My First Testimony

Since Jeannette was up for most of the night with Abby, just Madilyn and I went to church. As I was putting her coat on her she said, "I like church." I was thrilled that she liked church. She said this on a previous occasion, but the past few days she has really wanted to go to church.

As we sat during church listening to the testimonies, I felt like I too should participate. So I looked over at Madilyn who was playing with her toys and asked if she would like to go up to the front.

"Yes, let's go," she said. She immediately grabbed my hand, and proceeded to walk me to the back of the chapel and out of the sacrament room. Outside, I asked her why she left the sacrament room.

"To the front, daddy." She continued to walk me to the back of the church building. She stopped when we got to the ward bulletin board.

"O - O - D," she said as she pointed to the last letters of our ward's name.

"Madilyn, let's go back to the sacrament room," I said. As soon as she heard me, she took off running back to the sacrament doors. Again, we entered the sacrament room and sat back down.

Again, I asked Madilyn, "Do you want to go to the front?" This time I was pointing to the brother at the front currently giving his testimony.

"Okay, let's go," she said again, but this time we actually walked up to the front of the room. I proceeded to the podium with Madilyn in hand.

I suddenly had the idea of letting Madilyn give her testimony --"I like church." Jeannette wasn't there, and neither was my judgment so I thought it was a great idea. I pulled the stairs to the podium and walked Madilyn up to the microphone. I whispered in her ear, "Say, 'I like church.'" You would think that this girl who never seems to be reverent or quite wouldn't have a hard time in front of the congregation. Well, she does what all kids do when they are embarrassed, she started to breathe deeply into the microphone. I could see her starting to mouth the words, then she looked at me smiled and fell into my arms.
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Congratulations, Madilyn at your first attempt to bear your testimony. I am so proud of your willingness to do it. I know you probably don't understand what a testimony is or why you would get up in front of a bunch of people and start crying (like your daddy). But I know that you have a testimony already. I know this because you want to read the Book of Mormon, your favorite story is about the birth of "baby Jesus," your eagerness to give the Bishop our tithing by yourself, and the time you asked me to give you a blessing.

Thanks Madilyn, you give me strength, and a greater understanding of our Savior and his love for children.