Unshakeable

“There is something interesting, almost paradoxical about this path you have chosen.  The only way for you to progress in your gospel adventure is to help others progress as well.” - Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I have shared my testimony of Joseph Smith and the First Vision with you many times before, but I am not sure if I’ve shared the way I received that testimony.  I chose to believe the Joseph Smith story from the time I first heard it.  I felt good about it when I did what James directed and asked for myself.  I prayed and felt it had to be true, but still my testimony wasn’t what I would have termed “unshakeable.”  I define an unshakeable testimony as one I would sacrifice everything to defend.  There is a lesson I learned in seminary from the Book of Mormon about Abinadi that never left me.  My teacher asked us if we would be able to suffer and burn to death like Abinadi rather than deny our testimony.  I wanted so badly to say yes, but I didn’t think I really could.  His question did plant a desire in my heart though.  I wanted that kind of testimony so I did what I was taught.  I read the Book of Mormon daily.  I prayed daily.  I went to church and seminary.  I did all the basics we were always talking about in church.  I definitely had a testimony, but the question from seminary still bothered me.  My fear of pain still outweighed my faith.  Fast forward a few years.  Mike and I were married and living in our first house.  There was a young lady about my age in the neighborhood who was interested in being taught by the missionaries.  They asked if they could teach her at our home.  I said yes, cleaned the house, and baked cookies.  That night, the missionaries taught her about Joseph Smith and the First Vision.  Afterwards, they invited all of us to get on our knees so that we could have a prayer together to ask Heavenly Father if what we had been discussing was true.  The missionaries asked me to say that prayer. I remember hoping so much that Heavenly Father would answer us so that this investigator could know the truth.  I don’t remember the words of my prayer.  I’m sure it wasn’t eloquent, but I remember the great desire I felt and I remember even more the burning I received inside of me after the prayer.  The feeling was so intense - truly like a fire was burning.  It was at that moment that I felt my testimony become unshakeable.  I knew that Joseph Smith was a prophet.  He saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  The Book of Mormon was true.  Those pesky little doubts I would sometimes have were completely burned out of me.  I often wondered why my answer came so much stronger when I asked that time.  Experience has answered that question for me.  I have felt that intensity of the Spirit more since then… almost always when I am trying to help others progress.  I have felt it while commenting in a Sunday School class, I have felt it when bearing my testimony in Sacrament Meeting, I have felt it when teaching lessons for my calling.  I have felt it when taking family names to the temple.  I so badly want for you to have unshakeable testimonies.  I want your faith to outweigh your fears.  I want it for you right now and so does Heavenly Father.  As you seek for personal revelation, minister, take on greater roles in callings, serve in more ways in the temple, and work to gather Israel on both sides of the veil, you WILL feel the fire, you WILL become unshakeable, and you WILL have joy.  The kind of indescribable joy that comes only from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He truly is the center of it all.