Testimony and the Spirit

Two weeks ago we were able to attend church with my family in Phoenix. My youngest brother Levi is 10 years old and he got up and bore his testimony in front of the congregation. Levi did not do the typical..."I'd like to bare my testimony, I know this church is true." He started by telling a story about how in his primary they were challenged to read the Book of Mormon. He also said in his class they talked about the scripture Moroni 10:4-5:

"4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."

His class was challenged to pray to know if what he was being taught was true; if the church is "true". He remembered about this challenge during the passing of the sacrament and it was quiet so he decided to pray about it. He prayed once and felt something. Then he was interupted and decided to pray again, he was interupted again and he told a little aside of Ammon (our 17 yr old brother) coming to sit down with us so we all had to scoot over because there were so many of us and not enough room, and then he said he prayed one more time. This time a feeling came over him that made his body shake. He KNEW it was the spirit telling him that the church is true, the Book of Mormon is true, and what he was learning in class was right. He got up and told that to all of us and there was an older woman in front of us whispering to her grown daughter that this is not a boy speaking...but a man. I saw many people come up to Levi to Thank him for sharing his testimony. I knew my brother was a smart kid, but Levi is an example for all of us.

On those same lines I wanted to share my feelings about our Prophet Thomas S. Monson. As of Saturday night I hadn't quite had a chance to mourn the death of President Hinckley. At the end of the broadcast Elder Holland announced that President Monson would be speaking next. I am so thankful that I was able to recognize the feeling of the Spirit overwhelming me. I started to tear up that President Hinckley was not there to speak to us. But I was immediately filled with comfort and a comfirmation that Thomas S. Monson is a our Prophet and that he is called of God. I, like Levi, have a testimony of this gospel of Jesus Christ. And I am thankful for it in my life. and THANK YOU LEVI!