My prayer today is that someone here today will be able to take a piece of my talk and feel uplifted or have their testimony strength. “Truth is knowledge of things as they are, were, and will be. It does not change with conditions or time. Truth is the same in every age and culture. God is the source of all truth” (gospel pg. 75).The truth is what God wants us to know. He reveals truth through prophets, apostles, scriptures, and personal revelation. Prophets are called and chosen by god and through the Holy Ghost, God reveals his truths, in which the prophet reveals truths unto us. Apostles and prophets direct the church by revelation. Joseph Smith was the first prophet called in this last dispensation.
Through Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost, Joseph Smith restored the true gospel of Jesus Christ, and when I say true gospel I mean by true authority and true doctrine both were revealed from God. Joseph Smith saw God the father and his son Jesus Christ. In Joseph Smith History 1:16-17, “I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me… When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
“Joseph Smith knew that no enemy then present or in the future would have sufficient power to frustrate or stop the purposes of God. We are all familiar with his prophetic words: ‘ “The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing’ persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done”’ (history of the church, 4:540 & Ensign).
The Church started with only a few members. In 1830, there were 597 missionaries called and the United States, Canada, and Great Britain were open to preach the gospel. And over 15,000 converts were baptized into the church. Over the years the church grew and more missionaries went out and more places around the world were open to hear the gospel. Fast Forward a little bit… and now there are 13 million members and the church currently operates over 350 missions in 162 nations, where more than 53,000 missionaries serving right now (got information from ensign and LDS online source).
In the 2008 November Ensign, Elder M. Russell Ballard proceeded to talk about how the work of the Lord will move on until it is finished. Here are a few quotes I would love to share with you.
“God has spoken through His prophet and announced to the world that “the Standard of Truth has been erected” and that “no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing.” That is undeniably and indisputably true. We have seen it for ourselves, in decade after decade, from the time of the Prophet Joseph Smith to the time of President Thomas S. Monson. Persecutions have raged. Calumny and lies and misrepresentation have attempted to defame. But in every decade from the time of the Restoration forward, the truth of God has gone “forth boldly, nobly, and independent.”
“we are all needed to finish the work that was begun by those pioneering saints over 175 years ago and carried out through the subsequent decades by faithful saints of every generation. We need to believe as they believed. We need to work as they worked. We need to serve as they served. And we need to overcome as they overcame.”
“This is not to suggest that our challenges today are more severe than the challenges faced by those who have gone before us. They are just different. The Lord isn’t asking us to load up a handcart; He’s asking us to fortify our faith. He isn’t asking us to walk across a continent; He’s asking us to walk across the street to visit our neighbor. He isn’t asking us to give all of our worldly possessions to build a temple; He’s asking us to give of our means and our time despite the pressures of modern living to continue to build temples and then to attend regularly the temples already built. He isn’t asking us to die a martyr’s death; He’s asking us to live a disciple’s life.”
He also went on to say, “This is a great time to live, brothers and sisters, and it is up to us to carry on the rich tradition of devoted commitment that has been the hallmark of previous generations of Latter-day Saints. This is not a time for the spiritually faint of heart. We cannot afford to be superficially righteous. Our testimonies must run deep, with spiritual roots firmly embedded in the rock of revelation. And we must continue to move the work forward as a covenanted, consecrated people, with faith in every footstep, “till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”
Testify- I know that God wants us to know the truth and one way we can see his truth spreading is through missionary work. Each of us are missionaries and we are all called to help finish H.F. work. I know that if we just make an effort to sharing the gospel you might be surprised to how many would love to hear the truth.
As many of you know, I will be leaving on August 18th to serve a mission in the Guatemala, Guatemala City South mission. I am nervous and very excited. I have been waiting to serve a mission for quite awhile now and now I get the opportunity of a lifetime. I was talking to a good friend of mine a couple nights ago, he told me the reason he served a mission was not because it was something he believe was true, but something he knew was true. Brother and Sister, this is what I know to be true. I know this gospel is true because I have felt it in my heart and in my mind. I know that the “truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent… till all the purposes of God are accomplished” (history of the church 4:540). I am just one voice out of the many missionaries who have served and are serving. I am not perfect. If I have ever hurt or offended any of you, I want you to know I am truly sorry. I love you all. You are all amazing people and I am so lucky to be surrounded by such loving people. Thank you to each and every one of you. To my grandparents, thank you. To my parents, thank you. To my siblings, thank you and to all my friends thank you. I wouldn’t be where I am right now if it weren’t for you.
- Testimony –
I know God is the source of all truth. I know God wants us to know the truth and through that he gives us apostles and prophets. I know Joseph Smith was the first prophet in this last dispensation. He saw God the father and his son Jesus Christ. I know that Joseph Smith restored the gospel to this earth through the power of God and the Holy Ghost. I know that the “truth of God will go forth until it has visited ever continent and sounded in every ear” (history of the church 4:540). The work will and must move on. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Works Cited:
Preach My Gospel. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2004.
Ballard, Elder M. Russell. "The Truth of God Shall Go Forth". Ensign November 2008:
Pearl of Great Price. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981.
*Note, I didn’t have time to make all the corrections and site all my sources, but the books and the article in the ensign are what was used above to help me with my talk.
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