Special Witnesses Of Christ

[Buzzard]

Had a "special" Stake Conference today. By that, I mean it was not in the regular six month rotation, but we received an announcement about three weeks ago that we would be having it, and that a General Authority would be presiding.

The General Authority(s) turned out to be two. Our AA Seventy and Elder Scott of the 12. It's becoming rarer and rarer to be in a local church building with an apostle, so the Stake Center was packed.

Elder Scott gave a wonderful talk on how to enhance your temple attendance, by that I mean making it more meaningful, not just going more often. He addressed a few other topics, then said as a Christmas present, he was going to let us go home early, but first wanted to bear his testimony.

To paraphrase his words, he said: "As a member of the the Quorum of the 12, I am called to be a special witness of Jesus Christ. As part of that witness, each of us has received a certain spiritual experience that allows us to bear this witness with absolute certainty. I would like to share with you that I know, without a shadow of a doubt that Christ lives, that he is our Redeemer, and that this church is his kingdom on earth."

Even the kids stopping crying (for the most part). I was an absolutely electric feeling to hear those words, delivered in a very soft spoken tone, but leaving no doubt in any of our minds and bodies exactly what he was talking about.

I don't mean that I know if he saw Christ, heard his voice, or just felt his spirit so powerfully that he could never deny it, but he made it clear that something extraordinary had happened to him and every other apostle.

On two other occasions, I have heard apostles make reference to a special experience reserved for those called to the apostleship. Once, Elder Haight at a BYU devotional I attended talked about it, and said "maybe sometime if I am not constrained by the spirit, I may feel free to tell you more." And none of us who were watching in 1985 will ever forget Bruce R. McKonkie's final testimony delivered in General Conference.

There almost certainly have been others, but I'm obviously too obtuse and have too bad of a memory to recall them.

Have any of the board members been present at a meeting, stake, regional, or otherwise, where an apostle has made direct reference to this kind of an event in his life?

[The Nehor]

Had a "special" Stake Conference today. By that, I mean it was not in the regular six month rotation, but we received an announcement about three weeks ago that we would be having it, and that a General Authority would be presiding.

The General Authority(s) turned out to be two. Our AA Seventy and Elder Scott of the 12. It's becoming rarer and rarer to be in a local church building with an apostle, so the Stake Center was packed.

Elder Scott gave a wonderful talk on how to enhance your temple attendance, by that I mean making it more meaningful, not just going more often. He addressed a few other topics, then said as a Christmas present, he was going to let us go home early, but first wanted to bear his testimony.

To paraphrase his words, he said: "As a member of the the Quorum of the 12, I am called to be a special witness of Jesus Christ. As part of that witness, each of us has received a certain spiritual experience that allows us to bear this witness with absolute certainty. I would like to share with you that I know, without a shadow of a doubt that Christ lives, that he is our Redeemer, and that this church is his kingdom on earth."

Even the kids stopping crying (for the most part). I was an absolutely electric feeling to hear those words, delivered in a very soft spoken tone, but leaving no doubt in any of our minds and bodies exactly what he was talking about.

I don't mean that I know if he saw Christ, heard his voice, or just felt his spirit so powerfully that he could never deny it, but he made it clear that something extraordinary had happened to him and every other apostle.

On two other occasions, I have heard apostles make reference to a special experience reserved for those called to the apostleship. Once, Elder Haight at a BYU devotional I attended talked about it, and said "maybe sometime if I am not constrained by the spirit, I may feel free to tell you more." And none of us who were watching in 1985 will ever forget Bruce R. McKonkie's final testimony delivered in General Conference.

There almost certainly have been others, but I'm obviously too obtuse and have too bad of a memory to recall them.

Have any of the board members been present at a meeting, stake, regional, or otherwise, where an apostle has made direct reference to this kind of an event in his life?

Yes. One where Elder Scott gave a talk on how to eventually merit the same experience (mission conference) and another with Elder Hales.

[Duncan]

only saw three Apostles in the whole of me life. Elder Wirthlin in 1990 at stake conference, don't recall anything he said, mind you he mentioned his visit here a few years later in General Conference. Elder Perry at the MTC, don't remember anything but how I felt and then Elder Eyring in 2004 at stake conference but as near I can recall he didn't say anything about seeing the Saviour

[theplains]

On two other occasions, I have heard apostles make reference to a special experience reserved for those called to the apostleship.

Would you be able to provide some scriptural support for this? ... (what I would term 'spiritual elitism').

Thanks,

Jim

[The Nehor]

Would you be able to provide some scriptural support for this? ... (what I would term 'spiritual elitism').

Thanks,

Jim

It is not elitism. The apostles have to have that experience. Many others also do.

[Tacenda]

From an EV site I visited, they said one who calls themselves an Apostle of Christ, must have actually seen Him in person. Like they did in the bible. If true this must be a tough act to follow for our current Apostles. Therefore in the LDS faith, probably not a stipulation to being called an Apostle of the Lord.

[volgadon]

From an EV site I visited, they said one who calls themselves an Apostle of Christ, must have actually seen Him in person. Like they did in the bible. If true this must be a tough act to follow for our current Apostles. Therefore in the LDS faith, probably not a stipulation to being called an Apostle of the Lord.

Like Paul did?

[The Nehor]

From an EV site I visited, they said one who calls themselves an Apostle of Christ, must have actually seen Him in person. Like they did in the bible. If true this must be a tough act to follow for our current Apostles. Therefore in the LDS faith, probably not a stipulation to being called an Apostle of the Lord.

I think it probably is.

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

And none of us who were watching in 1985 will ever forget Bruce R. McKonkie's final testimony delivered in General Conference.

There almost certainly have been others, but I'm obviously too obtuse and have too bad of a memory to recall them.

Have any of the board members been present at a meeting, stake, regional, or otherwise, where an apostle has made direct reference to this kind of an event in his life?

Elder McConkie's talk was so powerful that I committed his closing remarks to memory...hope I get this right:

"I am one of his witnesses, and in the coming days I will wet his feet with my tears. But I will not know better then than I know now that he is God almighty Son and that salvation comes in and through his atoning sacrifice and in no other way. God grant that we make walk in the light as he is in the light".

[rongo]

I think it probably is.

I don't. Some apostles have specifically said that they have not seen the Savior. The others never specifically say that they have, and some hint obliquely about something along these lines.

I don't think it's a necessary requirement. Being a "special witness" consists, in my view, of a special endowment of the Spirit in connection with their keys and calling. Remember Nephi's explanation that "angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost" ---- seeing the Savior would not have the power and impact of the communication of the Holy Ghost , and to the extent that some have seen the Savior, it is this witness from the Holy Ghost that is important, not the "seeing."

I personally believe that some of our modern apostles have seen the Savior, and some have not, but that they are equally effective as "special witnesses" because of their keys and calling ---- ultimately through the instrumentation of the Holy Ghost as a special endowment through them. Regardless of whether they individually have seen Him or not.

[telnetd]

I have heard apostles make reference to a special experience reserved for those called to the apostleship

What types of experiences are not for those who are not called to be apostles?

Gail