Written by April T Giauque
Elder Dieter F Uchtdorf General Conference Oct 2024
Have you ever attached your hopes or faith experience to something tangible, and when it changed, did that impact your testimony? For example, when I learned about the power of prayer, I was about 3 years old. I was at home, in my bedroom. I was trying to find a stuffed animal I called my “papi-bear.” I said a little prayer and then saw the bear's foot between the ted and the wall. I knew that God heard my little prayer; Heavenly Father was real! I no longer live in that home or have that bed or bear, but I still have my testimony that Heavenly Father is real and loves me.
Elder Uchtdorf opened his talk by describing the Zwickau Chapel and its prominence in his boyhood testimony. He helped pump the bellows so that the organ would not run out of wind, and in this hidden position, he would look at the stained-glass windows depicting Jesus, the restored gospel, and the Sacred Grove, and he knew the truthfulness of Christ’s Gospel. He traveled there 60 years later, but the old chapel was gone. Was his testimony? No! Of Course not!
It’s not a Building but the Teachings that Happened in the Building.
Elder Uchtdorf said,
“The building was just a building, but my testimony started there but grew! By contrast, the spiritual witness I gained from the Holy Ghost those many years ago has not passed away. In fact, it has grown stronger. The things I learned in my youth about the fundamental principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ have been my firm foundation throughout my life.
The covenant connection I forged with my Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son has stayed with me—long after the Zwickau chapel was dismantled and the stained-glass windows were lost.”
We must grow a testimony with deep roots to help us weather the storms of life. But how do you do that? People will fail you. Experiences might be small moments, but Jesus will stay! Jesus Said:
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord.”
Think Celestial!
To put that into perspective, one of the most important things we can learn in this life is the difference between what is eternal and what is not. It’s that concept to “Think Celestial!” Once we understand that, everything changes—our relationships, choices, and how we treat people. Knowing what is eternal and what is not is key to growing a testimony of Jesus Christ and His Church.
Nourish the Roots!
“The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”
In other words, Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice are the root of our testimony. All other things are branches. TEND TO YOUR ROOTS!
“The branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine.” Without a connection to the Savior, to the nourishment found in the roots, a branch withers and dies. So, don’t splash water on the branches if you want to nourish a tree. You water the roots. When the roots are anchored and nourished with Jesus, your testimony will branch out and grow fruit! Find Jesus. Learn of Him. Read about Him. Connect to Him.
Get to know the Savior!
How do you get to know anyone in your lifetime? You study them, converse with them, seek them. Do that with Jesus Christ! Understand His sacrifice for you, His love for you, His will for you. Follow Him in humility. The branches of your testimony will draw strength from your deepening faith in Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son.
As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, make the sacred ordinances!. Find the Lord in His holy house. Nourish the roots, and the branches will grow. And in time, they will bear fruit.
This is the work that we must do on our end. We must stay focused on Christ and not get distracted by the world. Seeking Him daily, line upon line, bit by bit, will help you because the mortal world has thorns and thistles of doubt that grow spontaneously—so PULL THEM OUT! The healthy, fruitful tree of faith requires intentional effort. A vital part of that effort is being firmly rooted in Christ. Remember that people make mistakes, but Christ never does.
Elder Uchtdorf teaches:
“We may be drawn to the Savior’s gospel and Church at first because we are impressed by the friendly members, the kind bishop, or the clean appearance of the chapel. These circumstances are certainly important to growing the Church. Nevertheless, if the roots of our testimony never grow deeper than that, what will happen when we move to a ward that meets in a less impressive building, with members who aren’t so friendly, and the bishop says something that offends us?”
Follow and obey the commandments and covenants
Families are ready and excited to serve and go to church. Shouldn’t that guarantee our family’s success? I certainly hope that all of us will see this in our lives. But what if it doesn’t happen? Will we stay bound to the Savior, trusting Him and His timing regardless of circumstances?
We must ask ourselves: Is my testimony based on what I hope to happen in my life? Is it dependent on the actions or attitudes of others? Or is it firmly founded on Jesus Christ, “rooted and built up in him,” regardless of life’s changing circumstances?
Observe the Ordinances of God
The Book of Mormon tells of a people who “were strict in observing the ordinances of God.” But then a skeptic named Korihor came along, mocking the Savior’s gospel, calling it the “foolish” and “silly traditions of their fathers.” Korihor led “away the hearts of many, causing them to lift up their heads in their wickedness.” But others he could not deceive, because to them, the gospel of Jesus Christ was much more than a tradition. Why? Because they knew Jesus. They had strengthened their roots!
Faith is strong when it has deep roots in personal experience and personal commitment to Jesus Christ, independent of our traditions or what others may say or do.
Faith!
Our testimony will be tested and tried. Elder Uchtdof teaches, “Faith is not faith if never tested. Faith is not strong if never opposed. So don’t despair if you have trials of faith or unanswered questions.” He continues, “We should not expect to understand everything before we act. That is not faith. As Alma taught, ‘Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things.’ If we wait to act until all of our questions are answered, we severely limit the good we can accomplish, and we limit the power of our faith.”
So, let's look at everything so far. We can’t see the future and don’t know all the answers, but we can trust Jesus Christ as we keep moving forward and upward because He is our Savior and Redeemer. All of that are the roots we should nourish. Faith will endure life's trials and uncertainties because it is firmly rooted in Christ and His doctrine. Jesus Christ and our Father in Heaven who sent Him constitute the one undeviating, perfectly reliable object of our trust.
Just like Alma taught, planting the word of God in your heart is only the first step; once your testimony grows, the real work begins! We must “nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit.” It takes “great diligence” and “patience with the word.” Please do it! Christ is coming and we must have his strength to make it through!
Elder Uchtdorf taught,
“The Lord’s promises are sure: ‘Ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.’”
Testimony: There’s a part of me that misses the old Zwickau chapel and its stained-glass windows. But over the past 75 years, Jesus Christ has led me on a journey through life that is more thrilling than I could ever have imagined. He has comforted me in my afflictions, helped me recognize my weaknesses, healed my spiritual wounds, and nourished my growing faith.
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