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the
mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy
Ghost
The Holy Ghost is manifested to men on the earth both as the power
of the Holy Ghost also know as the light of Christ for all mankind and as the Gift
of the Holy Ghost. The power can come upon one before baptism and is the
convincing witness that the gospel is true. By the power of the Holy Ghost a
person receives a testimony of Jesus Christ and of His work and the work of His
servants upon the earth. The gift can come only after proper priesthood authorized
baptism and is conferred by the laying on of hands by one holding the proper
priesthood authority.
As I have reflected upon the beginning days of my testimony of the
restored Gospel – The Holy Ghost has helped me to maintain my Testimony to kept
it strong and growing in life?
I again reflected back to this foundational period in my life.
My family lived in a unique place and time period in the history
of this church as Modern- Day Latter -Day Saints answered the call to build
Zion.
I lived in Denton, Texas with a population of about 30,000 in 1968. There were two universities, Texas
Women’s University and North Texas State University, Denton is located at the
northern end of the Dallas- Ft. Worth metroplex.
There was not an LDS presence in the area. John and Margaret Porter three months after their
baptism with small three children moved to Denton and were asked thru
priesthood direction to gather the saints in Denton. They immediately set out identifying those
attending the universities and gathered the few saints living in the area. They began weekly Sunday Schools meeting in
their home. The Porter’s enthusiastic missionary zeal radiate as they truly
magnified their calling to establish the Lord’s Church in Denton and nurture it
to maturity. They prayed the Lord would
send missionaries to the area and prayed the Lord would send move-in members
that could give added strength from their membership. In those formative years Heavenly Father heard
their prayers, Missionaries were sent from Church headquarters and many
conversions occurred an average of 30 to 40 yearly. In a 7 year period they grew to establish the
first ward in Denton.
Brother & Sister Porter were an example of great Love and
dedication, As converts they had no prior experience in administering the
affairs of the church, but the Lord provided help at the time when it was
needed, Sister Porter left a huge impact on my heart as a young girl and the
beginning of my love for music. Ann her
daughter at the age of 12 lead the music in Sunday School and Sacraments with
10 year old Diana as the Branch Organist.. she couldn’t reach the pedals but
grew into the calling. I remember the
saints sang with such conviction and would raise the roof as they sang the
hymns with such vigor.
In May
2005 Elder Neil A Anderson an apostle of the Lord asked if the history of
Church in this area had been written?
2008 a book was printed entitled- “When the Saints came marching
in.” I’m so blessed to have been apart
of the history of the growth of the Saints in Denton, Texas, it is a
significant chapter in the overall history of the church in the latter
days. Denton’s growth from a home Sunday
school, to a Branch, to a ward, to, multiple wards, to a stake, to many other
stakes, in a 50 year time period. To the
first Dallas Temple president in 1984, to James Martino who now serves in the
quorum of seventies. Its uniqueness
stems from the extraordinary efforts of two modern day pioneers, the small but
also extraordinary base of converts that were instrumental in the gathering and
the tremendous saints of spiritual giant’s sent by the Lord to establish zion. The Lord’s guiding and helping hand was
evident in our lives.
The conversion of many families in the area were like my family in
many ways they were searching for the true gospel of Jesus Christ. The testimony of the Book of Mormon was the
key factor. Contention was mounting as
we listen to the missionary discussions my father would slam the back door and
leave. One day the missionaries caught
him home and to be polite he did not leave, They noticed a large pile of top
soil in our back yard that needed to be spread.
In conversation they asked how long he thought it would take to spread
the top soil. My father told them how
many hours, they bargained with him and
asked that he would take that amount of time and read the Book of Mormon and
they would spread the soil for him, by their service and service of the church
members the job was completed. My father
kept his promise and read the Book of Mormon. To our Joy my father completed
the missionary lesson and came to know the Book of Mormon is the word of God
another testament of Jesus Christ
A testimony of the Book
of Mormon will influence all of our lives if we continue to read it and apply
its teachings. President Ezra Taft Benson taught: “There is a power in the book
which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study
of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find
the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and
narrow path.”7
I encourage everyone, to discover the power of the Book of
Mormon. As President Nelson has encouraged: “Read the Book of Mormon. Ponder
its teachings. Ask Heavenly Father if it is true.”8 During
that process you will feel the Spirit of God in your lives. That Spirit will be
part of your testimony that the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith was a
prophet of God, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is
God’s true Church on the earth today. That testimony will help you resist
temptation.9 It
will prepare you for “the great call of diligence … to labor in the
vineyards of the Lord.”10 It
will stand as a sure anchor when accusations or slanderous statements are used
to challenge your faith, and it will be a rock-solid foundation when you are
challenged with questions you cannot answer, at least immediately. You will be
able to discern truth from error, and you will feel the assurance of the Holy
Ghost reconfirming your testimony over and over again as you continue to read
the Book of Mormon throughout your life.
This month we celebrate
the printing and publication of the first Book of Mormon- March 26th
1830.
The
greatest power of the Book of Mormon is its impact in bringing us closer to
Jesus Christ. It is a strong witness of Him and His redeeming mission.13 Through it we come to understand the majesty and power
of His Atonement.14 It teaches His doctrine clearly.15 And because of the magnificent chapters describing the
visit of the risen Christ to the Nephites, we see and experience the Savior
loving, blessing, and teaching those people and come to understand that He will
do the same for us if we come to Him by living His gospel.16
I testify
of its ability to draw us closer to Christ. I pray that each of us will take
full advantage of the power that is in this wonderful book of scripture. In the
name of Jesus Christ, amen.
