"So shall I keep the testimony..."

Continuing through my little snippets of life and proofs that God and Christ live, comes the next time I remember feeling the Spirit stronger than on normal occasions.

This one proves that God answers questions that you didn't even know you had. He also answers it in ways that speaks to individuals and probably not crowds of people at a time.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we do a testimony meeting every first Sunday of each month. This is a chance for members to come out of the congregation and share their testimonies. Other weeks at church, we have members that have been asked to speak to the congregation, generally from that specific ward.

I don't remember if this happened during testimony meeting or during a talk, but I just remember my dad was up at the pulpit speaking. I'm 14 years old at this point and just reveling in the fact that my dad was up at the pulpit. At 14 years old, I hadn't learned a ton about the Gospel, and didn't really fully have a testimony, so I was subconsciously looking for one, even if I didn't know I was.

A little background about my dad before I continue. My dad is not the type of person that likes attention, so bearing his testimony during testimony meeting would be quite the feat, which would make this even more impressive if it was just testimony meeting. 

Here is my dad and I at my white coat ceremony earlier this year.

Jumping back to my dad at the pulpit, he was talking about the prophet Joseph Smith. Typically at the end of talks, people bear their testimony, so my dad was finishing up in the same fashion.

Here is what I remember him saying (not verbatim probably): "...To think that Joseph Smith was only 14 years old when he experienced the First Vision and saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, is incredible. 14 years old! I can't help but think that's my son's age now. Wow...."

Prior to this point, I don't remember him bearing his testimony or sharing many spiritual moments with me or anyone else really. That doesn't mean he didn't, but that I never really listened/heard it.

It was at this point that I felt like I needed to search things out, especially about Joseph Smith. Within the LDS Church, everything leans on whether Joseph Smith was a prophet and inspired or not. This is the furthest back that I can track where I started to seek out Joseph's teachings and have fallen in love with the Gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

This has proved that the Lord answers prayers that people didn't even know they have. It also shows that he speaks to us individually through others. What my dad said was probably just words to some people, but it helped me in numberless ways.