That is my testimony. That is my sword.

2/2/09 Email Message

Konnichiwa!!

Hows is everything going with my favorite family in the world? It sounds like everyone is having fun and enjoying life. Im glad to hear it!

This week was pretty eventful for us. On Friday Elder Stevenson from the Quorum of the Seventy came and spoke to our mission. It was so fun to sit and listen to him and his wife speak to us. I learned a lot from what they said and even more from the spirit in the room. One of the most powerful topics Elder Stevenson spoke about was the sword of the Spirit. He told us as missionaries, our most powerful tool is our testimonies. Our testimony is literally the sword that we bring to every lesson and every encounter. He then used a lesson on the Word of Wisdom to demonstrate the difference between a lesson without a testimony and a lesson with one. He said the exact same things in both lessons, but in the second one he bore a simple, incredibly powerful testimony. The spirit was so strong, that it literally felt like all the little doubts and questions that were in my mind were pierced with a sword. That little demonstration taught me so much about the power of a testimony. It is the source of our strength and the foundation of our faith. It is the most powerful we posess.

After church on sunday, an old investigator (his name is Kobayashi) who I have never met called us and told us he wanted to meet. He came to church and met us and Yoriko Shimai. He started to talk about how he met the missionaries in the past and has heard all the lessons. He thinks everything about the church is good, but it is just really hard for him to believe in God. He had a list of reasons why he doubts the existence of God. We tried to answer each one individually, but I could just feel like it wasnt working. I couldnt feel the spirit at all - it felt like we were just wasting our time. In the middle of the lesson I said a little silent prayer so I could receive guidance on what to say. And then I remembered Elder Stevensons lesson. And thats when I knew it was time to pull out the sword. I opened the scriptures to Mosiah 2:41[* ](one of my favorites), read it out loud, and then began to bear testimony of God. I have never felt more sure about my testimony than I did at that moment. I have never felt so strongly about my own words than I did at that time. When I was done bearing testimony I felt a prompting to do something I would have never done on my own.

I had never met, talked to, or known anything about Kobayashi san before that lesson. I didnt know anything about him at all. But as I sat there I could clearly feel the spirit telling me what to do - so I followed. I asked Kobayashi san if he would commit to baptism right then. He looked up at me with tears in his eyes and said yes. I was shocked! I didnt even know who this man was, but I had just committed him to be baptized. It was the strangest experience I have had so far. It was like the moment I began to bear testimony, the spirit took out His sword and destroyed all doubts Kobayashi san could possibly have. It was amazing! I wish you could have been there to see it. I know God is real. I know Christ is our savior and I know this is his church. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and the Book of Mormon is true! That is my testimony. That is my sword.

Love,

Elder Brendan Kingsford

[*Mosiah 2:41 - And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it. ]