Sunday, September 23, 2018

Testimony versus Conversion

This is a talk by Daniel Quillen of our Jinan Twig in the CCID Branch given in Sacrament meeting September 16.


Converted Unto the Lord
Sacrament Meeting Talk
Central China International Branch
September 16, 2018

One of my favorite passages of scripture is found in Matthew 16:15-17.  The setting was Caesarea Phillipi. Nearly twenty years ago, Bonita and I were fortunate enough to be able to go to Caesarea Phillipi.  The day we were there was hot, dry and dusty, much as it probably was when our Savior stopped there to speak with His disciples 2,000 years before.
In my mind’s eye, I can see him, resting in the shade of one of the many fig trees in the area, its broad leaves providing him and his disciples a bit of a break from the hot sun.
Here it was that he asked his disciples who the crowds thought he was. They responded that some thought he was John the Baptist, others Elias, or Jeremias or one of the other prophets.
But then the Savior got right to the point of the matter when he asked, “But whom say ye that I am?”
Peter did not hesitate, and boldly answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
The Savior complimented Simon Peter on the revelation he had received from the Father and he acknowledged his testimony.
In October conference 2012, Elder David A. Bednar began his address with the passage we have just been discussing, and then shared his thoughts about testimonies and their relationship to conversion.
After sharing the Savior’s exchange with Peter, Elder Bednar said:
…a testimony is a personal knowledge of a spiritual truth by revelation.  A testimony is available to all of His children.  Any honest seeker of truth can obtain a testimony…
He continued by saying:
Seeking for and obtaining a testimony of spiritual truth requires asking, seeking, and knocking with a sincere heart, real intent, and faith in the Savior. 
Later in his talk, Elder Bednar moved from the topic of testimony to the topic of conversion.  He compared and contrasted them.  He said:
The essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ entails a fundamental and permanent change in our very nature made possible through the Savior’s Atonement. True conversion brings a change in one’s beliefs, heart, and life to accept and conform to the will of God and includes a conscious commitment to become a disciple of Christ.
Conversion is an enlarging, a deepening, and a broadening of the undergirding base of testimony. It is the result of revelation from God, accompanied by individual repentance, obedience, and diligence. Any honest seeker of truth can become converted by experiencing the mighty change of heart and being spiritually born of God.
Let me share a portion of his definition of conversion again:
Conversion is an enlarging, a deepening, and a broadening of the undergirding base of testimony.
To gain a testimony, we must ask, seek, and knock with a sincere heart, real intent, and faith in the Savior, and then we will receive a testimony.
And Elder Bednar added:
Conversion is an offering of self, of love, and of loyalty we give to God in gratitude for the gift of testimony.
Elder Bednar sums up the differences between testimony and conversion by saying:
Knowing by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ is important and necessary. But earnestly coming unto Him and giving our whole souls as an offering requires much more than merely knowing. Conversion requires all of our heart, all of our might, and all of our mind and strength.
If you are like me, conversion to the Lord and His work wasn’t a one-time, earth-shaking event, such as what happened to Alma and the sons of Mosiah. But rather it has been a process of line upon line, precept upon precept.  Elder Bednar says our progress toward conversion will be gradual and “…almost imperceptibly, our motives, our thoughts, our words, and our deeds become aligned with the will of God. Conversion unto the Lord requires both persistence and patience.”
Again, comparing and contrasting testimony and conversion, Elder Bednar said a few things that at least on their surface may seem rather startling:
Testimony is the beginning of and a prerequisite to continuing conversion. Testimony is a point of departure; it is not an ultimate destination. Strong testimony is the foundation upon which conversion is established.
Now listen to this:
Testimony alone is not and will not be enough to protect us in the latter-day storm of darkness and evil in which we are living. Testimony is important and necessary but not sufficient to provide the spiritual strength and protection we need.
At this point, I’d like to share a personal and rather painful example of the need for conversion and not just the need for a testimony.
Our son Andrew was an obedient child.  In fact, along with an older sister who he was very much like, he was the most obedient of all our children.  We never had to worry that Andrew would do the right thing in any situation in which he found himself.
He attended early-morning seminary, never complained about going to Church, loved the Lord and served a mission.
Andrew had a testimony.  But because of his obedience and his testimony, it never occurred to us that he wasn’t converted.
But after his mission, he married a lovely, God-fearing young woman who is not of our faith.  They attend and are active in her Church.  They have a wonderful, Christ-centered home and they love and serve the Lord.  However, they do not have the blessings of the restored gospel in their home.  They are not sealed together as a family for eternity.  And unless their hearts change, their wonderful children will never know the joys of serving a mission or being married in the temple for time and all eternity.
It is enough to make a father and grandfather very sad.
And how our Father in Heaven must be saddened when he sees so many children of his kingdom walking a precarious path, armed only with a testimony, but lacking the stronger and necessary protection that conversion brings!
Elder Bednar concluded his talk with an interpretation of the parable of the Ten Virgins.  You all know the parable – there were ten virgins, five of which were wise and five of which were unwise.  Together they learned of the coming of the bridegroom.  Elder Bednar then says:
Please think of the lamps used by the virgins as the lamps of testimony. The foolish virgins took their lamps of testimony but took no oil with them. Consider the oil to be the oil of conversion.
And then Elder Bednar slightly modified the parable to make his point:
“But the wise took oil [of conversion] in their vessels with their lamps [of testimony].
“While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
“And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
“Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps [of testimony].
“And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil [even the oil of conversion]; for our lamps [of testimony are weak and] are gone out.
“But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves” (Matthew 25:4–9).
Were the five wise virgins selfish and unwilling to share, or were they indicating correctly that the oil of conversion cannot be borrowed? Can the spiritual strength that results from consistent obedience to the commandments be given to another person? Can the knowledge obtained through diligent study and pondering of the scriptures be conveyed to one who is in need? The clear answer to each of these questions is no.
As the wise virgins emphasized properly, each of us must “buy for ourselves.” These inspired women were not describing a business transaction; rather, they were emphasizing our individual responsibility to keep our lamp of testimony burning and to obtain an ample supply of the oil of conversion. This precious oil is acquired one drop at a time—“line upon line [and] precept upon precept,” patiently and persistently. No shortcut is available; no last-minute flurry of preparation is possible.
Let me shift gears a bit now.
What were you doing at 5:58pm Christmas Day, 2004?
         -- Eating?
         -- spending time with family?
         -- enjoying some new doodad or other
         -- Perhaps you were having a family home evening
At 5:58:53pm, Mountain Daylight time, December 25, 2004, (which would have been 7:58:53am on December 26 in this part of the world) --  a massive earthquake, measuring 9.1 on the Richter scale – second highest ever recorded -- struck in the ocean 100 miles off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.  The earthquake lasted almost 10 minutes.  Its effects were felt around the world – it is said that it caused the entire planet to vibrate at least one half inch.
It spawned numerous tsunamis – killing over one quarter of a million people.  Waves over 100 feet tall (about ten stories) hit seaside villages, destroying them and killing virtually everything in their path.
How is it, then, that an entire village near the epicenter of the earthquake, lost not one single soul – even though their village was completely destroyed?
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared the following information during a talk in general conference ten months after the tsunami hit this part of the world:
The Moken people live in villages on islands off the coast of Thailand and Burma (Myanmar). A society of fishermen, their lives depend on the sea. For hundreds and perhaps thousands of years, their ancestors have studied the ocean, and they have passed their knowledge down from father to son.
One thing in particular they were careful to teach was what to do when the ocean receded. According to their traditions, when that happened, the "Laboon"—a wave that eats people—would arrive soon after.
When the elders of the village saw the dreaded signs, they shouted to everyone to run to high ground.
Not everyone listened.
One elderly fisherman said, "None of the kids believed me." In fact, his own daughter called him a liar. But the old fisherman would not relent until all had left the village and climbed to higher ground.1
The Moken people were fortunate in that they had someone with conviction who warned them of what would follow. The villagers were fortunate because they listened. Had they not, they may have perished.
Like the Moken people who were wise enough to listen to those who were warning them of difficult times to come, we, too, have someone with conviction who warns us of impending danger, who is counseling us to be prepared.
We have heard from Elder Bednar that:
Testimony alone is not and will not be enough to protect us in the latter-day storm of darkness and evil in which we are living. Testimony is important and necessary but not sufficient to provide the spiritual strength and protection we need.
I want to share another warning voice I hope we all heard just five months’ ago.  Earlier during this meeting, you heard my wife Bonita share important counsel from our Prophet, Russell M. Nelson, as he taught members of the Church how to receive personal revelation.
I will pick up just a paragraph or two after the information she shared from President Nelson:
One of the things the Spirit has repeatedly impressed upon my mind…
 (Time to sit up and take notice when the Prophet says something like that!)
since my new calling as President of the Church is how willing the Lord is to reveal His mind and will. The privilege of receiving revelation is one of the greatest gifts of God to His children….
I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation,…”
To be sure, there may be times when you feel as though the heavens are closed. But I promise that as you continue to be obedient, expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord’s timetable, you will be given the knowledge and understanding you seek. Every blessing the Lord has for you—even miracles—will follow. That is what personal revelation will do for you.
Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.
My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation. 
The Moken people heard wise and life-saving counsel from the Elders of their village.  And we, too, have heard wise and life-saving Counsel from the Elders of our Church.
Elder Bednar warned us that:
Testimony alone is not and will not be enough to protect us in the latter-day storm of darkness and evil in which we are living. Testimony is important and necessary but not sufficient to provide the spiritual strength and protection we need.
And did you hear the strength of the words President Nelson used in his closing paragraphs of his talk?
It was impressed upon his mind that the Lord was willing to reveal his mind and will to us
He urged us…( I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation,…”)
He pleaded with us… I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation. 
He promised us…( I promise that as you continue to be obedient, expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord’s timetable, you will be given the knowledge and understanding you seek.)
And he told us straight out that without the guidance, direction, comforting and constant influence of the Holy Ghost, we will not survive spiritually!
It feels like if the Savior was here, he would say, “Those who have ears to hear, let him hear!”
Brothers and Sisters, we sustain these men as prophets, seers and revelators.  Following their counsel immediately may be as important to us as boarding the ark was in Noah’s day.
Testimony

Ø  Importance of conversion
Ø  Importance of revelation
Ø  Heeding the words of those whom we sustain as Prophets, Seers and revelators