Once in a Youth Conference - I remember well. I used to be a ladies man back in the day - I used to dance every song if I wanted at a Stake Dance. I am not bragging - that is simply how it was. I would serenade the girls during slow dances (big, small, cute, ugly) - and I always had my favorite slow songs with my favorite girls. I would still keep the requisite three BofM thicknesses away, but lean in enough to rest my head on her shoulder and softly sing into her ear. I remember Karen Van Horn who loved Lover Boy (Vancouver, BC rock group). Her favorite song was "When It's Over"...... (click link). We always danced to "Turn Me Loose". Our favorite slow song was Mike Reno from Lover Boy and lead singer of Heart (Seattle band) Anne Wilson, Paradise (click link). So, if one of the Lover Boy hits came on, she was the go to girl for that particular song. We just had our routine - she requested our Lover Boy thing. I obliged her completely. Different girls, different routine. David Lee Roth on "Jump" for Mary McCarty - until I did the splits like in the music video and accidentally clipped her ear, drawing blood and ripped out the crotch of my Levi 501s at the same time..... Not the best moment.... I never really paired off with any one girl - it just was not my nature. I always stayed aloof - for the most part. Dating was wonderful to me. I knew I was to get serious once I was back from my mission and marriage was a possibility. I was married to schooling at the time. I was laser focused on setting up my future - but loved my associations with the wonderful young women that passed through my life at the time.
I remember one Stake Youth Conference where we had the conference out in the San Juans - in the forest. I was a junior in HS - but had a summer job, so I had to come and go once or twice in the evening since I could not get my shift off at the Bellingham Best (Jafco) store. I was asked to help set the camp up and worked with Brother Adair, using his pickup to haul food and equipment to the site. It was a slightly dilapidated summer camp - but the rusticity of it was where the soul of it lay. The open air hall where we had set up sound equipment for the dance. Magical - and they played the usual songs. Karen and I danced that song. I was out cooling off and getting a drink from the refreshment table, off the dance floor when the song came on. I raced into the floor, saw Karen - pointing to her from across the floor - with that look on my face. She ran into my arms and we did our thing. Wonderful, wonderful memories of her. She was a year or two older than I was and we "hung out" because she would always drive out to our place in the county in a brand new convertible Z-28 her daddy had just bought her. I will never forget that it was an IROC Z-28 that had the hood scoop with active intakes that would open up when she would step on it (in neutral - just to show it off). It was a treat to go cruise and be with friends when Karen was running the show - it was my way to get around before I had my own wheels. She was a bench mark at that age for the kind of woman I wanted to marry. Vivacious, fun, clean - demanding that any young man she dated consider marriage at one point only if they were an RM. In other words - get in line for the MTC, or get out of the way. We never were romantically (kissing) involved - but she and I had a connection that I have always cherished. She was kind of like that big sis I always wanted - but did not have at that age (older brother above me in age).
So, we had this fun dance on the closing night of camp and then we were allowed to stay for Sacrament Meeting the next morning before leaving for home. It was a fast and testimony meeting on those half-split log benches under the firs. The weather was cool and breezy - perfect. I remember feeling that I needed to bear my testimony. I was getting one - had already had the baptism by fire experience and Seminary was bolstering what I knew. I had read the Book of Mormon - and knew. I did not have my intimate testimony of Joseph Smith at that point - I kind of knew, but was not logical enough at that point to make the connection of him as the translator of the Book of Mormon, therefore, if it were true - then he were a true Prophet of the Lord. That testimony came later as I read Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith several months before leaving on my mission. My soul and spirit are in lock-step with that man. And this is why I have taken SERIOUS offense to those who blaspheme his name - who should know better than to do so.
As I got through the first several testimonies, the urge to stand and bear witness, consumed me. Finally, I popped up and opened my mouth. The tears began to come uncontrollably. Here was this big, fun-loving 190 lb guy sobbing like a baby. It took what felt like hours to compose myself and finally finished my simple testimony. I cried as hard that day as I did the night I soaked my pillow. I do not recall much more detail than this, but I have to wonder if what I felt that night was brought back to me like a flood. No one of my peers had ever seen me do this - and I remember things being a little awkward around some of those girls and boys that I had been so freely dancing with the night before. At that point, I kind of realized that I had grown up spiritually - and did not care what others thought. I was expressing my heart. I have been this way since - I simply do not care what others think of me. I would make myself more openly known on the blog - but I do not because dealing with stalkers and mentally unstable people is no fun. Emotional vampires.....
So, here is this series of comments, I wanted to get out there. Commenter - thanks for sharing. Not sure if this is a personal experience - or transcribed from a book or journal:
AnonymousDecember 14, 2015 at 8:29 PM
I 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.”
He 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.
The 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.
My personal experience written from my journal - Year 2005.
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