I know this blog is about a week late, but I had to share. Last Sunday was one of the few Sundays I neglected to read the Gospel Doctrine lesson in advance, so of course I was asked to fill in as last minute substitute. I don’t know how well the Spirit I felt translated to the class, but I felt the Holy Ghost stronger than I have felt during the lesson in awhile.
The lesson for the week was Acts 1-5. In that lesson, Paul bears his testimony not once but twice. The first group he testifies to was full of scoffers who credited the believers experience with the Spirit with “new wine.” Instead of asking them to leave or telling them they didn’t know what they were talking about, Paul bore his testimony of the Savior. The second group was more dangerous. Following a miraculous healing, Paul testified to those who crucified the Savior that Jesus was the Christ and Lord.
As I discussed the lesson with the class, I thought about the emotion running through the crowd. Only forty days before, the people of the city had crucified Jesus. The leadership of the Jewish community believed they had put his teaching to an end. Yet here was Paul, continuing with the same teaching, if not more! The leadership must have felt hostile but, as with Jesus, could not take action for fear of the crowd. But as Paul bore his testimony, eight thousand men (possibly more women and children) were converted.
My thoughts then turned to the early church in this dispensation. Many bore their testimonies despite ridicule, threats, and even death. In several instances, hundreds were converted with the bearing of a single testimony. When Joseph Smith was murdered, the church’s opponents thought they had put an end to “the Mormon church.” They were, of course, wrong, and the church continued to grow despite its opposition.
If the men and women of the early church could bear their testimonies despite the hostile environment, how much more should we bear our testimonies despite feelings of nervousness or fear of being ridiculed? I left the lesson strongly encouraged to grab some pass-along cards from church to share, along with my testimony. I also decided to follow Paul’s example and ask the Lord for boldness.
Related Articles:
Strengthening Your Personal Testimony of Jesus Christ
Standing as a Witness of Christ