The High expectations the Scriptures teach


Queolby
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I feel like the scriptures teach a lot about how miracles were instant, how healings were instant. Christ walked around healing people instantly, and in the Book of Mormon peoples were sanctified instantly changed instantly excetera excetera. This is one thing that I hate about the scriptures, is that they create high expectations for how God heals us so we get disappointed when we're not healed right away. When today, we hear very few stories about people instantly being heald from their ailments. I'm a guy that struggles with addiction and have for years and I've been on and off and I always wondered why God can't heal me instantly, he did so for so many other people as the scriptures show. Can anyone enlighten me and show me through the scriptures that God doesn't always heal you right away and that eventually he will if you keep believing and acting?

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I think it depends on scale and time period.  How many people did Sampson Heal?  How many did Eli heal?  How many did Nathan Heal?

In many of the time periods we hear/read very little about the number of people that were healed instantly. 

Of course during the time of the Savior we hear many were healed.  This was from the Savior in person.  In the New Testament, how many did he heal that we have recorded.  Compare this to the estimated population of Israel at over 600,000 to perhaps over 1 million people (Josephus estimated 1.1 million killed). 

In comparison to that, if those healed are only those that were recorded, VERY FEW were actually healed instantly, even during the Lord's mortal ministry.

In the America's he seemed to have healed a lot more, but that was after they lost almost everything with huge numbers being killed in storms, earthquakes and many other disasters in the land.

We hear also of Joseph Smith healing people, but normally that was for a specific and dedicated purpose at the time. 

In general, it seems that for most of history, people have not had the gift of being instantly healed.

That said, I have witnessed healings (including the blind being healed and their sight restored in less than an hour of the blessing, the paralyzed being enabled to walk, and other miracles) in my lifetime.  I have also seen those that were given a blessing of healing but the healing didn't come instantly, but over time.  I know of a friend who had healed from cancer multiple times along with heart attacks and who had been given up for dead by the doctors, only to be healed by the Priesthood and make a recovery (though that recovery many times took several months).

I have also seen where people have gotten blessings to be healed and who died or were disabled for the rest of their lives.  There are several factors regarding healing that need to be considered.

1.  Is the blessing of healing done with the correct authority.

2.  Does the Priesthood holder have the faith to pronounce the blessing the Spirit tells them to.

3.  Does the person receiving the blessing have the faith to be healed.

And most importantly...

4.  What is the Lord's will in the matter.

Sometimes being healed instantly is not what the Lord may want, and sometimes the Lord's purposes have other missions for that individual in which they will suffer or die to accomplish it.  I personally hope to always be healed and not have to suffer and so I state the above and what follows with trepidation, as I would not wish a specifically sought out blessing to not come to pass upon anyone...especially me.  It's an uncomfortable thing for me to think about.  However, the ultimate result of healing is up to the Lord and the LORD's WILL in the matter. 

The Lord has different plans and ideas for each of us.  These differ greatly one from another according to our pre-existence, our needs then, our needs now, and what lies in the future.  Sometimes, what we want does not align with what he sees we need or what others may need from the situation.  Hence, healing ultimately is up to HIS will and what HE DEEMS as important, necessary, and needed in our lives.

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7 minutes ago, Queolby said:

I feel like the scriptures teach a lot about how miracles were instant, how healings were instant. Christ walked around healing people instantly, and in the Book of Mormon peoples were sanctified instantly changed instantly excetera excetera. This is one thing that I hate about the scriptures, is that they create high expectations for how God heals us so we get disappointed when we're not healed right away. When today, we hear very few stories about people instantly being heald from their ailments. I'm a guy that struggles with addiction and have for years and I've been on and off and I always wondered why God can't heal me instantly, he did so for so many other people as the scriptures show. Can anyone enlighten me and show me through the scriptures that God doesn't always heal you right away and that eventually he will if you keep believing and acting?

It surely is a given fact that scriptures -- highlight -- faith promoting stories. Do we not do the same though when we give talks and speeches? We highlight the most faith promoting story we have while leaving out a lot of our hardships. The times where we didn't receive any instant healing or answer to our prayers.

