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Re: [Poll(Vote)]Are these true answers by the power of the Holy Ghost?
Posted: May 9th, 2018, 6:24 am
by Juliet
I am too sensitive. I don't see or hear often (sometimes I do but then it goes to my head) but I feel everything. I am like a blue ray player, extra sensitive but half my discs are scratched and so my internal discernment pauses and skips. Empower Plus-basically b vitamins-has been helping a lot with that.
It is very hard for me to untangle all the spiritual information, good and bad that is constantly in my head. I feel the Holy Spirit and I feel all the devils. And sometimes the devil's have me on their team before I realize what is going on. It is like I am a baby and the only way I can tell if something is good or bad is to put it in my mouth and suck on it to see what it is like.
Someone made a comment to pray for faith so I am going to do that because my sheild is practically non existent. One blessing I asked from my husband said how Satan has desired me. I feel that. He knows my weaknesses so well. Many times I feel like I am in a dueling match and many times I get knocked down.
I am constantly in spiritual survival mode, sometimes barely alive. But then I am still here and look back and realize I have learned a thing or two. Many times I have been out for the count and somehow miraculously God puts me on my feet again. I have learned to expect someone or a scripture or a blog to come my way with the exact seed I need to immediately sprout fruit and nourish me for one more day. If people knew how many times they we're just talking with a light heart and said something that saved me, I have had many, many people save me at critical times that will never know.
Re: [Poll(Vote)]Are these true answers by the power of the Holy Ghost?
Posted: May 9th, 2018, 8:13 am
by Zathura
Dave62 wrote: ↑May 9th, 2018, 5:22 am
When I was a child I would regularly see a glowing light around the speakers at sacrament meetings. This was not all the time, but most of the time. I thought it quite normal and considered that all other people could see it as well. I don't see it now that I'm an adult which is a little bit sad, but I'm ok with that. I also think that we "get used" to the Holy Spirit and how He feels and affects us. I have a dear friend who was excommunicated who mentioned to me that he was never quite as aware of the Spirit as when he had lost His influence. We truly are a peculiar people.
It’s interesting that you mention that. I recall one time at priesthood session, I saw these white orbs around the heads of many of the men. Never happened before, never after. I was probably 16.. or 18..
Re: [Poll(Vote)]Are these true answers by the power of the Holy Ghost?
Posted: May 9th, 2018, 8:36 am
by EdGoble
Stahura wrote: ↑November 12th, 2015, 5:28 pm
This poll is to see what people generally believe a "true witness by the power of God" to be.
What do Missionaries teach?
They always read you Moroni 10:
You can know the truth of all things by the power of the Holy Ghost
They always read Galations 5:22:
Fruit of the Spirit , love , joy, peace etc.
They then explain to investigators that IF you read what we are teaching and pray about it, they will know it is true. How will they know?
"If you feel Happy after praying, that's a fruit of the spirit, therefore it's an answer that you know this is true!"
"If you come to church and and you cry because the lesson was JUST for you, that's an answer from the spirit that this is all true!"
"If you feel good inside, a warm feeling in you chest and you feel light, that's the answer by the power of the Holy Ghost!"
"If you feel peace in your home after praying about this, that's an answer from the Spirit!"
I have heard explanations like this on my mission from other missionaries, and at sunday school/Gospel Principles my whole life.
Are these true witnesses by the power of God?
Are these actual answers by the power of the Holy Ghost, the type of answer that Moroni promises?
In light of these questions, I would just offer a blog post that I wrote a while back:
https://thoughtfulmormonism.blogspot.co ... ng-in.html
Re: [Poll(Vote)]Are these true answers by the power of the Holy Ghost?
Posted: May 9th, 2018, 9:38 am
by Thinker
I believe that the Spirit, usually being a feeling or intuition, doesn’t come with a manual about specific interpretations. I discovered this when I felt the spirit about an ex along with the thought to leave my spouse and children for them. I think it is common to add our own interpretations to a general spiritual feeling. Often the spirit is when we think of something that inspires love and goodness, but then we might add our own desires or fears to the interpretations.
The church is not 100% perfect, nor is it 100% corrupt. The gospel teachings (which have all been taught by men) are not complete or perfect, but some are good. God gave us brains to use, to think and study and then pray and meditate. Reason needs to go along with faith/the spirit.
Re: [Poll(Vote)]Are these true answers by the power of the Holy Ghost?
Posted: May 11th, 2018, 2:16 pm
by JohnnyL
Yes, most of them are witnesses. (But not that every single thing is true.)
