| Testimonies of Jesus |
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My testimony of Christ has been a growing one. I was raised in a goodly family and taught of
Jesus and the gospel from an early age. I remember at the time I was contemplating baptism
feeling an outpouring of the Lord's Spirit. At that time I knew God loved me and it was His will
for me to be baptized. I was not being baptized because it was what my parent's wanted but
rather because I felt the impress of the Lord to do this.
I recall experiences at youth camps as a teen again feeling the overwhelming Spirit of the
Lord's presence. At that time I knew God loved me and I was able to feel a tremendous love for
everyone. During this experience I was not able to feel any ill towards anyone, only compassion.
During my college years as I became concerned with what I was learning about some church
leaders and began wondering about my beliefs the Spirit spoke to my mind with a simple
question, who do you worship? As I quickly said in my mind, I worship Jesus Christ, I
understood what was important was Jesus, not what any man or woman might do or have done.
One of the summers of my college years I was on guide service at the Kirtland Temple. Through
one of the experiences that summer I came to a new understanding of the two greatest
commandments:
And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that
he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus
answered him, The first of all the commandments is; Hearken, and hear, O Israel; The Lord our
God is one Lord; And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,
and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first commandment. And the second is
like this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater
than these. - Mark 12:33-36
The understanding I received was these more than the most important commandments, they
were the essence of all the commandments. If these two were kept others would not be
needed because they would be obeyed naturally because of love.
My testimony has continued to grow and mature. As a young person I understood Jesus was my
Savior, but still did not fully understand what His atonement meant. As I continued to grow in
understanding from the reading the New Testament and the Book of Mormon I began to
understand that Jesus' atonement for mankind on the cross was also personal for me. I began
to understand that Jesus died for my sins. I was also responsible for His death on the cross.
This was painful to think about but I also understood He did it because of His love for me, the
same love He has for each person. This love I had felt from a very early age and the Lord has
blessed me with many experiences to increase my understanding on it. The realization I had
come to now was how great a love Jesus had for me. The challenge from this understanding is
now am I willing to work on learning to love the way Jesus loves and follow the great
commandments.
A recent hymn written by Keith Getty & Stuart Townsend has touched my soul and expresses far
more articulately then I was able to my feelings and understanding of my hope in Jesus.
Jesus and the gospel from an early age. I remember at the time I was contemplating baptism
feeling an outpouring of the Lord's Spirit. At that time I knew God loved me and it was His will
for me to be baptized. I was not being baptized because it was what my parent's wanted but
rather because I felt the impress of the Lord to do this.
I recall experiences at youth camps as a teen again feeling the overwhelming Spirit of the
Lord's presence. At that time I knew God loved me and I was able to feel a tremendous love for
everyone. During this experience I was not able to feel any ill towards anyone, only compassion.
During my college years as I became concerned with what I was learning about some church
leaders and began wondering about my beliefs the Spirit spoke to my mind with a simple
question, who do you worship? As I quickly said in my mind, I worship Jesus Christ, I
understood what was important was Jesus, not what any man or woman might do or have done.
One of the summers of my college years I was on guide service at the Kirtland Temple. Through
one of the experiences that summer I came to a new understanding of the two greatest
commandments:
And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that
he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus
answered him, The first of all the commandments is; Hearken, and hear, O Israel; The Lord our
God is one Lord; And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,
and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first commandment. And the second is
like this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater
than these. - Mark 12:33-36
The understanding I received was these more than the most important commandments, they
were the essence of all the commandments. If these two were kept others would not be
needed because they would be obeyed naturally because of love.
My testimony has continued to grow and mature. As a young person I understood Jesus was my
Savior, but still did not fully understand what His atonement meant. As I continued to grow in
understanding from the reading the New Testament and the Book of Mormon I began to
understand that Jesus' atonement for mankind on the cross was also personal for me. I began
to understand that Jesus died for my sins. I was also responsible for His death on the cross.
This was painful to think about but I also understood He did it because of His love for me, the
same love He has for each person. This love I had felt from a very early age and the Lord has
blessed me with many experiences to increase my understanding on it. The realization I had
come to now was how great a love Jesus had for me. The challenge from this understanding is
now am I willing to work on learning to love the way Jesus loves and follow the great
commandments.
A recent hymn written by Keith Getty & Stuart Townsend has touched my soul and expresses far
more articulately then I was able to my feelings and understanding of my hope in Jesus.
| In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song; This Cornerstone, this solid Ground, Firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease! My Comforter, my All in All, here in the love of Christ I stand. In Christ alone! who took on flesh Fullness of God in helpless babe! This gift of love and righteousness Scorned by the ones he came to save: Till on that cross as Jesus died, The wrath of God was satisfied – For every sin on Him was laid; Here in the death of Christ I live. There in the ground His body lay Light of the world by darkness slain: Then bursting forth in glorious Day Up from the grave he rose again! And as He stands in victory Sin's curse has lost its grip on me, For I am His and He is mine - Bought with the precious blood of Christ. No guilt in life, no fear in death, This is the power of Christ in me; From life's first cry to final breath. Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell, no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His hand; Till He returns or calls me home, Here in the power of Christ I'll stand. |
