Gaining a testimony

I was in the Mission Training Center and we, as missionaries, practice teaching one another.  So I was pretending to be an atheist for the other missionaries.  They were asking me a few questions and I was answering them.  Then I looked out our small window and said
"Look outside.  How can you look out there and think that there is a God?  There is NOTHING that proves there..."

I was going to finish that phrase, but was cut off by my emotions.  I couldn't say that God didn't exist.  I could not deny the testimony that I had received through my life. 

Joseph Smith said about receiving a vision from God "I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, NEITHER DARED I DO IT."

So how do we gain the testimony that it gets to the point that we cannot deny it?  Gaining a testimony takes work.  We have to desire to gain it and work to gain it. 

Alma 32:27 "But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words." 

So first we have DESIRE.  We have to want a testimony.  We plant a seed.  We long to know the truth of something.  Then we go to work, or NOURISH the seed!  We nourish the seed by earnestly praying and reading more about it.  If it is the testimony, or knowledge that God exist, then we study out the scriptures and find where there is proof that God exist.  For example:
Alma 30:44 
"The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." 

We continue to PONDER upon these teachings and PRAYING and asking if this is true.

Then, we know if it is true if it begins to grow, or gives us peace and sometimes warm feelings about the subject.  We know that if a seed is bad, that it will not grow and will not produce anything.  Or, we know that it won't make sense or feel right if it is wrong.  But if it grows, it will continue to grow as you strive to nourish it.  Then it can become a belief. 

Alma 32:34

"And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and you mind doth behind to expand."

I can promise you that you can gain a testimony of anything if you desire to find the truth.  Then you can say,

"I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it."

In the Vineyard

Here in the vineyards of the Napa valley, they take great care and thought into their vineyards.  There is much to take into account.  They have the planting, the up keep, the tender care, the harvest, and then the preparation for the next springs growth.  Something that I find interesting is that how precise and straight each row is in the Vineyard.

I look at these rows and think of my life.  Where am I taking myself.  Am I putting thought into how I "prune" my vineyard each day by the little actions I am doing?  How am I keeping my life straight and in harmony with God's plan for me?

"Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.  Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name."  3 Nephi 18:18-19

Through prayer, God can help us see the areas that we need to work on and what we can do to have our lives more in harmony with His plan and purpose for us.  Those areas that we need to "prune."   God wants us to be happy and the things he teaches us to do and things that He asks us to do are to make us more happy in our life.  God knows it's hard, He understands our needs.  He wants us to return to Him.  When we turn to Him, He can show us the way to be with him again. 

Seeking for:

What are you seeking for in your life?  What are you trying to develop and strengthen.

Let's try a little scenario:

You are driving down the road and you are looking for an address.  There are many things to take into consideration.

1. What is their street number

2. What is their house number

3. Where on the house or curb is the number for their house

4. Do they look home

Now, once we have found the house, think of how excited you are that you found their home.  This is like searching for things that are of God.  We must look at what we searching for, where to find it, where to look, and then to go and see if it is worthy to be found.

  There are many things to search for and to seek after, but are they things that are worth while.  In the scriptures, it teaches us that we need to search for things of God.  Look at this picture below:

In the scriptures it teaches us, in Doctrine and Covenants 4, that we need to seek after the qualities that are around the edge of this paper, which are:

FAITH

VIRTUE

KNOWLEDGE

TEMPERANCE

PATIENCE

BROTHERLY KINDNESS

GODLINESS

DESIRE

LOVE

HOPE

DILIGENCE

HUMILITY

CHARITY

These are things that God has asked us to seek after.  They are things that He knows will bring us the most happiness.  I promise, if you sought them you would find the most joy that you can have in this life!

Easiness of the way

We have many situations and experiences in life.  Some of them are easy, some of them are hard.  But the scriptures are what give us guidance and a road map.  That is something that I have come to love and learn more about with the scriptures.  They have a straight and simple road map of those things that we need to do to be happy and successful in this life. 

In the Book of Mormon, a prophet by the name of Alma was teaching his son Helaman what he needs to do to receive life eternal. 

Alma 37:32-34
"...Teach them an everlasting hatred against sin and iniquity.  Preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart; teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.  Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls."

Sometimes we need to be careful of how easy this may sound.  We were driving the other day on the road and I was following my Garmin and wasn't paying attention because the "way had become easy" and I completely missed our street to turn down.  Now, if I was paying close attention and not allowing myself to be slothful, I would have made the right turn.  Alma also counsels his son to not be lazy with how repetitive and 'easy' the way can become.

Alma 47:46
"O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way...The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever."

As we read the scriptures and learn what we need to do to return to our Father in heaven, let us not become slothful or lazy with the importance of staying focused and striving to do each thing better each day!

For YOUR benefit

God is a God of love.  He loves each one of us and trust us to do the right thing in this life.  But what happens when we recognize that we have done something against God's commandments?  God still loves us.  God still wants us to turn to Him and repent and come unto Christ.  As we begin doing this, we will experience blessings again in our life.  We will begin to feel the love of God come more fully into our life.  We should never have to question why do I deserve God's blessing?  We do!  We do because he is a God of love.  When we do the things that He asks us to do, even when we have messed up, He blesses us because He loves us.

"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated-And when we obtain ANY BLESSING from God, it is by OBEDIENCE to that law upon which it is predicated."  D&C 130:20-21

When we are willing to do the things that God asks us to do, He has to bless us.  He willing pours out those blessings that have been set with that commandment that you followed.

God wants to help us and He allows things to happen that will benefit us.  As I read this scripture, I tried to liken this scripture to me.

"He doeth not anything save it be for the BENEFIT of the World [ME]; for he LOVETH the world [ME], even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men [ME] unto him.  Wherefore he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation."  2 Nephi 26:24

God loves each and every one of us.  He wants us to succeed and He is doing everything in His power to help us be successful.  Everyday is a new day.  Strive to be a  little taller, a little smarter, and a little more righteous and God WILL pour out the blessings upon you!