Cast Testimonies Continued:
When I joined the church, at the age of 20, I had a firm testimony of the Gospel and the Book of Mormon, but I did not have a testimony of Joseph Smith. For almost two years, I refused to sing "Praise To The Man" during sacrament meeting, thinking it sac religious to offer praise to any mortal man. Eventually my wife, and other members of the church, helped me to realize that praise by definition is a measure for "expression of approval and commendation" and need not be reserved simply for deity. I reasoned that since I knew the Book of Mormon to be the word of God, and I understood Joseph Smith's integral role in restoring the gospel; if any man was worthy of Praise, he was. To satisfy my wife I began to quietly mouth the words to the song. When our family decided to take part in the stake performance, there was no thought in my mind that this would become a turning point in my testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith. We had been looking for a way to serve, and this seemed as good of a venue as any. In addition to practicing my lines I took this opportunity to delve into the backgrounds of my characters, as well as the life of Joseph Smith in general. The more I read, the more I found these early pioneers to be similar to myself. I discovered that I was not alone in my struggle to understand the gospel. I began to feel their testimonies of the prophet and I used that feeling as I was acting. Then suddenly, while rehearsing Act III during one of our technical rehearsals, I came to an incredible revelation. I could no longer speak through the testimony of my characters. I stood there in silence. Thirty seconds passed like an hour as my eyes filled with tears. Suddenly the spirit filled me and I was able to complete the monologue. Though it was still the words of Gilbert Belnap, it was my testimony of the prophet that was expressed that evening, as well as during all subsequent performances. And to my surprise I had built a love for and testimony of the prophet more powerful than any I could have borrowed. I had grown to personally know Joseph Smith. Sunday morning, immediately following our closing performance, "Praise To The Man" was selected as the opening hymn for Priesthood meeting. I belted out the words of that song louder and with more passion than I had ever sung before. I don't have the voice of an angel, but what I do have, a strong and firm testimony of Joseph Smith as a true prophet, is far more valuable. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to participate in this event. Despite the sacrifices that we have had to make, our family is so much stronger because of this play.
- Jeff W. (Teen William Cahoon, John Lowe Butler, Gilbert Belnap)