Last week I was asked to write down my testimony. I thought about what things I know to be true and why, and I wrote them down. I know that I am young and I have much to learn. I know that some may read this with a doubtful heart, untrusting and unbelieving. I don't blame you... some of the things I have written here probably seem pretty crazy! But I do want to declare that everything I have written here is sincere and honest and truly comes from my heart. There are many truths I don't know or haven't discovered, but what is written here is a personal testimony of what I have seen and experienced in my life and these experiences are things I could never deny. I challenge anyone who reads this to search for truth. Ask God. Don't just decide what you think is true or what you want to believe. I can promise with all of my heart that if you sincerely want to know and are willing to humbly act on the truths that you discover, God will answer you every time. It may not be at the time or in the way that you want, but He will answer how He knows that you need to hear it, and by accepting it and following it you will feel a special peace and joy that nothing else in this world can give you.
Here is what I wrote down...
My name is Linsey Hunt. I am 23 years old.
And this is my testimony of truth.
I know that God exists. He is real. He is my Father. I know that He loves me infinitely, cares about me, and is constantly aware of my situation. I have a relationship with Him. I feel Him in my life. I know He exists because I have felt His love for myself and for other people. I know that He loves each and every person that exists, has existed, and ever will exist—no matter who they are, what they believe, or how they choose to live their life.
I know that He hears and answers prayers, because He has heard and answered mine in ways so special, unique, and powerful to me that I could never deny that they came from God. I know that He always has my best interest in His plan. I know that I have the ability to choose what I do with my life, but when I consult Him and follow what He wants for me, my life turns out far better than it does when I believe that I know what’s best for myself. I know this because I have tested it in so many ways, and have seen both ends of the spectrum.
I know that Jesus Christ is real. I know that He was not only a mere man, but was the Son of God who came for a very special purpose. I know absolutely with no doubt in my mind that He performed the atonement, which allows me to recognize my weaknesses and change them. It allows me to transform. I know this because I have learned how to utilize it in my life and I have learned that I can not do it alone, that I can not do it until I truly and sincerely trust in Him and humble myself to Him, and give my heart to Him. I know that humility is the greatest form of strength and that it is absolutely necessary in order for change and progress to occur. I know this because I have tried to change and progress without it, and have failed miserably every single time. I know that Jesus Christ is my brother and He loves me because I have felt His love. I also have a relationship with Him. I know that we can feel His love if we put ourselves in His shoes and sincerely try to be like Him. I did this every day on my mission, and it allowed me to understand His love and come to know him better than I ever had before. I also know that He is real because I have asked God, and He has answered me.
I know that there is such a thing as the Spirit, or the Holy Ghost. I know this because it is the way in which I am able to have a relationship with God and Christ. I know the Spirit is real because I have felt Him guide me, comfort me, witness the truth to me, and also leave me when I have not been worthy. The lowest times of my life have been when I have pushed the spirit away and not allowed Him to stay with me due to my poor decisions. I have seen Him change people’s lives as they learn to listen to Him and understand what He teaches. I know that in order to understand Him we must look on a higher level. We don’t know of His existence through proven facts or science. We can only know of His existence if we humble ourselves and recognize how little we actually know and understand, and if we pay attention to ourselves and how we feel, rather than what we see or what man teaches us. I know this because I have tried to find truth solely through logic and learning of man, and I have learned that my ability to progress is incredibly hindered when I rely solely on this without the aspect of spirituality. There is an extra strength and power that comes only from humbling myself towards God.
I know that it is always important to keep our minds and our hearts open in order to learn truth. I know that truth, or reality, can be relative but there are also eternal truths that are absolute and do not change according to the beliefs or decisions of a person. I know that truth is light and allows us to see things more clearly and understand things. I know that truth is what truly sets us free, every time.
I know that God calls prophets and spiritual leaders in order to help guide us. I know that Christ organized a church when He was on the earth, and I know that this church is now restored to the earth as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know this is true because I sincerely asked God, and I received an answer from him so powerful that I could never ever deny it. After Joseph Smith had the first vision he stated “I knew it, and I knew that God knew, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it”. I feel the same in regards to the answer I received from God about this church. Not only do I know that I received it and that it came from God, but I also know that He knows it, and to deny it would be a pathetic attempt to lie to myself and to God. I have studied many religions. I really enjoy studying religions. I have participated in many different religious services all over the world. I have asked God about the truthfulness of other religions, and this is the only answer I have received about the truthfulness of one religion. It is the only church that has complete truth because it has God's authority and power, and I know that this is true from the answer that I received from Him. I do however also know that truth can be found in so many different places and many religions hold a lot of truth, and I sincerely enjoy discovering that truth all over the world through different cultures and belief systems.
I know that having commandments or disciplines in different aspects of life are important and vital in order to be truly happy, have real peace, and be free. I know that there are consequences for making wrong decisions, but I am also grateful for all of the mistakes that I have made because I have learned through opposition. I also know that obedience makes me stronger and happier, although it is always so difficult. I know that life will continuously be a struggle, but it is meant to be that way because in order to learn we must work. Everything that is worth anything requires work. I know that by being disciplined, I have more agency or more options of what I can do, therefore I have a greater freedom and potential.
I know that both the Bible and the Book of Mormon contain true stories that really happened and were written in order to help us come closer to Christ. I know this because I have asked God and He has answered me, and I have applied both of the books to my life. I look to them as a source of inspiration, revelation, and knowledge of the truth. I also know that many other books contain truth and am grateful for the opportunity I have to study and the desire I have to learn.
In my life, nothing has made me more content than to learn of and follow truth, and then share that truth with others and watch them learn of it and follow it. Because of this, the mission that I served in Argentina will forever be dear to my heart because of the truths I was able to learn, follow, and share while I was there.
I know that I am divine. I know that each person is divine. I know that it is truly possible to love every single person. I know that respect is a godly trait. I know that relationships with people are a grand part in God’s plan because He needs us to see the value and divinity that is in each soul. I know that charity truly never faileth.
More than anything, I know that I am just a human being with little knowledge and understanding, but a divine potential. I am not perfect. I do not know everything. I don't even know a lot! I believe things that probably aren't true. I also probably know things that are true and I don't recognize them yet. I don't always act in accordance with what I believe or know. I am a normal human being who struggles, fighting an inner battle every single day. I have so much to learn, experience, and discover. But my greatest hope and desire is to do all that I can as honestly and sincerely as I can in order to reach that divine potential that I have, so that I and many others can experience the greatest amount of peace, joy, and freedom. And I know that the only way to get there is to try.
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