Elder Dallin H. Oaks
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"There has never been a greater need for us to profess our faith, privately and publicly."
"We live in a time when some misrepresent the beliefs of those they call Mormons and even revile us because of them. When we encounter such misrepresentations, we have a duty to speak out to clarify our doctrine and what we believe.
"We should be the ones to state our beliefs rather than allowing others the final word in misrepresenting them."
However, speak in mildness and meekness. Never be overbearing, shrill or reviling.
A testimony should be a personal witness of eternal truths, "borne to our souls by the Holy Ghost, not a travelogue, health log or an expression of love to family members."
The first two steps to gain a testimony are to desire one, then ask God in sincere prayer. Another way to gain or strengthen a testimony is by bearing it.
"One of the greatest things about our Heavenly Father's plan for his children is that each of us can know the truth of that plan for ourselves. That revealed knowledge does not come from books, from scientific proof or from intellectual pondering.
"As with the apostle Peter, we can receive that knowledge directly from our Heavenly Father through the witness of the Holy Ghost."
