mormons! i was told by my bishop not to bear my testimony anymore!?

Question

is this the spirit of the lord? or was he speaking like peter did when jesus rebuked the spirit of satan?
i dont care what people say about defending the bishop but i do know what what in my heart. i know i was working according to the spirit that was within me and total sincerity.

so because of what the bishop said to me, i stopped going to church on fast and testimony. eventually it was more evil for me to go church than to suffer sleep deprivation.

actually i mispoke! the bishop did not tell me to not bear my testimony anymore! but he did tell me not to bear my stestimony so much.

Answer 1

From this and several of your other questions it sounds to me that your testimony has been withering for some time. What I would do is take an inventory of where you are in following your Savior. If you have a hard time in figuring out how yo are doing then follow the link in my sources and go to page 126 (the pdf document reads it as pg 140) and go through the list of questions they have there and then when you have identified where it is that you are lacking figure out how to correct that problem, and do it. I know from personal experience that not everyone is perfect and that we all have our individual hurdles to overcome, and some of those hurdles will cause you pain. What may surprise you is how often those hurdles are, at least in part, coming from you.

For your convenience I will add the questionnaire here. It is divided up into sections, and I should point out that though this was intended for use by full time missionaries it can be beneficial to everyone. What you are supposed to do is "Read each item below carefully. Decide how true that statement is about you, and choose the most appropriate response from the response key.Write your response to each item in your study journal. Spiritual growth is a gradual process, and no one is perfect, so you should expect to rate yourself better on some items than on others."

The response key is:
1 = never
2 = sometimes
3 = often
4 = almost always
5 = always

The questionnaire follows:

Faith

1. I believe in Christ and accept Him as my
Savior. (2 Nephi 25:29)
2. I feel confident that God loves me.
(1 Nephi 11:17)
3. I trust the Savior enough to accept His will
and do whatever He asks. (1 Nephi 3:7)
4. I firmly believe that through the Atonement
of Jesus Christ I can be forgiven of all my
sins. (Enos 1:5–8)
5. I have enough faith in Christ to obtain
answers to my prayers. (Mosiah 27:14)
6. I think about the Savior during the day and
remember what He has done for me.
(D&C 20:77, 79)
7. I have the faith necessary to help make
good things happen in my life or the lives
of others. (Ether 12:12)
8. I know by the power of the Holy Ghost
that the Book of Mormon is true. (Moroni
10:3–5)
9. I have enough faith in Christ to accomplish
anything He wants me to do—even
miracles if necessary. (Moroni 7:33)

Hope

10. One of my greatest desires is to inherit
eternal life in the celestial kingdom of God.
(Moroni 7:41)
11. I am confident that I will have a happy and
successful mission. (D&C 31:3–5)
12. I feel peaceful and optimistic about the
future. (D&C 59:23)
13. I firmly believe that someday I will dwell
with God and become like Him. (Ether 12:4)

Charity and Love

14. I feel a sincere desire for the eternal
welfare and happiness of other people.
(Mosiah 28:3)
15. When I pray, I ask for charity—the pure
love of Christ. (Moroni 7:47–48)
16. I try to understand others’ feelings and
see their point of view. (Jude 1:22)
17. I forgive others who have offended or
wronged me. (Ephesians 4:32)
18. I try to help others when they are
struggling or discouraged. (Mosiah 18:9)
19. When appropriate, I tell others that I love
them and care about them. (Luke 7:12–15)
20. I look for opportunities to serve other
people. (Mosiah 2:17)
21. I say positive things about others.
(D&C 42:27)
22. I am kind and patient with others, even
when they are hard to get along with.
(Moroni 7:45)
23. I find joy in others’ achievements.
(Alma 17:2–4)

Virtue

24. I am clean and pure in heart. (Psalm
24:3–4)
25. I have no desire to do evil but to do good.
(Mosiah 5:2)
26. I am dependable—I do what I say I will
do. (Alma 53:20)
27. I focus on righteous, uplifting thoughts
and put unwholesome thoughts out of my
mind. (D&C 121:45)
28. I repent of my sins and strive to overcome
my weaknesses. (D&C 49:26–28)
29. I feel the influence of the Holy Ghost in my
life. (D&C 11:12–13)

Knowledge

30. I feel confident in my understanding of
gospel doctrines and principles. (Ether
3:19–20)
31. I study the scriptures daily. (John 5:39)
32. I earnestly seek to understand the truth and
find answers to my questions. (D&C 6:7)
33. I receive knowledge and guidance through
the Spirit. (1 Nephi 4:6)
34. I love and cherish the doctrines and
principles of the gospel. (2 Nephi 4:15)

Patience

35. I wait patiently for the blessings and
promises of the Lord to be fulfilled.
(2 Nephi 10:17)
36. I am able to wait for things without getting
upset or frustrated. (Romans 8:25)
37. I am patient and long-suffering with the
challenges of being a missionary.
(Alma 17:11)
38. I am patient with the faults and
weaknesses of others. (Romans 15:1)
39. I am patient with myself and rely on the
Lord as I work to overcome my
weaknesses. (Ether 12:27)
40. I face adversity and afflictions calmly and
hopefully. (Alma 34:40–41)

