LeKook

BTW I've never been harmed by any of these visitors in any way. Most simply want to pass a message on to someone in their family, that sort of thing - nothing over the top. I'd like to just accept it as part of who I am and move on, but people who've never experienced this stuff can be pretty harsh in passing judgment about it being from the devil, etc.

I haven't had a patriarchal blessing yet. I can't really think of any way this is a gift, necessarily - except for a couple of friends I've had all my life who have helped me verify some of the details I've received throughout the years, I don't talk about these things with anyone. After the negative reaction I got from the JWs I just clammed up completely. For whatever reason, I thought baptism and confirmation would "cure" me of this stuff. It didn't.

Yes, I know, you were just itching for another weird question from me, weren't you? Well here it is. Back when I was still a toddler, I fell down a full flight of stairs. As a result of my injuries, I had a NDE (near death experience). From as far back as I can remember I've had visitations from folks who have already left this life. I don't go looking for these things to happen, they usually come to me and tell me their own stories, and sometimes ask me to contact folks who are still here. Yup, I know, the natural inclination is to say, "That's a lot of bunk, LeKook!", but it has happened to me and I'd be lying if I said it didn't. So my question is: What is the LDS teaching about these types of experiences? I was basically told when I was with the JWs that I was evil when I told them these things happened in the past, and were still happening to me. I couldn't resolve my desire to serve God and the fact that this is how I was made with the whole JW concept of being evil. If these things are evil, why have they happened to me all of my life, why do they continue to happen up to now? There's no "shut off" switch; most of the visits happen when I'm asleep and when I wake up I have all the details (names, places, years, whatever details are shared) and I've been able to verify these details with real people and/or recorded details (places of birth, death, etc.). I've even prayed and asked that this stop but the answer seems to be no. It's just who I am - and I'll never actively seek this stuff. Given the choice, I'd rather not deal with this at all! Anyway, that's my story - how do I resolve something like this with the teachings of the church? I'm open to suggestions, folks... I don't have a clue how to answer this one. Thanks - please be gentle, I'm just asking a question, LOL!!! -LeKook P.S. Scriptural references appreciated!!! :)

Ahh, thanks for the context... I was thinking the reply was harsh also, but now I have context. Now I get it. LOL!!! :)

Why does the term "puffery" keep drifting into my mind while reading the OP?? Or is it just me?

We might be saved from being hit by oncoming traffic if we use crosswalks instead of jaywalking... just sayin'... LOL!!!

I deal with not having a visiting teacher by ordering study manuals on LDS.org website and studying things on my own, LOL!

I joined the church recently, and if you mean visiting teacher, I don't have one either. I asked about it, but nothing yet. Someone just said they'd look into it for me and will get back. It could just be an administrative mix-up or someone has transitioned in and out that calling and is still adapting to it. :)

If you mean correct in what they state 100% of the time, I can't answer that question. I know of Deut. 18:22, which states: "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him." I can't think of any prophet that has had predictions come true in their entirety. Some predictions aren't supposed to occur until the very last days, so those haven't come to pass yet - if we can't know what happens past our own lifetimes, how can we prove 100% accuracy? Also you have to determine the correct meaning of a given prophecy, whether it is symbolic or literal, and once you determine that much, whether or not your literal or symbolic interpretation is accurate. For example, what are "Babylon the Great" and "Gog and Magog" that are spoken of in prophecy in the Bible? Nobody seems to know. Everyone takes a good guess and moves on. Bottom line is, I can't answer your question, really. This one I'll leave to the more knowledgeable amongst us. :) Curious to know the answer for myself!

Please tell me this is humor, not fact, LOL!!!

How odd... I see this scripture (2 Cor. 11:14) loosely misquoted in this manner by many Christian sects. Why don't they ever notice their own confusion, as the scripture says in 1 Cor. 14:33, which says, "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." To date I haven't found any confusion in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All I've discovered within this church is peace! Just pointing out a bit of a discrepancy in the use of scripture, LOL!!! :)

I can relate - I was reading something on CNN's political section about people saying not to vote for Romney because he belongs to a cult! I found myself getting really irritated by the comments and anti-LDS sentiment. If you reach a point of feeling that way again (and I guarantee you will, many times over!), step away, walk away, whatever. You are doing no good in trying to explain why they're wrong, or trying to figure them out. They don't know the facts because they don't want to know the facts. They want to be right in their own minds so they can feel better about themselves. Only the Holy Spirit can cut through our ignorance and show us the truth. I say "our" because I was once one of those people who told others that the LDS church was a cult. Now I stand (or sit, in front of my computer as I type this) corrected by the Holy Spirit! If you feel uncomfortable with the comments from others, and feel you must do something, pray for these people, and then move on. And leave it to the Holy Spirit to do the rest. :)

