*Submissions should be sent to a member of the Bishopric by 9:00 PM on the Saturday before Fast Sunday.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In these times of uncertainty, we are grateful to be led by prophets, seers, and revelators who have prepared us over the last few years to center more of our gospel learning and worship in the home. We have also enjoyed the blessing of having the ordinance of the sacrament temporarily available to us in our homes. However, we miss our interactions with each of you and look forward to being able to gather and strengthen one another in the future. As this Fast Sunday approaches, we are mindful that we will not be meeting together in our normal fashion to hear one another’s testimonies. Some individuals have expressed a desire to share their testimony and experiences with others, so to strengthen our members we would like to extend the following invitation to each of you.
We invite all who would like to participate to submit your testimony, recorded either in writing or by video, so that it can be uploaded to our ward website and shared with our ward family. Submissions should be sent by 9:00 PM Saturday night and will be posted on the following Sunday’s post. Anything received after Saturday at 9:00 PM will be posted on the following Fast Sunday’s post. We know that we can each be inspired and strengthened by sharing our testimonies and by reading or viewing the testimonies of others.
For those who would like to participate, please keep the following guidelines in mind.
– Testimonies should be “centered on the Savior, the doctrines of the gospel, the blessings of the Restoration, and the teachings of the scriptures” (M. Russell Ballard, Pure Testimony, October 2004 General Conference). They should not include statements that would detract from this focus.
– Testimonies often grow and develop with experiences we have had. While it may be appropriate to describe an experience that has strengthened our testimony, we should avoid travelogues and lengthy stories.
– Testimonies should be brief and to-the-point, usually no more than 2-3 paragraphs written or 2-3 minutes on video. They are not necessarily what one would read on blogs or social media.
– Testimonies should be in harmony with church doctrine, and should increase faith in the power of the Savior to bless, calm, and heal us through His atonement.
– Testimonies should not include inappropriate self-disclosure or violate the privacy of others.
We encourage you to participate by sharing your testimonies with each of us and by reading and viewing those that are shared. If you have a testimony you would like to share, please submit it to a member of the bishopric. If you are unable to share this Fast Sunday, please consider doing so the next Fast Sunday. Even if you are not comfortable sharing your testimony with others, we encourage you to write it down and reflect on the precious truths that you do know.
As President Ballard has taught, “[T]estimony – real testimony, born of the Spirit and confirmed by the Holy Ghost – changes lives. It changes how you think and what you do. It changes what you say. It affects every priority you set and every choice you make.” What a blessing this is in a world of chaos and commotion.
With Love,
Ward Council Westbrook 5th Ward
Contact information for the Bishopric
Bishop Ekker – bishopekker@gmail.com
Brother Allen – kurtaallen1@gmail.com
Brother Hofer – mhofer0307@gmail.com
NOTE: As you may have noticed the HOME page has a new menu item, as well as, a new feature item entitled “Expressions of Faith”. Please refer to these links to access this post, as well as, monthly updated testimonies from our ward members. Remind messages will also be sent out monthly containing links to these.
Read the shared testimonies here.
