The Power of Pure Testimony

Alma the younger is overwhelmed with what is happening among his own church, among his own people.  They had all made covenants in the waters of baptism and yet "the people of the church began to wax proud... they began to be scornful, one towards another...their began to be great contentions, envying, and strife, and malice... he saw great inequality, ...lifting themselves up with their pride, despising others."  (Alma 4:6,8-10,12)  

"Now this was the cause of much affliction to Alma, yea, and to many of the people who Alma had consecrated to be teachers, and priests, and elders over the church." (Alma 4:7)

(Notice that those who served with Alma, those he had set-apart as teachers and leaders also grieved for what was happening.)

What a heavy burden this righteous man of God carried on his shoulders.  It "sorely grieved" him. He searched, pleaded, and prayed for answers and came to the conclusion that there was "no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them."  He reminded them of the generation who had gone before them. It wasn't just his testimony he bore but he strove to remind them of the testimony of their parents and grandparents.  And he lists off these things that happened to them basically saying, "Don't you remember them, how they gained hope and salvation?"

Your parents and grandparents had these blessings:

• Delivered by the mercy and power of God (5:4)
• Delivered out of bondage by the power of His word (5:5)
• Delivered their souls from hell (5:6)
• He changed their hearts (5:7)
• He awakened them out of a deep sleep (5:7)
• Their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word (5:7)
• The bands of death were broken (5:9)
• The chains of hell were loosed (5:9)
• Their souls did expand (5:9)
• They did sing redeeming love (5:9)

Then he asks them "what is the cause" of the great miracles that took place with them.  How were all of these things possible?  He answers his own question,
"I can tell you."(Alma 5:11-13)

• They believed the Prophet
• They believed the Prophet spoke the words of God
• According to faith, there was a mighty change of heart as they applied the Prophet's words
• They humbled themselves
• They put their trust in God
• They were faithful to the end

I think the part that stands out to me here is the "pure testimony" that Alma bore to the people was mostly that of his father's testimony.  His father left a powerful legacy.  I wonder what affect it would have if we were to tap into and share as frequently as possible with our children the testimony of their grandmothers and grandfathers?  That seemed to be the common answer that stood out to me at World Congress 9 this year. Read their testimony to your children. Send it out in a weekly or monthly email, in a text message, or pin it up and frame it on a wall where they can see it every day.  Make it an opening tradition to read every FHE.  However it is done, put that pure testimony out there for them to be reminded constantly. 

Now of course we must constantly use the "pure testimony" of the prophets and apostles too; scriptures both modern and ancient.  But there is power in using the testimony of a grandmother or grandfather because even when the faith of the children waver even in God (in the unseen), they cannot deny the existence of a grandma or grandpa.  They had incredible faith, they believed!

-Alicia