Betty, I understand where you're coming from. I've had similar thoughts about Relief Society. But I went to the monthly meeting on Wednesday, and really enjoyed it. Sometimes what I think is negative talk about another is just concern for the person being spoken of - the concern is expressed differently than how I'd express it, so I think it's negative or gossip. But it's not. We all express ourselves differently. There are a few women in my ward who are a little bit standoffish, they just don't want to be bothered with anyone. I've found it best to just leave them alone, that they don't want to talk to anyone. I'm not going to push them to talk if they don't want to. If you don't really know anyone, walk up to them and strike up a conversation. Most don't mind! The best way to stop feeling left out is to work your own way in - find the folks who aren't looking like they fit in either (they're easy to spot) and make friends with them. Look around for things you can do to make everyone's life a bit happier, and do those things. Share something from a book you've read that helped you, and then loan them the book to read for themselves. Make a plan to go to lunch with someone. Invite them to an activity that you think they might enjoy. Ask what their needs are, or if you spot a need they're not mentioning, offer to help fill it. If you're not one to sit around a bunch of complainers, then don't be a complainer, LOL! :) Try a couple of these ideas. I felt left out and on the sidelines, too. As I allow myself to accept these women for who they are - including their weaknesses - I'm finding I have more love for them, and am less inclined to judge them based on how I perceive them. I don't have any children, and am married to a non-member of the church, so it's difficult for me to fit in, but I'm working on it. :)

Well stated, Vort. :)

A true prophet speaks the words of God and the Holy Spirit bears witness with the hearer of those words that the words spoken come forth from God through the prophet. It's a supernatural process, the prophet acting as messenger or mouthpiece for God. I've heard lots of words that people have told me are from God, and have never had the testimony of the Holy Spirit bear witness that the words were true. At best, I had to either hope they were true, or suspend my decision to believe or disbelieve until another time. I'm so glad I know the difference now between knowing something is true and merely hoping something is true. Knowing something is true is so much better! :)

Hi Applepansy, I was baptized on 9/4, confirmed on 9/11 of this year. :) I'm so happy for me, too! LOL!!! Great to meet you! -LeKook

But it's not imperative that I get this blessing at all, right? Just trying to connect with the idea. I mean there's no hurry? Why would there be? I just joined the church. :)

I'm no ostrich, LOL!!! I'll look at the "evidence" that's presented, yes, and I'll think about it, yes. But after I've done all that, I'll pray about it, just like I did when I prayed to know of the Book of Mormon was true. That's what I go on, that solid testimony of the Holy Spirit. If I get no response (hasn't happened yet) I'll rethink. To date, though, I've always gotten a clear "Yes, the church is true," in spite of whatever evidence I've seen supposedly to the contrary. This isn't at all like when I was with Jehovah's Witnesses. I would pray about things that made no sense to me, and get no answer at all. My response to that was 9 years of forcing myself to "suspend my disbelief" in some of their teachings that I didn't understand, and hoping I'd get that peace of knowing and understanding some of it. In all of that time I never get that peace or such a solid YES or NO. A "yes" from Holy Spirit is very quiet but loud at the same time, LOL!!! It's such a departure from trying to reason things through or blindly accept things that it's totally undeniable - if you get a witness from the Holy Spirit there is no way you can't know what it is or where it's from. :)

Hi Tim, I am a recent convert (former Jehovah's Witness). I can state emphatically that what has been the major difference between this church and any other I've ever attended in the past 45 years or so is that the Holy Spirit is present and has given me an undeniable spiritual witness that this church is true, that Joseph Smith Jr. was a true prophet, and that Heavenly Father still leads this church through a living prophet today. It testifies of the gospel of Jesus Christ hundred percent of the time. The emphasis is NOT on Joseph Smith Jr. (as some say we "worship" Joseph Smith, which is untrue). Since first reading the book of Mormon, and praying to know the truth as to whether it is true or not, the Holy Spirit has testified of its truth to me. Do I ever doubt things, based on something I read about the history of the church, etc.? Yes, I sure do. But the split second I take these concerns to God in prayer, I get the very powerful witness by the Holy Spirit that the gospel and this church are the real thing and that even though some of my questions will remain unanswered in my lifetime, it's okay. There's a peace in receiving the testimony of the Holy Spirit that leads many of us to have unwavering faith regardless of what is going on in our lives. It's undeniable, real, and powerful. You can see the truth of this church in the lives of those who belong to it by seeing (as you indicate you have) the power it has had to change lives. I'd venture to say that all of us who have joined this church have in fact received supernatural verification of the truth it conveys to mankind. The mistake often made is that people believe that what is taught is the words of humans. Ask God. He'll prove that they're HIS words, not the words of humans. He's just waiting to be asked in sincerity. Oh, and nice to meet you! :) -LeKook

