Member Voices
Testimony – A Powerful Tool to Overcome Temptations
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent (John 17:3).
Knowing the only true God and His Son, Jesus Christ, is having a personal testimony of their reality. A testimony is a confirmation, or a witness from the Holy Ghost, of a truthfulness of things as they are, they were, and they will be.
Four years ago, during my preparation to serve a full-time mission, I went to Asi Ukpo hospital located in the city of Calabar, Nigeria for my medicals. After paying for my medical test, it was time for my X-ray. I was directed to the laboratory and there I met with the doctor. He looked at me and asked the following questions:
“Your name?”
I replied “Bassey Thomas, sir”.
He asked, “Are you a Latter-day Saint?”
I said “Yes, I am.”
He smiled and asked, “Have you been to the temple before?”
I said “Yes, I have”.
He then asked, “Have you been baptized for the dead before?”
I again replied, “Yes, I have”.
Next, he asked, “Are you going on a mission?”
I said “yes, that’s why I am here, for my medicals.”
He smiled again and asked me to wait. He then invited his colleague to join, and they began trying to prove my faith wrong and my decision as well. I was quiet while they spoke. They opened scriptures and started teaching me. They challenged me to go look for a Bible-believing church and join. They also promised to cancel my medical test and refund my payment so that I can go and look for something meaningful to do.
After their challenge I began testifying to them:
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That God and His Son, Jesus Christ live.
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That The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true.
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That the temple and temple ordinances such as baptism for the dead are ordained of Him.
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My decision to serve as a full-time missionary is to help others to know this truth.
They told me that they didn’t have any option other than to obey my choice. He then proceeded to carry out the test.
After some months, I was called to serve and labor in the Ghana Cape Coast Mission. There I was able to learn, teach, grow and develop a strong testimony of my Heavenly Father, my Saviour and His restored gospel. The experience I had in that hospital has strengthened my testimony, whenever I think back on it. Indeed God “will not suffer [us] to be tempted above that [we] are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that [we] may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Beloved brothers and sisters, my full-time mission helped me to learn leadership skills, planning skills and goal setting. Today I am a returned missionary, currently serving in my ward. I wonder about life today if I didn’t have a testimony.
I recommend us all to gain, nurture, develop, hold firm and share our honest and sincere testimony. I testify as we do this, our foundation will be firm on Jesus Christ and His restored gospel.