“Other people seem so sure of their testimonies, but I’m not. Does that mean I don’t have one?” New Era, Jan. 2019, 43.
To the Point
Other people seem so sure of their testimonies, but I’m not. Does that mean I don’t have one?
“A testimony is a testimony, and it should be respected, whether it is small or large.”1
Because one of the purposes of this life is to build faith in Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, we are born without a sure knowledge of truth. We first hear the truth, and then we must desire to know for ourselves by acting on that truth (see John 7:17; Alma 32:28–34). We believe first; then knowledge can come if we seek it. So belief is nothing to scoff at.
A young man once said to Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that he didn’t know but believed the Church is true. “I hugged that boy until his eyes bulged out,” said Elder Holland. “I told him with all the fervor of my soul that belief is a precious word, an even more precious act, and he need never apologize for ‘only believing.’ … I told this boy that belief was always the first step toward conviction.”2
We know spiritual truths by spiritual means (see 1 Corinthians 2:10–14). As we sincerely seek the truth and obey God’s commandments, the Holy Ghost witnesses to our spirits that the gospel is true. Through this process, you can gradually become more confident in knowing that you do have a testimony.