my talk

I was asked to give a talk today in my ward. For those of you who weren't able to come (for whatever reason) here it is:

I’m Cheryl, for those of you who don’t know me. I moved into this ward last summer and thought I had escaped having to give a talk, but obviously not! It's been two years since the last time I gave a talk so I'm a little nervous, but trust me when I say I am thankful for this opportunity. It often works out that we’re asked to give talks or teach a lesson on a particular subject that seems to have been hand selected just for you—a subject that either helps us find the answers to a particular question we are having, or just reminds of things we already know but which we may have temporarily forgotten. This topic for me is no exception. It was exactly what I needed to study and remind myself about this week.

In my parent’s front yard there is a mesquite tree. My dad loves this tree. He picked it out and planted it almost 4 years ago. He has spent countless hours, over the years, taking care of this tree. He planted it in a prominent spot in the yard. He makes sure it is watered and fertilized, and he has staked it so that it has support while it grows. It provides shade from the hot Arizona sun, and helps to make their front yard beautiful.

However.

Despite all the time and energy my dad has put in to tending this tree—to making sure it has everything it needs to grow healthy and strong—it has refused to put down deep roots. As a result, every summer during the monsoon storms it blows over. Every year he stands it back up, stakes it again, and goes back to tending it, only to have it blow over again come the next big summer storm. The last big storm we had a few weeks ago knocked it over once again causing it to lie down across my parent’s yard and front walkway, partially blocking their front door.

Now, why am I telling you about this tree?

The reason is because we are all like this tree. We have all been planted here on Earth in a prominent spot. We have all been given at least one person in our lives (be it family or friend) who has loved and nurtured us. We have all been given the gospel that helps to support us as we grow. Yet, like my parent’s tree, we all—at one time or another—may find ourselves blown over. We may have been given everything we need yet have not developed the deep roots necessary to survive. How do we avoid this? How do we strengthen ourselves against the storms that come our way?

This world is not an easy one to live in, as we all know this. Challenges face us every day; sometimes, it seems, every hour or maybe every minute. To develop and strengthen the deep roots that will allow us to withstand these challenges, “our spiritual connections need to be made directly to the power source and be corrosion free,” as Elder Allan F. Packer says. He continues, “We need to be spiritually connected to the right source and have the knowledge and ability to use the power we receive.” It’s all good and well to know what we need to do, but one of my favorite questions is: how? How do we become “spiritually connected to the right source?” How do we gain the “knowledge and ability to use” this power once we are connected? In my study this last week there were a couple important things that repeatedly came up that we can do in order to become spiritually connected and strengthen our testimonies. They are: read the scriptures, and remain obedient to God’s commandments. These may seem like the “seminary” answers that we all know and very simple but, as the scripture says: by small and simple means are great things brought to pass.

Elder Cecil O. Samuelson, in his General Conference address last April said, “The fundamentals of gaining and retaining a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ are straightforward, clear, and within the capacity of every person...everyone who is willing to pay the price…may have a testimony.” Later he said, “A testimony is similar to a living organism” (like a tree) “that grows and develops when treated properly. It needs constant nourishment, care, and protection to thrive and prosper.” President Henry B. Eyring has said, “Testimony requires…the hungering for the word of God in the scriptures, and the obedience to the truth we have received.”

Studying the scriptures and remaining obedient to God’s commandments are not enough, though. We must pray and ask for a testimony of the things we are doing and the things we have read. We all know about Moroni’s promise at the end of the Book of Mormon. Once we have read, we are invited to pray for a testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Moroni 10:4, “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.” After obedience and scripture study, if we approach the Lord in faith, we will receive a testimony.

I found this same pattern of approaching the Lord in faith and asking in prayer for a testimony at the beginning of the Book of Mormon this week. This was one of those instances where I have read the Book of Mormon countless times and yet this is the first time these versus jumped out to me and I was able to understand what Nephi was telling his brothers.

