CHAPTER 36 - MY TESTIMONY

From Richard's memoirs, recovered from his original WordPerfect files

Anyone who is not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints may find this chapter difficult to relate to, hard to understand, or simply of no interest to them.  If such persons do read it I sincerely wish that they may come to a better understanding of my beliefs, and the doctrines of the Church.  I have written this primarily for my posterity, most of whom I hope will have maintained membership in the Church and have their own testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I want them to know that the expressions I make here are the truth and that I have a deep conviction and an abiding faith in that Jesus Christ is my Saviour and Redeemer, and that it is through Him, and Him only, that I, or anyone else, can obtain the blessings of Eternal Life in our Heavenly Father’s Kingdom.

In the Pre-existence, or before our mortal life here on earth, we all lived in the presence of our Heavenly Father.  Christ our Elder Brother and Satan were also there.  Our Heavenly Father had a plan that would allow us to come to the earth and then return to His presence.  Christ accepted the plan while Satan had a plan of his own, contrary to Heavenly Father’s plan.  As a result there was a war in Heaven and Satan, with a third of the host of Heaven, were cast out.  The rest of us accepted our Father’s plan and sided with Jesus Christ and have been, and are being, allowed to come to the earth and live under the Plan.  I realize that when we look around us and see so many people causing so much destruction and the killing of innocent people it is difficult to believe that such people accepted the Plan in the Pre-existence.  But, they did and will be held accountable for their sins, as will all of us.

We come into this life from the realm of God, our Heavenly Father, for a probationary period that gives us the opportunity to experience mortal life and to choose what kind of life we will live - whether it be good or evil.  The Lord gives us our free agency of choice.  We are not compelled in anything.

Born as innocent children we do not have to answer for our acts until we reach the age of accountability which is about eight years of age.  As we continue to grow and mature we become carnal, sensual and devilish by nature.  We need this probationary period to clean up our act, to get rid of the rough edges, polish ourselves and submit ourselves to the will of the Lord.  For most of us it takes a lifetime to do this.  For myself, I expect to live to a ripe old age of 100 or so before I die which will give me more time to strive for such perfection.

When we lay our mortal bodies down at death, our spirit returns to the realm of our Heavenly Father and if we have lived a righteous life we are received into a state of happiness that is called Paradise.  If we have lived an unrighteous life we are received into a state of misery and darkness.

Each of us, despite the life we have lived on earth, will wait in one of these states until the day of resurrection.  And each and every one will be resurrected by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  Whether we believe it or not -- whether we like it or not -- whether our bodies are cremated, lost at sea, blown up in war or accident, our souls will be reunited with our bodies and every limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame and body.  Even the hair of the head shall not be lost, but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect place.

Following the resurrection there will be a judgment for each of us.  We will be judged according to our life on this earth and then go to our properly appointed place.  The Lord said:  “In my Father’s house are many mansions, I go to prepare a place for you.”

We learn from the Scriptures:

“For the natural man is an enemy of God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the Atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.”

Mosiah 3:19

Everyone upon this earth has been born with the Spirit of Christ to guide him.  Some may call it their conscience; others may say they have an “inner feeling” that guides them.  Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have, in addition, the “Gift of the Holy Ghost” to be a constant companion if they live righteously and keep the commandments of God.  The Gift of the Holy Ghost is bestowed upon each Latter-Day Saint, after baptism, as he is confirmed a member of the Church by the laying on of hands of men who have the authority to do so by the Melchizedek Priesthood which they hold.  Because of this bestowal, each member of the Church has the right to call upon the Holy Ghost to guide him, to know right from wrong, and to feel the Spirit bear witness to him of what is truth.

My testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has grown because of many years of activity within the Church.  At the time I was baptized a member I doubt I really had much of a testimony.  I had the feeling that it was the right thing to do and that it would please DeVonne.  As I became actively engaged in Church work my testimony, almost automatically, began to grow.  Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has said:  “A testimony is not thrust upon you; a testimony grows.  We become taller in testimony like we grow taller in physical stature; we hardly know it happens because it comes by growth.”

