Yo se… (I know)
Terrassa Family Home Evening
A Lesson in Testimony: "I Am Learning the Words to Say"
During a recent discussion, we asked one of the young adults, "How is your testimony?" His answer was illuminating: “I am learning the words to say when I go with the missionaries to teach.”
He was learning how to share the gospel as a missionary but misunderstood that a testimony was something to learn words from the missionaries of what to say. We had the tender mercy to help explain the personal testimony that comes from our “feelings of our heart and mind rather than an accumulation of logical, sterile facts. It is a gift of the Spirit, a witness from the Holy Ghost that certain concepts are true.” (Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, The Power of a Personal Testimony)
Elder Evans and I both realized that many of our wonderful recent converts and members needed a clearer understanding of what a testimony truly is.
With that and the miracle of the work of the Lord in two days time the sister missionaries gave the spiritual thought at Family Home evening of “testimony”. It was so powerful and simple that I want to share it with you so you might share it with your own family or group. We know it was the Lord doing His work and inspiring the sisters.
They began by asking, "What is a testimony?" After receiving a variety of answers, they clarified what a testimony is. They explained that it consisted of faith in our Savior Jesus Christ and His gospel in the following way: (again quoting Elder Uchtdorf )
God lives. He is our loving Father in Heaven, and we are His children.
Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and the Savior of the world.
Joseph Smith is the prophet of God through whom the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored in the latter days.
The Book of Mormon is the word of God.
(The current President of the Church), his counselors, and the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are the prophets, seers, and revelators in our day.
The Powerful Exercise
What they did next was the most impactful part of the evening.
We were each asked to take out our phones and open a new note. The instruction was to silently spend five minutes recording things we "knew to be true" regarding the gospel of Jesus Christ. We individually recorded sentences starting with the phrase, "Yo se (I know)..."
Next, the missionaries invited us to share, saying: “Let’s read one phrase you have written, starting with the words, ‘Yo sé…’
We went around the room of about 25 people, all with varying strengths of testimony. As each person testified of one part of their knowledge of Jesus Christ and His gospel, the Spirit filled the room.
One young man, unsure what to say, gave us a tender mercy and opportunity to speak with him personally afterward. Another man, who had been attending church for five months but was no longer being taught by the missionaries because of slow progress, bore testimony. (another tender mercy)
It was an evening of many small miracles and a very strong spirit, proving that a testimony is not just words to learn, but divine feelings to share.
