I was listening to the April 2023 General Conference today and came across the talk “Never Give Up an Opportunity to Testify of Christ” by Bonnie H Cordon. It was a lovely talk about her father and his admonition to never give up an opportunity to testify of Christ.
As talks and lessons do, they provide us an opportunity to reflect on our own lives. This talk did this for me.
I have often reflected on scriptures that give me hope that my sins, which are many, would be forgiven me. If I open my mouth and testify of Christ, I will have my sins forgiven. Here are a few of those scriptures:
Doctrine & Covenants 62:3
3 Nevertheless, ye are blessed, for the testimony which ye have borne is recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon; and they rejoice over you, and your sins are forgiven you.
Doctrine & Covenants 84:61
61 For I will forgive you of your sins with this commandment—that you remain steadfast in your minds in solemnity and the spirit of prayer, in bearing testimony to all the world of those things which are communicated unto you.
Anyhow, as I listened to Sister Cordon, I reflected on a conversation I had a work the other day. I work in a room with 5 people. I am the only active LDS member in that room. Two of the remining four, I know were baptized but are far from active.
A few days ago, we started to have a conversation about the last days. Everyone started to pile on the “extremists” who are preparing for this nonsense that the end of the world was coming. I sat silent. Honestly as I reflect on their words, I am reminded of the people of Noah who laughed that Noah would build an ark. I couldn’t help but consider the fortifying and earthquake proofing of the Salt Lake Temple to be equal to Noah building an ark.
We know the day is coming that, as The Family, A Proclamation to the World tells us, the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets will be poured out upon the earth.
The day is coming when an earthquake will hit Salt Lake City. The preparations the faithful make will protect them. It isn’t extremism. It isn’t fanatical. It isn’t religious extremism. It is simply having faith in the word of God. It is listening and following the word of God and modern-day servants of the Lord.
What could I have said? I realized there were many things I could have said. I might have sounded a bit crazy. At a minimum, I could have expressed my believe that we do indeed live in the last days, and we will all witness the signs foretold in scripture. I could have used the opportunity to testify of Jesus Christ.