At this time in the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin is addressing his people a final time as their king. He commanded the people to gather in one place so that they could hear his words. He felt it necessary to share with them his testimony of the Savior. He mentions in verse 23 that he had "spoken the words which the Lord had commanded" him and it is his words that stand as a bright testimony. When I first put a box around the words "stand as a bright testimony" an image of the Young Women logo entered my mind.
image received from lds.orgWe often hear the phrase "actions speak louder than words". A few years ago, my husband served in a serviceman's group at the local military base. These young soldiers were only at the base for a short time for training, but the serviceman's group was a place for the LDS members to meet and participate in Sabbath meetings. I would often attend the meetings with my husband and enjoyed the Spirit that these young airmen brought with them. During one fast and testimony meeting, a young man stood to share his feelings of the gospel and to testify of the Savior. I don't remember his name, but I will never forget the way his testimony touched me that day. He shared a personal story about being in the military as a member of the Church and it's unique difficulties. He talked about the importance of being an example and representative of the Savior. At the conclusion of his testimony, he challenged all of us to live in such a way that others will not be surprised to find out that we are a Mormon. He challenged us to always represent the Church well. His words made me ponder and recall my own actions throughout life. Had I been a good example? Had I ever slipped and left a bad impression? How was I representing the Lord?
I thought of 1 Timothy 4:12, "...be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." Our actions speak loudly. People watch us, carefully, to see how we will react to different situations. Naturally, others are curious about our faith and want to see if we truly live it. In the Book of Mormon, there are many examples of those who live their faith well, but there are also many examples of what happens when others choose to not follow the principles of the gospel. In Alma 39:11 (page 306), Alma is talking with his son Corianton, who behaved badly while they were out spreading the gospel. Alma states, "...Behold, O my son, how great iniquity ye brought upon the Zoramites; for when they saw your conduct they would not believe in my words." Our examples can help build the kingdom of God but, if we are not careful, we can also keep others from accepting the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our Savior Jesus Christ is the perfect example. After the Savior washed the apostle's feet, he said in John 13:15, "For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." He taught by example that the apostles should love and serve one another. In 3 Nephi 18:24 (page 443) he stated to the Nephites, "Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up--that which ye have seen me do..." If we follow our perfect example, the Savior Jesus Christ, we truly can be a bright testimony for others to see. We can be a beacon of hope, a healing touch, an answered prayer. This I share in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
