{"chapter_no":"17","chapter_title":"The Testimony of James","book_id":"2","book_name":"The Story of James","subchapter_no":"0","page_no":"271","page_number":"1","verses_count":0,"total_pages":4,"page_content":"

 <\/p>

Chapter 17<\/p>

The Testimony of James<\/h1><\/p>

 <\/p>

The countenance of James shines as he bears testimony of his <\/i>great <\/i>spiritual <\/i>experiences to his
family—The Spirit<\/i> provides <\/i>him the words to s<\/i>peak<\/i>––<\/i>He <\/i>speaks <\/i>as a man beyond his years.<\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

 <\/p>

 <\/p>

It was the custom of the Hancock family to gather together every Monday night at 7:30
for family home evening, enjoying first a lesson in the gospel, then playing games and engaging
in other activities as a family. In the prior two weeks, Craig and Russell, James’s two older
brothers, had prepared and presented the lessons. As part of their assignment, they had been
encouraged to share their testimony of the Church and talk about their plans for the future.
Discussions had included such areas as graduation from high school, dating, going on a mission,
getting married in the temple, attending college, choosing a career, and so forth. All the boys had
worked in the family’s landscaping business to some degree or another; thus, Ashley and Carole
used this opportunity to gauge their interest level of working in the business longer term. <\/p>

 <\/p>

This week it was James’s turn. The special challenges facing James in his life, however,
had given Ashley and Carole pause as they extended the assignment to him. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Had enough time passed since the accident?<\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

Was it a good idea to put him on the spot in front of the family<\/i> <\/i>so soon<\/i>? <\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

As it turned out, the timing was good. In fact, James might have been more alarmed, and
felt singled out for exclusion, had they skipped past him in the rotation. Several months had
passed since the accident. James was now busy with school and was settled into life again.
Nevertheless, memories from that first walk through the neighborhood on crutches had stayed
with him—another in a series of faith-building experiences that had been etched in his mind. The
next step for him was to put into practice his newly acquired knowledge of the gospel, a
knowledge somewhat advanced for a boy his age. <\/p>

 <\/p>

The opportunity to present his testimony to the family would mark another important
milestone in his spiritual development. Up to this point, his life goals had still been evolving. He
had wonderful new desires in the gospel and a strong faith in God, but as to the exact tasks he
might do every day, he was still unsure. His newly gained testimony and knowledge of the
gospel was still raw, unsophisticated, and somewhat difficult for him to explain to others. It may
have been for this reason that James had decided not to share his spiritual experiences from camp <\/p>

with anybody else thus far. Timid and unsure about what exactly had happened to him on that
day, he thought it best to keep everything confidential. <\/p>

 <\/p>

On the other hand, the time spent reading the scriptures in recent months had increased
his understanding of the gospel. And with the opportunity presenting itself on family home
evening, the time seemed right to bear his testimony for the first time.<\/p>

 <\/p>

Throughout the day, there had been an air of excitement in the home. Everyone was
looking forward to hearing James teach the lesson and talk about his future plans––families with
close relationships get excited about such things. As evening approached, it was still somewhat
warm outside, but the air conditioning inside made things cool and comfortable. <\/p>

 <\/p>

At the appointed time, the family gathered in the living room. Paula, the younger sister of
James, and also the next oldest at age fourteen, gave the opening prayer. Afterward, James stood
up to talk, positioning himself near a chair to lean upon if needed. <\/p>

 <\/p>

“Instead of preparing a lesson from the manual this week,” said James. “I wanted to share
with you some of my experiences of the past year. I hope that’s okay?”<\/p>

 <\/p>

“That sounds fine,” said Carole. “We’re all excited to hear about everything that’s been
going on in your life.”<\/p>

 <\/p>

“Great,\" said James. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Unlike his brothers, James had not prepared any notes. Everything spoken would come
from his heart.<\/p>

 <\/p>

James began by describing his experiences of the first few days at the basketball camp in
Los Angeles—the great disappointment he had felt, and the anger that had consumed him in not
being allowed to participate. He then talked about the last day of the camp, and the amazing
manifestations of the Spirit he had experienced sitting on the sidelines—the softening of his
heart, the peace that filled his soul, and the critical moment when he arose from the bench to
enter the game.<\/p>

 <\/p>

The room became quieter the more James talked. The whole family was captivated by his
story and wanted to hear more, his two youngest sisters most of all. The act of bearing his
testimony was exciting for James as well. He had kept all of this bottled up inside for several
months. Now his family could be involved and share everything with him. <\/p>

