Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said; “If you and I sincerely desire to become converted unto the Lord, we must build appropriately and effectively upon Him as our foundation. “And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. (Helaman 5:12)
As this verse affirms, the Lord Jesus Christ is a sure foundation. And you and I cannot and will not falter spiritually if we establish our lives upon Him and His gospel. This is truly a remarkable and faith-promoting promise.
The pattern we must follow to become more deeply converted unto the Lord is outlined simply and clearly in Helaman 15:7-8.
7 “And behold, ye do know of yourselves, for ye have witnessed it, that as many of them as are brought to the knowledge of the truth, and to know of the wicked and abominable traditions of their fathers, and are led to believe the holy scriptures, yea, the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written, which leadeth them to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance, which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them— 8 “Therefore, as many as have come to this, ye know of yourselves are firm and steadfast in the faith, and in the thing wherewith they have been made free.”
Please notice the specific steps identified in these verses: (1) belief in the teachings and prophecies of the holy prophets as recorded in the scriptures fosters (2) faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in the Savior leads to (3) repentance. Faith in Christ and repentance bring about (4) the mighty change of heart. Therefore, as many as have diligently and faithfully followed these steps are (5) firm and steadfast in the faith. This is the pathway of conversion unto the Lord.
A testimony is the beginning of and a prerequisite to conversion unto the Lord. A testimony is a point of departure; it’s not an ultimate destination. A strong testimony is the necessary foundation upon which conversion is established. A testimony is the initial step on the pathway of ongoing and deepening conversion.
A testimony alone is not and will not be enough to protect us in the latter-day storm of evil and religious persecution in which we do now and will yet live. A testimony is both important and necessary, but it is not sufficient to provide the spiritual strength and protection we need. Some members of the Church with testimonies have wavered and fallen away. Their spiritual witness and resolve did not measure up to the challenges they encountered. Testimony must lead to ongoing and deepening conversion to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Every member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who has been baptized by proper authority and received the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands has some measure of testimony. However, not every member of the Church is necessarily converted unto the Lord. Recall the Savior’s admonition to Peter: “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:31-32) emphasis added).
This mighty Apostle had served with the Lord throughout most of His mortal ministry and participated in and witnessed many miracles. Yet even Peter needed additional instruction about the converting power of the Holy Ghost and the obligation to serve faithfully and diligently.
To be continued.
~ From ‘Act in Doctrine’ by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 2012, pgs 80-81