Humility

41. I am meek and lowly in heart. (Matthew
11:29)
42. I rely on the Lord for help. (Alma 26:12)
43. I am sincerely grateful for the blessings I
have received from the Lord. (Alma 7:23)
44. My prayers are earnest and sincere. (Enos
1:4)
45. I appreciate direction from my leaders or
teachers. (2 Nephi 9:28)
46. I strive to be submissive to the Lord’s will,
whatever it may be. (Mosiah 24:15)

Diligence

47. I work effectively, even when I’m not
under pressure or close supervision.
(D&C 58:26–27)
48. I focus my efforts on the most important
things. (Matthew 23:23)
49. I have a personal prayer at least twice a
day. (Alma 34:18–27)
50. I focus my thoughts on my calling as a
missionary. (D&C 4:2, 5)
51. I set goals and plan regularly. (D&C
88:119)
52. I work hard until the job is completed
successfully. (D&C 10:4)
53. I find joy and satisfaction in my work.
(Alma 36:24–25)

Obedience

54. When I pray, I ask for strength to resist
temptation and to do what is right.
(3 Nephi 18:15)
55. I keep the required commandments to be
worthy of a temple recommend. (D&C
97:8)
56. I willingly obey the mission rules and
follow the counsel of my leaders.
(Hebrews 13:17)
57. I strive to live in accordance with the laws
and principles of the gospel. (D&C 41:5)

Answer 2

in Faust's talk, absolutes = truths. Read it again. He's not saying you absolutely have to say those for things. He's saying those four things are appropriate to share. I don't think you always listened to testimonies. True, the Bible is not testified of as much as the Book of Mormon, but I hear it frequently. And often people say the scriptures, which certainly includes the Bible. We testify of Joseph Smith and the current latter-day prophet because it is what sets us apart, and because they are the ones we have particularly special relationships with. It would take all day if every person testifying included every prophet they knew was a true prophet. I admit there are some issues that seem common in testimony meetings. I make it a point to not open with "I'd like to bear my testimony. I know this church is true." I feel this phrase is given so often without real thought or meaning. I also make a point to share my testimony of the atonement each time I do bear my testimony.

Answer 3

To be honest I dont think anyone can comment on your situation without know exactly what happened, and even then it should be betweent you, your bishop and the Lord. I had a situation a couple of years ago with my branch president - but by going to to him and talking to him honestly about the incident it I was able to resolve the negative feelings I had at that time.

What I can say is that you Church (whatever church you go to) is about far, far more than the people. It is about loving and serving your Lord and Saviour. If you let what people say or do stop you from going to church then you are the one in error. Let your testimony of the truth be your guide, and pray for the strength to over come these feelings.

Answer 4

1. The true religion worships the only true God, (Hebrew: יהוה, English: YHVH or YHWH – vowels are not written in the Hebrew spelling but are usually taken to be "a" and "e" making the modern pronunciation "Yahveh", "Yahweh" and "Jehovah" .—Deuteronomy 6:4, 5; Psalm 146:5-10; Matthew 22:37, 38.

2. The true religion offers access to God by means of Christ Jesus.—John 17:3, 6-8; 1 Timothy 2:5, 6; 1 John 4:15.

3. The true religion teaches and practices unselfish love.—John 13:34, 35; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8; 1 John 3:10-12.

4. The true religion remains untainted by worldly politics and conflicts. It is neutral in time of war.—John 18:36; James 1:27.

5. The true religion lets God be true by accepting the Bible as God’s Word.—Romans 3:3, 4; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13.

6. The true religion does not condone war or personal violence.—Micah 4:2-4; Romans 12:17-21; Colossians 3:12-14.

7. The true religion successfully unites people of every race, language, and tribe. It does not preach nationalism or hatred, but love.—Isaiah 2:2-4; Colossians 3:10, 11; Revelation 7:9, 10.

8. The true religion advocates serving God, not for selfish gain or a salary, but out of love. It does not glorify men. It glorifies God.—1 Peter 5:1-4; 1 Corinthians 9:18; Matthew 23:5-12.

9. The true religion proclaims the Kingdom of God as man’s sure hope, not some political or social philosophy.—Mark 13:10; Acts 8:12; 28:23, 30, 31.

10. The true religion teaches the truth regarding God’s purpose for man and the earth. It does not teach the religious lies of immortal soul and eternal torment in hell. It teaches that God is love.—Judges 16:30; Isaiah 45:12, 18; Matthew 5:5; 1 John 4:7-11; Revelation 20:13, 14.

Answer 5

I have no idea what you said, as it is rare for a Bishop to do this. Sometimes a leader needs to correct someone who is doing something wrong. This is very delicate, and should be done in the spirit of love.

D&C 121:43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;
44 That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.

Answer 6

You should see what was said about me in my patriarticle blessing, I burned it, it was not a blessing, I wondered if the patriarch talked to my Mom or if the mormon God was mocking me? After all that fasting and prayer, it was just a waste of time.

Answer 7

You don't have to go to church. I go to church, but only because it's a personal calling for me.

But please don't let the bishop negatively affect your belief in God.