Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be confounded before men; For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.

But a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall declare whatsoever thing ye declare in my name, in solemnity of heart, in the spirit of meekness, in all things.

And I give unto you this promise, that inasmuch as ye do this the Holy Ghost shall be shed forth in bearing record unto all things whatsoever ye shall say. — Doctrine and Covenants 100: 5-8

During a weekly mission zone meeting, we read from Doctrine and Covenants 100: 5-8 as a group. It occurred to me that if I, as a missionary and as a member of this Church, will follow the guidance of the Spirit and speak the thoughts that I have in my heart, the Spirit will testify of the things that I say even though I feel scared and outsmarted at times.

There is a promise in this scripture, and after reading it I decided to try that promise asking the Lord to help me to have courage while teaching a certain investigator. Sure enough, I not only spoke the thoughts that were put in my heart, but it was in Spanish, as I was serving a Spanish-speaking mission. I don't remember how I even said what I said, but I know the Spirit did testify, as promised in verse 8. We all felt the Spirit as though there was a fire in the middle of us all. I am grateful for this scripture and its promise. I know that it is true and it does not only pertain to missionaries, but everybody who is willing to open their mouth and share the gospel with friends, families or whoever the Spirit prompts. I realize now that even the smartest of people can be humbled and have a change of heart because of what the Spirit can do. All we need to do is " ....lift up our voices ...."

— Elder Tyler Holdaway, Mexico Mexico City West Mission.

"Living by the Scriptures" is another in a series of Church News reader response articles. Was there a time when a particular scripture touched you, when it offered comfort, guidance and much-needed support? If so, please describe your experience in 250-300 words, giving the scripture reference and telling how it affected you. Send your submission to Church News, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110. Fax (801) 237-2524. E-mail: churchnews@desnews.com.