Elder Holland's Stirring Testimony

At the Sunday afternoon session of the 179th semi-annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gave an emotionally charged testimony of the Book of Mormon.

Latter-Day Saints who attend General Conference have known for several years what a wonderful speaker Elder Jeffrey R. Holland can be. He is willing to tackle difficult subjects, such as chastity, with eloquence and great spiritual articulation. On October 4, 2009 at the Sunday afternoon session of General conference, he did it once again.

Elder Holland reminded his audience that the purpose of the Book of Mormon is to testify of Christ, and that it beckons all to who read it come unto Christ and be perfected in Him. He recounted a portion of the story of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, wherein Hyrum read comforting words to his brother from the Book of Mormon, from Ether12:37. Joseph Smith then bore a powerful testimony to the guards who held him captive in Carthage Jail. Then, Elder Holland posed this question to listeners; would two men who knew they faced death continue to stand by the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon, knowing that they would soon meet their maker? Would they continue to do so knowing that their children would lose their fathers and their wives would lose their husbands, and knowing that the followers of the church would continue to be run out of their homes, and forced to flee for their own lives, dragging their wives and little children across frozen rivers and untamed prairie? Would they do that if they truly knew in their hearts that the Book of Mormon had been fabricated? He responded with an emphatic, "THEY WOULD NOT DO THAT!" He added that they did give their lives, and knew that many of the members of the Church would give their lives for that very cause. He quoted his great-grandfather who said, "No wicked man could write such a book as this, and no good man would write it unless it were true, and he were commanded of God to do so."

This is a topic that Elder Holland feels very strongly about, as was evident to anyone who was able to view the talk at General Conference. Elder Holland articulated what many Latter-Day Saints have always felt and believed, deep in their hearts, but have not been able to put into words, at least, not as well as he did. He shed tears during the delivery of his testimony. He shook with what appeared to be anger towards those who would seek to disprove the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. It is moving, and somewhat refreshing, to see a General Authority express true, raw emotion over something that he feels so passionate about. It reminded many Latter-Day Saints of their own testimonies, and strengthened testimonies of those who might have weak testimonies.

There are many who have tried to find fault with the Book of Mormon, citing supposed archaeological discrepancies, trying to find fault with the language, trying to find fault with the time lines, etc. Elder Holland stated that the Book of Mormon has been " ...targeted and torn apart like perhaps no other book in modern religious history."

I dare to say that there has not been ANY book in ALL of history that has been so attacked and targeted as the Book of Mormon has. If the Book of Mormon was not true, would the adversary be trying so hard to discount and disprove it? Would people be so enraged over it? No, they would just discount it as any other book in any other library. I submit that the fact that so many people have tried to tear it down is proof that the adversary wants to do away with it, and if that is so, then the Book of Mormon must be authentic. And, yet, it has not been disproved, and shall not ever, even after the return of Christ. The Book of Mormon still stands as a marvelous work and a wonder.

If a person had any doubts about the Book of Mormon, those doubts should have been put to rest after hearing Elder Holland's Testimony. It is unfathomable how anyone could sit through that talk, and not feel the Spirit of God emanating from that servant of the Lord who bore his soul to his listeners. Thank you, Elder Holland, for sharing your heartfelt testimony with the world!

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