I had a wonderful time at Church today.
One of the things that struck me was a conversation/lesson on how we learn through repetition. The usual response is that new things are often brought to our attention on the subject at hand, that we need to hear.
I pointed out that the Temple endowment is the ultimate in repetition. I have probably been there on the order of hundreds of times (not thousands, yet), and I often find that I walk away with greater understanding of my role and what I need to be doing in my own Adamic (patriarchal) life. Not necessarily of things related to the Creation, Fall and Atonement of my Savior, but things related to what I need to be doing in my own life. That is if I am focused on what is being presented. Of course, I walk away with a healthy dose of the Spirit in my life, as well which carries me through the dry spells and down drafts of life.
There is another kind of learning that can take place in our lives - and it has to do with the gift of tongues, I believe; and it has only happened once in my life, that I am absolutely sure of - and that was discovered by a fluke, of sorts that I will talk about. I was sitting in a general Stake Priesthood Meeting about 12 years ago. It was at a golden time of my spiritual life - right before our kid was taken home to Father in Heaven - all seemed perfect in my marriage, job, church calling and so many other aspects of life. I was sitting in the third row, directly in front of the podium and I heard the Second Counselor in the Stake Presidency get up and talk about several things and then mention that George Washington had entertained an angel in Valley Forge when things were at their lowest point. He then continued on with his talk and the rest of the evening was unremarkable (I don't remember other specifics - other than the Spirit was present). My interest was piqued - as I had never before heard such amazing things about our nation's First President - and I googled for more information on the topic. Of course, I found out that this was correct information that can be sourced back to the Stars and Stripes in 1859. I also found out in that vision, that there were calamities coming to America that would result in foreign troops on our soil and general devastation across the nation. That was the second witness that I needed to begin to take an earnest look into our future; the first one being the book I have never been able to relocate that talks about the tent cities of the dis-located people from the West Coast, camped in the western side of the SL valley on the foothills of the Oquirrh Mountains. Those two watershed pieces of information are what led me on this bunny-trail and which eventually led me to put all this cool stuff on a blog (when I subsequently learned about them) as my file cabinet was getting stuffed and I could only share one thing at a time with the occasional interested listener that I had personal contact with. The blog provided an anonymous place where a wide-spread audience could just be led to find a cache of stuff that they could use to formulate their own opinions and learn at their own assimilation rate/speed of what is coming.
HERE IS THE KICKER: I think I was supposed to learn of the George Washington vision when I did for whatever reason the Lord had in mind for me. Problem is this: A few years later, I had the opportunity to give a blessing with President Harmon and we had a few minutes to chat afterwards. I told him of what I thought was coming and why and thanked him for bringing up the George Washington vision in his talk in Priesthood Meeting. He kind of gave me a blank stare. I asked him if he remembered making that statement and he emphatically denied knowing anything of this vision. I WAS FLOORED. I came at it from a different angle hoping to jog his memory - no comprehension of what I was referring to....
Could it be, that, while in the Spirit, I was given specific knowledge that led me to find something out that I needed to know at that time and in that way? I have near perfect hearing and eyesight - and I was listening and watching President Harmon say those words - but he has no knowledge of what, admittedly is some arcane piece of history - that made such an impact on me?
Fascinating beyond words. All I can say is this: we have no comprehension of the scope and beauty of the ways that God operates in our lives in order to bring us to a fullness of knowledge while on this earth. In Jesus name, Amen.
As an afterthought - I have had many people question the veracity of that vision as they try and de-bunk my version of what is coming. I have to say, the George Washington vision is one of the top five key pieces of the puzzle as I have assembled it. Even though I am not a historian who has personally handled the original Stars and Stripes newspaper in the Smithsonian vaults, I can stand there and say that I KNOW that this is coming - and that the vision that George Washington had, WAS true. Because, I experienced that dramatic witness that Saturday evening in a Stake Priesthood meeting where the gift of tongues, or some other heavenly power was at work. In the same manner, I can say that I KNOW that the Book of Mormon is true after having received so many witnesses of similar remarkable manner. I was not there witnessing the history as it played out, nor Moroni as he abridged it to the plates of gold, nor Joseph as he handled the plates and translated them - but I KNOW that work is of God - and a valid one that has the power to bring about repentance and to change lives.
At a very urgent point in my life, where I was seeking confirmation on a choice I had made, my old stake president was sent to speak at our stake conference, this time in his position as regional representative. He said that he felt impressed to speak on something other than the talk he had prepared. His remarks went on to describe what it was like to grow up in a home environment where the Spirit of the Lord could rest and abide... likening the Spirit of the Lord to a gentle and fragile butterfly being able to find someplace to land and stay. He spoke on what kinds of behaviors would shatter that peace and send the butterfly fleeing and fluttering away. His remarks were the answer to my pleading prayers for confirmation. Had the messenger not been him, I do not know if I would have had the courage to actually go forth and act in faith upon that thing which I had been contemplating. Many years later, when I thanked him for what he had done, in being the final confirming witness that the Lord had given me divine permission to flee with the children and divorce an abusive husband, my old leader's reaction was also like what you described. Embarassment, a blank look, almost discomfort... almost as if he didn't believe me or didn't like having inadvertantly played such an important role in my life... But I know by the witness of the Spirit that he WAS sent to speak to me that day. Looking back on that turning point now, 12 yeas later, I still consider it to be a personal miracle.
ReplyDeleteI first heard of Washington's vision from Glenn Kimball, of course he was less open about his sources because he made his living on information he research's, available by cd's, books, ect.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that this vision also repeats the similar content of Joseph Smith's revelation on the Civil War followed by, what is now being referred to as the comming "Cleansing". Brigham Young, John Taylor,the Pratt boy's and others have expanded upon this last destruction in preparation for the establishment of the New Jerusalem and the ensuing return of the Ten Tribes.
You may want to check out some of the information from Glen Kimball. The stories from the childhood of Christ is pretty interesting. His sources have likely been poo pooed by theologians not as much of a lack of credible information as much as it simply does not fit the traditional story line, as such, it must be contaminated.