A Witness of Jesus Christ

In the media last month, the "eternal rumor" as I refer to it, has once again reared its ugly head. "Mormons aren't Christian" - "Mormons don't believe in Christ" - etc., etc., etc. It's mind boggling to me. I am a Mormon, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Someone will say to me, "You don't believe in Christ."  And I respond, "Yes, I do."  And then the conversation goes, "No you don't, you don't know."  What can you say to such talk?  I continue,  "Yes, I do know."  And through it all, even with more explanation, in spite of my testimony of truth (meaning a witness of the Spirit).  I'm considered a liar or in a softer tone, a person who has been deceived, or doesn't know what I'm talking about.  It's beyond belief.  This kind of colloquy I am well use to.  You just move on and hope someone will get it someday.

I'm not writing this today because of the recent media hype, instead I'm writing this because I'm inspired by a man's testimony.  Testimonies give credence to truth.  Just as The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ to the Bible, so are the testimonies of people.  They are a witnesses of truth.  This is one of the latest Mormon Messages to view on the Mormon Channel:  A Book of Mormon Story.



Let me add another testimony, another witness.  Here are the words of Elder Tad Callister during out latest general conference, October 2011, "The Book of Mormon -- a Book from God":

Why is the Book of Mormon so essential if we already have the Bible to teach us about Jesus Christ? Have you ever wondered why there are so many Christian churches in the world today when they obtain their doctrines from essentially the same Bible? It is because they interpret the Bible differently. If they interpreted it the same, they would be the same church. This is not a condition the Lord desires, for the Apostle Paul declared that there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5). To help bring this oneness about, the Lord established a divine law of witnesses. Paul taught, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Corinthians 13:1).

 The Bible is one witness of Jesus Christ; the Book of Mormon is another. Why is this second witness so crucial? The following illustration may help: How many straight lines can you draw through a single point on a piece of paper? The answer is infinite. For a moment, suppose that single point represents the Bible and that hundreds of those straight lines drawn through that point represent different interpretations of the Bible and that each of those interpretations represents a different church.

What happens, however, if on that piece of paper there is a second point representing the Book of Mormon? How many straight lines could you draw between these two reference points: the Bible and the Book of Mormon? Only one. Only one interpretation of Christ’s doctrines survives the testimony of these two witnesses.

Again and again the Book of Mormon acts as a confirming, clarifying, unifying witness of the doctrines taught in the Bible so that there is only “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

I add my testimony.  The Book of Mormon is true.  I have read it and the Spirit has testified - Jesus is the Christ.  He lives.  He is my Savior and my Redeemer.  We too will live again because of HIM.  He is the author and finisher of my faith.