Today is Fast Sunday. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the first Sunday of every month is a Fast and Testimony meeting. The members of the Church, forgo food and drink for two consecutive meals. “” (lds.org, gospel library)
I love Fast and Testimony meetings. Sure, I don’t always love fasting, but after a few times you get used to it and usually it’s not difficult. Members of the Church are also encouraged to give Fast Offerings; donations to the needy in our area of the money would have spent on the meals we skipped. The best part of a Fast and Testimony meeting though, are the testimonies.
LDS.org defines a testimony in the following way:
A testimony is a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost. The foundation of a testimony is the knowledge that Heavenly Father lives and loves His children; that Jesus Christ lives, that He is the Son of God, and that He carried out the infinite Atonement; that Joseph Smith is the prophet of God who was called to restore the gospel; that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Savior’s true Church on the earth; and that the Church is led by a living prophet today. With this foundation, a testimony grows to include all principles of the gospel.
The first LDS Church meeting I ever attended was a Fast and Testimony meeting. I thought it was the strangest thing. For one thing, I was accustomed to one individual person leading the church meeting, whereas at a Testimony meeting, anyone who wants to can have the pulpit for a moment or two to express their thoughts and feelings. Though at first distracted by the unique format, I was soon moved and touched by the things that people shared.
The people spoke of their love and gratitude for the members of their Church. They spoke of their gratitude for the gospel and how it had blessed their lives. It was beautiful.
At the time, I was a wandering soul. In fact, I had been for much of my life. Even as a young girl, I longed for a connection with my God and I looked wherever I could to find Him. At that LDS meeting, that Fast and Testimony Sunday, I felt certain that the people there had found Him, and perhaps I could too. I actually stood and bore my testimony that day! Well, it probably wasn’t really a testimony, but I stood and told the members gathered there how grateful I was for the kind reception they had given me and for the words they had shared. I was grateful for the missionaries who were young like me, and still gave up their lives for two years to go and preach the gospel. I felt that if they were willing to do that then there must be something real and special about this religion. I told them that I wanted to feel what they felt, to have my heart filled like theirs were.
It’s been almost eighteen years now since I attended my first Fast and Testimony meeting and my joy in them has not diminished. I love to attend; they are my favorite meeting of the month. I don’t always bear my testimony, but I always listen with an open heart and am never disappointed; I come away with my heart filled to overflowing.
At a Testimony meeting you will hear the heartfelt feelings expressed from every sort of person. A child might bear her testimony of how she knows the Church is True and she loves Jesus. A young mother might express her gratitude for the newborn child she has been blessed with. A father might express his certain knowledge of the sure guidance of a loving Father in Heaven, while a young man might express his absolute confidence in the atonement of Jesus Christ. An old woman might share her love for the gospel and express thanks for it’s continued comfort through her life. There is so much to be learned from the honest expression of a testimony, but it must be received with an open heart.
For me, I go expecting to be filled, expecting to feel the Spirit and searching my heart and mind for what I might share that might be of use to those congregated there. Today I might say my testimony out loud, but even if I don’t, it is always singing loud and clear in my heart for it is never more than a thought away.
I know my Redeemer lives. I know He loves me. There is no other thing or person in my life that fills my heart with such joy as this sweet knowledge. I am a child of God. My joy is full.
