Many would think to share it, would be to sully it. I believe that if we are given something, we should share it (unless we are constrained by the Spirit not to) so that we may glorify God. To puff ourselves up with such things would be vain, and not in accordance with God's economy. To share them with people who cannot relate (maybe a co-worker who is completely hedonistic), would be casting our pearls before swine. I find it sad, that as time goes on, sharing some spiritual experiences with most members of the Church is much like casting the pearls before swine and I then use the reaction to gauge that individual to see whether or not they are spiritually dead. Mostly, it is dead-ness - and thus the reason for the blog. When you get the "deer in the headlights" look, or outright anger with what you are sharing, you begin to know how deeply off-track these individuals are.
I remember a few years back being with my sister at a pre-wedding function my wife was invited to. Her SIL was about 52 years old and was a RS President and an assistant Principal at one of the Highland, UT area high schools. I, being as I am, blabbed that I thought we were closer to the coming of the Lord than most people thought. I was met with a railing scorn and was told that I was out of line and that no man could know the hour or begin to even guess. I shared the quote that is the anchor piece of the blog - in the right column, over here >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
You would have thought that I had just admitted to eating uncooked dog poo with ketchup...... I continued on about the whole gay agenda in the schools - not to egg her on, but to see where she was at. Of course, I was swatted down; the contempt was clear in her eyes. Yep, and I have often wondered about her since then. Is she parading around the agenda of the A/C and getting parents to toe the line? Is she persecuting parents who choose to homeschool because they cannot stand the hellish agenda being forced on otherwise good kids in the public screwel system. I wonder, when the Wasatch Fault ruptures, will she be among those who make it through, or will she be among those who do not. When the plagues come to stay the tongues of those who have blasphemed God, will hers be among those who cry out for mercy or will she be among those who raise their fists to heaven, curse God and wish to die with the wicked? I have hoped that there has been a change of heart in those intervening years, but I do not hold out much hope. In the profession she is in, you toe the line of the PC agenda, or you find yourself getting replaced. This is the reason that this particular tree will be completely torn out by the roots and cast upon the fire to be burned and will no longer remain in any shape or form after the purging and the burning. I, for one, cannot wait for the refreshing in just this one area - let alone all of the others.
Amongst those who are filled with the gift of prophecy and who enjoy the plethora of the gifts of God, an instant bond is formed and an immediate sharing of wonderful manifestations begins. This is a natural thing - a spontaneous thing when another of like mind and spirit is encountered. What do the scriptures say about those who no longer experience these things to any degree? What is the next step in the cycle the Book of Mormon speaks of? Why should we consider ourselves above those who are spoken of in the Book of Mormon?
This is the spirit that is found among the people featured in this book. The first thing they did after having a glorious outpouring of the Spirit during the Manti Temple dedication, was to publish their experiences with affidavits in the Deseret News. We are so different today - and we must ask ourselves why. What has changed? Why is it, when people today have these kinds of experiences today, they are swatted down? This is the question......
Methinks the answer is too unpleasant to fully consider......
Here is the book that got me spun up:
http://books.google.com/books?id=9cpx0qqZLI8C&pg=PA138&lpg=PA138&dq=Samuel+Whitney+Richards+testified+that+on+22+March+1846&source=bl&ots=UQEHNJUvf1&sig=3UYGBe2M2p4IO9TeP6eyOaqLV8Q&hl=en&sa=X&ei=lgP3UrHuKozroAS5-4GIBQ&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Samuel%20Whitney%20Richards%20testified%20that%20on%2022%20March%201846&f=false
"Be gone, testimony bearers, before somebody drops a house on you!" - Witch of the North, Wizard of Oz.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strengthening_Church_Members_Committee
I found this post interesting. I met with a woman I home teach earlier today and she told me of an experience she had. She told me that every time she’s shared it with someone they treated her like she should be institutionalized. I think it’s unfortunate that members of God’s church can’t share their personal experiences with other members without being treated like there’s something wrong with them. It’s even more unfortunate that many members are so quick to reject such experiences.
ReplyDeleteHence the need only to share these experiences with those whom you trust the most, and preferably, within your own sphere.
ReplyDeleteI have had experiences over the matter especially in my mission over these very concepts, on both extremes (telling a spiritual experience when it was NOT warranted and then living a spiritual experience because my comp refused to keep his mouth shut about his pioneer grandpa, and then doing what he had done)...
These things SHOULD be treasured up, and then spoken about:
1) to the people you trust, and only then,
2) when they are ready to bear it (spiritual confirmation).