3 Types Of “Testimonies” The Prophets And Apostles Have Told Us To Avoid.
The first Sunday of each month always was the most nerve racking as a missionary. Never knowing what fast and testimony meeting was going to hold. Often testimony meeting was treated like an open mic night at church. When the testimony meeting went off the rails it was torture to sit there. Because testimony meeting has been brought to the media’s attention as of late with the 12-year-old girl who recorded her coming out of the closet speech that she gave at a testimony meeting and then submitted it to the news. I would like to review the doctrines behind testimonies and testimony meeting.
Testimony meeting is not meant to be an open mic event, it is not the appropriate forum for people to go on rants, confessions, publicity stunts or calls for attention. These are NOT testimonies. In a matter of fact, the prophets have actually told us the types of testimonies that are not appropriate. But just as important as knowing how we can share a true testimony is also not judging others for their testimony. With the understanding that this is , here are three types of testimonies we should stop sharing during fast and testimony meeting and what we should do instead.
1st. The Sermon-mony.
Everyone has heard the sermon-mony. The person approaches the pulpit and proceeds to share quotes, scriptures, and lecture on a topic they think we need to hear. Nothing is wrong with sharing a quote or verse and testifying about it. But don’t sermonize, it is not the right place and you lack the authority to hijack a meeting like that.
“A testimony is not an exhortation; a testimony is not a sermon (none of you are there to exhort the rest); . . . The moment you begin preaching to others, your testimony ended.”
Spencer W. Kimball (Teachings of the Prophets Spencer W. Kimball Chapter 7)
Read 2-3 at My Life By Gogo Goff
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