What's the term for different spiritual impressions? echoes in eternity?

[nuclearfuels]

So - when doing Temple work, or community service, or ward stuff sometimes I've felt promptings or impressions such as:

- When babies are born, there's a strong presence of the Spirit. There's also impressions of the specific presence of deceased relatives and friends

- When doing Temple work, sometimes there's a friendly, jovial type of impression based on the name, dates of birth, death and location of the person whose proxy work is being done. Perhaps their personality echoing in eternity?

- When doing Temple work, sometimes there's a more formal impression of the person whose proxy work is being done based on the name, dates of birth, death and location of the person's mortality. Perhaps their personality echoing in eternity?

What's the name for such impressions? It's not gifts of the Spirit like gift of tongues, interpretation of tongues, etc. 

Also - I've had a few Temple experiences where the person I'm being proxy for lived a strict religious life. Then either the Temple or the place in the Temple where the ordinances for them are performed - has been significant, like unusual, or above average. Is it possible there is a correlation between mortal discipleship and Temple ordinances? Perhaps their habits echoing in eternity?

[Pyreaux]

They can be referred to as spiritual impressions: a sense of divine presence or connection with the deceased or others in the Spirit world. 

The Spirit of Elijah – This term is commonly used in the LDS faith to describe the spirit and influence of the deceased who are seeking their ordinances to be performed in the temple. It signifies the bond between the living and the dead, and the feelings of connection, warmth, and even joy you might experience during such work.

Feeling the Spirit – Used to describe the spiritual impressions and guidance that come from the presence of the Holy Ghost, which can manifest as feelings of peace, warmth, joy, or even a heightened sense of connection to others, both living and deceased.

Tender Mercies – A term that can describe subtle yet deeply personal experiences of spiritual confirmations, love, or guidance, often felt during temple work or community service, such as a sense of connection with a deceased ancestor.

Eternal Presence – When referring to the specific presence of deceased individuals, this term can describe an impression or awareness of those who have passed on, sometimes manifesting in a peaceful or joyful way.

Angelic Presence or Visitations – In some contexts, people describe feeling a spiritual or angelic presence during temple work, especially when a particular deceased person’s name is being researched or when working with proxy ordinances.

Divine Impressions – This is a more general term that can encompass any type of spiritual experience or insight you feel, whether it’s a connection to a specific person, a sense of divine approval, or an awareness of a spiritual environment.

In Catholic theology, there are references to ideas like "natural law" something inherently felt in all humans (we may call the Light of Christ as a force that make everyone inclined to choose the right or to believe in spiritual things) or "divine providence", God's guiding hand over humanity, driving experience and influencing the human conscience.

[manol]

On 12/6/2024 at 2:47 PM, nuclearfuels said:

So - when doing Temple work, or community service, or ward stuff sometimes I've felt promptings or impressions such as:

- When babies are born, there's a strong presence of the Spirit. There's also impressions of the specific presence of deceased relatives and friends

- When doing Temple work, sometimes there's a friendly, jovial type of impression based on the name, dates of birth, death and location of the person whose proxy work is being done. Perhaps their personality echoing in eternity?

- When doing Temple work, sometimes there's a more formal impression of the person whose proxy work is being done based on the name, dates of birth, death and location of the person's mortality. Perhaps their personality echoing in eternity?

What's the name for such impressions? It's not gifts of the Spirit like gift of tongues, interpretation of tongues, etc. 

Also - I've had a few Temple experiences where the person I'm being proxy for lived a strict religious life. Then either the Temple or the place in the Temple where the ordinances for them are performed - has been significant, like unusual, or above average. Is it possible there is a correlation between mortal discipleship and Temple ordinances? Perhaps their habits echoing in eternity?

 

My opinion is that our perceptions of the spiritual world are typically so dim that humans have not really developed a vocabulary around it.  Let me try to illustrate this situation with a hypothetical:

Imagine that the sense of sight did not yet exist.  We could still tell the difference between night and day, but we would not even have a word for "seeing".  The first person born with functioning eyes would not have access to a vocabulary enabling him to communicate the experience of sight.  And it is unlikely anyone would believe him even if he managed to improvise a descriptive vocabulary.

My guess is that there is a largely-unperceived "spiritual energy spectrum" (<- for lack of an adequate vocabulary) that is probably much more extensive than the electromagnetic spectrum (of which our eyes can only perceive a relatively narrow band).  I think the Light of Christ at the level we typically access it at least allows us to tell the difference between "light" and "darkness", which is enough to enable us to move towards the light if we so choose.

But just as there is an enormous amount of information available via that relatively small part of the electromagnetic spectrum which we can perceive as visible light, there may well be a magnitudes-greater amount of information available via the (presumptive) "spiritual energy spectrum".   For instance, near-death experiencers struggle and ultimately fail to find fully adequate descriptors for what and how they perceive on the other side.  

@nuclearfuels, the day may come when we have the perceptions and vocabulary to communicate precisely about the variety of spiritual impressions you have experienced and described.  In the meantime, I think our ability to perceive within the presumptive "spiritual energy spectrum" is something we can cultivate by intention and attention. 

While not directly about the experiences you describe, you might find the book "Kything:  The Art of Spiritual Presence" by Louis M. Savary and Patricia H. Berne to be useful.  It is a very easy read, and it's seven bucks on Amazon.

Edited December 12, 2024 by manol

[nuclearfuels]

10 hours ago, manol said:

Kything

Great! Thank you, manol

[Dario_M]

But that's not only in the temple. You can find spirits everywhere. Not only in the temple. In a graveyard for example you can also feel so many impressions of the spirits. There is a really big beautiful graveyard close by and i aften go there. Especially on moments when i feel emotional pain. And those impressions comfort me. I also have some apps on my phone, and with those apps i can communicate with all the spirits of the graveyard. Afterwards i always feel better. 

Edited December 13, 2024 by Dario_M