Ashley and Micah's Faith
Micah and I are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. A little bit about the church taken from Wiki:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS Church or, informally, the Mormon Church) is a Christian primitivist church that considers itself to be a restoration of the church founded by Jesus Christ. The church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has established congregations (called wards or branches) and built temples worldwide. According to the church, it has over 55,000 missionaries worldwide and has a membership of over 14.4 million. It is ranked by the National Council of Churches as the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States. It is the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith during the period of religious revival known as the Second Great Awakening.
Members, referred to as Latter-day Saints or, more informally, Mormons, view faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement as the central
tenet of their religion. LDS theology includes the Christian doctrine of salvation only through Jesus Christ, though LDS doctrines regarding the nature of God and the potential of mankind differ significantly from mainstream Christianity. The church has an open
canon which includes four scriptural texts: the Bible (both Old and New Testaments), the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Other than the Bible, the majority of the LDS canon constitutes revelation dictated by Joseph Smith and includes commentary and exegesis about the Bible, texts described as lost parts of the Bible, and other works believed to be written by ancient prophets.
Under the doctrine of continuing revelation, Latter-day Saints believe that Jesus Christ, under the direction of Heavenly Father, leads the church by revealing His will to its president, whom adherents regard as a modern-day "prophet, seer, and revelator". The current
president is Thomas S. Monson. Individual members believe that they can also receive personal revelation from God in
conducting their lives. The president heads a hierarchical structure with various levels reaching down to local congregations. Bishops, drawn from the laity, lead local congregations. Worthy male members, after reaching age 12, may be ordained to the priesthood. Women do not hold positions within the priesthood, but do occupy leadership roles in church auxiliary organizations.
Both men and women may serve as missionaries, and the church maintains a large missionary program which proselytizes and conducts humanitarian services worldwide. Faithful members adhere to laws regarding sexual purity, health, fasting , and Sabbath observance, and contribute ten percent of their income to the church as a tithe. In addition, the church teaches sacred ordinances through which adherents make covenants with God, including baptism, confirmation, the sacrament (holy communion), endowment,
and celestial marriage (marriage blessings which extend beyond mortality), which are of great significance to church members.
Micah’s Testimony:
No one can claim knowledge of any one thing without first tasting of it, feeling of it for themselves, and testing it for themselves. Documented cases of trial and error can and will help us not make the same mistakes of the past, but without real independent application they are just words with no meaning, intelligence with no wisdom. We must all find out for ourselves if we do or do not enjoy the taste of apples, the feeling of swimming in the ocean, or even the feeling of bringing children into this world; and until we experience those things for ourselves our words regarding those practices are void and hollow. Jesus Christ and His church are no different. If you wish to know about it you must actively find out for yourselves for “If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whetherI speak of myself”. I have done this; I have read The Book of Mormon; Another Testament of Jesus Christ- an accounting of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the America’s that was written and took place the same time the Bible was being written in the Middle East- and have taken the challenge left at the end of the book by one of its final prophets and writers Moroni;
3. Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
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.
5. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
-Moroni Chapter 10
I prayed with a sincere heart, (meaning I truly wished to know) and with real intent (meaning I would be willing to act upon the answer that I did get, not just casually accept it but give my life over to it if it was true) and with faith in Christ (meaning you have a belief that Christ has the power to actually answer your prayer) and the Lord did answer me by the power of the Holy Ghost and filled me with such peace that I cannot even begin to describe. I can go to a football game and be excited, I can go to a rock
concert and feel adrenaline, but I (nor anyone else) can give themselves peace. God told me by the power of His spirit that this book was true, and I know that everyone who reads it for themselves and takes the challenge (with all the requirements) will receive the same answer by the same power. This is His church, in its fullness and glory and “no man cometh unto the Father but by Him (the Son) and His church.” For there is “One Lord, one faith, one baptism!” and I can testify that I know from having tasted of it, feeling of it for myself, and testing it by myself that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is that “one faith”, and I exhort you as Moroni does to find out for yourselves.
Ashley's Testimony:
I know that Jesus Christ lived upon the earth where he performed miracles and established his church, the Church of Jesus Christ. He taught us how and why we should be baptized, how we should remember him by and showed how the church should be organized, among many things. I know that Jesus Christ died for all of mankind and was resurrected 3 days later and lives again today. I know that this same church that Jesus Christ created when he was on this earth is once again restored to its fullness, now called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who has not forgotten about His people in this day. I know that He can answer our prayers and that miracles still exist today. I am so thankful for this knowledge and encourage everyone to find out for themselves as Micah explained above so they too can be as happy and blessed as I am!
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS Church or, informally, the Mormon Church) is a Christian primitivist church that considers itself to be a restoration of the church founded by Jesus Christ. The church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has established congregations (called wards or branches) and built temples worldwide. According to the church, it has over 55,000 missionaries worldwide and has a membership of over 14.4 million. It is ranked by the National Council of Churches as the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States. It is the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith during the period of religious revival known as the Second Great Awakening.
Members, referred to as Latter-day Saints or, more informally, Mormons, view faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement as the central
tenet of their religion. LDS theology includes the Christian doctrine of salvation only through Jesus Christ, though LDS doctrines regarding the nature of God and the potential of mankind differ significantly from mainstream Christianity. The church has an open
canon which includes four scriptural texts: the Bible (both Old and New Testaments), the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Other than the Bible, the majority of the LDS canon constitutes revelation dictated by Joseph Smith and includes commentary and exegesis about the Bible, texts described as lost parts of the Bible, and other works believed to be written by ancient prophets.
Under the doctrine of continuing revelation, Latter-day Saints believe that Jesus Christ, under the direction of Heavenly Father, leads the church by revealing His will to its president, whom adherents regard as a modern-day "prophet, seer, and revelator". The current
president is Thomas S. Monson. Individual members believe that they can also receive personal revelation from God in
conducting their lives. The president heads a hierarchical structure with various levels reaching down to local congregations. Bishops, drawn from the laity, lead local congregations. Worthy male members, after reaching age 12, may be ordained to the priesthood. Women do not hold positions within the priesthood, but do occupy leadership roles in church auxiliary organizations.
Both men and women may serve as missionaries, and the church maintains a large missionary program which proselytizes and conducts humanitarian services worldwide. Faithful members adhere to laws regarding sexual purity, health, fasting , and Sabbath observance, and contribute ten percent of their income to the church as a tithe. In addition, the church teaches sacred ordinances through which adherents make covenants with God, including baptism, confirmation, the sacrament (holy communion), endowment,
and celestial marriage (marriage blessings which extend beyond mortality), which are of great significance to church members.
Micah’s Testimony:
No one can claim knowledge of any one thing without first tasting of it, feeling of it for themselves, and testing it for themselves. Documented cases of trial and error can and will help us not make the same mistakes of the past, but without real independent application they are just words with no meaning, intelligence with no wisdom. We must all find out for ourselves if we do or do not enjoy the taste of apples, the feeling of swimming in the ocean, or even the feeling of bringing children into this world; and until we experience those things for ourselves our words regarding those practices are void and hollow. Jesus Christ and His church are no different. If you wish to know about it you must actively find out for yourselves for “If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whetherI speak of myself”. I have done this; I have read The Book of Mormon; Another Testament of Jesus Christ- an accounting of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the America’s that was written and took place the same time the Bible was being written in the Middle East- and have taken the challenge left at the end of the book by one of its final prophets and writers Moroni;
3. Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
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.
5. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
-Moroni Chapter 10
I prayed with a sincere heart, (meaning I truly wished to know) and with real intent (meaning I would be willing to act upon the answer that I did get, not just casually accept it but give my life over to it if it was true) and with faith in Christ (meaning you have a belief that Christ has the power to actually answer your prayer) and the Lord did answer me by the power of the Holy Ghost and filled me with such peace that I cannot even begin to describe. I can go to a football game and be excited, I can go to a rock
concert and feel adrenaline, but I (nor anyone else) can give themselves peace. God told me by the power of His spirit that this book was true, and I know that everyone who reads it for themselves and takes the challenge (with all the requirements) will receive the same answer by the same power. This is His church, in its fullness and glory and “no man cometh unto the Father but by Him (the Son) and His church.” For there is “One Lord, one faith, one baptism!” and I can testify that I know from having tasted of it, feeling of it for myself, and testing it by myself that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is that “one faith”, and I exhort you as Moroni does to find out for yourselves.
Ashley's Testimony:
I know that Jesus Christ lived upon the earth where he performed miracles and established his church, the Church of Jesus Christ. He taught us how and why we should be baptized, how we should remember him by and showed how the church should be organized, among many things. I know that Jesus Christ died for all of mankind and was resurrected 3 days later and lives again today. I know that this same church that Jesus Christ created when he was on this earth is once again restored to its fullness, now called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who has not forgotten about His people in this day. I know that He can answer our prayers and that miracles still exist today. I am so thankful for this knowledge and encourage everyone to find out for themselves as Micah explained above so they too can be as happy and blessed as I am!