Article on how God speaks to Mormons


davidgrant
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I've been working on an article generally intended for non-LDS but subtly intended for LDS. The title is currently, How God Speaks to Mormons. I would like your take on experiences, stories and the like that describe the revelatory experience. Please let me know. If you would like to see a draft copy of what I have so far, I will post it. 

Edited by David Grant
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Many of these experiences are very sacred but I can share with you this experience.

 

Many years ago I was very active in a Christian church.  One day a school friend invited me to his youth group meeting, and the Mormon missionaries  had been invited to tell them what we believe.  When I went, it was the second or third meeting.

 

The lesson was on the Plan of Salvation.  They talked about where we came from, why we were here on earth, and what happens to us after death.  As they were speaking, I had the very strong impression that I had heard this all before.  I remember saying to myself, "This is very familiar.  I know that I have heard this before".  I went through my memory, but could not remember where I had learned this.

 

In that moment I heard a quiet voice speak very clearly to me.  "It is true".  That's all it said.  

 

I can clearly remember that experience now over 50 years later. It so imprinted itself on my soul that I have never doubted that they were telling the truth.  It was before I learned about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.

 

Whenever I think of this experience, it makes me think of the hymn, "Amazing Grace".

Edited by cdowis
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This summer my daughter was visiting and we spent some time at temple square.  Having traveled and in my travels enjoyed visiting religious places throughout the world – I began to realize that there is something profoundly difference between LDS religious places and other religious shrines.  Our LDS places depict G-ds and angles appearing in manifestations of light and truth.  In addition our sacred Book of Mormon scripture is also a gift of manifestation – both in ancient as well as our modern time.

 

This is not how G-d speaks to any other people.  I began to reflect on my own personal journey and realized that even for me – though I have not interfaced as one man does with another; with G-d or angles – that I too have had what are clearly manifestations of light and truth.  In contrast it seems to me that most in the religious community rely entirely on impressions and interpretations.

 

I do not intend to discourage impressions and interpretations because I believe such to be necessary and important – just that there is a difference between interpretations and impressions and divine manifestations of light and truth.   Having been involved in a great many religious discussions – it would seem to me that in all cases of misunderstanding and disagreement - such differences are based in impressions and interpretations – with one or both involved in the discussion.  It is also my observation that many with impressions and interpretations when confronted by others that speak by manifestations of light and truth – will think their impressions and interpretations are manifestations of light and truth when it really is not.

 

Trying to explain the difference is an exercise in futility unless one has actually experienced a manifestation of light and truth.  But there is one unmistakable difference – a manifestation of light and truth is temporary and will leave us when we are not true and obedient to that light and truth that was manifested and in additions there are powers that will constantly challenge us.  In short sin will robe man of divine manifestations – and it will be as though such never happened – leaving only impressions and interpretations. 

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I've been working on an article generally intended for non-LDS but subtly intended for LDS. The title is currently, How God Speaks to Mormons. I would like your take on experiences, stories and the like that describe the revelatory experience. Please let me know. If you would like to see a draft copy of what I have so far, I will post it. 

I find that those women who dress immodestly and those men who condone have no idea what the church standards are.  If they do, they are blatantly ignoring the standards.  Here are a couple photos of what missionaries wear.  I figure if this is what the Lord wants the missionaries to wear, then he wants everyone to wear the same. 

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I find that those women who dress immodestly and those men who condone have no idea what the church standards are.  If they do, they are blatantly ignoring the standards.  Here are a couple photos of what missionaries wear.  I figure if this is what the Lord wants the missionaries to wear, then he wants everyone to wear the same. 

 

But what you consider immodest is not necessarily immodest. For example, sleeveless shirts are not immodest, they just don't work well when someone wears garments.

 

Are you saying that since Sister Missionaries are instructed to wear dresses and skirts that all women members at all times should wear dresses and skirts?

 

M.

Edited by Maureen
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  • 3 weeks later...

The Bible is full of examples on how God speaks to latter-day saints.  Communications can come in the form of "the voice of the Lord" or "the still, small voice."  It can be given in dreams and visions.  It can come in the form of angelic visitations.  It can come through the words of a prophet or the faiithful counsel of a friend.  It can come from reading the word of the Lord in the scriptures and having our hearts touched by it.  It can come by having the Lord speak with you "face to face" as he did with Moses.

 

Sharing the details of these personal experiences should be done as inspired by the Spirit so as not to cast the pearls of God's merciful manifestations to us before the "swine" who might ridicule them.

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Many of these experiences are very sacred but I can share with you this experience.

 

Many years ago I was very active in a Christian church.  One day a school friend invited me to his youth group meeting, and the Mormon missionaries  had been invited to tell them what we believe.  When I went, it was the second or third meeting.

 

The lesson was on the Plan of Salvation.  They talked about where we came from, why we were here on earth, and what happens to us after death.  As they were speaking, I had the very strong impression that I had heard this all before.  I remember saying to myself, "This is very familiar.  I know that I have heard this before".  I went through my memory, but could not remember where I had learned this.

 

In that moment I heard a quiet voice speak very clearly to me.  "It is true".  That's all it said.  

 

I can clearly remember that experience now over 50 years later. It so imprinted itself on my soul that I have never doubted that they were telling the truth.  It was before I learned about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.

 

Whenever I think of this experience, it makes me think of the hymn, "Amazing Grace".

 

Thank you for sharing this cdowis, I enjoyed reading it and found it to be uplifting.

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I have something else to add into the mix.

 

First, "impressions".  

My brother-in-law decided that on his mission, he would pay very close attention to his feelings and all impressions he received.  Any impression he received that weren't clearly evil, he'd act on and see what would happen.  Through the course of his mission, he began to discern the subtle differences between his own feelings or intuition and those impressions that were of the Lord (not to mention evil impressions).  I'm not going to give specifics of his result.  But he is very aware now of when the Lord is speaking to him and when it is his own thoughts.

 

Second, another light.

 

There have been only a couple of times in my life where I had a completely different feeling come over me than what I know as "a witness of the Spirit".  I figured it was just a different method the Spirit had of speaking to me.  What puzzled me was I've never heard of anyone else having such a feeling.  No, I was pretty sure it wasn't an evil spirit.  Keep reading.

 

Just a few months ago I was preparing a talk on the Priesthood.  As part of the talk I decided it would be good to cover "ministering of angels" since we tend to gloss over that so often.  I came across a talk by President Hinckley.

 

As I heard his words that ministering angels will "teach, guide, and protect you" I immediately flashed back to multiple instances in my life, and a witness of the Spirit told me it had happened to me.  This "different feeling" was the guidance of a ministering angel.  

 

I believe I've been taught by a ministering angel at least once.  I have also been protected twice that I know of and a possible third time.

 

Just to put my two cents in on "voices".  I've only heard a "Voice" once in my life.  And it was a very VERY important time. I don't know if that means I'm just not "in tune" enough or not righteous enough or what.  The fact remains -- only once in my life.

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