Spiritual knowledge
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One of the greatest things about Heavenly Father's plan for His children is that each can know the truth of that plan for himself.
This, said Elder Dallin H. Oaks, is a testimony, "a personal witness borne to our souls by the Holy Ghost that certain facts of eternal significance are true and that we know them to be true."
Speaking Saturday afternoon, Elder Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve said knowledge can be learned in different ways. "The idea that all important knowledge is based on scientific evidence is simply untrue.... Scientific methods will not yield spiritual knowledge."
This spiritual knowledge comes by "His telling us in our mind and in our heart 'by the Holy Ghost."'
Gaining knowledge begins with a desire, Elder Oaks said. The next step is sincere prayer. "I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself," he said, quoting Alma 5:46.
"Acquiring a testimony is not a passive thing, but a process in which we are expected to do something.... We gain or strengthen a testimony by bearing it," he said.
A personal testimony is fundamental to faith. "Consequently, the things we must do to acquire, strengthen and retain a testimony are vital to our spiritual life," which includes partaking of the sacrament each week "to qualify for the precious promise that we will 'always have His spirit to be with us."'
Those who have the gift to know have an obvious duty to bear their witness so that those who have the gift to believe on their words might also have eternal life, he said.
"There has never been a greater need for us to profess our faith, privately and publicly.... Each of us has many opportunities to proclaim our spiritual convictions to friends and neighbors, to fellow workers and to casual acquaintances. We should use these opportunities to express our love for our Savior....
"We should also strengthen our children by encouraging them to define themselves by their growing testimonies, not just by their recognition in scholarship, sports or other school activities," he said.
Some misrepresent the beliefs of the Church, he continued. "When we encounter such misrepresentations, we have a duty to speak out to clarify our doctrine and what we believe."
Critics sometimes accuse members of "blind obedience." What critics fail to understand, he said, is that "we each have a direct relationship with God.... It puzzles them that we can be united in following our leaders, and yet independent in knowing for ourselves."
Elder Oaks described two different channels to God; one channel of governance through leaders that has to do with doctrine and commandments, the other a channel of personal testimony, which is direct to God....
"When the Holy Ghost gives our souls a witness of the truth of the restored gospel and the calling of a modern prophet, our choice to follow those teachings is not blind obedience."
