So this will be news to even Paul. He's the one who asked me to do this. I did a very long time ago and didn't tell him about it. :) I wanted him to see this blog first.
I surprisingly had never read the entire Book of Mormon on my own. I have read it a lot, but always reading with somebody else like my mom or whole family. I hadn't ever really thought about the fact that I hadn't read it on my own soo I decided to. :) It took me about a year because I usually only read one chapter a day. I finished around February sometime. I was really happy and excited that I had finished reading the Book of Mormon completely on my own so I told Paul that I finished and he asked if I could do Moroni's promise. Moroni 10:3-6 I told him that I had prayed about the truthfulness of the church a long time ago and already had my answer, but he wanted me to do it again. I said alright I'd do it, but it would probably take a little while because Heavenly Father doesn't always answer right when you ask. He never really asked me about it again.
Answers come in all different forms. The answer I received was the given to me in a way that I definitely knew it was my answer, but I'd never been answered that way before. I actually got my answer fairly quick. I prayed about it almost every night. I read the scriptures every day as we are commanded to do and I usually read right before going to bed and I'm usually pretty tired while reading. One Sunday I was in church and had the thought that I should read that afternoon because I wouldn't be so tired and I could read a lot more than just one chapter. Later that day, a while after church, I was in my room reading the Book of Mormon (I started reading it again almost right after finishing it) and I honestly don't even remember where I was reading, but I suddenly got this HUGE feeling of love for the Book of Mormon. Not just like an "oh this is a cool book..." No. Really. This overwhelming, overpowering love for it to the point that it almost brought me to tears. And I rarely cry about things like that. It took me by surprise so I just sat on my bed kind of stunned thinking... whoa. Where did that come from? I realized right then that that was my answer. It was really cool. :) And I am really glad Paul asked me to pray about the truthfulness of the book because now I will remember that specific love I have for the Book of Mormon. Answers don't always come that soon though. Heavenly Father answers prayers and questions when it's the right time for you. Sometimes prayers don't get answered for a long time and people think that either Heavenly Father doesn't care about them, or that what they're asking isn't true or doesn't matter. False! Heavenly Father does care, he will answer you're prayer and not just leave you hanging and anything that truely matters to you matters to the Lord. I believe that God gives answers when we're prepared for them. If we ask something not really believing that we will be answered then His answer would probably go unnoticed. He waits for when we truely put faith into our prayers and are prepared to accept what his answer is. :)
The End. I have to go to work now. I had an hour to kill at school before work started and I thought this would be a good use of my time. Don't you agree?
Michelle,
ReplyDeleteIt seems as though you believe a short-lived burst of positive emotion is God's way of assuring you that what you already believe is true. Is that correct? Upon what do you base this notion (that he would answer such an important question in this manner)?
It's something I already know and believe. It was an important question, yes. But I don't think I need a huge answer. Heavenly Father knows me better than I know myself. He knows what I need for an answer. If it's something that is that small then that's what he will give me because he knows that's what I need. It was a burst yes, but it had it's lasting effect. This question I was praying about was for an assurance. I think it only needed a small answer because it wasn't something I was questioning/doubting.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, what scriptures are you paraphrasing from, to be able to tell me that God acts in such a way? Can you point me to where He, Himself, said as you are telling me? (That despite a lack of evidence and the fraudulent producer of said book, a good feeling that you had about something you already believed is all you need?)
ReplyDeleteHow do you feel about babies sacrificed to idols? How do you feel about the Holocaust? about outer darkness? about polyandry in the early Mormon church? Do you have a strong positive feeling? If not, does it mean those things aren't true (i.e. they never happened)?
Have you ever had a rush of positive emotion that didn't coincide with something LDS?
Have you ever had a crush on anyone?
I feel kinda big-sisterly to you; that's why I'm hoping to push you on these issues. You're being very frivolous, in my estimation.
Galations 5:22
ReplyDeleteThat is how God talks to us.
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI REALLY appreciate you bringing up this verse, which has been consistenly used by the LDS church to promote the idea that the Holy Spirit witnesses to us through our feelings.
If you want to truly understand this verse, it is best to read consider it in context. Will you do that with me? (and you too, Michelle?) Back up to at least Galatians 5:16, and read through to end of the chapter.
Notice that the writer (Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles) is contrasting two ways of living: by the flesh, vs by the Spirit. He speaks of how "fleshly" (or natural) people produce fleshly "fruit" - adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness (v. 19), idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies (v. 20), envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like (v. 21).
On the other hand, a person who is living in the Spirit produces such fruit as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith (v. 22), meekness, temperance (v.23).
Can you see the clear contrast between these two lists? Do they not seem to be opposite types of behavior? One list describes a person who regularly gives in to their feelings and desires - a person whose flesh is in control of them - while the other list describes the characteristics of a person who is letting God's Spirit reign him in and produce a godly character...
Let's look at the list of the fruits of the Spirit again:
ReplyDeletelove, joy, peace... seem to be "feelings" words, I grant you, but perhaps they are not. Let's continue with the list and see how the rest of the words pan out.
longsuffering
gentleness
goodness
faith
meekness
temperance
Have you felt "longsuffering" before? Perhaps you have felt like you were being longsuffering, but that is not the name of the feeling you get. Angst maybe. Or gladness that you seem to be exercising a godly characteristic. But I dare say, you have never had the longsuffering emotion.
