- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
I can say that I had one of the best Sundays I have had in many years yesterday. I’m not sure there was anything super special about it (other than Skyping with my missionary son), but it was a good day nonetheless. I was assigned to extend a calling as assistant in the HPGL for our ward, which I did and also sustained him and set him apart. While I have done the other things somewhat regularly, I have not set apart someone in my role as high councilor and I can say it was a good, spiritual experience (which I didn’t expect).
Just prior to the setting apart while waiting for his wife to arrive, another brother asked for a blessing. This guy is older than me and never married and was one of the few who befriended me during my period of inactivity. He was actually one of the first people I met when I moved to this ward nearly 30 years ago. I was asked to do the anointing and another HP did the blessing, but again it was an unexpected spiritual experience. The guy who gave the blessing cried during it, which I also didn’t expect and wasn’t necessarily impressed with – but I did have the impression that the guy being blessed has limited time on the earth and I think he felt the same impression (although he didn’t express it in the blessing).
And speaking of impressions, the other assistant position in the HPG is also vacant but wasn’t filled at the same time. Sort of putting two and two together and a small impression also told me who the other guy is – and I wholeheartedly approve.
In HPG meeting, the lesson on ETB and the BoM (lesson 9) was coming around to why the BoM is better than the Bible and more important than the Bible. The question was asked by the teacher what the BoM contained that made it better and more important to the gospel, with a supplemental statement that the BoM contains the fullness of the gospel. As fortune would have it, linked right in the lesson was a reference to D&C 42 where it says the Bible and the BoM both contain the fullness of the gospel. I was able to redirect that conversation a bit, pointing out the D&C reference and the temple ceremony where they teach the fullness is contained in both books. As a result I was able to bear witness of the simplicity of the gospel and how we need not complicate it with extra rules.
My missionary son Skyped for nearly two hours (we have always broken that one hour rule). He has just under 5 months left in Chile and was recently moved to the office, which he doesn’t like. I was surprised that he expressed an early trunkiness, but impressed that he also expressed a desire to get on with his life. Most importantly I recognized that he has learned that “strict obedience” is not the true way. That doesn’t mean he’s not obedient – but he is starting to “put away childish things.”
One of my other sons spoke in SM and did a great nonstandard mother’s day talk, referencing Heavenly Mother.
To top all of that off, I made a great grilled salmon for my wife – if was absolutely delicious if I must say so myself.
:thumbup: You should probably share this in the general forums… or share what you can there.
nibbler wrote::thumbup: You should probably share this in the general forums… or share what you can there.
I shared it here first because I’m not sure it’s ready for prime time. Maybe some of it is.
DJ, Thanks for sharing. Sounds like a wonderful day. I’ve had those days and it reminded me that it is good to stay a while, because while periods (sometimes long periods) make it seem pointless…these experiences come to us from time to time, and sometimes in bunches. Kinda like fishing. Somedays nothin and you don’t know why, and other times the fish are “biting” and you don’t know what was different about it…but you appreciate it when you get it.
Of course, your son probably had a lot to do with it.
Interesting about your impressions. What do you make of impressions and what they mean to you?
I think your son getting ready to move on with life is a very very healthy and good sign. I worry about the ones that want to stay on a mission and don’t want the next phase out of fear. I was ready at the end of my mission…and I never had adjustment problems back into life…just moved on. I hope your son does too.
Heber13 wrote:DJ,
Thanks for sharing. Sounds like a wonderful day. I’ve had those days and it reminded me that it is good to stay a while, because while periods (sometimes long periods) make it seem pointless…these experiences come to us from time to time, and sometimes in bunches. Kinda like fishing. Somedays nothin and you don’t know why, and other times the fish are “biting” and you don’t know what was different about it…but you appreciate it when you get it.
Of course, your son probably had a lot to do with it.
Interesting about your impressions. What do you make of impressions and what they mean to you?
I think your son getting ready to move on with life is a very very healthy and good sign. I worry about the ones that want to stay on a mission and don’t want the next phase out of fear. I was ready at the end of my mission…and I never had adjustment problems back into life…just moved on. I hope your son does too.
I get like impressions from time to time. I think they are revelation, but I usually don’t see the point of why some things are being revealed to me. This is a good case in point. I like the guy, he is an old stalwart (but not necessarily an old guard) who has had some life experiences that would have caused some of us to throw in the towel. I have thought that were I ever called to be bishop, I’d choose him as a counselor. He’s also very, very hard on himself and while he understands scripture better than most – he literally spends the whole day Sunday studying scripture – he has never been tapped for a leadership position (I doubt he turns down callings). He is also an elder, not a high priest. Why do I have this impression? No clue – it’s no skin off my nose either way, whoever is called. Some of the impressions I do get – I knew why the stake president was coming to see me a year ago, I knew he was going to call me to the HC. Frankly I’d rather not have some of it – I don’t want to know the old guy is going to die soon and I don’t know the point of that for me.
