My testimony

My Testimony

I would like to tell you what I believe and what I have a testimony of. First of all it is hard to describe the feelings that I have about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have grown up in the church and therefore have been blessed my whole life with the blessings that come from being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I developed a testimony quite early in my life. The first time I bore my testimony was the day after I was baptized, the day that I was confirmed. I remember feeling a great desire to stand and bear my testimony. I remember how scared I was and that I bore a very simple testimony about my love of Jesus Christ and the love that I felt for my family and of course I cried. As I grew older I had strong desires to stand in our ward in the old Liberty Church and bear my testimony of what I knew was true. I had a Sunday school teacher that always encouraged us to stand and bear our testimonies. We each had a chart in our class room and we received a star if we said the prayer, helped with the lesson, or bore our testimony in Sacrament meeting. I don't know if I had a desire to get a sticker on my chart but I do remember that I always had a pounding in my heart and I felt the need to stand and tell others what I believed. I have always cried when I bear my testimony because I feel the spirit bear witness to me that what I am saying is true. I remember my Sunday school teacher tell me that it would get easier if I just kept bearing my testimony and that after I had bore my testimony so many times I wouldn't cry. My teacher's name was Sister Campbell and if she was still alive I think I would write her a note and tell her that I have bore my testimony many, many times and I still cry. I received a witness that Jesus is the Christ when I was in Junior high and I was taking seminary. The seminary teacher challenged us to find out for our self if the Church was really true. I already felt in my heart that it was true and thought it couldn't hurt to kneel down and actually pray to our Father in Heaven and ask Him if the Church was true. I remember that it was night and that my room was very dark. After finishing my prayer and getting into bed I remember thinking about what I had asked in my prayer and although the room was pitch black I could see in my mind and feel in my heart a bright light that was very warm. I think I felt closer to Jesus Christ that night than I ever had so far in my life. I felt in my heart and in my mind that Jesus Christ knew who I was and that he was concerned that I have that special witness of Him. It was a very sacred experience and not one that I share with others very often but when I bear my testimony I can say, I will stand as a witness of my Heavenly Father at all times, in all things and in all places. I have received that witness and when I feel that feeling I can't ignore it and must bear my testimony. I am grateful for the experiences that I have had that have made me a stronger person.
I know that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ lives and that they love us. I see it evidenced every day of my life. I recognize His hand in all that I do and give Him credit for all that I have been blessed with. My life is filled with abundance and the blessings that I have are always outnumbered for the things that I try to do for Him. You can never out do the Lord because He will always be one step ahead of you with pouring out His blessings. I have been blessed with a beautiful family, with a husband that cares for me more than his self and honors the priesthood and loves God more than he loves me. Am I jealous that he loves God more than he loves me? No! because I have told my daughters if they find a man that loves God first then everything else will take care of itself. I have six beautiful children that are a great joy to me and I love each one of them dearly. The four that are married have wonderful spouses that I am sure that I handpicked before I came to this earth. I have seven beautiful grandsons and one beautiful granddaughter that bring me a different kind of joy than even my own children give me. I have been blessed to live in a time when many valiant sons and daughters are on the earth but also a time when much wickedness is all around us. I was blessed with a Father and Mother who taught me the gospel of Jesus Christ at an early age and they have been a great example throughout my life and I love them for that.
I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. I am indebted to him as well for bringing forth the restoration of the gospel on the earth, I can't imagine what my life would be without it. He endured many trials and sacrifices to bring forth our Fathers work. His example of endurance and long suffering is an example to me. We have a living prophet on the earth today who also brings forth the word of God through revelation and tells us the things that our Father in Heaven wants us to know in our day. President Gordon B. Hinckley is that prophet and he is a man that I admire for his diligence,valiant spirit,humbleness, endurance, and kind heart. He truly is a man of God.
I have a testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ, He is my elder brother who died for me that I might once again live with my Father in Heaven. I love Him, He is my best friend. Through the atonement he suffered for my sins, I am not a perfect person, and made it possible for me to repent of those sins so that I could be with Him again. I will do all that I can for Him because He has done everything for me. I know that this is true and I bear my witness that He lives! He lives so I can live again and I say this in His holy name. Amen

Donene S. Jones


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------