I don’t know if I need this board any more or not

[Anonymous]

I don’t know if this should go on the spiritual forum or if it is fine on this part.

I’ve been New Order, semi-apostate for a few years, just going through the motions of being active and to keep peace with my wife. In this situation, I still have a temple recommend and will go about once a year with her. I still pray and believe in Jesus, as far as faith goes, but with the Church, bleh.

So we drive up to the temple to do some names that my MIL had turned in. My wife and I are doing the sealing for her great Grandma whom she knew as a child and her husband.

There was the sealer, the 2 witnesses, my wife and I in the room…but I swear as God is my witness I FELT 2 people standing behind me while the sealing was taking place observing. I kind of surprised my wife because I was looking in the mirrors to see if someone was behind me.

I don’t know if I have felt the spirit that strong either in YEARS.

It get’s weirder.

I have the image of 2 people in my head (ie. the couple we were sealing) I have never met these people mind you. My wife knew them before they died, but has never described them to me.

So I ask…”what did so and so look like?” my wife gives a description of both of these people whom I’ve never met that matches exactly the image of them I had in my head. I start asking her if they were into such and such…yes. Did they like wearing this item…yes. WHOAH.

If I met these 2 people in this physical plane, I would know them.

I was also after this sitting in the Celestial Room with my Wife contemplating a life problem I am having and had the urge to pick up a bible and turn to a certain verse. I am not a Scriptorian, but it fit exactly the situation I am dealing with.

Yes, I know all the issues and problems of the Church, and yet…despite all of that. So I will probably need to stop frequenting RFM and NOM, and maybe this board, because ‘no man can serve two masters’ though this board is milder in tone of course compared to RFM.

Like Joseph Smith said…I can’t deny it. I know what happened.

[Anonymous]

I think just about any of us are sad to lose the association of others on this board. AT the same time, I think it’s a good sign when people feel they no longer need support due to experiences like the one you had, to rekindle their faith.

I envy you. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Interesting experience. Well, I’m glad that the Mormon faith is working for you and that you feel so strongly about it. The best of luck as you continue your journey.

[Anonymous]

As I read the title of this thread, I was expecting to hear that you had been at this for so long that it just became more practiced (to live mormonism on your terms) or maybe that your imeadiate support structure (as opposed to virtual) is fulfilling your needs.

We are all travelers on a journey. Our sojourn together may be long or short. When the time for parting comes, I hope that we have been able to help each other and that the rest of your travels bring you contentment. I think we are all cheering for your success (whatever that means to you). Good Luck! :thumbup:

[Anonymous]

Wow, that is really cool. Thanks for sharing! :clap:

There was a time when I would have felt a need to explain away such an experience in some way, but today I see any such attempt as inappropriate. What you have described is an incredible personal experience to which there cannot be any satisfying concrete interpretation. Sure there may be attempts, but some things just cannot be known for sure [meaning known to science in its present state].

I think in our modern age some of us have lost the ability to simply wonder and marvel about some things.

Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

What’s RFM? I am happy for you. I think it is great to have experiences that make you feel more secure about something. Best of wishes to you and would love to hear how it comes from on from time to time.

[Anonymous]

Amazing story. Thanks for sharing that.

[Anonymous]

Wow … very cool experience. I like Orsons view — just let things of wonder and mystery happen. It adds flavor back to life. The meaning? That is all yours Lizarian. It is perfectly acceptable and respectable to make the meaning.

Glad to have you here. Even more glad if you leave because you are happy and don’t need to be here. And feel free to come back to share with others if you feel so prompted.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for sharing that experience with us.

I have no idea why some have that type of experience and others don’t, but I’m grateful to hear about the experiences of those who do.

No matter what you decide about your involvement here, I hope sincerely that you grow into a more full and rich happiness and contentment and enlightenmnet whatever you decide to do.

[Anonymous]

Lizarian wrote:

…but I swear as God is my witness I FELT 2 people standing behind me while the sealing was taking place observing. I kind of surprised my wife because I was looking in the mirrors to see if someone was behind me…I don’t know if I have felt the spirit that strong either in YEARS…It get’s weirder…I have the image of 2 people in my head (ie. the couple we were sealing) I have never met these people mind you. My wife knew them before they died, but has never described them to me…If I met these 2 people in this physical plane, I would know them.

