Witnesses for Me

Sister Bonnie Cordon in the most recent general conference told a story of how her father called to tell her he had been diagnosed with ALS. She recounted, “I felt my whole world shift as I began to wrestle with the implications of this grievous news. But on that unforgettable day, it was his last sentence that found a permanent place in my heart. My dear father said with urgency, ‘Bonnie, never give up an opportunity to testify of Christ.’” She commented, “It seemed as though he was saying, ‘Bonnie, don’t let the world overtake you! Stay true to your covenants with the Savior. Seek to experience His blessings every day, and be able to testify through the Holy Ghost of His power and presence in your life!’” She invited us to accept this invitation for ourselves: “I invite you to join me in accepting his invitation. Look for Christ everywhere―I promise He is there! True joy rests on our willingness to come closer to Christ and witness for ourselves.” As I read that I was struck by the double meaning of her last sentence. We need to witness the Savior for ourselves by coming unto Him, by having our own experiences seeking to live His gospel and follow His Spirit. But we also need to witness of Him as we share our experiences and testimonies with others. I love the way that the Lord put it to the people of Alma who were suffering under the hands of the Lamanites: “And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions” (Mosiah 24:14). As we come unto Him we will witness how He will helps us and eases our burdens, and He wants us to then witness of Him thereafter.

                I have never been delivered from the hands of taskmasters physically holding me captive like those Nephites, but I do know that the Lord has helped me in small ways on countless occasions such as this week. I travelled to a conference that our company hosted for our clients, and I was scrambling one night to finish some work for a presentation I would give the next day. I eventually went to bed at 1:00 a.m. with one particular thing I couldn’t get to work like I needed it to. I was up early and prayed and felt that even though my deadline was looming I should read my scriptures first, which I did. When I sat back down to try to figure out the part that had been problematic, it worked almost immediately and I was ready for the presentation with plenty of time to spare. I knew that Lord had delivered me then just like countless other times in similar circumstances. I was equally grateful the next day when I was able to rearrange my flights to still get home at a decent time after the original flight was severely delayed. I was all the more thankful when the flight I was trying to get changed to—and which I was refused and told was full—was completely cancelled and rebooked for the next day. The one I ended up on turned out to be the very best and the fastest way home, and I knew again that the Lord had delivered me in this small thing. Of course, we all experience setbacks and challenges where it may seem to us that the Lord isn’t watching, but I know that if we turn to Him we will witness His hand in our lives and see His help. We will find His promise to Isaiah to be true for us: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10). And then, we will have an opportunity, like Sister Cordon’s dad encouraged us, to testify of Christ.