I had seen a vision and I could not deny it – Joseph Smith—History 1:25 – Come, Follow Me Ponderize and Commentary

I had seen a vision and I could not deny it – Joseph Smith—History 1:25 – Come, Follow Me Ponderize and Commentary

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I am seriously blown away, with how many people that I know who have so called “lost their testimony in the Church of Jesus Christ.” Our testimony is like unto a tree that we planted and used to water, and give great attention to. It doesn’t just get lost, it dies from neglect. We don’t loose our testimonies, we stop nourishing them, next we begin neglecting them, then rationalize them away, and finally, we deny them.

We can learn so much from Joseph Smith and holding fast to his testimony even amid persecution and being hated for it.

Joseph Smith—History 1:23–25
23 It caused me serious reflection then, and often has since, how very strange it was that an obscure boy, of a little over fourteen years of age, and one, too, who was doomed to the necessity of obtaining a scanty maintenance by his daily labor, should be thought a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects of the day, and in a manner to create in them a spirit of the most bitter persecution and reviling. But strange or not, so it was, and it was often the cause of great sorrow to myself.

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24 However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a vision. I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad; and he was ridiculed and reviled. But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet he knew, and would know to his latest breath, that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking unto him, and all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise.

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25 So it was with me. I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.

Let us say with Joseph, that we have actually felt the Holy Spirit testify to our hearts that the Gospel is true and say in our hearts and to all who will listen, “I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it.”

Craig