So it is with the word of God. We can teach it, we can preach it, we can explain it. We can talk about it, we can describe it, we can even testify of it. But until a person feels the sacred word of God distill upon his or her soul like the dews from heaven through the power of the Spirit, it will be like looking at a postcard or someone else’s vacation photos. You have to go there yourself. Conversion is a personal journey—a journey of gathering.
Jan E. Newman, "Teaching in the Savior’s Way", General Conference, April 2021
As we are growing up, both in terms of age and in terms of testimony, we tend to lean on the testimony of our parents and other loved ones. And that works....for a while.
But like the parable of the 10 virgins, there will come a time where we can no longer use someone else's oil to provide light. We have to have our own oil. We have to have our own testimony. We, each of us, have to be converted. There is no other way.
So, how do fill your lamp with oil? It doesn't just fill up overnight, as if purchasing some at your local Walmart. No, it fills drop by drop, little by little, over time. Every effort we make to learning about Jesus Christ and His gospel, provides a drop. Every effort we make in going to church, serving in the temple, fulfilling our calling, keeping the commandments, choosing the right, keeping our covenants, etc., will provide a drop each time.
However, there is a leak at the bottom of these lamps, and we are constantly letting oil reserves out, so it is crucial that we continue, every day, every hour, even every second, to put drops of oil into our lamps. We need to constantly fill it up. The leak is slow but nevertheless existent and all oil will be gone if we become lax.