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In yesterday’s email my young Padawan who is a missionary told me he is trying to eliminate “I know” from his testimony bearing. He explained a little bit of why and I affirmed that I don’t use the term either and shared that sometimes in place of it I say “I believe” or “I hope.” and sometimes “It is my testimony that….” I also tried to briefly explain how I use what I call “statement testimony” in phrases like “God loves us” or “Jesus lives.” Those are a bit harder to explain out of context. Anyway, I told him I’d respond further in next week’s email and I got thinking about the subject. I’m looking for input. How do you bear testimony without using the “I know” phrase? “It’s been my experience that ….” “I realized the other day ….”
“While I was reading I”
“I have found for me.”
“I have a firm conviction/belief that Service or Loving Others is the key to “
In the exact same way I would if I used “I know” – but I also feel comfortable saying “I know” about some things, especially Gospel principles like love, service, compassion, mercy, humility, diversity, etc. I did it last Sunday. I think a testimony can simply be a story. I told how the BoM altered my thinking entirely about how I live my life with the scripture on how men are that they might have joy. That following that counsel — of making potential joy production the filter through which everything passes — what to keep and throw away in my personal belongings, to where to commit my time. And that I have been happier in the last three years than ever before by following that filtration method. I didn’t say “I know it’s true”. I don’t know for sure it is anymore. I think parts of it are brilliant and worthy of living my life by. And so that is my testimony.
In stayingLDS, I think it’s powerful to constantly recognize the good in our religion. This is where common ground exists, and makes us capable of testifying about it.
But I found I could only do this after I liberated myself from conventional Mormonism. I had to find my own place in the world, and put the LDS Church in a place where it could enhance my life’s happiness, not detract from it. Only then did I feel I could “testify” about aspects of it.
SilentDawning wrote:In stayingLDS, I think it’s powerful to constantly recognize the good in our religion. This is where common ground exists, and makes us capable of testifying about it.
Good point.SD – This needs to be a tag line somewhere. Quote:In stayingLDS, I think it’s powerful to constantly recognize the good in our religion. This is where common ground exists, and makes us capable of testifying about it.
“I know” was eliminated from my testimony years ago. Instead I focus on positive aspects of the church and gospel.
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