As I began to read the Scriptures, both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, I did it with a real desire to know the truth.  Many persons have read the Scriptures with the attitude that:  “Well, I don’t believe it, but I’ll read it to prove to myself that it is not true.”  There is no way that they can get an appreciation of the Scriptures in that manner.  Because of the way I read I received a feeling of warmth, a burning in my bosom, as the Holy Spirit bore record to me of the truth.  There are many things contained in the Holy Scriptures that will bring tears to the eyes of the honest in heart as they read and gain a knowledge of the Gospel, and as the Holy Ghost bears witness to them.

While serving as Bishop I was called upon one evening to go administer to a newly born premature baby girl.  She was in the Neo-Natal Care Unit at Holy Cross Hospital located in the north end of the San Fernando Valley.  Her name was Stacy Thomas, the daughter of Eddie and Geraldine Thomas a young couple and fairly new in the Church.  I picked up Clark Muir, an Elder in our Ward, and we proceeded to the Hospital.  Holy Cross was a Catholic hospital and the Sisters were reluctant to allow us to see the baby.  When we told them what we were there for and that we needed to place our hands on the child’s head they were very much opposed to it but finally relented after we insisted.  They required us to “scrub up” for a total of six minutes by the clock before we put on sterilized gowns and entered the unit.

The child was in an incubator type of receptacle with hand holes for the nurses to serve the baby.  When I put my hands in I found that when I extended my thumb and little finger of my right hand I could reach from the head to the feet of the infant.  That was how small she was.  She was lying on her stomach with her head turned to one side and as I placed my hands lightly upon her head she responded by raising her head slightly.  We gave her a blessing and left.  The last time I heard of her she was ten years old and a very healthy child.  Such an experience strengthens one’s testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and brings with it a wonderful feeling of joy and fulfillment for having been an assistant in the work of the Lord.

I do not believe anyone could have such an experience as I did that evening without acknowledging the greatness of the Lord and the power of His Priesthood.  It would have been futile to attempt to bless that child without holding the Priesthood of God and exercising it, knowing that the Lord’s Will would be done and that nothing of myself or Clark Muir could have an influence upon the child’s condition.  Still, for many years I have felt that I have a talent to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord for the laying on of hands and the healing of the sick or afflicted.  To those that I have administered to over the years, some have regained their health and strength, others have died shortly afterward, while in other cases there has been no apparent change in their condition.  In each case we acknowledged the faith of those performing the administration, and that of the recipient, and the Will of the Lord in the final condition of the one receiving the blessing.

I quote the words from the song, “The Impossible Dream” from The Man of La Mancha:

[ “The Impossible Dream” lyrics from Man of La Mancha appear here in Richard’s manuscript. ]

I wonder how many people have a dream that seems impossible to them?  How many feel they are fighting an unbeatable foe?  How many are reaching out for an unreachable star?  I suppose there are countless numbers.

I heard a man bear his testimony in a Fast and Testimony Meeting.  I think it will stay with me for the rest of my life.  He was a recent convert to the Church, and in his most humble and sincere manner he stood up and bore his testimony, and more than that, he bared his soul, and confessed his sins.  Tony Fuentes was a humble Mexican and one of the things he said that impressed me was that he didn’t know there were people like the Latter Day Saints.  He said our way of life had always been a dream to him.  He told how he had been raised to fight for what he could get; to take whatever he wanted whether right or wrong.  Life was one fight after another.  And despite how each fight came out - he never ever really won.

Now that he was a member of the Church he was grateful to have his children given the opportunity to be raised under the influence of the Gospel.  That their surroundings would be different from the environment he was raised in; that it would be so much better for them than it had been for him.  He said:  “Even  if he didn’t make it (meaning the Celestial Kingdom), if his children were raised in the Church, maybe some of them would make it - and that would be a part of him.”  And then he said - and I don’t think I will ever forget his words.  He said:  “I expect to be punished for my sins, but before I am, I would like to put my arms around my Father in Heaven, and tell Him that I love Him - and then I will be ready for the punishment and judgment I will receive.”  Now I believe that our Heavenly Father is a gentle, kind and loving Father who will have compassion and will take this man in His arms and return that love many fold.

