There is a phrase we use quite a bit in the Church: To put off the Natural Man. What does this mean? Well, the phrase comes from a verse in the Book of Mormon from the book of Mosiah 3:19 which says:
"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and he 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."
Other references to this phrase "natural man" can be found in the Bible in 1Corinthians 2:14 and again in the Book of Mormon in Alma 26:21.
Essentially, the natural man is, simply put, our carnal instincts. It's what someone would do if they were to only do anything purely out of instinct, without thinking about consequences or possible outcomes. I would also say that putting of the natural man includes not following the "norms" of the world or falling into the peer pressures of the world. An example for us would be our ideas on modesty. We believe that we are to respect ourselves and show respect to Heavenly Father by being modest in dress and also in thought. Also, I would also include our dietary guide, known as the Word of Wisdom (WoW).
However, putting off the natural man isn't as easy as one may think. It is a constant struggle for most. I fail at this constantly by trying to justify doing (or not doing) something and that is also a form of NOT putting off the natural man. And, I think that is the biggest way in which most members of the Church lack in being able to put off the natural man. We can easily justify to ourselves that we can go to the next service project, or go to the temple later in the week, or read my scriptures for an extra hour tomorrow. I know I am guilty of all of those listed above. I am not perfect and neither are any of the other human beings in the Church. We are all imperfect, but we are all trying to do better.
With this being the first Sunday of the month, most LDS Churches are holding what we call Fast & Testimony Meetings. The only difference between Fast Sunday and the other Sundays in the month is that those who are able, fast, or go without meals for 24 hours and pray about something that is on our mind. It can be for a person who is sick or someone just going through a rough time, or a personal problem you are experiencing. Also, during the Sacrament Meeting, the ward or branch members have the opportunity to share their testimonies with the rest of the members in attendance. On any other Sunday there would be speakers, chosen by a Ward/Branch leader, who give a talk on a spiritual topic.
Testimony meetings are a special opportunity for us, as members, to share our faith and our beliefs with others in our congregation. When we share our testimonies, we not only let others hear our faith but it helps us to solidify what we believe. We are counseled to share what we believe with others both members and non-members alike. You never know when your testimony will help someone else in some way or form.
I would like to take this time to share my testimony with you:
I know that Heavenly Father loves me, and all of you. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior, our Savior. I know that He died for me and that not matter what trial I am going through, He has already suffered for my pains. I know that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God. I know he brought forth the Book of Mormon by the guidance of Heavenly Father. I know that Thomas S. Monson is the Living Prophet on the earth today and he guides us in the direction in which Heavenly Father wants us to go. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true Church on the earth today. I love my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for all that they have blessed me with in my life and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
