How to gain a testimony of the current lds church

[brianj]

A little over a year ago in fast and testimony meeting a very heart felt and sincere Filipino sister shared her testimony / feelings. She mentioned how confused she was when she came to America 18 years ago and started attending her Mormon church in the states. She asked her husband why people don't say hello or physically embrace one another while they're at church with frequent regularity. She was confused at what she observed was quite the opposite. Her husband said this is how it is. this is how it's been and is stateside.

Now I'm not so quick to say that every Ward is like as the sister described.

Three.

Three people.

If I go to a congregation I have never visited before, spend three hours in the building, and only three of the 100+ people present welcome me before they ask if there are any visitors present at the start of priesthood meetings, then it is a friendlier than average ward. Only three people!

Once I visited a ward in Pullman, Washington, and spent three hours in the building. They announced at the end of sacrament meeting that there would be no Melchizedek Priesthood meetings because the men were taking care of primary, so I didn't go to priesthood. In three full hours in that building, not one person spoke to me,

Therefore, I believe almost all wards in North America are like what that sister described. I can't recall anybody ever offering a hand when welcoming me to their ward, and I have NEVER received a hug. But I have been to protestant churches where it feels like I've met every congregant before I leave and I have had more handshakes and hugs than I care to count.

I will say that I had a wonderful experience in the Victoria First Ward in Victoria, British Columbia. I assume that, since Victoria is a popular tourist destination, the ward members there have a lot more practice welcoming visitors and have placed a higher priority on making visitors welcome. This is the only LDS congregation I have ever attended where I felt the phrase on the building "visitors welcome" was totally honest. And that's a really sad statement.

One little thing that I would do if I were called to a Bishopric is to NEVER ask a visitor to introduce himself. I would ask the congregation member sitting next to them to introduce the visitor. I have visited exactly one ward where they did this, and it was one of the only two wards I have attended where I did feel somewhat welcome.

As the most recent posts on this thread show, church members have a long way to go.

[icarus]

This week end I listened to Elder Bednar's talk "Converted Unto the Lord" and he talks about Peter when Jesus asked, "Who say ye that I am?" and of course Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." And it was revealed by the Savior that this was given by the Father and no other. Essentially this was a testimony according to EB. (I'm not using full quotes btw)

Then he highlights when the Savior said to Peter, "...when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." And this would happen after the Lord's ascension and the spirit would be the first comforter.

EB really discusses being converted to the Lord and becoming "Born of God."

But considering the things discussed in the talk, a testimony then, is at the point of entering in at the straight gate, where as becoming converted is after the gift of the Holy Ghost, but beyond that too. I think it's about the path to Christ. The C&E, 2nd C ect. The whole package one step at a time.

I gave some thought to the testimony aspect and what Thinker and others discuss... the new budding testimonies that are voiced as, "I know the church is true." I pause and wonder if the church is a launching pad.

But... I'm still pondering.

[Thinker]

How about a rock solid testimony of God - so strong that you are in tuned with and do God’s will even when against peer pressure?

[heliocentr1c]

There is an group of people out there that my heart goes out to. Those who believe in Jospeh Smith and the Book of Mormon but not in the current LDS church.

But there is a way to gain a testimony of the current church.... Attending The house of the Lord worthily, frequently, and honestly.

Immersing yourself in family history and doing temple work yields sacred personal fruit that are seared into your soul. If done with real intent the blessings of the temple are overwhelming and undeniable. We have been promised if we will attend the temple often these blessings are available to each of us.

Could we have these experiences and blessings without priesthood authority? What does that say of the current status of the church? It is true and lead by prophets and apostles. If you attend but associate or affiliate with groups who oppose the church you will never see the fruits of the temple because you are not being honest to the Lord. Just like anything we are seeking a confirmation of this has to be done with real intent and no deceptive before God.

Experiences, blessings, and answers are available in ways that are undeniable through worshipping in the House of the Lord. I can say that with absolute certainty.

In order to gain this testimony one would have to already be a member. If someone isn’t already a member but thinking about joining the church they have no way of gaining this witness according to your suggestion.

They could attend church and read the BoM but a belief in the BoM doesn’t equate to the truthfulness of the Church necessarily.

They could attend a local ward but feeling the spirit there doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the only place/congregation one could feel God’s spirit.

The issue really comes down to the “keys” imo, (as taught by president’s of the Church themselves) not the temple, though the temple has plenty of truth.

Also, there is no canonical scripture I’m aware of that talks about genealogical work in a temple setting, in the sense of performing vicarious temple ordinances for the dead.

As well, there is no mandate in scripture I know about teaching the frequency of temple attendance. Though, I think it’s good to attend the temple, if it doesn’t interfere with more important responsibilities.

[AlbedoEffect]

Replying to the post topic.
If I attended regularly, my testimony of the church would only wane farther down. I don’t know if it’s a problem with people in general these days or what, but wow... so many people are willfully ignorant and vanilla, so many people have opinions shouted as truth, so many people do not care about anybody that can’t give them something.
My faith in god and my knowledge of the kingdom has shot through the roof in the time I’ve not attended regularly. I would argue that the non lessons and the robotic repeatings a of Sunday church are keeping many from really evolving their testimonies and faith in god.

Some of us do not like the facades and the romantics. The dramatic yet empty words. It’s tiring to the mind and soul. There is no authenticity in the meetinghouses anymore. What’s worse is my bishop moved and was replaced with the dumbest ignorant man I’ve ever seen. I won’t explain why, but he’s an infant in the spirit and spouts all his ideas as being spirit inspired, no matter how outlandish or terrible.

And it’s not just the members. There is a lot of church history that is questionable, specifically surrounding Brigham young, the 1920s, and the 1970s. Not to mention how they have the tithing invested in companies more than happy to align themselves with Bill Gates and the cabal.

To name a few reasons...

And then there is the issue of actually defining apostasy. If we are to accurately hunt the truth and not simply dismiss and label those who don’t share the same line of thinking as you, we need to remember that words have specific meaning, and our interpreted meaning and tropes are not accurate.
Apostate to god? Apostate to the church? Apostate to a specific religious idea?
Definition:
a person who renounces a religious or political belief or principle

I may not have trust in the church or it’s people, but I’ve never renounced my faith in god or my testimony of the Book of Mormon. Be careful what you label others.