I don't think though it is fair to us to judge, from scripture, the life of Christ and his healings and then compare it to ourselves. His life was prophesied of and detailed enough that certain signs would follow. He was perfect. He was without blemish. We even have evidence from scripture how the prophets/apostles could not rebuke the an evil spirit out of a person, and then Christ rebuked the evil spirit, and then he taught a very powerful principle, "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."

Even the apostles/prophets during Christ's life, those he called, could not rebuke the evil spirit because they had not fasted and prayed sufficiently.  It is not something we like to hear or read, that possibly the reason why we don't see as many miracles is because we aren't "becoming" who we should become, and we aren't fasting and praying enough in order to achieve it. So, what are we doing/becoming in order for the Lord to heal us instantly? Then, we have to remember the following words, "But, if not...," then we have the choice to still become and remain faithful.

There are miracles happening, instant healings, that go without any word to the public. These are often only shared in private circles or when impressed upon by the Spirit.

As pertaining to scripture not always "healing" right away we can look at the Book of Mormon and Lehi's life. Was it not Nephi who shared how his father, Lehi, was sick unto death when Laman and Lemuel were murmuring? We have no record of any instant healing, but we do have record of them almost giving up the ghost.

Although the daughter of Jarius was healed, do we suppose the daughter of Jarius was the only daughter who was sick (on her death bed)? Were there other fathers/mothers who were mourning the loss of their sons/daughters while others were being healed? Most likely.

Why does God heal instantly while others perish? I do not know, and that is OK not to know everything. But one thing we do know is that God loves all his children and works with them according to their faith.

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The only thing I find frustrating in all this is when someone shares a miraculous story that ends positively and they use self defined positive endings as “proof” that God loves us and is there for us as long as we have faith a live righteously.

A story on the podcast “All In” comes to mind where a woman shares her experience of narrowly escaping a murder literally by a fraction of a second. He ending declaration and lesson she got from the whole thing? “God was there and watching over me, he loves us all.”

My immediate question was “if it hadn’t ended well, is that proof he wasn’t there? Or perhaps it is evidence he doesn’t love you?” 

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3 hours ago, Fether said:

The only thing I find frustrating in all this is when someone shares a miraculous story that ends positively and they use self defined positive endings as “proof” that God loves us and is there for us as long as we have faith a live righteously.

A story on the podcast “All In” comes to mind where a woman shares her experience of narrowly escaping a murder literally by a fraction of a second. He ending declaration and lesson she got from the whole thing? “God was there and watching over me, he loves us all.”

My immediate question was “if it hadn’t ended well, is that proof he wasn’t there? Or perhaps it is evidence he doesn’t love you?” 

What if Joseph Smith had a PhD instead of a 3rd grade education and finished the BoM in two years? What would our testimonies be like?

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18 hours ago, Queolby said:

I feel like the scriptures teach a lot about how miracles were instant, how healings were instant. Christ walked around healing people instantly, and in the Book of Mormon peoples were sanctified instantly changed instantly excetera excetera. This is one thing that I hate about the scriptures, is that they create high expectations for how God heals us so we get disappointed when we're not healed right away. When today, we hear very few stories about people instantly being heald from their ailments. I'm a guy that struggles with addiction and have for years and I've been on and off and I always wondered why God can't heal me instantly, he did so for so many other people as the scriptures show. Can anyone enlighten me and show me through the scriptures that God doesn't always heal you right away and that eventually he will if you keep believing and acting?

The woman that had an issue of blood for 12 years, the man blind from birth, the man crippled from birth, Zion taken up in process of time, Lehi's and Moses' sojourns in the wilderness, Paul's thorn in the flesh... there are many, many and these are just coming to mind in a matter of seconds. I'm sure I can find many others if I thought about and researched it. Hang in there!

The Nephites had to wait a year after the great destruction before the Lord visited them.

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11 hours ago, Queolby said:

What if Joseph Smith had a PhD instead of a 3rd grade education and finished the BoM in two years? What would our testimonies be like?

The same. It isn't the amount of time nor education that Joseph Smith had that makes his work true. Does this add to the fact that God helped a boy, a young man, who then matured into the prophet? Yes, but it doesn't change the overall reality of what he experienced, what he was called to do, and who he was called by.

