Forget-Me-Not

I have not yet taken the time to read more than a couple of the responses to the OP, but I would say that spiritual manifestations are personal and cannot really be shared from one person to another. A telling of the experience can be shared, but the experience itself is for the person/persons to which it is given by the Spirit, so there will likely always be those who doubt and disbelieve something like this is of God when they have not experienced it. I've had a number of spiritual experiences where I've received communication from the Spirit but none that I would ever describe as a burning in the bosom. Though, I did have an experience several months ago which some people maybe would have described in that particular way with the kind of physical manifestation it produced. I was experiencing great anxiety with a certain aspect of my personal life and was in such turmoil and despair that one Sunday morning my stomach and abdomen felt in a state of raw and inflamed churning. During the passing of the sacrament that day I began pleading in prayer for help in my circumstances. There is no need to explain what I was in turmoil over or what I was asking of God, but in the course of my pleading, I felt a very real and literal physical calming sensation begin just under my color bones, which washed gently down through my torso to just below my waist, replacing the painful anxiety symptoms with the sweetest and most gentle sensation of peace and comfort. In gratitude just as I began thanking my Heavenly Father, however, doubt began to creep into my mind (oh me of little faith?) as I had never had a spiritual experience that was so plainly manifested in such a physical way and I began to wonder if I had actually experienced what I had, even though all discomfort was gone and had been replaced by calming peace. With my doubts, though, I began to plead again as before, when the same, yet gentler, sense of that sweet peace washed through me again, and I was given to thank my Heavenly Father for reassuring me in my weakness and doubt. I am certain that upon hearing of that experience there some who would scoff, and upon telling a relative of it, he seemed convinced that it was only the result of what I wanted and expected to receive so that I caused it to happen within myself. No, he was quite wrong, and I certainly wasn't expecting anything of the kind, having pled in prayer for many months (seemingly in vain) in my circumstances, before that day. I've had many different kinds of life experiences, but for me I've found that those which have truly come from the Spirit of the Lord are singular in their impact, regardless of the mode of transmission, or how strong or gently they were given, and even as my doubts began on that Sunday (or maybe as Satan endeavored to cause me to doubt) I still knew within, through my doubts, from whence the washing of peace had come, and was reassured with a second witness that this was so.

Hi Martain, I very much enjoyed your questions. :) The thing that kept coming to my mind as I read them is that I (we, all of us) must watch and pray always (3 Nephi 18:15 & 18) needing continual protection from the evil one.

Not silly at all. I love the way the Lord uses symbolism to teach us of spiritual things. I think it can have a lasting impact far beyond words. Wonderful story. Thank you for sharing it. :)

I love the Book of Abraham. :) I never really thought of it in terms of containing new doctrine, likely because I was raised in the LDS faith and it has always been part of my learning in conjunction with Biblical accounts. But I would probably describe it as the restoration of a more expanded and detailed view of ancient doctrines, as revealed to Abraham, which more fully explain things such things as (from chapter 3) the eternal nature of our spirits, our pre-mortal existence with God, the choosing of our Savior, etc., along with an account of the creation, as well as other details of Abraham's life. I'm sure you will enjoy your study of it. :)

I look at it this way. Unless and until God sees fit to explain more fully, I am free to have the perspective I find most logical and reasonable to my understanding. So, in light of that, I would make somewhat of a comparison. Let us say I have a wonderful mortal father (that wasn't the case I'm afraid, but let's pretend). No matter what I do throughout my life, that man will always be my father. That is a fact of biology that nothing can change or alter. So no matter what I do and no matter how many other wonderful fathers may exist out there in the world, that changes nothing for me, because my father is and always will be the father of my mortality. No one can replace him or take that position from him. Also I, as my father's child, even if I were to become a parent in my own right (that was not the case either, but let's pretend) and no matter how good and wonderful a parent I may become to children of my own, I would still hold my father in deference as the father who gave me mortal life, and my children, who would likewise give me deference as their parent, would hold my father in deference as their grandfather, and so on through each generation. So no matter how many, or how few, fathers (or grandfathers, etc.) may exist out there, it would not change the relationship I have with my father, nor would it change for my children, and so on. As I see it, that would be the reasonable and logical patriarchal order of things, not only in earth, but also in heaven. So, with God the Father being my Eternal Heavenly Father and God, nothing can change that, just as nothing can change the reality that Jesus Christ is the author and Father of my eternal salvation. No being can, nor ever could, replace, supplant, or usurp that position, because it's a reality in fact. So, not knowing all there is to know about Godly things and the heavenly order of things, it matters not to me if there are other beings in existence that do the things God Himself does. Nor does it matter if I might one day reach a point where I could also do things like my Heavenly Father can. I have no problem theologically with that idea, because nothing can change the reality that God the Father is literally my Heavenly Father and God so nothing can or will ever change that truth. Therefore I find that sufficient for my present understanding and unless and until He sees fit to explain more fully the details of eternal things, I'm satisfied with holding that perspective.

I don't know what kind of guidelines may have been given on this matter, but if I were writing to a missionary boyfriend, I would want to write positive and encouraging things about his work in the mission field and I would be interested in asking him questions and talking about his work and about the area he's serving in. I would likely include things about my own callings and such, things pertaining to my spiritual endeavors and growth. But I would want to avoid writing things that might encourage homesickness and would not want to write things that would cause him to miss me in a personal romantic sense. Anything that could pull his mind and heart away from the work I would want to avoid. When one cares for someone it's natural to miss them and want to express those emotions. It's also easy to feel discouraged at times when they're not there for you, or can't be, so I would try to keep my emotions in check when writing to a missionary boyfriend. I would endeavor to keep things positive and in the present. :)

Thank you Pam :)

I was raised in the LDS faith and was profoundly blessed with an abiding testimony of the truthfulness of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I actually believe that testimony was given as a gift to offset the dark environment into which I was born. An environment that would oft times plague me with overwhelming feelings of hopelessness. Unfortunately that sense of hopelessness can still rear its ugly head during particular times of adversity and of late I've felt in need of a refuge, of sorts. So since I used to lurk here from time to time a few years ago I thought maybe I should come back now and join.