Book of Mormon Testimony

August 15, 2012

My testimony of the Book of Mormon

Hey Everyone-

My name is Elder David Stevens. I am currently serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as the Mormons. I would like to take this opportunity to share my testimony to all of you of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.

I have been a member of the Church my whole life. Going to church every Sunday, participating in activities, and reading the doctrine of the Church, but it wasn’t until I came on my mission, stepping away from all those people and things that had been a support to my testimony as a kid, that I truly found MY testimony.

All my life I had been hearing of peoples testimonies; where they read the Book of Mormon, pray about it, and then have an experience happen to them that is a witness to the of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. At first I thought that’s how it should be for me. Well, I can’t say that’s how it was for me… My story goes something like this:

I began again to read the Book of Mormon my first week in the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, with a goal of reading the whole thing before I left the MTC for Samoa. I didn’t meet my goal, but was diligent in making sure I did read every day until I finished it. I found that losing myself in reading made it easier to overcome my sporadic moments of homesickness. When I finished reading the Book of Mormon, I already knew the next step I needed to take was to “ask God, the Eternal Father in the name of Christ if these things were true” (Moroni 10:3-5). I knew that I needed to give Him the opportunity to make the truth of it known unto me. I sat there with the thoughts of the things in the Book running through my mind, trying to decide what it was that I needed a witness of at that time in my life. Later that night, I waited for my companion to go to sleep (so that I was as alone as I am allowed to be on my mission) and then knelt down at the side of my bed and poured out my heart to my Father in Heaven.

I didn’t’ receive a direct answer to my prayer, but I did receive an answer. After I finished the Book of Mormon, I began reading other books from the Church, and there was just something missing from my life at that time and I couldn’t figure out what it was, until one night I was just overwhelmed with homesickness. I turned through the pages of the Book of Mormon, reading and rereading scriptures reminding me that I am a child of God and that He loves all of us and will help us through anything if we just let Him. I remember being so comforted and so warm inside that I was truly filled with peace and felt for just a moment like my Heavenly Father was giving me a much needed spiritual hug.

The next morning during my personal studies, I was reading the introduction to the Book of Mormon and came across the quote from Joseph Smith that says; “The Book of Mormon is the most correct book on earth… and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts than any other book” (Introduction to the Book of Mormon). I knew right then that is what I had experienced the night before. I had found the answer to my prayers through the pure peace and love of God, and I can’t deny it! Any time I don’t read for a while, my heart just aches. And every time I read or share testimony of it, my heart burns and feels like it’s ready to explode!

I know and bear testimony to all of you of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. It is the word of God and is meant for the people in our day. It contains the fullness of the gospel and the promise of Eternal Life, if we just live the commandments of God. I know that any person who reads this book with an open heart and mind, looking to know the truth, will received an answer. I can promise you that miracles do still happen all around us every day! And most of all, I promise you that we have a Father in Heaven who loves every last one of us and is waiting for us to come unto Him and receive eternal life. I know He gave His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to take away the sins of the world, that we might become clean to live in His presence once again. I know this Church is the one true church on this earth today and that prophets still lead and guide us in these latter days. I, as a missionary of His church, invite you to read the Book of Mormon and pray to our Heavenly Father that you may also receive the fullness and the blessings of his restored Gospel. May God bless you as you seek for the truth.

In the name of his Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Amen

Elder David B. Stevens

Additional Resources:

Basic Mormon Beliefs and Real Mormons

The Book of Mormon (Another Testament of Jesus Christ)

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