LDS Freedom Forum

So...I was asleep....but now I am awake. I am married...3 kids...lifelong LDS. Served a mission in Mississippi. I was ensnared with the cares of this world....as Christ says in the New Testament....and I thought only of the many things that I wanted to buy. One foot in Babylon...one in Zion. Lukewarm...ready to be spewed. I was called to teach seminary. Taught for several years. Taught the Book of Mormon...read Ezra Bensons statement that the chapters prior to coming of Christ to America was a type or shadow of events prior to 2nd coming of Christ. Upon a serious study of those chapters I wondered how literal I was to take that statement. As I read the words of the prophets I found...VERY LITERAL!! I also turned off Babylon...had some withdrawls and then lost the taste for it....I listened to the book of mormon for an hour and a half every day for at least 8 months....and studied. My WORLD CHANGED!! All of my focus changed...I have become ABSOLUTELY DRIVEN to read and study and persuade people in every spare moment. I came out of the fog and now look down from the clear mountaintop...see many more spires to climb. I have been studying intensely...doctrine...preparedness...and constitutional law. Oh yeah...I also had a series of dreams where the Lord let me know that I am supposes to expose evil for evil...learn from the life of Noah...and so on. He also told me that I was going to be called into the Bishopric...and then I was. I feel like Nephi who saw the vision of the future...saw the destruction of my people...and now am laboring to save as many as possible. This may sound awful....but...now...every time I go to a store...I picture the shelves bare...and people running around frantically as they have not prepared. I anticipate great calamity...and would be absolutely amazed if we didn't have something drastic happen in 2 to 10 years. I can't imagine our economy holding out that long. Still, I preach Christ...and give milk...in hopes that people will awaken to the mysteries that are right in front of their noses. I look forward to interaction with the rest of you who appear to be in similar boats. Cheer! Stephen

Stephen,

Sounds like you and I should get together and go bowling.

Shawn

My wife also occasionally has those super-imposed visions (kinda like a flashback in a movie) ... usually when we travel, she sees the fate of the location.

Jesus often taught at a higher level and left it to the people to ask, seek, and knock. Also a LARGE chunk of the D&C is all about the calamities prior to Christ's Second Coming. Anyway there are sometimes advantages to giving meat as well as milk depending upon the audience.

I believe often our Church members lack the correct vision of our future, and this may cause the following:
- to believe the Lord delays His coming ("Oh! That's not for 50-100 years")
- for us to stumble by believing "all is well in Zion" ... which causes us to even disbelieve certain prophecies in the Bible and the Book of Mormon.
- to not see the importance of keeping the commandments and following Latter-Day prophets

ok I'm rambling, lol. I'm sure you know all this stuff

Stephen,

Welcome. My story is somewhat similar. It's amazing how it just all kind of hits you like a ton of bricks. Anyway, I am just so grateful for Heavenly Father's patience with me and hope that others' "eyes" become open sooner rather than later as well.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this forum.

Shawn...Bowling sounds sweet!

79scholar....cool to hear I'm not the only one. Thanks for whatever commentary you give. So often I think that we are giving "self evident" commentary....when it really may not be to others. I'm the one that rambles...read my posts!!

jdadams22...it is interesting how so many of us have arrived at the same place due to similar experiences...thank you for the welcome!