What is the most powerful force on earth that you can think of? I learned firsthand about the force of gravity when I was a little girl, probably about 7 years old and I was climbing a tree in our back yard. I remember wanting to get higher than I had ever been before, when suddenly the branch I was hanging on broke. Well, gravity took over and I found myself on the ground, flat on my back, and unable to breath. (I’d never had the wind knocked out of me before and I thought it was all over!) At that time I guess I thought gravity was the most powerful force.

More recently I felt the powerful force of the rapids at the Snake River. We were in a small 6 man raft and trying to hit a big rapid just perfectly. Well, we did and it flipped that raft like a feather and landed upside down. Of course we all landed in the white water. I had never before known the power in those waves. Even with a life jacket on I struggled to get some gulps of air before I was immersed again in the rapids. Dallin had been in the same raft and I couldn’t think of making sure he was alright because the power of the water made me realize I might have a hard time just taking care of myself!

You’ve all probably felt he power of centrifugal force. There is a ride at Lagoon that I will never, ever try again. It spins around, getting faster and faster until you’re either smashed against the outside edge of the seat or smashed against the person sitting on the outside. There is no support for your head and I knew I would come away from that ride with at the very least a whiplash.

As strong and powerful as these forces are there is something else that is as real and powerful as any force on earth. Quoting from President Hinckley in this past April General Conference:

This thing which we call TESTIMONY is the great strength of the Church. It is the wellspring of faith and activity. It is difficult to explain. It is difficult to quantify. It is an elusive and mysterious thing, and yet it is as real and powerful as any force on the earth.

“As real and powerful as any force on the earth?” Including gravity, including rapids, including centrifugal force? That is pretty powerful.

What is it, this thing we call Testimony? President Hinckley said, “It is the Holy Spirit testifying through us. It is a gift from God to man. It overrides wealth or poverty, it motivates to an impelling duty.

Robert L. Millet is the Dean of Religion at BYU. I heart him speak recently and he shared this story: He has an acquaintance, a friend who is a well respected gospel scholar of another faith. Brother Millet and his wife were passing through his town and they met for dinner, which led to a a lively discussion about religion. They were both adamantly expressing their differing views on different subjects of religion. Finally the other man turned to Sister Millet and asked, “What do you think of this Mormon religion?” She was taken off guard, and felt totally unprepared to participate in this deep discussion. She thought anything she had to say would be very trite, but tried hard to answer his question. She started by telling him she didn’t have all the answers to their arguments, but what she did know she knew without a doubt. Then she proceeded to bear her testimony of the restored gospel and what a marvelous influence it has had on her life and the lives of her family. That is how their discussion ended. Some time later Bro. Millett received a letter from this man, thanking him for the dinner and conversation. Then he ended the letter with this statement, “I’m still not stimulated by your discussion, but I am still haunted by your wife’s testimony.!”

In his talk, Pres. Hinckley continues: "Wherever the Church is organized its power is felt. We stand on our feet and say that we know. We say it until it almost appears to be monotonous. We say it because we do not know what else to say. The simple fact is that we DO know that God lives, that Jesus IS the Christ and that this is their cause and their kingdom. The words are simple, the expression comes from the heart. It is something that cannot be refuted. Opponents may quote scripture and argue doctrine endlessly. They can be clever and persuasive. But when one says, “I know,” there can be no further argument. There may not be acceptance, but who can refute or deny the quiet voice of the inner soul speaking with personal conviction?"

Two BYU professors, Bruce Chadwick, professor of sociology and Brent Top, professor of religion have been conducting a study for the past several years. They conducted their research among Mormon youth across the country. They wanted to answer some questions such as “Where is the best place to raise teenagers successfully?” What does it take to ensure kids make good moral choices, how do you prevent delinquency, etc. I attended a workshop at the end of their research where they were videoing their findings. One of these findings was that those kids with strong testimonies didn’t simply come from families who did all the outward things like going to church, family prayer, family scripture study etc. What made the difference in the lives of these kids was they had had individual spiritual experiences.

