Feelings:A Simple Answer?

[inquiringmind]

On another thread I asked whether a good, peaceful feeling is always from God.

It became a very long thread, and was finally locked, but why didn't anyone tell me this?

Sometimes what we think is a revelation may be a projection of our own desires. And sometimes false revelations may come from Satan.

LDS.org

If it's true that "Sometimes what we think is a revelation may be a projection of our own desires," the answer to my question is clearly "no."

This is from LDS.org, it seems like a very simple answer to my question, it could easily explain why someone might have a good feeling when contemplating suicide, and it appears to be what the Church teaches.

Didn't anybody know this?

Why didn't anyone tell me?

Edited February 5, 2012 by inquiringmind

[TAO]

Inquiringmind, that is correct. It is possible to get deceived. How do you know that you are not? You don't usually - you have to figure it out for yourself.

In my experience, when Satan tries to tempt me, he has a different 'flavor' than the spirit of the Lord... (carnal, trying to get me to not think versus clean and pure). So that's how I tell.

Edited February 5, 2012 by TAO

[why me]

On another thread I asked whether a good, peaceful feeling is always from God.

It became a very long thread, and was finally locked, but why didn't anyone tell me this?

LDS.org

If it's true that "Sometimes what we think is a revelation may be a projection of our own desires," the answer to my question is clearly "no."

This is from LDS.org, it seems like a very simple answer to my question, it could easily explain why someone might have a good feeling when contemplating suicide, and it appears to be what the Church teaches.

Didn't anybody know this?

Why didn't anyone tell me?

Your thread was locked because you mentioned suicide and now of course this thread may be locked because you mentioned it again. If so, start a similiar thread but leave out the word suicide.

The witnesses to the book of mormon experienced something stronger than feelings. They had a very strong emotional, spiritual experience with seeing the plates and for 8 of them, actually touching them and turning the leaves over. The lds church would not have survived on feelings. Rather it survives from the strong spiritual experiences of its members and the testimony that comes from the holy ghost that it is true. Feelings can be forgotten quickly but emotional expeiences when one prays about the truth claims of the book of mormon can last a lifetime regardless if one left the church or is still in it.

[inquiringmind]

Inquiringmind, that is correct. It is possible to get deceived. How do you know that you are not? You don't usually - you have to figure it out for yourself.

In my experience, when Satan tries to tempt me, he has a different 'flavor' than the spirit of the Lord... (carnal, trying to get me to not think versus clean and pure). So that's how I tell.

Thank you, but the original question wasn't how to tell when a thought or feeling was from Satan.

The question was whether a good feeling is always from God.

The Student Manuel (from LDS.org) says "sometimes what we think is a revelation may be a projection of our own desires."

I don't think our own desires are always carnal, do you?

And if the student manual is right here, feelings don't always have to come from God or Satan.

They can sometimes come from us.

From our own desires, and (I would expect, sometimes) from our own fears.

The witnesses to the book of mormon experienced something stronger than feelings.

But the question in the OP had to do with feelings, not the witnesses to the Book of Mormon.

The only question I had (here, or on the other thread) was whether every good feeling is always some message from God.

If the witnesses to the BOM were mentioned anywhere in the closed thread, it wasn't by me (and I don't think I ever mentioned Satan either.)

If you don't believe me, please go back over every post I made in that thread, and CF any reference I made to the BOM, the Witnesses, or Satan.

You'll find none, because I made none.

Your thread was locked because you mentioned suicide

Perhaps I felt I had to mention something more personal than I wanted to, because no one seemed to understand the question in the OP.

Maybe everyone was thinking of the witnesses to the BOM, when I was asking something else.

I just know that it would have been more helpful to me (and anyone else who might have had the same question in mind) if someone had pointed to this student manual.

Thank you.

Edited February 5, 2012 by inquiringmind

[altersteve]

While feelings can, and often do, accompany a revelation, they are not the same. There is a difference between a "revelation" and just a "nice feeling." I think that was the point why me was trying to make. Nevertheless, a good feeling can indeed simply be in your own mind. For example, when you listen to an uplifting song, you feel empowered, but that doesn't mean God is speaking to you through the music. It's most likely just be your brain's natural response to powerful music.

