We haven't finished watching all of General Conference yet, but we are watching bits and pieces as time allows.
For our family home evening yesterday we watched a snippet of Elder Holland's talk. Wow!
I loved the way he spoke with such passion and confidence. The talk really makes one think. Being a convert to the church, there were things that I had to really pray about for guidance and for confirmation of its truth. Gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon is one of those things I had to really pray about. I have tried to read it for a year and a half now, but I haven't quite got through it. However, when I do sit down to read (or listen on the computer) I can feel its truth in ways I've never experienced.
While folding laundry a couple months ago, I was listening to the audio files of the Book of Mormon. I was listening to the part of King Benjamin's speech. Suddenly I was just hit by this feeling...or a mix of many feelings - sudden truth, happiness..I can't really put it into words. Billy said later when I told him that it was the feelings of a broken heart and contrite spirit. I was moved to tears standing there folding laundry and listening to King Benjamin's speech...and I can't even say why or what exactly he was saying at the time that caused me to be touched so much...it was just a sudden burst of feelings and emotions.
Back to Elder Holland's talk...I loved all of it, but some of my favorite quotes was the one he quoted from his grandfather: “No wicked man could write such a book as this; and no good man would write it, unless it were true and he were commanded of God to do so.”
But the most convincing part of his talk was about when Joseph Smith and his brother were in jail and about to be executed. This is what Elder Holland said about that:
"Never mind that their wives are about to be widows and their children fatherless. Never mind that their little band of followers will yet be “houseless, friendless and homeless” and that their children will leave footprints of blood across frozen rivers and an untamed prairie floor.9 Never mind that legions will die and other legions live declaring in the four quarters of this earth that they know the Book of Mormon and the Church which espouses it to be true. Disregard all of that, and tell me whether in this hour of death these two men would enter the presence of their Eternal Judge quoting from and finding solace in a book which, if not the very word of God, would brand them as imposters and charlatans until the end of time? They would not do that! They were willing to die rather than deny the divine origin and the eternal truthfulness of the Book of Mormon."
Anyway, I just had to share...and I'm all fired up to finish the rest of the Book of Mormon sooner rather then to continue putting it off. I feel the holy spirit when I read it, or listen to words from it, and that can't be denied or ignored...its just...the truth.
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11 comments:
I want to post to my own blog (haha!) I would like to respectfully ask people not to post comments that are trying to debate my beliefs or my faith. This is not a religion debate blog, its MY blog...my family blog and I often talk about my faith here as well.
Whatever you think I may or may not know...I will NOT read websites or literature that are anti-LDS. You can't believe everything you read or hear...and what I know, what I believe is not based on what I have heard or been told, its based on my FAITH and many prayers. I will not waste my time on hateful or disrespectful anti-LDS blogs or websites. I do not go around trying to disprove other churches, so I ask you to do the same.
I'm not trying to "disprove" your church, but rather give you straight facts. Can I quote from the The History of the Church? or is that "anti"-Mormon?
I'm just saying that what Holland said is not exactly truth. You said yourself that "You can't believe everything you read or hear." Those are your exact words, right. So if that is true and you believe that full heartedly then why would you be afraid of hearing another side of the coin?
I'm seriously NOT trying to debate you at all. I get that your beliefs are YOUR BELIEFS. But if you fully believe them and KNOW they are true then nothing you read or hear could change that, right?
So can I quote from your own church doctrines and historical records, or do you consider those "anti-mormon"? I'm just asking because Elder Holland's historical account of Joseph Smith's death was wrong, even according to LDS approved historical records!
Yes, you are right, nothing I read or hear changes my beliefs...and I've read and heard many things.
I just am not open for debate, or disproving my opinion on my own blog. If you want to email me, I'd be more then happy to discuss it.
This blog is a blog my family and friends of the church read. I deleted your comment because I don't want comments such as these on my blog.
My blog post was about MY feelings when reading the Book of Mormon, and how we enjoyed Elder Holland's talk. I can't say I know enough to know the history of how it all went down when Joseph Smith died, but I will research that information on LDS historical records...not from anti-LDS blogs and websites which only have hate towards the church.
I'm just not sure why you felt that you had to come and post this on my blog. I would never dream of going to someone's family blog and posting that their belief/church/sermon or talk from their pastor/Bishop/etc is wrong, even if I felt it was.
That's just it. I never said you were wrong, or your feelings/beliefs. I sid the facts were wrong. If I can find your e-mail I will e-mail you and LDS CES link, if that will help. It's a church approved historical account. BTW My dad was a Bishop, my BIL is currently a Bishop, and I was a Mormon for over 30 years of my life from birth. I actually find it offensive to be called an "anti-mormon" when I simply challenge the mormon belief. I don't hate mormons, especially since most of my family is LDS. I personally don't believe most web-site you are thinking of are hateful towards Mormons either. Many of them simply put historical findings and documentation out there. I'll e-mail ya, again if I can find it.
To talk about this further, not on my blog, you can email me at bbyington81@hotmail.com however I am not going to debate church beliefs, or my beliefs or read/view any anti-LDS literature. Just a disclaimer. Otherwise, I'd be happy to talk to you!
Well...quite the dialog going there eh? I just wanted to comment on how powerful we thought that talk was too. We enjoyed it very much, and historical details aside, it is unequivocally known that Joseph Smith died and sacrificed for the Book of Mormon. Wether he died in his sleep, or died this way or that, are just details, it doesn't dispute the fact he spent his life fighting to bring this book to the world to read. Don't get hung up on details. Without a doubt the spirit was very strong during his talk, that is what is important. Thanks for sharing your feelings about it.
And happy belated birthday my friend!!! Miss you!
I'm sorry if it feels like I may be intruding on what you guys have mentioned, but I've come accross many different opinions in my time, and I would just like to shortly share what I've learned.
I don't know everything. I won't know everything. I just don't have the time in my life to be able to learn everything, and something I just will never have access to. I can't understand everything that everyone else says or what everyone else believes. I can't go back in history and check that things were recorded accurately. I can't check with every person who ever has spoken to confirm that I understand what they meant. I have to work out my own salvation, and that to me means that I have to worry about what God tells me. Sometimes when others speak God speaks to me through them. It sounds to me like that is what took place with Sister Byington, and no one can argue that. It's not history that saves us; it is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the gospel of Christ is a personal gospel of revelation.
Hey Beth. I totally agree that this is your personal blog for your personal beliefs. Good job standing up for your beliefs. It takes a lot of courage to post and stand up for what you believe in. I just wanted to say good job.
Hi, you don't know me. I randomly came across your blog from the hs forum. I have a quietbook blog and someone posted a link to it today on there, so I hopped onto that hs forum to see what it was bout (I don't even hs, so it is really random that I am here). Anyway, I clicked on the thread about lds beliefs and was so impressed by you and the other lds hs moms, and your responses to all the questions on there. I too am lds. I just clicked on your link at the bottom of one of your responses in that thread and came to this blog- you have such a beautiful family and this post actually moved me to tears, as I have had that SAME feeling happen when I've read King Benjamin's teachings in Mosiah 2. It's totally the spirit. His words about Charity are so true. You have a beautiful testimony and so I just wanted to say thanks for sharing.
Feel free to delete this comment if you want. I just wanted to say "hello" from a random stranger that happened upon your blog. You're welcome to "check" me out too (I think my blogs come up with my profile)- I promise I'm not a weirdo :)
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