I am on a FB discussion group where they are discussing the nature of Christ's personage. There are several likenesses like the one above that nearly perfectly embody Him.
A few of them out there do not fully encapsulate the essence of Him, and I pointed out that He has sharper cheekbones (slightly), than these excellent paintings show. I was asked if I had seen Him. Here is my response - where I quickly go over what I experienced as a youth:
No - a personal manifestation - in the flesh? No. I have seen him in vision in the night right after I had my baptism by fire in my early teen years, but not a physical person to person visit. No. Far more important than a personal visitation (at least for now) is how you feel when you are in His presence - this is how you would know Him if he were incognito - say helping with the clean-up after a large EQ in SLC and you had no other way to identify Him. In the vision I had after I had asked to know Him (fervently prayed to give up all my sins and was baptized with the second baptism), I lost all my strength and could hardly physically move and it took several days to totally recover (I know what Lehi speaks of). I finally opened up to my seminary teacher and asked what was happening to me. She wept with me - and told me that I was being re-born and being made a new creature. At some point after that (several weeks, I had a vision of heaven and saw Him - but not the Father). When I see these terrible misrepresentations of Jesus, I am reminded of that which is burned into my soul - but which is actually quite hazy in my "temporal mind". Fourteen years ago, my wife and I had the privilege of losing our baby to SIDS and, in that hell, being given a glimpse of that love once again when I had a dream a few hours after they said he passed, wherein I felt the OVERWHELMING - may all consuming love that I am sure he brought back from the presence of our Savior. I testify that it is real - and you will know it when you feel it. It is unmistakable and an all-consuming fire that burns for days and even weeks after you have been touched by it (and do not entertain sin in any form).
Part 1
ReplyDeleteI was sleeping, but it was not a dream. I was not "seeing" it, but rather was present in the vision, experiencing it with my five senses. It was exactly real to me. I was being lead down a light brown rock and dirt path by an Aztec warrior, a resurrected being. I just knew he was Aztec and that he had been faithful follower of Jesus Christ during his lifetime. The warrior was dressed in a plain white robe, like the clothing you think of the shepherds in the bible. Open at the top with a little slit about 2 inches long down the middle, long sleeves and a tie about his waist for a belt. The weave of his clothing was coarse and the material was wool. A large, tall rock wall was at my right, built of small flat rocks in neat horizontal rows, the color of light brown. There was a small patch of grass next to the wall and a large grassy field on my left with trees shading the area.
As we walked the warrior pointed to a large stone at the top of the wall with an Aztec inscription on it. The warrior stated that the inscription read, “Jesus is the Christ”. The Aztec warrior stated that this was Christ’s temple. I looked or actually perceived over the wall and could not see a building that would be His temple but a well kept garden. The warrior said that Christ liked to walk in his garden as he talked to individuals. This area within the walls was Christ's personal garden and was called the "temple of Christ".
In front of us was an overhang from the wall, portico, with a solid wall on the outside and large entrance and exit portal. On each side, front and rear, of the portico was a gate. As we approached the gate, another individual rushed in front of us and tried to enter the gate. Upon arriving at the gate, the gate flashed a bright yellow and threw him backwards onto the ground in front of us. He got up, shook it off, and left. The warrior stated, “That is what happens when you don’t have an appointment and are not to enter.”
Part 2
ReplyDeleteHe then motioned me to enter at the gate. I stepped forward, pausing at the gate with a little apprehension thinking of the previous man being thrown back, then stepped forward. The gate portal flashed blue and allowing me to enter; I entered. Upon entering, I look ahead and Jesus the Christ was entering the portico from the right side from his garden entrance with another person to whom He said his good-bys. The companion exited, leaving the opposite gate facing away from me. No knowledge of the companion entered my mind.
He was tall, possibly a little over 6 feet. I'd say about 6 foot 3 inches, as when the next day I was visiting ( step father) it struck me as he was the same height and I asked how tall he was. said 6 foot 3 inches. Christ's form is masculine. He has a sturdy build with broad shoulders, strong limbs and large hands. This torso is well proportioned. His face is not thin but full with high cheekbones. His hair is medium dark brown with a red tinge and down to his shoulders, much like the painting by Kevin M. Schultz. His eyes were the most beautiful blue, like my grandchildren from and . His nose was arch shaped, not Roman as depicted in the painting.
Christ turned to face me, stretching forth his right hand as if to shake hands but with his palm a little up. He spake saying, “I have atoned for your sins.” The message was clear and to the point. There was no misunderstanding the message. He had brought by the atonement and He had atoned for my sins and I stood there accepted of Him. He communicated with me verbally, but every word He spoke was rich in non-verbal truth that entered my soul far faster than words.
I fell to my knees and began worshiping him… tears streaming from my eyes. Then lay prostrate at His feet, bathing His feet with my tears, only being able to put my arms around His ankles and cry. I did not look for the marks in His hands and feet. I don't know why I didn't look. Perhaps it was because I did not need to see His wounds to know it was Him. I was so taken by his presence. At length He said, “Go, and sin no more.” I felt clean and relieved of sin. I had a clean slate and could then start afresh.
Part 3
ReplyDeleteThe next moment I was standing outside the gate facing the direction I had just come. . I looked to the left to the expanse of the grassy field and could see coming through the grass by her self. I looked down the path and saw and being led by a warrior on the path facing me walking toward the gate. I looked again a little further down the path and I could see in the far distance along the path. I wanted all my family to partake in the atonement as I had just felt similar to Lehi and the tree of life wanting his family there.
I immediately became aware of my bed and bedroom. I was weeping openly, joyfully, in a way I had never experienced before lying in bed on my back, tears streaming down the sides of my face. As I lay there for a few moments, I was grateful, for I still felt cleansed and rejuvenated. The joy I felt was so supernal and my relief that I had a clean start from that point in my life. I felt the euphoric love of Christ as I had in my dream of His second coming (1975) that permeates all the atoms of your entire soul.
Sometime later in Sacrament meeting, we were singing the Sacrament hymn, "I Believe in Christ" and a flood of experience re-entered my soul, the words of that hymn express better the meaning that I experienced than my own words could at that time.
"I believe in Christ;
He ransoms me from Satan's grasp,
he sets me free,
And I shall live with joy and love
In his eternal courts above."
I want to mention that what I learned from this experience is that the meaning and weight of those mere words cannot convey the fullness of the truths given. To really know that He lives, that He is a perfect, benevolent God who loves me enough to have a relationship with me and atoned for my personal sins - this is the sweetest knowledge I have ever known. This is why I love him so, because He first loved me.