In this chapter Laman and Lemuel have come to Nephi, complaining that they don’t understand what their father, Lehi, meant with his vision of the Tree of Life. In 1 Nephi 15: 8 Nephi asks them: “Have ye inquired of the Lord?” In verse 9 Laman and Lemuel tell him they haven’t. “We have not;” they say, “for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.” This shows that the Lord isn’t just going to give us a testimony. We have to do our part. We have to put in the work (like my dad working to take care of his tree) and show the Lord our willingness to do what he asks of us and to then come to Him. Continuing in verse 11 Nephi tells them: “If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be known unto you.” As just a side note, I find it interesting that this particular pattern is both at the beginning of the Book of Mormon and at the end. It just goes to show how important it is that we follow these particular steps.

So why are these steps so important? Why is it so important to strengthen ourselves and make sure our roots are deep? Because, as I mentioned earlier: challenges are all around us. Elder Russell M. Nelson has said, “Difficult days are ahead. Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Each of us will be tested. The Apostle Paul warned that in the latter days, those who diligently follow the Lord ‘shall suffer persecutions.’ That very persecution can either crush you into silent weakness or motivate you to be more exemplary and courageous in your daily lives.” Do we want to be crushed and blown over every time a storm comes, like the mesquite tree, or do we want to be able to, as President Hinkley is famous for saying, “Stand a little taller?” The choice is ours and how we choose to deal with the challenges that come our way is, as Elder Nelson continues, “A part of the development of our faith. Strength comes when you remember that you have a divine nature, an inheritance of divine worth…As you walk in the Lord’s path of righteousness, you will be blessed to continue in His goodness and be a light and a savior unto His people.” We must make the choice to pray, to read the scriptures, and to be obedient to the commandments. Our choices demonstrate our faith and allow Heavenly Father to bless us with the knowledge and revelation we are seeking that things we are reading, studying, and praying about are true. There may be times when choose not to read our scriptures, or pray, for whatever the reason may be. Just remember, as in the example of Laman and Lemuel, the Lord isn’t going to just give us a testimony. If we don’t make the choices necessary, we won’t be granted with the testimony—the spiritual connection—that we need.

If your testimony is currently not as strong as you would like it to be, Bishop Richard C. Edgley counsels, “Choose to ‘exercise [even] a particle of faith’; choose to ‘experiments upon [His] words’ (Alma 32:27).” He continues, “When our sacred doctrine and beliefs are challenged, this is our opportunity to become acquainted with God in a most private and intimate manner. This is our opportunity to choose…choose faith over doubt, choose faith over fear, choose faith over the unknown and the unseen, and choose faith over pessimism.” I liked what President Eyring said in his address at the General Young Women meeting this last March. He said, “Each time you choose to try to live more like the Savior, you will have your testimony strengthened. You will come in time to know for yourself that He is the Light of the World. You will come to feel light growing in your life. It will not come without effort. But it will come as your testimony grows and you choose to nurture it.”

Last weekend I faced a personal wind storm that challenged my testimony and was on the verge of blowing me over like my dad’s mesquite tree. I found the faith that I have worked hard to build up all my life, slowly slipping from my grasp and felt a feeling of hopelessness as doubts began to cloud my mind.

But I made a choice.

I wasn’t going to let this particular storm “crush” me, as Elder Nelson described it. Instead, I chose to increase the time I spent each day reading the scriptures. I chose to make a more conscious effort to fervently pray to my Heavenly Father, both morning and night, for the strength and support I needed. I chose to ask my dad for a blessing to gain some added solace. I chose to remain obedient to the commandments and remain faithful in doing those things I know to be right. Because of my choices, my faith and testimony of the reality of God and of his love for me has been strengthened and I have been able to withstand the winds that are blowing around me right now and remain standing strong.

“If our faith is anchored securely in our testimonies of Christ,” says Elder Russell M. Ballard, “We will be able to cope with whatever challenge or adversity comes our way, and we will be able to do so in a positive, faith-promoting manner.” In Sheri Dew's book, No Doubt About It, she says, ““Jesus Christ Himself has promised, ‘Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you’ (D&C 88:63). There are no disclaimers or exceptions in His invitation. We are the ones who determine whether or not we will come unto Him. The drawing near, seeking, asking, and knocking are up to us.”

The choice is ours and the steps are simple: pray, read the scriptures, and keep the commandments. We need a strong testimony to help us stand strong against the winds that try to blow us over. I know that if we follow the steps that have been outlined testimony will come and, unlike my dad’s tree, we can put down deep roots.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.