I'm probably mincing words here but have been thinking about this question about people being judgmental and their reasons for a few days now. I don't see a problem with judging something or someone based on actual facts. A lot of the time, actual facts aren't ours to have, however. So should we judge in those cases? We will, because as someone said, it's human nature to do so. We'll judge, based on the facts we have and the absence of facts we don't have. In most cases, our judgments will be wrong anyway. But I also think (and here's the mincing words thing) that what we're talking about here isn't judging of the kind that is contingent on having a degree of factual information. I think maybe this is about speaking or thinking of someone in a way where we adopt a view of them as a lesser human being, or speak in a way that makes them feel like a lesser human being. I think anything that we say, do, or think to make ourselves feel superior to others is where we go wrong; I think that's where unrighteous judgment leads to real sin. Adopting this type of view of another person isn't usually based on facts, or lack thereof, but has more to do with what we have to tell ourselves about others in order to feel righteous, loved, approved by God, or whatever. The devil knows we're susceptible to this sort of thinking, that's why it's so easy for him to make us forget why we are REALLY righteous (the Atonement), why we are loved (we are all God's children), and why we are approved (the price for our redemption has been paid in full). Once we get back to correct thinking and realize why we don't have any right to feel superior to anyone else, well, that's enough to stop judgmental-ism right in its tracks. Trust me, been there, got taught a huge lesson in this subject!!!

Wow that entire page is fascinating!

Hi Shaneamy, I'm still a sort-of newbie here (3 weeks or so?). :) Nice to meet you!!! -LeKook

I'll be starting in the next couple weeks, maybe we can compare notes? :)

Hi Tim, Sometimes you have to let things speak for themselves. The scriptures teach a trinity in the sense of purpose, not in the sense of three beings actually being one being. If that's supposed to be Monotheism, that's a problem, LOL! :) It's also a bit of a math problem and a multiple personality problem I think. Instead of defining religion (polytheism, monotheism, deism, whatever) I ended up having to throw all those concepts out the window and let scripture speak for itself. Just saying, this has been my personal experience. When I did that, I found that God (Heavenly Father), and Jesus, his son, both clearly spoke for themselves and said who in fact they are, what type of being they are, and what their natures truly are. All the labeling (taught to me by sincere people who basically were over-thinking everything) of concepts in scripture gave me a huge headache that lasted, oh, about 28 years. I'll call it Excedrin headache #10,819, LOL!!! One day fairly recently I threw my figurative hands up in the air and decided to just let scripture do the talking. To my amazement I discovered it was all very clear. I committed my amazement to prayer and that came back clear, too. All I'm suggesting is, suspend whatever inclination you might have to label things if you can. Just read the Book of Mormon and the Bible for what they are, as if you just came down to earth with the rain and have never read them before. The clarity you'll have will blow you away. I found for myself that trying to label things as this or that or as being orthodox doctrine or not set me up for a monumental course of frustration and mental gymnastics, LOL!!! I was TIRED!!! Anyway, nice to meet you! :) -LeKook

I'm thinking that for me personally, it came down to accepting the atonement or giving up completely and walking away from God entirely. Frustration, exasperation, sorrow, were all things I felt daily for YEARS. Nothing I could do would ever be enough to please God, who I felt was equally frustrated, exasperated, and sorrowful towards me. So we parted company for a while, until the reality that my own efforts even on my own behalf (never mind pleasing God; I couldn't even manage me!) weren't going to be enough to get me through this life unscathed. Many reach breaking point and refuse the atonement entirely when they reach the point where they decide they will never measure up, which is exactly what the adversary wants them to do. Sometimes, he wins. Other times, as in my case, God intervenes. Who knows why? I think that's one thing I'll never be able to get resolved in my heart, why some make it, and some don't. Or why I got another chance. I'll probably never know.