Misinterpreting A Spiritual Confirmation

[Investigating]

...So post 39 is I think an example of how God guides us even if we miss the fact that we are being guided at the time, or (mis)understand his purposes...

I missed post 39.

 

Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[Investigating]

...I once got an impression that something would happen. But my mind was so focused on another problem in my life that I applied the prompting to the problem on my mind. It turns out it had nothing to do with the problem I had in my mind. It had everything to do with how I was going to handle it.

 

But wouldn't God have known how you would interpret that impression?

[mfbukowski]

I missed post 39.

 

Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Holy cow I messed up

 

I meant YOUR post 49 not 39.

 

Definitely past my bedtime!

[Investigating]

I can imagine the scenario in post 49 happening to any one of us

 

But is there any record of anything like it happening to an ancient or latter day saint?

 

[mfbukowski]

But is there any record of anything like it happening to an ancient or latter day saint?

DC 1: 25-28

[Ahab]

Have any of you had a spiritual experience, prompting, confirmation, whatever you want to call it, that has led you to believe something that you later came to believe was not true? This can occur for apostates with a testimony of the church, but I believe it happens regularly for most of us.

Have you had a prompting you would be called to a position at church that never came to pass? Have you ever given a blessing and made promises and felt spiritual confirmation of those promises, but which never came to fruition? Have you ever sought after something through prayer, begging and pleading with God, and received a spiritual witness that you would receive that gift or that what you were asking for would occur? Have you ever felt spiritually guided to do something or take a path which ended up not working out? Have you ever felt the Holy Ghost tell you that for sure something would happen that didn't?

I have. Several times.

The people close to me that I've talked this subject with have. My opinion is that these sorts of things happen regularly to spiritually minded human beings.

This is the way I make sense of it. That time I prayed and asked for a job and had an overwhelming spiritual experience that I interpreted as a promise that God would help me get that job, only I didn't get that job? Looking back at it, I recontextualized that spiritual experience with a different meaning. Maybe the message was "I love you, keep working hard, and I'll make sure everything works out for you in the end, even if you don't get that job." I don't deny the spiritual experience, but I do have to recontextualize. Because it's obvious my initial interpretation was false.

Likewise, it's easy for me to reinterpret a spiritual confirmation of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon or Joseph Smith. I don't call it confirmation bias. I don't deny that it ever happened. I don't think spiritual things are silly. But I do think maybe the real interpretation was more along the lines of "I love you, keep seeking me, I'm pleased with your spiritual journey."

It happens to everybody, whether or not everybody realizes it. The thing is that spiritual confirmations, or assurances, or promptings, or whatever else you want to call them come from all kinds of spirits, whether good or evil or right or wrong or whether they are from God, our Father, or Satan or any other spirit and the fact that we get them simply means there are other spirits that communicate with us, or our spirits.

So don't just go assuming that every spiritual communication you get is from God, our Father, because it could actually be coming from some other person.

[maudieb]

i had a sister in law who got cancer. She was one of the kindest gentlest persons i ever knew of, never heard her angry or mean. anyway she got a blessing saying she would see her grandchildren and bounce them on her knee. Well she fought her cancer tooth and nail til there wasnt even a skeleton left, she suffered beyond description and still held on. well finally a general authority was able to give her a blessing which clarified that she would see them in the spirit world and bounce them on her knee before sending them down. right after that she let go and passed away leaving small kids behind, really heart breaking. so i was a little ticked off at first but knowing God is perfect i came to see that even though it was not clear on the blessing it was all meant to be in that this was the path she had to go according to the wisdom and greatness of a loving Father. i tell you just when you think you have it all figured out BOOM! how do like that! well you gotta love the irony of life and its all the lessons. God will do the things best for you not what you think you you need and hang on itll be one heck of a ride. keep the faith.

 

 

[mfbukowski]

i had a sister in law who got cancer. She was one of the kindest gentlest persons i ever knew of, never heard her angry or mean. anyway she got a blessing saying she would see her grandchildren and bounce them on her knee. Well she fought her cancer tooth and nail til there wasnt even a skeleton left, she suffered beyond description and still held on. well finally a general authority was able to give her a blessing which clarified that she would see them in the spirit world and bounce them on her knee before sending them down. right after that she let go and passed away leaving small kids behind, really heart breaking. so i was a little ticked off at first but knowing God is perfect i came to see that even though it was not clear on the blessing it was all meant to be in that this was the path she had to go according to the wisdom and greatness of a loving Father. i tell you just when you think you have it all figured out BOOM! how do like that! well you gotta love the irony of life and its all the lessons. God will do the things best for you not what you think you you need and hang on itll be one heck of a ride. keep the faith.

Thanks for that touching post!

[Jeanne]

I got married and divorced and I don't know what to make of it all, if I was supposed to get married or if I was supposed to get divorced. It is amazing how other people make decisions that affect you life so I don't know what to make of other promises and blessings having gone through a divorce.

Duncan, my situation is slightly different but somehow seems to pose the same question.  My patriarchal blessing said that I would know the man that I would marry the instant that I saw him.  Though he had been married and divorced, I felt that it was he the moment I saw him and his little boy..2 weeks short of our 20th anniversary he dies.  I felt kind of like I got have a promise and couldn't understand why I could KNOW him and lose him just as our lives were coming together.  I felt my confrimation true and yet wonder sometimes if I had been more righteous or in tune if that was someone else..but gosh!  I loved him with all my heart and would not change my time with him for any moment of forever with someone else.  Hugs, Jeanne

[Brian 2.0]

This caught my attention.

Verily, I say unto you: A commandment I give unto mine handmaid, Emma Smith, your wife, whom I have given unto you, that she stay herself and partake not of that which I commanded you to offer unto her; for I did it, saith the Lord, to prove you all, as I did Abraham, and that I might require an offering at your hand, by covenant and sacrifice.

D&C 132:51

It sounds like God is here saying that he commanded Joseph to offer Emma something that He never really intended to allow her (or am I misreading this?)

Does any body know what is being spoken of here?

The only references I have found is a claim that it is referencing Joseph offering Emma another husband (seeing this is all about polygamy), with the main focus being that it involved William and Jane Law. There is evidence for and against it. You can be the judge as to how to weigh them.

Don't link to sites with temple content

(see point II)

http://en.fairmormon.org/Joseph_Smith/Polygamy/Emma_Smith/Wife_swap_with_William_Law

Edited August 16, 2014 by Nemesis
Links to sites with temple content