Testimony 9

As a reminder, these have been accumulated over many decades and are a sharing of one man’s experience with his God. If you feel led to comment; ask for further information, or visit with Hartley, he may be reached at onemaxim70@aol.com

“Over the last fifty years I have accumulated over three hours of testimony, one on one, with the Holy Spirit.

Testifying sometimes produces surprising results in those who hear; resentment, sometimes anger and jealousy. People who are wise in their social relations sometimes think ‘he does not get it.’ There are certain things that are better left unsaid. Timing is everything.

I do get it. I have spent over fifty years being instructed. I have been told point blank. It has happened so many times I have the procedure memorized.

1. ‘It's not what you said, it is the way you said it.’

2. ‘You have just insulted us.’

3. ‘You have insulted me, my family, my forefathers, all my aunts, uncles and cousins who live in all the cities and towns around the Center Place.’

4. ‘If God does not like us the way we are, He cannot have us.’

5. ‘If you do not tell us what we want to hear, you will not get anywhere with us.’

6. ‘You are accusing us, you are judgmental.’

7. ‘I hate you; I hate you, now I will have to repent.’ As that lady spoke to me the Holy Spirit said, “Within three days this lady will have changed things in her mind. She will find no reason to repent.” Three days later, after the Wed. prayer meeting, this lady came over to me triumphant, saying ‘I do not have to repent after all.’ I asked how she came to this conclusion. She replied “the Scriptures do not mean what they say.”

After 18 years being absent from the congregation of the Lords people, the one singular thing that makes me Love God; makes me ignore the chastising of the Lords people, strengthens me to press on is the testimony he gave me and my family is the Book of Mormon.

One early morning, I had just read the last ten pages of the BOM, the Holy Spirit was present, and I was rejoicing in the things I had read in that wonderful book. As I laid it down the cover opened and I noticed for the first time a blue tag which read, if my memory is correct, “if any man desires to know the truth of this book let him ask of God and it will be revealed by the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Sitting there, I idly thought I wonder how God would do that. What would He show some one who had never heard of the BOM or even resented it, but asked?

The Spirit then suddenly poured out on me. My youngest daughter eight years of age, came skipping into the room looking up from her feet she saw me. She stopped.

She lifted her arms above her head, rolled back on her heals, her eyes wide with astonishment, ran out of the room backwards crying “Come quick, come quick! Daddy’s on fire, Daddy’s on fire!”

I looked up as three girls 8, 10.and 12 were peeking around the corner at me. I said “Come here I want to tell you what God is showing me.” My oldest daughter stood up and backed away saying, “I am not coming anywhere near you.”

The Lord then told me this was the power He had put upon Nephi when Nephi’s brothers were going to kill him. After I heard that, the power on me seemed to leave. With that my oldest daughter rushed in and touched my forehead with one finger. Something shocked her and she staggered back quite a distance with tears running down her cheeks and said,” Daddy, does that hurt?”

Suddenly three girls jumped on my lap and with one voice said, “Daddy, we want to get baptized.” After eighteen years of negligence on my part, those girls, to my knowledge, had never been inside a church. I did not know they even knew what Baptism meant. I was astonished! In that one moment the Lord had wiped out eighteen years of my dissatisfaction, and in the presence of His spirit, testified to my three daughters and myself, and undone my years of ignorance.

If there was ever any one thing in my life that turned my heart to love God, it is that one incident above all else.

Elder Hartley Stanbridge”

Thank you Hartley. We are happy to share his testimonies of singular events that have shaped his life.


In His abiding love,


Cecil Moon