In the days of Christ and his apostles it was common to see the gifts of the Spirit and of the Priesthood of God in action. In fact, it was so powerful and impressive that Simon approached the Lord’s chosen representatives in an attempt to buy their same power. The result, of course, is that he was told his money will perish with him because the power of the priesthood is not for sale at any price.

Only God can grant the powers the apostles possessed. The majority of contemporary Christendom has no concept of that power, nor do they readily accept the fact that it has been restored to the earth with the Lord’s one true church in this last dispensation. Therefore, they do not share in the joy and blessings that are the result of its presence among the believers.

Among the powers that were shown by the priesthood anciently was the power to heal the sick. That is restored again today. I have personally been the instrument of the Lord’s will in the healing of many people. Some have been relatively undramatic and others have been nothing less than miraculous.

Many years ago I and a missionary companion were urgently called to the home of a young woman possessed by an evil spirit. We knew that the person before us was in no way the same girl that we had previously been introduced to. We saw in her eyes a true resentment that was aimed at us. She seemed like an animal backed into a corner but attack might in an instant. After sitting her in a chair, we laid hands upon her head and I began pronouncing a blessing upon her promising that the spirit would depart. As these words were spoken, my companion felt a charge of electricity rush up his arms as the spirit withdrew from the girl. In seconds, she was again the girl we knew. She related how she was aware of the hatred that the evil spirit had felt for us and that she felt as if she were unclean and unworthy in our presence.

Another time, one of my own sons was stricken with a bout of asthma so severe that his chest nearly collapsed. I called a man who was not only a friend, but the home teacher assigned to our family. We laid hands upon my son after anointing him with consecrated oil. I then pronounced upon him a command that the affliction would leave him and he would begin to breathe again. As we finished, the attack left him totally and he, then ten years old, comforted his frightened mother with the assurance that he had felt it in his very bones that he was now all right.

Fairly recently I was asked to help give a blessing to a woman who was not a member of the Church, but is of the lineage of Israel. I trusted her faith; my eldest son and I proceeded to bless her with the Lord’s will. I had just found out that she had cancer and was due to have her bladder removed. In the blessing I was prompted to tell her that the cancer would begin from that very time to reverse and would then disappear altogether. My son said he felt the presence of at least two others in the room, although we could not see them. He felt the hand of one of them on his shoulder. The power in the room was so intense that I was barely able to speak the words of the blessing. Ten days or so later, my son called me to announce that she had just returned from the doctor and that he had pronounced her free of cancer.

The power of God is real and faith is a genuine scientific principle. I bear my personal and sincere witness that it is true and that the ancient priesthood of God is again on the earth in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, along with its accompanying powers and blessings among the faithful.

“The best thing that happened on my mission was…” is quite a question. And it begs the question: “What does ‘best’ mean?” One could refer to a most memorable experience, or the experience that had the greatest impact, either on one’s self or on another person. Is the best thing that happened that my own testimony became more unshakable, or that I was privileged to be instrumental in bringing into the Church someone destined to be a local leader, or is it a particular, specific faith-promoting experience? I almost feel like I have to say all of the above. The best thing that happened on my mission was that I had many experiences that strengthened my own faith and that led to the conversion and strengthening of several people, with the end result that the Kingdom of God was built up. But I’m sure the point of the question must be, rather, to elicit stories of faith-building experiences, so that others can share in those vicariously. So with that preface, I will cheat, and share more than one.

As background, I served in the Bolivia-Santa Cruz mission, between October 1978-October 1980. At the time, the mission included all the ‘departments’ (states) of Bolivia except La Paz, Oruro and Potosí. The city of Santa Cruz is laid out in concentric rings, with broad avenues forming ‘spokes’ radiating out from the central square, or plaza.