Yes, I know all the issues and problems of the Church, and yet…despite all of that. So I will probably need to stop frequenting RFM and NOM, and maybe this board, because ‘no man can serve two masters’ though this board is milder in tone of course compared to RFM…Like Joseph Smith said…I can’t deny it. I know what happened.

I’m sure you probably don’t need this board anymore but maybe the board could really use some more people like you to try to keep us from getting too negative like NOM, FLAK, RFM, etc. However, I completely understand if you want to move on. Your experience was really interesting to me because I definitely believe in spirits (good and bad) and that people will generally not be any worse off on the other side for having been Mormon based on a few experiences like this I have heard.

For a long time I interpreted these experiences as positive confirmation that the Church was 100% true and this allowed me to put many unanswered questions and doubts on the shelf and not worry about them a lot longer than I could have done otherwise. Obviously that didn’t last forever in my case and now I interpret these experiences based on more of a universalist view that there is a lot of good in the Church in spite of its warts but that the same could be said about many other religious sects as well. I don’t know what to think about the temple work based on your experience, it almost makes me want to go back some day.

[Anonymous]

DevilsAdvocate wrote:

I’m sure you probably don’t need this board anymore but maybe the board could really use some more people like you to try to keep us from getting too negative like NOM, FLAK, RFM, etc. However, I completely understand if you want to move on. Your experience was really interesting to me because I definitely believe in spirits (good and bad) and that people will generally not be any worse off on the other side for having been Mormon based on a few experiences like this I have heard.

For a long time I interpreted these experiences as positive confirmation that the Church was 100% true and this allowed me to put many unanswered questions and doubts on the shelf and not worry about them a lot longer than I could have done otherwise. Obviously that didn’t last forever in my case and now I interpret these experiences based on more of a universalist view that there is a lot of good in the Church in spite of its warts but that the same could be said about many other religious sects as well. I don’t know what to think about the temple work based on your experience, it almost makes me want to go back some day.

+1.

Very well said.

[Anonymous]

DevilsAdvocate wrote:

I’m sure you probably don’t need this board anymore but maybe the board could really use some more people like you to try to keep us from getting too negative like NOM, FLAK, RFM, etc.

I don’t want to thread jack Lizards comments to much, but I think this is an excellent point. I do participate at NOM some, but even though some of you A-holes piss me off to no end over here occasionally, I do enjoy and appreciate, and respect your “honest” comments and feel like this board it is the place for me most of the time. It may surprise you, but especially until my kids are out of the house, I really am trying to find reasons to STAY, rather than find reason to LEAVE.

[Anonymous]

As one of the hindquarter crevasses who angers you on occasion, cwald, I just want to say that perhaps the proof of your extreme physical contortionist ability has you confused about whom you are smelling. 😆 😆

Sorry, friend, I couldn’t resist. Let those who have ears to hear . . . :ugeek:

(Just so someone who is new here doesn’t misunderstand, THAT WAS A JOKE written to someone I admire and respect greatly.)

[Anonymous]

cwald wrote:

It may surprise you, but especially until my kids are out of the house, I really am trying to find reasons to STAY, rather than find reason to LEAVE.

I have thought about this a lot over the past week or so, and was really impressed with cwald’s comment above. I think this forum can be for different people for many different reasons. And certainly it can be something that over time becomes less needed for some, or in spurts of sometimes needed and sometimes not. It will vary depending on the person and the need they are bringing to the group…which is what makes the orchestra here so diverse in sound. That’s great.

I just was thinking that if the assumption is people come here when they are fuming and about to leave, and this board is a venting place only, I would think that is narrow view of the mission of this forum. And then when people believe in the church, they don’t need this forum anymore…I think that is also a narrow view.

I personally consider myself a believer…yet I have issues to work through. That is my view and why I keep involved here. It has been very helpful for me, because everyone else’s experiences are good for me to think about, and sharing my views with others with the hope of supporting others is a good thing for me to do.

For many people, having that spiritual experience that Lizarian described, yet having knowledge of other doctrinal, historical, cultural, or personal problems with the church is what creates that conundrum of trying to StayLDS. And is the very thing that makes it hard to talk to others at church about, and therefore this forum is a good support for such situations.

In other words, I don’t see this forum only for people doubting or disbelieving and don’t know what to do…but the degree of anger allowed to be vented is what separates us from other forums. It is a good support group for working through issues, whether one believes or disbelieves in the church, for a whole myriad of circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for sharing your personal story.

[Author]

Posts