Someone once said, “Sitting in a church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than sitting in a cookie jar makes you a cookie.” It is not a matter of getting young people into the church, it is getting the church into young people. So, as parents and leaders of youth, it can’t stop with taking them to church. We need to be providing opportunities for them to have spiritual experiences. We need to teach them not just to live the gospel but WHY to live the gospel.

Bruce Chadwick said, “you can take young people to church, but the key is enticing them to partake of what’s there, to have a practice of personal prayer, to have their own independent scripture reading.” And to be able to say, ‘Yes, I have felt the spirit in my life.”

We have been given the responsibility either as leaders of youth or as parents of youth to help them “Come unto Christ.”, to get this testimony, this great power that Pres. Hinckley talks about.. To me it is a humbling and a scarey challenge. And what role can the youth program play in it. We know we are supposed to be a support to the family so how can we best support the family?

Sister Sharon Larsen, counselor in the Young Women’s program said, “We can’t match the glit and glitter of the world but the world can’t match the spirit of the Lord. There are three things I feel we can and should be doing in the young men and young women’s program::

1. Providing a place where they feel connected, accepted and needed.

The first night at Youth Conference after coming from a Mexican restaurant we all met at the Goff’s back yard for a traditional Mexican fiesta, complete with decorations, costumes, and music. I saw all the kids wearing sombreros and ponchos that Barbara had spent hours making, and I watched John Sorenson decked out in a bull costume in the ring having a “bull fight” with our teenage matadors, and I watched them learn some traditional Mexican dances, and participate in a limbo contest.

You might say they were just having a good time, but I think this is so important to helping them feel connected, accepted, and maybe more prepared for the meatier parts of youth conference.

2. Seeing and feeling the sweet rewards of service

An example of this at camp was watching our tend leaders, the Laurels really be in charge of the girls in their tents. They gave the younger girls spiritual food, helped them with their assignments, helped them certify, and when there were little problems or hurt feelings almost without exception we let the tent leaders try to work it out, and they did.

At Youth Conference I saw the rewards of service in the eyes of the kids who participated, and the eyes of the Senior Citizens living in the three Beehive homes we visited. The kids gave them treats, door signs they had made, sang songs with them and just visited. When it was time to leave the residents didn’t want them to leave and more importantly the kids didn’t want to leave.

3. Giving them the opportunity to feel the Spirit

Testimony meetings are usually a highlight of girls camp, and this year, because of the rain we sort of had two. At youth conference we learned some fascinating things about the Book of Mormon from Sister Lundgreen, and Bishop and Sister Rawlins. And we ended with a testimony meeting in the mountains.

I can’t talk about the Young Women’s program without pushing personal progress. If asked, “what is Personal Progress, most people might say, it is completing value experiences and projects in order to earn the Young Women awards. And that is a part of it, a small part, the part that the leaders are most involved with. Some of the other things the girls are doing if they are earning their awards are private daily prayer, regular scripture reading, seeking the guidance of the spirit, staying morally clean, practicing the law of the fast, and keeping a journal and personal history.

(Interestingly, these are some of those individual things that the study found to be so important in the lives of the youth.)

This summer for the first time the stake sponsored a retreat for those girls who were 16 and up- to- date on their personal progress awards. We went to Bear Lake, slept in cabins and had all the waterskiing and water fun the girls could ask for. We had great food, great speakers, including Pres. Gerber, and great ideas for Laurel projects. I think it was an inspired idea and a great incentive for the girls who went and for the younger girls to keep on track with personal progress.

I know that a personal testimony can be a very powerful force in each of our lives. And I know that we can help others by sharing our testimonies, but I also know that every person whether youth or adult can and must feel the spirit in their own lives, whether it comes in a still small voice, shivers, a feeling of peace or chills, if we are sincere and doing what we should we can all join Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon when they said,

And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of Him, this is the testimony, last of all which we give of him: That he lives! D&C 76:22

(August 30, 1998)

by Sally O Meservy