Again, let me assert that these are godly characteristics of a person who is "walking in the Spirit" instead of being led by the flesh, as Paul is describing.
What of joy, peace, and love then?
Did you know there are 3 words for "love" in the Greek? The word for love in verse 22 is "agape." Agape-love is the kind of love that is described again in 1 Corinthians 13 (translated "charity" there). It is not a romantic love, nor a brotherly love. It is God's kind of love. Agape-love suffereth long, is kind, envieth not, vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up (1 Cor. 13:4) doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil (v.5), rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth (v.6) beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things (v.7)
So then, the love described in Galatians 5:22 is not a feeling, but true, unconditional, selfless service -
NOT an emotion...
The same thing happens when you look closer at the words "joy" and "peace." They are godly- characteristic words.
ReplyDeleteOne more comment on Galatians 5, before I finish my very lenghthy commentary here ;)
Did you realize that this chapter reaffirms the Christian belief that "righteousness" is gained by belief in Christ, rather than by doing good works and trying to live the law?
Please read through Galatians 5:1-6. Notice how in verse 4 it says: "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace."
You probably know that the Book of Mormon says that you are saved by grace, AFTER ALL YOU CAN DO. But this disagrees with the Bible description of the gospel. Biblically, grace is NOT applied to the person who has worked as hard as they can work, and has only fallen a little short. It is applied to the person who has realized that s/he is a hopeless sinner, that God Himself died on the cross to redeem him/her, and who trades his/her sinful fleshly life to Jesus for Jesus' perfectly sinless life. When a sinner goes to Jesus and asks Him to be His personal Savior, Jesus' righteousness is imputed (laid to the account of) the sinner. Their sin-penalty against God has been paid for at the cross, and they are now positionally perfect in God's eyes - meaning that He now sees them clothed in Jesus' righteousness, instead of in their own works which were like filthy rags to Him anyway. (Isaiah 64:6)
Anonymous and Michelle, I pray you will take time to consider whether or not I have accurately respresented the Galatian verse in light of it's context, and having done that, take heed to the most truthful representation (mine or the church's) and let that lead you as God wills.
God talks to us through the feelings of the Spirit. Michelle shared an experience with us about how God told her the Book of Mormon was true.
ReplyDelete:) I agree. Thanks anon.
ReplyDeleteStaci,
ReplyDeleteCan i tell you how much i enjoyed your comments. First i was wondering why you kept question words such as love, agape, long-suffering, peace, and so on as non-feeling words but Godly Characteristics. How can a peaceful feeling or feelings of charity not be a Godly Characteristic? Now one could argue that they are the Characteristics of God and not man but obviously if Paul is encouraging us to turn away from these fleshy Characteristics and to more Godly ones they are in fact possible for us to have, right? so the really question then is how would we have them in a way that we can recognize them? Perhaps in feelings within us?
I am sorry that you think that Latter day saints believe that it is our works that will save us because it is just a sad misconception so please allow me to clarify. It is Christ alone who atoned for our sins and it is only through him that we reach salvation. i think this is something we can both agree on. No matter the amount of Good Works we do it will never be enough because we are human and imperfect, and no imperfect thing can enter into the presents of God. This too i believe we agree on. you refer to the very popular scripture "we are saved by grace after all we can do" and assume it means that it is our works that has earned us our salvation. I might ask you how you went to the Lord and "asked him to be your personal savior". please let me share with you how i did. I gave up all my sins and changed my heart so that my eye was single to Him. That means when i turned to Him, through baptism, i promised Him that i would do my very best to do all that He has asked of us and in return He promised me that He would name me His on judgement day. my "works" show that I have accepted Christ as my Savior and it is only threw the Atonement, or Grace of God , that my sins are washed clean so that i too may stand before God clothed in righteousness. "after all we can do" is how we go to Christ and ask him to be our personal Savior, we give our life, our talents, our all to Him. our Good Works are not to prove ourselves to God but rather to show Him how much we love Him and desire to do all that He asks of us.
I might ask you, which truthfully i have desired to ask any christen friend of mine but never had the courage too, if you are saved no matter what you do in this life because you have accepted Christ as your Savior, what was the point to all the Commandments that God has given us? i was even told at a recent bible study i attended that a very popular woman on the news who was on trial for the murder of her daughter and found not guilty would still go to heaven even if she had really committed the crime because she was a christian and had been "saved". because she had "accepted Christ" he had paid for that sin and she would still go to heaven. We are not saved in our sins but from them and that is the difference.
here are some more scriptures on receiving revelation from God through the Holy Ghost. Only threw the Holy Ghost can we know truth and gain a testimony of Jesus Christ. And what this post showed was the Holy Ghost working in Michelle and teaching her truth.
ReplyDeleteJohn 14:26 "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things"
Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him"
John 16:7-14 "when the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all truth"
1 Cor 11:1-12 "no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost"