Getting a Testimony of THE BOOK

The Baron blogged recently about having faith without the miracle. He used as an example the many times that priesthood blessings are given, but not “fulfilled”.

His discussion of that angle is quite intriguing, and that brings up some similar things that are coming about in my wife’s family right now. I won’t mention names, and the people in question don’t get on the net, much less see my blog.

My mother-in-law is going through a sort of “crisis of faith” in that she’s been an active member of the church all her life, and in spite of some bumpy spots, has been faithful. Yet the other day she asked me why she’d never gotten a witness of the truth of the Book of Mormon.

When I asked her to go on, she said that she’d never had a manifestation of enlightenment, no flash of Spiritual “Ah-hah” that made her say, “It’s true!” She’s read about those all of her life, she’s heard people talk about it all of her life. But it has never happened to her.

I think she was surprised when I said that it had never happened to me, either. Now, I’ve had some pretty powerful spiritual experiences, but none of them in direct relation to me asking about the truth of the book.

But, I have a strong testimony of the book. Because I read it a lot, and when I do, I feel good. Sometimes that feeling is great and wonderful, and sometimes it’s just calming and settling. But I know it’s true. I’ve never had a *POW* moment that told me so, but over time, I’ve just come to know it, as I’ve come to know the book.

It’s something that she’ll have to sort out for herself, but I hope that my story helped her.

Then, today, I met up with my father-in-law, long since divorced from my mother-in-law, who has been various stages of inactive for many years. When I saw him, he was carrying a large-print copy of the Book of Mormon with him. I commented on it, and he said he’d decided to read it all. It turns out that all these years that he has been either an active or inactive member of the church, he has never read it all the way through.

So, I’m excited for him to begin his journey to his testimony, as I’m also excited for my mother-in-law to discover hers. I really suspect that they’ve both had one for years. It’ll be very interesting to see them as the uncover it.

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com