Comments on: Is the church really true?

By: Sally

Sally — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 07:08:22 +0000

I do listen to all testimonies but have to admit that I do to wander away when the travelogues come out or all the problems a person is facing comes in long stretches of time even when there are quite a few people sitting on the stands waiting for their turn. Good point Kim it will be food for thought at our next meeting.

By: Martin

Martin — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 15:11:28 +0000

Not all members have the same command of their home language. Many do not speak English, hence the dictionary accuracy you wrote about may not apply as the language spoken may not have such precise words. But, you know and understand those things.

I try to listen to testimonies with my ears and my heart. If I listen with my technical writing classes filters Dr. Smith taught, testimonies never affect my heart, provide spiritual nourshiment, or enlighten my day. (BTW part of Dr. Smith’s instructions included presentation skills as well as written skills, so in my case the example does apply.)

By: jks

jks — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:51:57 +0000

I try to be more specific when I bear my testimony, but I try to be understanding and forgiving of people’s awkward testimonies. Perhaps I am used to being “book smart” so I consciously lower the standard when random other people are speaking. When we have people who bear their testimony who are over 80, or who have had a stroke and have relearned to speak, or someone who is new, or someone who is nervous, I try really hard not to pick apart their testimony. I try to understand what they mean and learn something from their experience.
Of course there are certain things that are my pet peeves, but I actually like “the church is true” as a statement. It means something to me.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 23:20:40 +0000

I like your train of thought. I had an institute teacher that would stop us when we used commonly repeated phrases in the church and ask what that means. I rarely use those phrases anymore as a result. I think now to me it’s kind of like using fillers when cooking….not really necessary, but makes things go further :)

By: Howard

Howard — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 23:19:57 +0000

I agree with the sentiment of your post and #2 that phrase always stops me I think of the church as organization buildings and materials the gospel can stand on it’s own without that stuff. It seems to be repeated without thinking and reads a little like a pledge of allegiance. I prefer to substitute gospel for church such as I have a testimony of the gospel or if moved by the Spirit I know the gospel is true.

By: Kim Siever

Kim Siever — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 22:56:54 +0000

So then why not just say that? Why not just say, â€œI know the church is a divinely instituted organization by Jesus Christ to carry out His purposes here on this earth, which is to bring about the immortality and eternal life of manâ€? Why substitute it for something that means very little?

What you said has so much more meaning. I would have loved to hear something like that in our meeting today.

By: Glenn Thigpen

Glenn Thigpen — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 22:50:37 +0000

The words “the church is true” brings forth the connotation that it is a divinely instituted organization by Jesus Christ to carry out His purposes here on this earth, which is to bring about the immortality and eternal life. of man.

We do not have to get bogged down by semantics and dictionary meanings.

Glenn