My son and I had a chat before his mission. He knows I didn’t particularly care for being a missionary, but at the same time he knows I don’t see it as a total waste and I did learn and gain from the experience. I told him that if this were the best two years of his life he won’t have lived, and there are so many more wonderful things in life than this. I also had no trouble reintegrating into real life and leaving the missionary life behind – it didn’t suit me anyway. Despite the fact that he strongly dislikes being in the office, he told us he sees some value in it as being more what real life is like where we don’t study 3-4 hours a day and we have interests and other things to do. He talked about finding a job in the time between October and January when he goes back to BYU and I told him lots of retailers hire temp help during that time and he shouldn’t have a problem, and that made him happy. So I think he will move on, and perhaps trunkiness isn’t the right word, maybe it’s just readiness. I served an 18 month mission and about 3 months before the end the time was changed back to 24 months. We had the choice of extending or not, my companion extended and I did not – I was ready, and I don’t think he was. I think you’re right, I see this as healthy for my son.
I agree, it is a lot like fishing. Frankly I rarely feel what I think is the Spirit at church, although I feel it other times, and interestingly almost always in HC meetings. The impressions usually do not come at church, they usually come at other quiet times.
So cool! DarkJedi wrote:I told him that if this were the best two years of his life he won’t have lived, and there are so many more wonderful things in life than this.
That is honest advice. From my perspective, I totally agree. I was in the office half my mission. Just found there were good things and bad things about it…like life. But I enjoyed how it helped me get to know so many more people. I loved my mission. But…I know my son will not be going on one and I think that is just fine too. Now that I see life differently, it is fine either way.
Besides…the next challenge is that your son will be told by many that his next “mission” is to get married and not put it off for anything, even finances. I personally dislike that advice. Although it has worked well for my daughter finding a great RM and being married young and poor. That life choice is just not best for everyone, and rushing into that big of a choice is not good…neither is putting it off for fear.
Regarding revelation/impressions, I have witnessed a lot of them. I understand the mormon narrative makes it sound like spirits are whispering in our ears or some kind of direct communication flow like that is happening. Maybe that is. I just notice it happens everywhere, so I just don’t understand it. People outside the church have the same experiences, and people have intuition in business or other similar things outside the context of religion. So…I still believe in it…and appreciate it when I see it…and don’t know how to harness it in any way, so I don’t try. It is what it is. To me, it doesn’t mean the church is true…it just means we are more than physical beings…there is some other powers we don’t understand that flow through our lives. Because I don’t understand it, I can go with the mormon narrative of it as well as any other explanation…and don’t belittle or disregard it. It means something.
For you…it led to a wonderful sabbath day. And that is goodness. And that should be celebrated. Good for you DJ.
Good point about revelation and the church. My grandmother always had “feelings” (her word) and they always seemed to turn out to be correct. She was about as far from being Mormon as anyone, and wasn’t even religious. It could be she only told us about the feelings of hers that did turn out to be correct, but I doubt it after experiencing some of these same types of feelings/impressions. I almost always keep mine to myself. I haven’t counseled my son about the get married ASAP thing yet. I think he buys the idea, actually, and I think he also believes there is someone just for him and he’ll know it when he meets her. I don’t agree with the whole get married right away thing (I was 30 when I got married and I still get a welling of anger over a Benson statement made when I was in my mid-20s), and I don’t believe there is just one for each of us. I’m not sure how I’m going to approach that yet. FWIW, we had a missionary in our stake return Thanksgiving week and he got married two weeks ago (no he did not know her before his mission, he met her at BYU). That part may well be a discussion for the general forum as the time gets closer.
I love it when we have happy days, whatever the causes and events. DJ this was like a home run day. May the joy carry you along for a good stretch. I loved reading this post. I believe some people have the gift of revelation, that it comes in varying manifestations and that it has nothing to do with religious affiliation or overall righteousness – but that those who are aware of and accept the possibility are more prone to have it be active. I also believe that gift is not given to others, which leads to those others generally rejecting revelation received by those who have the gift.
Really enjoyed reading this, DJ. Thanks and thumbs up for Mother’s Day salmon. (I’m not very deep sometimes.)
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.