This was the point I tried to make in the other thread.

[inquiringmind]

While feelings can, and often do, accompany a revelation, they are not the same. There is a difference between a "revelation" and just a "nice feeling." I think that was the point why me was trying to make. Nevertheless, a good feeling can indeed simply be in your own mind. For example, when you listen to an uplifting song, you feel empowered, but that doesn't mean God is speaking to you through the music. It's most likely just be your brain's natural response to powerful music.

This was the point I tried to make in the other thread.

Thank you.

I think I remember that post, and it was one of very few that made some sense to me then (but I don't think you made it as clearly, and I don't think I was able to follow all that you went on to say.)

Edited February 5, 2012 by inquiringmind

[why me]

While feelings can, and often do, accompany a revelation, they are not the same. There is a difference between a "revelation" and just a "nice feeling." I think that was the point why me was trying to make. Nevertheless, a good feeling can indeed simply be in your own mind. For example, when you listen to an uplifting song, you feel empowered, but that doesn't mean God is speaking to you through the music. It's most likely just be your brain's natural response to powerful music.

This was the point I tried to make in the other thread.

My point was that members of the church don't exist on feelings. But on emotional experiences from the holy ghost. Feelings can come and go with many situations and good feelings are to be had in various situations because the mind is relating this feeling. But the stong emotional experiences that members receive are more than feelings. For example, the women who prayed about polygamy with Joseph Smith had strong emotional, spiritual experiences when praying about the principle. Likewise for the witnesses to the book of mormon. It wasn't good feelings that convinced them but the emotional, spiritual experiences.

[Tarski]

On another thread I asked whether a good, peaceful feeling is always from God.

It became a very long thread, and was finally locked, but why didn't anyone tell me this?

LDS.org

If it's true that "Sometimes what we think is a revelation may be a projection of our own desires," the answer to my question is clearly "no."

This is from LDS.org, it seems like a very simple answer to my question, it could easily explain why someone might have a good feeling when contemplating suicide, and it appears to be what the Church teaches.

Didn't anybody know this?

Why didn't anyone tell me?

Maybe because they were embarrassed to endorse a simple minded answer that contains the seeds of its own destruction.

If what we think is a revelation could be a projection of our own desires, then what kind of sense does it make to turn to the same faulty method --whether employed by ourselves or by an authority--to determine which ones are authentic?

It seems to me that the method of asking God has a poor track record especially if one expects the answer to come in the form of a content bearing and sacred feeling laden private experience that is supposed to somehow serve as its own epistemic warrant.

No one seems to be able to explain how this is supposed to work. And, as I say, a quick glance around at the conflicting results removes any motivation for even looking further for a way it could work--since apparently it doesn't.

[inquiringmind]

My point was that members of the church don't exist on feelings. But on emotional experiences from the holy ghost. Feelings can come and go with many situations and good feelings are to be had in various situations because the mind is relating this feeling. But the stong emotional experiences that members receive are more than feelings. For example, the women who prayed about polygamy with Joseph Smith had strong emotional, spiritual experiences when praying about the principle. Likewise for the witnesses to the book of mormon. It wasn't good feelings that convinced them but the emotional, spiritual experiences.

I think I understand your point, but it would be clearer (at least to me) if you left out the word "emotional."

It's just confusing when you say something like "not a feeling, but an emotion."

I think you meant something else, and I think you'll find the word "spiritual" (which you also used) more helpful than "emotional."

[The Nehor]

No one seems to be able to explain how this is supposed to work.

Experience.

You'll notice the scripture never takes the reality of God and his revelations as something that needs to be proved. Instead it is about personal experimentation, study, growth, and learning. I trust the Holy Ghost because what it has told me has proved to be trustable. When I first started out I trusted less because I wasn't sure which was which.

There is no ready-made patent test that will work regardless of the motives, state, and mind of the person involved. If there was there'd be no impetus for spiritual growth on an individual level.

[Ares]

Inquiringmind - this may not be your intent but we've had too many people come here to deal with serious issues better handled in real life. Suicide is not a topic we allow because of this.