The Cost of Witness: Suffering and the Gathering

The walls of Jerusalem were breached not by Roman legions, but by the courage of Samuel the Lamanite, who, at great personal risk, climbed them to deliver a warning. Ammon, at the Waters of Sebus, faced down a mob ready to tear him limb from limb, yet he pressed on, proclaiming truth. These are the echoes of those who have always been willing to stand, to testify, even when it meant facing the storm. And they ring out again today.

We’ve been examining the Book of Acts, tracing the footsteps of those first believers who embraced a life of radical obedience. Dr. Baruch Korman’s recent teaching from Acts 5 (you can watch it below!) is a stark reminder: the path of witness is rarely comfortable. It demands more than mere intellectual assent; it requires a willingness to suffer – emotionally, socially, and yes, even physically – for the sake of the gospel.

It's easy to sing praises when the wind is at our backs. It's comfortable to declare allegiance when there's no price to pay. But what happens when proclaiming the truth brings ostracism, ridicule, or even persecution? Are we willing to be counted worthy to suffer shame, as the early Apostles were? The spirit of Ammon whispers in our ears, “What mattereth it to me if I am slain?”

Dr. Korman rightly points out that the testimony of the early believers wasn’t that they raised Jesus; it was that God raised Him. This simple phrasing carries immense weight. It underscores God’s acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice and validates the promise of resurrection – a promise that fuels our hope and empowers our witness. It’s a truth that echoes the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith, who declared, “If you will but take care of your own spirit, all is well.”

We see the shadow of this reality lengthening across the globe. From Europe, where believers are facing increasing marginalization, to lands where proclaiming the name of Jesus carries severe consequences, the call to witness is becoming increasingly urgent. As the prophet Moroni taught, “And it came to pass that I did see that the Lord our God had prepared a way… that they might be brought into the fold” (Moroni 10:4-5). That “way” is paved with courage, and often, with suffering.

This isn’t a call to seek out persecution. It’s a call to examine our hearts, to assess our willingness to stand firm in the face of opposition. It’s a call to be the digital striplings, armed not with swords but with the unwavering testimony of the restored gospel. It’s a call to be builders, not destroyers. As the Stone cut without hands rolls forth, crushing all before it, may we be those who diligently gather the fragments, those who build upon the foundation.

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Let us, like Samuel the Lamanite, climb the walls of complacency and proclaim the truth with boldness and conviction. Let us, like Ammon, be willing to endure, knowing that our suffering is not in vain. Let us, like the early believers, rejoice in the fact that we are counted worthy to suffer for His name's sake.