One night my companion and I were tracting along one of the ‘spokes,’ making sure we visited the scattered homes along the avenue as we made our way from one neighborhood to another. We were admitted to one house where we sat with the father of a family and his son-in-law and his daughter’s boyfriend. The father was quite resistant and smug in his ‘born-a-Catholic, die-a-Catholic” comfort, and seemed to enjoy contradicting and arguing with us. Ultimately we fell back to bearing our testimonies in preparation for excusing ourselves. As we reviewed the basics and bore testimony of Joseph Smith and the Restoration, most everyone in the room sat politely and the father leaned back in his chair, the very picture of skepticism. The daughter’s boyfriend, however leaned forward with his eyes wide, raptly attentive to every word. As we bid farewell, he shook our hands vigorously and said, with a directness not usual in Latin culture, “I want you to visit my house!” We did so and by the end of our first visit, the Spirit was so strong that, standing at the door we explained the need for baptism and invited Rolando to follow the Savior in being baptized. He readily agreed and, after determining that sacrificing soccer play on Sundays was worth the reward, became a member of the Church. Lessons with Rolando were always spiritual feasts for all of us and we were often moved to tears. In particular, I will always remember the spirit that attended us as Rolando read for the first time from D&C 121. His girlfriend later joined the Church also, they married and Rolando went on to serve as Bishop, Stake President and Mission President. Proof that the Lord knows where his sheep are hidden and is able to call them one of a city and two of a family.

In another town, Quillacollo, near Cochabamba, I was newly assigned and went with my companion to visit a woman he and his prior companion had baptized. She had health and employment issues and had asked for a blessing. Her husband had just abandoned her, she was expecting and doctors had told her that without surgery she would lose her child, yet her employer had told her if she took time off for the surgery, she would lose her position. My own faith was weak and I was afraid that I would not be able to do anything to help her. In fact, I’m ashamed to recall having thought, almost scornfully, “What does she expect? A miracle!?” As I listened to her explain her plight, however, I was touched by her simple faith and resolved within myself to give voice to whatever prompting I might feel in blessing her. As soon as I placed my hands on her head, I had a flash of understanding, like comprehending the entire contents of a book just by picking it up. From there, I was left to put into words everything that I had learned so suddenly. Sister Justiniano received her miracle, and while she did have to submit to surgery, she kept both her job and her baby and the son I had known she carried was born and I was privileged to be present as he was blessed.

These experiences, among others, taught me that God is real, that he knows his children individually and that He hears their concerns and responds to them with compassion and love, that the priesthood authority claimed by the Church is indeed the power of God directed through men to bless His children, and that a person’s faith is efficacious in calling down blessings from heaven. Above all, I can testify that the work of the Church is His work and He actively directs it.

My testimony, recorded with my Canon PowerShot A430 camera on Sunday, 24 June 2007.

I know that Jesus Christ lives and is my Savior. He died for everyone’s sins, including mine. Through the Holy Ghost, who testifies of Jesus Christ and of truth, I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only completely true church on the Earth. Through the Spirit I have realized that Joseph Smith really did restore the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church upon the earth.

Prayer

I know that Heavenly Father hears our prayers. He has answered mine so many times. He does not always give us answers immediately, and his answers often come through scriptures, lessons in Church, or even the helping hand of a friend, family member, or stranger. Everyone on Earth has the sublime privilege of speaking to and being heard by the Almighty. He does not ignore us when we sin; he does not even ignore us when we ignore him. Heavenly Father is a true and steady and eternal friend if we will build a relationship with him through prayer. He is the best listener we could ever spill our hearts to, and he will always answer with what will work out the best for us – even if it doesn’t work out in this life.

Jesus Christ is our advocate with the Father. Through him and in his name we speak to God. Only through Jesus Christ can we be forgiven of our sins, and God does forgive us. We can receive immense blessings from Heavenly Father, but we have to ask for them. He can do amazing things in our lives, but we have to believe his answers to our prayers. Sometimes they don’t make sense right away.

