What is truth? Is there a God, isn’t there? What is a testimony? How do we gain this knowledge? Who or where do we turn to for answers?
Truth
According to Merriam-Webster is the real facts about something: the things that are true; the quality or state of being true; a statement or idea that is true or accepted as true.
Is there a God?
There has always been a God-this is true whether one believes in Him or not but depending on who you ask you can obtain a variety of answers to this simple yet complex question. For me the answer wasn’t always easy to express, at least not aloud. I had always wondered if there really was a God. It’s not that I thought there wasn’t , I just wasn’t sure. My faith when I was younger and in into my early 30’s was that I knew very little about God or Jesus and understood even less when it came to religion and which one was right but I guarded my beliefs (whatever they were then) just the same. I knew in my heart that He must be real but had no idea how to gain this truth for myself. I didn’t gain that truth until I was 35 years old.
Testimony
According to Merriam-Webster is something that someone says especially in a court of law while formally promising to tell the truth; proof or evidence that something exists or is true. For the purpose of this post I am going to use testimony as proof or evidence that something exists or is true. In relation to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints a testimony is a personal witness to the individual. A gift we receive from the Holy Ghost, that the things we learn and are taught pertaining to the gospel, Jesus Christ, God or Heavenly Father as He is known to us, His plan for us, the scriptures (The Holy Bible, The Book of Mormon, & Doctrine and Covenants), etc, are true. John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. A testimony is ones spiritual knowledge.
How do we gain knowledge?
There are many ways in which we each gain knowledge for many it is gained through diligence in learning and obedience and also by making mistakes. 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
There are people in this world that have a way of picking at and tearing down things they don’t fully understand, this can be hard for those who may believe in something they aren’t fully sure of. There are also people who have their own point of view or opinion and for them it is fact and in expressing that to someone whose beliefs are uncertain can be hard to take and even harder when asked to defend the very thing they know very little about. One can unknowingly tear a persons beliefs to shreds as they firmly or even plainly express how they perceive Him and His existence.
Who or where do we go for answers?
It took me a very long time to discovery the answer to this question, at least as far as religion is concerned. In discovering the answer to this I was forced to see that the God I wasn’t always certain of had always been very aware of me. It was in looking back at details of my past that I realized there were subtle ways He was trying to help me come to the truth of His reality. Long story short the best way to receive truth is to seek out the missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. If you aren’t yet ready to speak with anyone please visit www.ChurchofJesusChrist.org where you can type in your questions and find the answers you are looking for.