Each of us needs to be concerned for the welfare of our fellowmen.  We need to encourage the person with the “Impossible Dream” until it becomes a reality.  We need to stand beside those who are fighting the “Unbeatable Foe” and give them the strength to win.  We need to give a boost upwards to those who are reaching up for the “Unreachable Star” that they may obtain it.

Another experience I had I will relate here.

For years I drove the San Diego Freeway over the Mulholland grade to UCLA to work each day, getting off the freeway at Sunset Blvd. and taking surface streets from there into the Campus.

On one occasion, in 1979 driving my little 1978 Toyota Hatchback, it had been raining in the morning and as I approached the off ramp at Sunset I started to slow to my usual speed for exiting.  The off ramp is a sharp 90 degree turn and I am familiar with it.  However, on this morning, the wet surface combined with some oil on the pavement caused me to go into a skid when I braked down.  I was heading right for the guard rail and I had resigned myself that I was going to crash into it.  There wasn’t much time to do anything about it but I said:  “Father, Help Me!”  Almost immediately it seemed that the car was literally picked up off the pavement and turned 90 degrees and set back down and I went on to the stop sign at the exit street.  There was no way that could have happened without the intervention of my Heavenly Father.

I would like to bear my testimony to DeVonne and my children, grand children and great grandchildren, and to those who will come after them.  I want them to know and understand that I have an abiding testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I wish to state it as follows:

I know that my Heavenly Father lives; that He is a kind and loving Father of flesh and bone and that we are all created in His image.  I know that He hears and answers our prayers.

I know that Jesus Christ is our Heavenly Father’s only begotten Son and our Saviour and Redeemer.  I know that He also lives and is our intermediary between us and the Father.  I know that His great and atoning sacrifice in our behalf and His love for us is what will allow us to return to our Heavenly Father’s kingdom, if we keep His commandments.  I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as taught by the Church, is absolutely true and everlasting and that it is the only means we have to understand  and obtain our Salvation and Exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom of God.

I know that the Lord has prescribed a definite way to obtain His blessings and that if we but follow His directions we are blessed beyond measure, not only in this world, but in the world to come; but if we do not follow His teachings we have no promise.  Our Salvation and Exaltation can only come through our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour; and by acceptance I mean with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

I know that Satan is a real personage of spirit and that he dwells here on this earth with the one third of the host of Heaven that was cast out after the war in Heaven.  He and his followers are striving to destroy those of us who have received bodies and are living here to prove that we can obey our Heavenly Father.  Satan knows that we have our Free Agency and he seeks for us to follow him.  What he doesn’t realize is that he is doing just what Heavenly Father wants him to do; that is:  To see that we exercise our Free Agency and to choose for ourselves whether we will be good or evil.

I know that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God; that the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith and gave him instructions which lead to the founding of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that it contains a fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is in agreement with the Bible, as far as the Bible has been translated correctly, but it goes beyond the Bible in teaching the fullness of the Gospel and clarifies many things stated in the Bible that have not been understood or have been misinterpreted by secular ministries.  I know that one can learn more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ through reading the Book of Mormon that he can through any other book.

I know that the admonition and exhortation of Moroni in the Book of Mormon is the key to knowing the truth of the Book of Mormon.  I quote his words here:

“Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down unto the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

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.

And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”

Moroni Chap 10, Verses 3-5

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only true church upon the face of the earth.  The Church organization is in keeping with the early Church in the time of Christ.  The head of the Church is Jesus Christ, and it has a prophet and twelve apostles on earth today to administer the work on earth; the same as established by the Saviour during His earthly ministry.  I know that the men who have succeeded Joseph Smith as President and Prophet of the Church were also true and living prophets of God and that Ezra Taft Benson is the living Prophet today.

I know that the creation of the earth and human life beginning with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden as given in the Book of Genesis in the Bible is true, despite other concepts advanced by the scientific world.

You may ask how I know these things to be true, and I will answer:  It is not from books I have read, nor from teachers, nor from the beliefs of others.  It is made known to me by the Gift and Power of the Holy Ghost.  This is the only way a person can obtain the truth of all things.

It is my most cherished desire to have DeVonne and our chidren, and all my ancestry and posterity to be joined together in the Patriarchal Order that we may all enjoy the blessings of living in the Celestial Kingdom of God.