On my mission, we had a few investigators like this. I prayed about what to do, and got an answer. So we had a good time talking, enjoyable, happy. Then, I reminded them how they wondered if it was the same. At that point, we changed, and went all-spiritual--conversion story, testimonies, etc. I asked them if it was the same. A different spirit had filled the room, and they felt the difference.
Re: [Poll(Vote)]Are these true answers by the power of the Holy Ghost?
Posted: May 11th, 2018, 5:44 pm
by Jesef
I think most of the time the voice in our heads is our own voice. And I also think many in our culture tend to misinterpret the actual meaning of "feeling the Spirit" or spiritual confirmations in general. For example, many of the examples in the OP and taught in church & seminary classes are that these things mean "Such and Such is TRUE" - like "the Church is TRUE" or "[whatever specifically being taught] is TRUE", etc. But I've felt the Spirit too many times in regards to various situation, things, and questions, and have it really turn out not to mean "YES" or "TRUE" to believe that anymore. More than likely I think feeling the Spirit most often means: "You are LOVED" or "I LOVE YOU" or "hang in there" or "keep going, you can do it" or "this is good for you" or "be comforted" - not telling us what is TRUE or FALSE or what the future holds, etc. That's been my experience and I've also validated this with observations of many people I know personally. Confirmation Bias is when we only accept, internalize, or even notice information that confirms our belief system. As such, we tend to block out spiritual "disconfirmations" or all the times we were sure we had gotten an affirmative answer only to find out in reality that we were wrong - we tend to quickly throw those experiences in the bucket of "must have misread the Spirit" or such. Yeah, I think we misread the Spirit by expecting that IT/HE/SHE is going to give us all the answers of what is true or false, right or wrong, or what the future holds. This is a form of spiritual extremism that usually ends in disappointment. I've experienced REAL revelation before, too, though - and it's powerful - but most of the time it has to do with what I'm supposed to be doing at that time in my life (i.e. it's very relevant rather than fantastic or self-aggrandizing, etc.).
Re: [Poll(Vote)]Are these true answers by the power of the Holy Ghost?
Posted: May 11th, 2018, 10:49 pm
by Zathura
Jesef wrote: ↑May 11th, 2018, 5:44 pm
I think most of the time the voice in our heads is our own voice. And I also think many in our culture tend to misinterpret the actual meaning of "feeling the Spirit" or spiritual confirmations in general. For example, many of the examples in the OP and taught in church & seminary classes are that these things mean "Such and Such is TRUE" - like "the Church is TRUE" or "[whatever specifically being taught] is TRUE", etc. But I've felt the Spirit too many times in regards to various situation, things, and questions, and have it really turn out not to mean "YES" or "TRUE" to believe that anymore. More than likely I think feeling the Spirit most often means: "You are LOVED" or "I LOVE YOU" or "hang in there" or "keep going, you can do it" or "this is good for you" or "be comforted" - not telling us what is TRUE or FALSE or what the future holds, etc. That's been my experience and I've also validated this with observations of many people I know personally. Confirmation Bias is when we only accept, internalize, or even notice information that confirms our belief system. As such, we tend to block out spiritual "disconfirmations" or all the times we were sure we had gotten an affirmative answer only to find out in reality that we were wrong - we tend to quickly throw those experiences in the bucket of "must have misread the Spirit" or such. Yeah, I think we misread the Spirit by expecting that IT/HE/SHE is going to give us all the answers of what is true or false, right or wrong, or what the future holds. This is a form of spiritual extremism that usually ends in disappointment. I've experienced REAL revelation before, too, though - and it's powerful - but most of the time it has to do with what I'm supposed to be doing at that time in my life (i.e. it's very relevant rather than fantastic or self-aggrandizing, etc.).
This is my belief as well. I think usually, such feelings, if not our own thoughts and conscience, are a general approval of the seeking you are doing, nudging you along, encouraging you to keep asking. Like lets assume you are looking for for the book of Alma but don’t know where it is, that feeling that you feel when you’re passing Mosiah isn’t the answer that you’ve arrived, it’s nudging you along “Warmer, WARMER, WARMER!” Sometimes there will be no answer, and the feeling you have is one that simply means “I love you regardless”. I think “REAL” revelation is unmistakable and “miraculous”, and honestly in my experience isn’t even what I’m looking for half the time.
That’s just my opinion, my own personal experience. I’ve got many more years to feel things out and change my mind on things.
Re: [Poll(Vote)]Are these true answers by the power of the Holy Ghost?
Posted: June 1st, 2018, 8:43 pm
by diligently seeking