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Here is the outline of my talk yesterday. It was very well received. I added my commentary to each numbered element. If you have any questions about any element, let me know.
Testimony and Conversion1) “Testimony” means “witness” – which means something seen or experienced, felt or believed, certain or hoped. It does NOT mean “known intellectually”. (Use court room example, then examples of spiritual witnesses: in church, in nature, in the temple, burning in the bosom, great peace or calm or love, sudden clarity, stroke of pure intelligence, etc.) Some people never have experiences they feel comfortable saying they can accept as proof of things others feel they know. Given this disparity of experience, I love the following verses:
2) D&C 46: 13-14 –
Quote:“To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world. To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful.”
3)
Quote:“The CofJCofLDS is a place for people with all kinds of testimonies. There are some members of the church whose testimonies are sure and burn brightly within them. Others are still striving to know for themselves. The church is a home for all to come together, regardless of the depth or the height of their testimonies. I know of no sign on the door of our meeting houses that says, “Your testimony must be this tall to enter.” – Pres. Uchtdorf, October 2014 General Conference (Receiving a Testimony of Light and Truth)
Brothers and sisters, how true that is here in our ward depends on us and how completely we accept it.4) James 1:22 –
Quote:“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.”
5)
Quote:“In contrast to the organizations of the world, which teach us to know something, the Gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.” – Elder Oaks, October 2000 General Conference (The Challenge to Become)
6) “I Am a Child of God” – The wording was changed from, “Teach me all that I must know,” to, “Teach me all that I must do.” I would love to see it changed once more, this time to, “Teach me all that I must BE.” (I am adding nibbler
s suggestion to this outline: “Teach me all that I CAN be.”)
7) “Conversion” means “change” – as does “repent”. Thus, one repents (acts / does) in order to become converted (be). In other words, one changes in order to become changed – or to be born and raised and grown up again – or to become a new creature in Christ – or to become Christ-like.
Discuss reactive repentance and proactive repentance. (For reference here, the following is a lesson outline from my Sunday School class last summer that dealt with reactive and proactive repentance: http://thingsofmysoul.blogspot.com/2014 … ament.html)9)
Quote:“Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair.” – Gilbert Chesterton
Old-Timer wrote:6) “I Am a Child of God” – The wording was changed from, “Teach me all that I must know,” to, “Teach me all that I must do.” I would love to see it changed once more, this time to, “Teach me all that I must BE.”
Love this. I’m swiping it for FHE because we’ve already got our-family-only lyrics to several songs….
Once again, thanks for sharing Ray. Sorry I missed it – my SM talks were less than spectacular (although I’m sure some people like them – the topic was temples). I think I would have liked your better. I’d love the hymn to change once more. Teach me all that I
canbe. That word “must” rubs me wrong.
nibbler wrote:I’d love the hymn to change once more.
Teach me all that I
canbe. That word “must” rubs me wrong.
Double like!!:thumbup: :thumbup: Beautiful. Now I am humming the updated I am a Child of God. I love that, nibbles. Thanks!!
🙂 Thanks all. That’s what I always sing when we sing that hymn. The first few times weren’t even intentional, I just misread as I was singing but ended up liking it.
I got a neat email from a sister in the ward thanking me for my talk. She said she has struggled for a long time because she doesn’t have a “classic testimony” based on a burning in the bosom and that she wasn’t going to go to church on Sunday. She woke up feeling like she didn’t want to hear again about how deficient her testimony is. She said that when I mentioned I don’t get a classic burning in the bosom and that some people experience God in different ways it was profoundly healing for her.
That’s one reason I attend church – not the only reason, but certainly one reason. I can help people when I quit worrying about what other people think and approach my orthoprax heterodoxy with humility, meekness, charity and no expectations. People need to know I can be myself and still be happily active – that there is a place for the saxophones in the LDS orchestra.
It’s always great when you get positive feedback like that, Ray. We never know how many people like this good sister are sitting there – and how many aren’t because they feel they don’t belong because they haven’t had those experiences. Besides, in addition to the saxophones (and for those who don’t realize, the saxophone is not part of a standard/classic orchestra) we can always use more cowbell!
Old-Timer wrote:I got a neat email from a sister in the ward thanking me for my talk. She said she has struggled for a long time because she doesn’t have a “classic testimony” based on a burning in the bosom and that she wasn’t going to go to church on Sunday. She woke up feeling like she didn’t want to hear again about how deficient her testimony is.
She said that when I mentioned I don’t get a classic burning in the bosom and that some people experience God in different ways it was profoundly healing for her.
That’s one reason I attend church – not the only reason, but certainly one reason. I can help people when I quit worrying about what other people think and approach my orthoprax heterodoxy with humility, meekness, charity and no expectations. People need to know I can be myself and still be happily active – that there is a place for the saxophones in the LDS orchestra.
Thanks for sharing Ray! Most excellent, I wish I could have been there.
It is one reason I keep attending as well. You never know who needs to hear that they can just be themselves and its Ok.
I find it so interesting that almost every time I share a different view like that, or am in a meeting where it is shared, there are ALWAYS these kinds of responses…the silent sufferers who appreciate being given permission to be who they are. Heber13 wrote:I find it so interesting that almost every time I share a different view like that, or am in a meeting where it is shared, there are ALWAYS these kinds of responses…the silent sufferers who appreciate being given permission to be who they are.
In the quiet heart is hidden sorrows that the eye can’t see.
Quote:In the quiet heart is hidden sorrows that the eye can’t see.
One of my favorite lines from one of my favorite hymns – largely because it is true of SO many people.
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