1st Post - Do You Have a Testimony?

A little while ago, I had an interesting conversation with a man. When talking about religion, the conversation went somewhat like, "do you really have a testimony?...... You can't really know that....... I've done all those things and it doesn't work......... It has never worked........ It's a bunch of hog wash really........" And finally, "let me tell you of all the things I've learned to show you how much you've been led astray." There was also other things said in the conversation and disagreeable observations he felt needed to be heard too.

http://thinkingaboutphilosophy.blogspot.com/2012/09/if-you-were-guaranteed-honest-response.html

This was how the conversation went with a friend I had at work. He once believed in the things I did, but no longer. He once was looking for answers to be answered about the history of our church and he felt like he wasn't getting them to his liking. He now believed what was being said and his questions where evolving into his own personal beliefs. He was giving up in questioning, and what was once just frustration, was now a new belief of feeling free and happy because he no longer felt like he had to feel guilty of feeling like he was a sinner. Because he did not get any answers to his investigations, he now believed they were questions nobody knew because it was proof that the church was hiding something sinister and false.

I knew of his questions because I had read what he read before in the past because I am a curious person by nature. I had learned of some of those same things many years ago and it caused me to have questions too. It left me feeling lost and confused, but later, I learned through prayer and fasting to give the Lord equal time to help me understand the things I read. The things this person had talked about where good questions, but I also knew if dwelt upon, the anger, confusion, and thoughts of others, would only add to more lack of understanding and more further questions and confusion that a person already has. It did with me and the path it lead to was not fun and I only shared those feelings with a few because I was afraid of the impact it would have in their lives.  Luckily the feelings he was feeling did not last as long for me as it does for some who have investigated similar things.

Finally, in my experience, I had come to a profound answer after praying and fasting.  It was in this answer to my questions that I tried to explain that the most important thing to finding answers to his questions wasn't in these books being read. It was in developing his own personal relationship with Christ. To really come to know Him. Not just know about Him, but to really know Him and recognize His voice until it became a familiar voice. It goes deeper than that, but I'll explain later. If one did this, questions and confusion would diminish as you would gain the answers and understanding from "HIM". If you wouldn't trust a stranger with your children, why would you trust your opinion to be developed by one more than turning to God through prayer? When talking to this person, he said he didn't even think he believed in Christ anymore fully. I tried to find hope as a topic to start upon and talk about fasting and prayer and reading good books as a start. He said he and his wife had done all those things and it didn't work. I expressed that it does work with the intent to explain how, but our conversation got interrupted by work and we were not able to finish our conversation anymore.

My heart really went out to him. He was a good man, and was trying to find himself and what was really real. He was now convinced that everything he once believed,  was now lies and the philosophies of man. I knew I could not help, only Christ could.

Regardless of all that, one question stuck in my mind that he asked and it was "how do YOU really know? You can't really know that." Even though I knew that I did, time was not in our favor and he did not seem to really truly care to know any longer at that time. At least that was the impression I got.


After some thought, I've decided to now answer that question to him and also to friends and family that have been going through this same struggle. I am LDS, Nicknamed Mormon, or best known and affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I don't think I'm better than others or worse. I know we are all here on earth trying to all do the best we all can for a better tomorrow and I wish nothing less than that from anyone. But regardless of all this, I felt like I should share some of my experiences I have had that convinces me the reality that Christ lives and how important it is to have a correct understanding of Him and a good relationship with Him. I am not your typical average person, and my experience is uniquely my own. But they are my experiences and I cannot wish them away or convince myself that they never happened. I will share some of those things in a series of posts so that you can get to better know what I really do know and hopefully establish a good conversation.