Would it have mattered, regarding the atonement of Jesus Christ, if he was born in the "inn" and not in a humble stable? No. The work he would have needed to perform would still have been accomplished either way. Does the stable/manger story add to his condescension -- yes -- but it doesn't change who he was, his experiences, what he was called to do, and who he was "sent" by.

Edited by Anddenex
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20 hours ago, Queolby said:

I feel like the scriptures teach a lot about how miracles were instant, how healings were instant. Christ walked around healing people instantly, and in the Book of Mormon peoples were sanctified instantly changed instantly excetera excetera. This is one thing that I hate about the scriptures, is that they create high expectations for how God heals us so we get disappointed when we're not healed right away. When today, we hear very few stories about people instantly being heald from their ailments. I'm a guy that struggles with addiction and have for years and I've been on and off and I always wondered why God can't heal me instantly, he did so for so many other people as the scriptures show. Can anyone enlighten me and show me through the scriptures that God doesn't always heal you right away and that eventually he will if you keep believing and acting?

Until the resurrection we remain fallen - regardless of what blessings (with very rare and few exceptions) and regardless of what achievements we think we obtain - we will ultimately succumb to the effects of sin and suffer death.  Everyone struggles with some aspect of the the natural man or another.

A little story - I know a young man that served a mission, married in the temple, paid his tithing, read scriptures and attended the temple regularly, served in callings and prayed and said they had a testimony and felt the spirit.  His wife left him for another man and he was devastated.  He prayed a lot and went to the temple and believed that she would come back to him - but she did not.  Rather she filed for divorce.   He has now lost all faith and no longer attends church or keeps any of his covenants.

There are no blessings without obedience to principles of righteousness.  When I say righteousness it should be understood to be things that are TRUE.  The first principle of truth and righteousness is faith in the L-rd Jesus Christ - the second is repentance.  This is not a one and done or instant process but a lifetime pursuit.

It is my personal belief that we knew before we were born in the pre-existence and that through our agency we choose to come into this mortal existence and suffer with Christ to overcome all things.  I believe you do not suffer alone but the Christ suffers with you and as you struggle and suffer - so does the Messiah struggle and suffer with you.  Have faith and be believing and ALL things will turn out for your good.  What seems to be weakness will be made into strength - if not immediately it will be in the resurrection the same as with Job.

 

The Traveler

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On 10/24/2019 at 11:34 AM, Queolby said:

Can anyone enlighten me and show me through the scriptures that God doesn't always heal you right away and that eventually he will if you keep believing and acting?

I think CV75 does a good job of pointing out examples in the scriptures we're healing does not come right away or at all. Not all physical trials will be overcome in this life regardless of the amount of faith of the sufferer. But you specifically mention addiction as a trial. I do believe that any physical trial that impedes our ability to keep the commandments can be overcome in this life and the Lord will help you do it. But it's unlikely that a removal of the addiction will occur all at once as there is a great deal to be learned from the struggle. I think the two big keys are deep humility (as in sincere Thy will be done deep) and exactness and great diligence in doing the things you are supposed to be doing. Let the struggle sanctify your heart and I think the body will follow.

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9 minutes ago, laronius said:

I think CV75 does a good job of pointing out examples in the scriptures we're healing does not come right away or at all. Not all physical trials will be overcome in this life regardless of the amount of faith of the sufferer. But you specifically mention addiction as a trial. I do believe that any physical trial that impedes our ability to keep the commandments can be overcome in this life and the Lord will help you do it. But it's unlikely that a removal of the addiction will occur all at once as there is a great deal to be learned from the struggle. I think the two big keys are deep humility (as in sincere Thy will be done deep) and exactness and great diligence in doing the things you are supposed to be doing. Let the struggle sanctify your heart and I think the body will follow.

Scripture tells us that we are intelligent.  The scientific term for intelligent is the ability to learn and change behavior.  All human behavior can be altered by choice - even addictions can be overridden by one's spiritual will (agency - intelligence).  Sometimes we struggle because there is a conflict between the will of our natural man and our spiritual intelligence (as per Christ in Gethsemane).  Nothing of value is obtained without a struggle - another term for such a struggle is discipline.  The term disciple has the same root meaning.  A disciple of Christ is the term for someone struggling to live up to what Christ teaches.

 

The Traveler

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