15 June 2008

A Testimony Svithe

One of the reasons I most love being a Primary teacher is because I get the chance to testify about some gospel principle every Sunday to a bunch of young women. Sharing your testimony is Super Spiritual Power! You get re-confirmation as you share your testimony and everyone listening can feel the Spirit and get confirmation for themselves that what you're saying is True.

So much about living the Gospel is only what you can do for yourself (or adding oil to your own lamp)- you can't transfer your scripture reading to someone else or your prayers or your church attendance to someone else. You can encourage and suggest without too much success, but sharing your testimony is Powerful because you can invite the Spirit there and both of you can share that Spirit and feeling that Spirit can change hearts and minds.

Or, as Alma said, "...the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just - yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them..." (Alma 31:5)

I have noticed that I can be talking about the story of the scripture lesson of the week and keep the children entertained, but when I really get their attention is when I am testifying. Or reading a scripture like it is my testimony. Sometimes the challenge is simply getting to the testifying part of the lesson!

For me, testifying is also an act of faith in itself. Sharing something so personal to me and so special is hard because there's always that chance of complete rejection. Since my testimony is such a part of me, rejecting my testimony is like rejecting me. So I don't share it much - which is why I like the weekly reinforced stretching of my comfort zone (which is always good for the soul).

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