My experience with prayer in choosing a mate

After having a very rough breakup with a man I’d been engaged to, I thought long and hard about the kind of guy I really did want to end up with. I didn’t think I deserved him. I prayed fervently to my Father in Heaven to ask if he would help me do several things: decide what I really wanted, deserve that kind of man, be the kind of girl that that kind of guy wants to date, and find and date that kind of man. After praying, my mind was clear, and I made a list of qualities. They were things that were missing from some of the people I’d dated, things that I loved in people I’d dated, qualities I wanted to develop, good traits I’d seen in my father and brother and friends, and other things that the Spirit inspired me to write. Like Oliver Cowdery, I needed to study the problem out in my mind.

Once I had studied and appended my list repeatedly, I knelt again to pray. I felt the Lord’s approval of my efforts, and his gladness at my desire to develop the traits I had listed. Prayer has the power to match up our will with the will of God, and I knew after that prayer that God would help me find the type of man that both he and I wanted me to have. I knew it might take a very long time, but I was willing to wait however long it took to receive the blessings the Lord had promised according to my diligence.

As I dated other men, I continually added to my list traits that I liked or would have liked. Four months after I made my list, a young man from one of my classes (one I hadn’t noticed in particular) asked me on a date. After our date, I went home and added five more traits to my list (which ended up being about 75 items long). I found him in line with all of my list items, and continued to be impressed with him as we dated.

After a few months of dating, I started to feel impressed that something was wrong with me continuing to date him. I couldn’t understand why the Lord wouldn’t want me to date someone so wonderfully in accord with what we had agreed on before. I talked to this special young man about it, and realized that there was no problem with him except that he needed to date other people to find out if he really wanted to date me. Normally I would scoff at such a proposal and break up immediately, but the Lord’s warnings in answer to my prayers helped me to understand that this was necessary. More prayer confirmed to me in definite terms what I needed to do, but only little about why. It was painful and very difficult to break up with this incredible young man, but I did it because I knew that following the Lord’s counsel would bring me happiness, and not following it would bring me misery. It was a trial of my faith in God’s answers to prayers, and a test of my obedience, but I did obey in faith, and my reward was not long in coming. I learned crucial lessons about the power of prayer and the correctness of God’s counsel to me. I would never give up what I learned in exchange for relief from the pain of the experience, because I finally really knew that God would answer me, and that I would follow him.

A matter of days after our breakup, this special young man came to me and told me he wanted to continue dating me. As I continued in prayer over the relationship, I received blessed guidance from the Lord and, one night, a confirmation that I would be most happy if I married him. In June, about five months after we broke up, we married in the Temple. The Lord has kept every promise he made to me during my struggles, from helping me develop the good traits I wanted and finding them in a mate to the utter joy of my marriage. The Lord answers prayers, and those answers have infinite power to bless our lives if we obey. As I have obeyed the Lord, he has made it easier and easier to understand his answers to my prayers, and it has become easier for me to obey them – not because he asks me to do easier things, but because I know that I can glorify God and be blessed immensely by doing them.

Atonement

Jesus Christ truly suffered every pain of the world, and died and was resurrected so that we could be resurrected, too. These blessings sometimes seem simple, but they are most poignant when we are in pain. I never knew how much the Lord could help until I became ill with a painful stomach problem. It hindered my job, my schoolwork, my housework, and my performance in all other areas. My dear husband never lost patience, but cleaned the house, cared for me, and worked hard in my place to keep my life moving. He never complained to me or anyone else when I was dependent on him for so many things, and he could depend on me for so little. His Christlike example helped me realize the depth of the mercy of Christ. While my husband is imperfect, he made up for what I couldn’t do. How much more does Christ make up for what we cannot do? When we are tired or sick or weighed down by the pains of life, if we will rely on him and have faith in his atonement, we can be lifted up. He carries our lives on when we are too weak or weary, and he suffers our pains with us. I learned from the depth of mercy unexpected from one imperfect man, how Christ, being perfect, can succor me. The Son of God’s mercy is infinite if we repent and come to him. His forgiveness is eternal. When we cannot, he can, no matter how much we cannot do.

