Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Do you really have a Testimony?

Do you really have a Testimony? I find it interesting that in some LDS forums the moment I mention something from the TaNaKh regarding a doctrine that might appear to conflict with someone's opinion the first thing they ask me is if I have a testimony. What I find interesting by this statement is that the majority of LDS people do not have a testimony as defined by Hebrew Scripture. 99.999% of what I hear on the 1st Sunday of the Month are not actual testimonies that would fall under Hebraic Definition and in many ways I think this condition of not actually having a testimony is a merciful gift of YHVH.

In Hebrew a testimony is a first hand witness of an actual event. In other words it would be something you experience such as touch, sight, smell, etc. The concept of testimony being something you could bear witness of in court. So imagine for a second that you were called up to bear witness of something at a trial. Let's say you said you witnessed someone murder someone else. You are on the stand and you state that Mr. SoAndSo murdered the guy next door. The prosecuting attorney would then ask, "Did you see it?" You answer, "No". Then he would ask how do you know he did. You answer "The spirit told me he did." Do we honestly think that would hold up in court.

Well God's tabernacle is also his court room and when we bear witness of something we are stating we have actually experienced something first hand. To bear witness of something you have not experienced is considered bearing false witness.

So is it possible that when people get up and say, "I know that Jesus is the Christ" or I "know" this Church is true they are bearing false witness. Technically yes, but in another way no.
Unless a person touched handled, saw, and spoke with the Messiah then in truth they are not an actual witness and if they said I KNOW that Jesus is the Christ they would technically be bearing false witness. This is why the 12 Apostles (Witnesses) of the Lamb were actual witnesses. They had seen, touched, ate with, spoke with, learned from the Master. They could actually bear a first hand testimony that they had seen the resurrected Messiah.

So if this is the case then what are all these "testimonies" we hear on the first Sunday of the Month. Well most of them fall under the Hebrew concept of Chokmah- wisdom or information given by the spirit of YHVH. Just because it is given by the Spirit of YHVH would make it no less valid, but the purpose of the Spirit Giving this information is to lead you along until that which is spiritual becomes manifest in your life in the here and now. In other words your "information from the Spirit" is given as a confirmation as grace (YHVH enabling power) to give you comfort and promise that you are on the path to receiving the actual Experience!

16 Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe.
17 Yea, there are many who do say: If thou wilt show unto us a sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe.
18 Now I ask, is this faith? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it.
19 And now, how much more cursed is he that knoweth the will of God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath cause to believe, and falleth into transgression?
20 Now of this thing ye must judge. Behold, I say unto you, that it is on the one hand even as it is on the other; and it shall be unto every man according to his work.
21 And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true. (Alma 32)


The Messiah wants us to come into his presence and be one with him in the here and now, but at the same time he is the master teacher and knows exactly how to guide us along to reach that condition. Does the clay say to the potter, " You are doing it Wrong!"