Do We Get It?

Dearest Friends & Family

I write to you today with many things on my mind, but I love each of you with all my heart and I shall write today and hope that what I share will help you in each of your individual lives. This week was an interesting one. We taught a man who recieved a witness that the Book of Mormon was true, yet he didn't come to church, that was a shame. In dwelling upon this thought I had several questions come to my mind. He knows it's true, why didn't he come? What on earth could hold him back from coming to church when he knows that the Book of Mormon is true?! I pondered this for a while. If the Book of Mormon is true, then the Church is true, then he needs to come to church, then the Authority has been restored, then he needs to be baptized again, then he can live with his father in heaven again, then he can take the sacrament and be cleansed through the Holy Ghost, then he needs to have a church calling, then he can magnify his calling and be blessed even more, then he needs to get a patriarchal blessing, then he can know that his father in heaven has a plan so specific to his life and wants to help him ever step of the way, then he needs to go to the temple and be sealed for time and all eternity, then he can be with his family forever.... Doesn't he get it?

He Must not.

Do We Get It?

Alma spoke in Alma 4:19 of a desire to reclaim his people. He states that the only way in which he knew to reclaim his people was to "Bear down in pure testimony against them". I've thought about his alot. I've pondered over the meaning of this phrase quite alot. Because I want to reclaim souls. I want to bring about a mighty change in people, so it is very important to me to understand how and in what manner I would bear down in pure testimony against someone.

I have yet to come to an entire conclusion, but I know that a pure testimony would have to be one in which there was no dilution of doctrine, neither false doctrine, nor personal opinions, or philosphies. It would have to be one of pure truth. A pure testimony could not be born amidst railing accusations or uncontrolled emotion. One who bore a pure testimony would have to have had a first-hand experience with the doctrine which they were bearing witness to.

In Alma 5 is an excellent example of this.

"And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have you spiritually been born of God? Have you received his image in your countenances? Have you experienced this mighty change in your hearts?"

"Do you exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?"

"I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?"

Most of us who know what is in Alma 5 don't like reading Alma 5, because it's sort of like a spiritual punch to the face. Most of us don't enjoy that. Yet Alma was/is merely bearing witness to that which he has come to know to be true. He is asking questions which he has asked himself. He is teaching what he has learned.

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

-Elder Stephen C Beacham