Over the last few weeks there seems to be a common theme surrounding my life: the difference between a testimony and conversion. There are three main sources of inspiration for this post: 1. The Life of Peter (specifically, how it is portrayed in Rob Gardner's Lamb of God) 2. The book that Mom and Dad bought for me a long time ago, by Elder David A Bednar Act in Doctrine 3. The General Conference talk by Elder Wilford W. Andersen The Music of the Gospel.
On the drive home from LaGrande Oregon, Matt introduced me to a musical (called Lamb of God) that has a had a profound impact on me. There is something about the lyrics, the music, and the spirit of that masterpiece that touches the soul. A few of my favorite songs are interconnected as they pertain to the spiritual progression of Peter. The first song is when Peter affirms that he knows that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. When you hear this song you will feel like joining in and testifying that you also know that "This is He". Then at the Last Supper Peter reaffirms his devotion by declaring that he is willing to die with Jesus. At this point, no one would question Peter's sincerity and testimony. However, Jesus himself tells Peter that he will deny him thrice. Then after this prophetic statement is fulfilled, the next song expresses Peter's pain and remorse. This song progressively builds as Peter's determination to commit the rest of his life to discipleship increases and he concludes with "when my eyes have closed in death, these words will hang on my last breath: I know Him." When you hear this song you feel a similar conviction that you will never again falter to be a true disciple.
In Act in Doctrine, Elder Bednar explains (as have others) that when Peter declared Jesus to be the Christ he bore his testimony (Matthew 16:16) but that he was not yet converted. We can see this by the fact that it was after this declaration that Jesus told Peter "when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:32). This is a strong example of the difference between testimony and conversion. I feel like we can all learn a lot from Peter's life of discipleship. I'm sure we have all felt that testimony within us that Jesus is the Christ and that this is his work. Some of us may have even felt to "have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually" (Mosiah 5:2). That being said, it is quite common for us to feel the pressures of opposition and to momentarily forget this commitment. So how can we, like Peter, overcome our moments of weakness and rededicate ourselves to our conversion for the rest of our lives?
So that this post doesn't get too long (and so that I can get to bed) I am going to leave it right here and have a second post to answer this question.