 <\/p>

“Something special happened to me during that game,” James continued.<\/p>

 <\/p>

“I had never felt the Spirit of God before. It was amazing to have something so special
like that happen to me with all that was going on in the arena. As I entered the game, everything
around me seemed to be in slow motion––the play of my teammates, the movements of the other
players on the floor, and the seconds ticking away on the clock. I had never played with any of
those guys before, but I felt pretty confident in myself when I checked in. I wasn’t afraid or <\/p>

intimidated at all. I knew I would help our team win the game. Once I started playing, there was
a burning sensation inside of me every time I touched the ball. It was like the Lord was directing
my play out there on the court––every pass, every defensive move, and every shot I took.”<\/p>

 <\/p>

Moving to the events that followed the accident and his first day at the hospital, he
continued.<\/p>

 <\/p>

“I awoke early in the morning at three or four o’clock, several hours after the operation. I
wasn't really sure where I was at first. The room was dark and I was still a little groggy. It took
me a few moments to figure out what I was doing there in the hospital. Then suddenly, I
remembered––the piano! Boy, that was a horrible feeling! The accident hadn't been just a dream,
but real life. I would be disabled for the rest of my life!<\/p>

 <\/p>

“I tried moving my foot, but it was still numb and kind of stiff. So, I just lay there in bed
for a while.<\/p>

 <\/p>

“About five or ten minutes later, however, I felt suddenly cold and started to hear
whispering noises. There wasn't anyone else in the room I could see, so I became a little scared. I
tried to shift my position on the bed, but I could not move at all. Something or someone was
pushing down upon me. I couldn’t open my mouth to speak or to do anything. I kept trying to
move my shoulders and push it off of me for several seconds until, finally, I was able to break
free. Whatever it was, it was gone.\"<\/p>

 <\/p>

Carole took hold of Ashley’s hand firmly. She was not sure what to make of all of this.
Worries filled her mind.<\/p>

 <\/p>

I wonder if there was any kind of emotional scarring to James caused by the accident? <\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

This doesn’t sound normal. Maybe the shock of the accident caused him to have a
nervous breakdown? <\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

“But that wasn’t the worst part,\" continued James. \"My mind went blank and I suddenly
found myself lost and alone in a very strange world, a world without the Savior. <\/p>

 <\/p>

\"My sins occupied my thoughts, and they were like heavy chains upon my soul, weighing
me down. But there was no way to repent.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"There was justice, but no mercy.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"I wanted to escape, but there was no way to escape.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"I wanted to die, but there was no way to die.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"It was really insane!\"<\/p>

 <\/p>

As James relived the ordeal again, his face showed an obvious strain.<\/p>

 <\/p>

“I thought over and over about my sins––the swearing I sometimes do, the arguing and
talking back I have done to you, Mom, about my chores and homework, and missing sacrament
meeting to watch ballgames. But the worst sin of all I remembered was a time when all of us in
Sunday School class were teasing William. He was new in the ward at the time and nobody
really knew much about him. It was made known to me how badly I had hurt him inside. He had
looked up to me, and the laughing I did hurt him worst of all, causing him to not want to come to
church anymore.\"<\/p>

 <\/p>

The more James talked, the more sober and strained his facial expression became. The
family might have expected emotions like these as a result of the accident, the new disability, or
the loss of the chance to pursue a basketball career; instead, they heard him talk about how he
had suffered and cried for hours feeling remorse for his sins and worrying about the suffering he
had caused others. <\/p>

 <\/p>

In hindsight, it was clear the Lord had provided the best antidote possible for his new
disability, teaching him godly sorrow at a young age, and helping him refocus his life towards a
higher purpose.<\/p>

 <\/p>

James spoke soberly as he bore his testimony. His manner of speech became serious, like
Alma the Younger relating the story of the angel of God appearing to him. Never had anyone in
the family seen James talk or act this way before. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Russell and Craig were perhaps the most astonished of all. Here was their younger
brother, someone with whom they had worked and played year after year, now speaking like
someone much older! They knew he had grown a great deal since the accident, but they'd had no
idea of the depth of his spiritual understanding and development. They were left speechless,
startled, and confused, but they were also happy and very proud of him. <\/p>

 <\/p>

They had always enjoyed competing one with another over the years—in athletics, in
school, and in the family business—but there was nothing but love shared among these three
brothers. The competition between them had always been friendly in nature, and something they
even joked about. They received these amazing experiences of James with warmness and
appreciation. There was no jealousy of any kind. <\/p>

 <\/p>

For this, we would have to give much of the credit to their parents Ashley and Carole.
They had done much to build this feeling of oneness in the family from the first day of their
marriage. As father and mother, the fruits of their hard work would always be a source of great
joy to them<\/span>. <\/p>

<\/p>"}