Priesthood

The priesthood truly is the power of God on Earth, and holders of the priesthood can do the work of God with the same power as if God were on the Earth doing that work, but God wills that they do it. Men are inspired in their priesthood stewardships to give advice and help that will help those they are in charge of. The advice does not come from their own knowledge, but from God, through the priesthood they have. Bishops have authority to receive guidance for their ward members and give it to them. I know this because I have received advice, blessings, and encouragement from God through priesthood blessings and counsel.

It is an immense blessing to have the priesthood in the home. Husbands and fathers have authority to bring blessings from God to their families. The priesthood has so many wonderful purposes on Earth, but the most wonderful is the missionary work young men can do by the priesthood, and the saving priesthood ordinances that follow. The priesthood gives men power to teach the gospel to the world, delivering a message from God that changes lives and brings people so much Joy. In baptism and in the temple, the priesthood allows people to make covenants with God that are binding forever, with eternal blessings attached.

Service

God gives each of us special talents and abilities. We have gifts of the Spirit and other gifts from God that let us do amazing things. Some people are blessed with good public speaking abilities, exceptional faith, knowledge, the ability to listen. Others still are blessed with different gifts. These gifts can help individuals grow, but they way people grow from their gifts is by using them to serve others. If we use everything we have to give to serve our fellow man, and through them, God, then God will bless us. In times when I have lost myself in difficult service, I have forgotten my own problems. When I was looking away from my own life toward the service of others, Heavenly Father healed parts of my life that needed healing.

Service of others is service to God, and service to God is also service to others. As I listen to the Holy Ghost and obey God in my own life, I can be an example to others. If I try to be like Jesus Christ, and if I love all people as God has commanded, I will naturally reach out to others in kindness. By obeying God and being a missionary, anyone can help others find joy and happiness in the Church. Service always blesses those who serve, and often, when our best efforts are not enough, the Lord can make up the difference, and use our service to bless others.

As we serve God, he gives us the gifts and blessings we need to give the right kind of service. Things that may seem like small acts to me have sometimes been magnified by the Lord to assist someone in ways I hadn’t expected. If we are willing to do the Lord’s work, we can open a door for the Lord’s hand to work in someone else’s life.

Visiting Teaching

One of my favorite forms of service is visiting teaching. It is a simple thing to visit another woman in the ward and deliver a message, but what that visit can mean can be sweet and complex. For me, visiting teaching has saved me from utter loneliness or given an answer to a really tough problem. My visiting teachers have helped me to not feel alone in my worries or problems. When I have visit taught, I have always been blessed with spiritual experiences and a feeling that I really do belong to the Church and to the Relief Society. My prayers have been answered even when I have been the one teaching the lesson.

Conclusion

My testimony grows as I study scriptures and the words of modern prophets. God has placed on the earth all that is needed for the salvation of all people, but we have to be willing to see it and take advantage of it. We can assume all of the amazing blessings we have on Earth are chance or luck, or we can choose to see the signs the Lord has given us: that he lives, that he loves us, that he has never and will never forsake us! We can choose to see the beauty around us as more than ambience, as a tool to teach us of Christ, of God, and of our nature and destiny. Prophets, scriptures, and missionaries are not the only things saying the God exists, and that he has a plan for us. Every tree, every human life, every star in the Heavens testifies: Jesus Christ is the Savior, the Gospel is restored, truth is here! No moment in time is void of God’s love for his children and willingness to help them.

God does not take away the agency of humankind, even to stop others from pain or destruction. We always have choices, and we can make good or bad ones. But God can always take our pain and suffering, our loss, or our sorrow and turn it into growth. He can let each of our heartaches bless us, and each of our trials teach us. We need not despair, for the Lord can change all of our pain into joy, and he will, whether in this life or in the next.

This is my testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I knew Joseph Smith was a prophet when I learn a lot of thins about him.I love his fruitful work!!!A real prophet of God.A prophet of restoration, Chosen to Restored the only TRUE OF GOD.