What It Means to Have a Testimony

Testimony is something that you hear Mormons talk about a lot. Mormons “bear their testimonies,” they participate in “fast and testimony meetings” and encourage others to “obtain” a testimony. Let me share with you what a Mormon means when talking about these things.

When I “bear my testimony” I share with you those things that I have learned through a witness given by the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost (we use the two terms interchangeably). I might do this during a conversation, while giving a lesson or during fast and testimony meeting.

Sunday services for Mormons are similar in many ways to those of other Christian churches. We have songs and prayers and take communion (we call it “partaking of the Sacrament”). While some other churches pass a basket as part of the service, Mormons give donations at other times. Another thing that is different is that instead of having the pastor or minister preach on a regular basis, members take turns teaching each other from topics assigned in advance. We call these people the “speakers” for the meeting.

Fast and Testimony meeting is held once a month, usually on the first Sunday of the month during what we call Sacrament Meeting and others might call the Sunday service. Members are encouraged to forego two complete meals, beginning and ending with a prayer. (The fasting part.) Then, rather than have several speakers teach us from an assigned topic, members are invited to come up and share testimonies. (The testimony part.)

Often an experience is shared by the testimony giver, but sometimes not.

Sometimes, people get up and say other things that aren’t really testimonies. One of my sons, when he was 7 years old, got up and told everyone how our dog has died just the day before. I’ve heard others tell about sicknesses, others about travel experiences and visiting family, and so forth. Obviously, these things are not testimonies; but sharing them does serve a purpose. Our congregations learn to know and love one another. We share each others’ joys and trials. We laugh together, we cry together. We become “knit together in love.” Col. 2:2

Sometimes our little children get up and repeat the things they have heard their parents say, or sometimes their parents or an older brother or sister is standing there, prompting them what to say. Some observers are uncomfortable with this. I see it as teaching our children to testify, much as we might hold their fingers as they take their first toddling steps to walk.

That testimony that we hope our children and everyone else will gain is a knowledge that God loves us and that we are his children, that Jesus Christ is our Savior and atoned for our sins, and that the fullness of the gospel was restored to the earth by a latter-day prophet, and that we continue to have living prophets to lead the church just as there were prophets when Christ established his church in Jerusalem 2000 years ago.

Mormons trust the scriptures, which tell us that a true testimony comes from the Holy Ghost, just as Jesus told his disciples in John 15:26 “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.”