The Testimony of a Prophet of God

Last night I learned of the death of President Gordon B. Hinckley, the prophet of God on earth. It is as if one of my closest friends has died. I feel the shock, the sorrow, the loss; but along with those comes the knowledge that he was a Living Prophet of God and I have had the opportunity to listen to his counsel and advice and I can re-read those things he taught.

One of the most marvelous blessings of being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is having a Living Prophet to guide us in these difficult times. The counsel from our Prophet weighs heavy in my life and each time I have the privilege of listening to him, I gain more faith in my Savior and more love for His Gospel.

It is so hard for me to explain my love for this man! He has given is whole life to helping the Gospel move forward in our time. He has done as much as he could to prepare us for the difficulties we face today. He has borne witness of Christ and of His Second Coming. My prayer is that I can live up to the things President Hinckley asked each member to do.

My favorite thing about President Hinckley is how much he looked like my Grandfather! I always thought of Grandpa when listening to President Hinckley. Of course, it helped that Grandpa made sure we knew of his testimony of the restored gospel, Joseph Smith, Temples, the Scriptures, and the Prophet. How could I not associate the two, when they looked so much alike and taught the same things.

One of the assignments of the Prophet of our Church is to testify of Christ. It is so important to hear that testimony and to gain our own testimony of Jesus Christ.

MY TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST

I know, without any kind of doubt, that Jesus Christ lives.

I know he is my Savior and Redeemer.

I know He loves me and He answers my prayers.

I know He will come to earth again.

I look forward to the day I can meet Him on earth and worship Him face to face.

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The Testimony of

President Gordon B. Hinckley

The Things of Which I Know
President Gordon B. Hinckley, given April 1, 2007

How deeply grateful I am that we of this Church do not rely on any man-made statement concerning the nature of Deity. Our knowledge comes directly from the personal experience of Joseph Smith, who, while yet a boy, spoke with God the Eternal Father and His Beloved Son, the Risen Lord. He knelt in Their presence; he heard Their voices; and he responded. Each was a distinct personality. Small wonder that he told his mother that he had learned that her church was not true. And so, one of the great overarching doctrines of this Church is our belief in God the Eternal Father. He is a being, real and individual. He is the great Governor of the universe, yet He is our Father, and we are His children.

We pray to Him, and those prayers are a conversation between God and man. I am confident that He hears our prayers and answers them. I could not deny that. I have had too many experiences of answered prayers. . . .

The second great certitude of which I am sure also has its foundation in the vision of the Prophet Joseph. It is that Jesus lives. He is the Living Christ. He is the Jehovah of the Old Testament and the Messiah of the New. Under His Father's direction, He was the Creator of the earth. The gospel of John opens with these remarkable words: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

"The same was in the beginning with God.
"All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:1–3). . . .

Now, the next thing of which I am certain, and of which I bear witness, is the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. Without it life is meaningless. It is the keystone in the arch of our existence. It affirms that we lived before we were born in mortality. Mortality is but a stepping-stone to a more glorious existence in the future. The sorrow of death is softened with the promise of the Resurrection. There would be no Christmas if there were no Easter.
I speak next of the great certitudes that have come with the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is the restoration of the priesthood, or the authority given man to speak in the name of God. This priesthood is of two orders: the lesser, also known as the Aaronic, was restored under the hands of John the Baptist. The higher order of priesthood, the Melchizedek, was restored under the hands of Peter, James, and John. . . .

Now finally, I mention the blessings of the house of the Lord, which have come of the Restoration of the ancient gospel.

These temples, which we have greatly multiplied in recent years, offer blessings that are had nowhere else. All that occurs in these sacred houses has to do with the eternal nature of man. Here, husbands and wives and children are sealed together as families for all eternity. Marriage is not "until death do ye part." It is forever, if the parties live worthy of the blessing. Most remarkable of all is the authority to do vicarious work in the house of the Lord. Here, ordinances are performed in behalf of the dead who did not have opportunity to receive them while in life. . . .

Now, my brothers and sisters, this is my testimony, which I solemnly bear before you.
God bless you, every one, you faithful Latter-day Saints. May there be peace and love in your homes and faith and prayer to guide you in all that you undertake is my humble prayer in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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Said the Savior, "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you" (Matthew 17:20).

To his son Helaman, Alma declared, "Preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart; teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Alma 37:33).
May the Lord bless us with faith in the great cause of which we are a part. May faith be as a candle to guide us in the night by its light. May it go before us as a cloud in the day.
For this I humbly pray, in the sacred and holy name of Him who is the strength of our faith, even the Lord Jesus Christ, amen. Gordon B. Hinckley, October1, 2006