Being in the throes of the Christmas season we can sometimes forget to slow down, and remember the reason why we’re so busy.
I was reminded of how chaotic things used to be and had to praise the Lord for what He’s done.
My life has done a 180° turnaround from the days of Mormonism. Gone are the years of wondering if I’ve been good enough for God to be with me.
Today I can pause knowing with 100% certainty, God’s Holy Spirit is there to comfort, and speak to me 24/7 because He lives inside of me. As a Mormon this wasn’t a reality, and it never entered my thoughts because I was always too busy with worries that beset me.
This dichotomy is overwhelming. It’s also what the Lord keeps reminding me of this week, so today and tomorrow we’re looking at Joseph Smith’s interpretation of the Holy Spirit. You’ll notice how they refer to God’s gift as ‘it’, or simply as the ‘Holy Ghost’, causing a great disconnect for the Mormon.
Mormon Doctrine, 681 “The Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit, he constitutes the third person in the Trinity, the godhead. The gift or presentation of the Holy Ghost is the authoritative act of conferring him upon man.
The Holy Ghost in person may visit men, and will visit those who are worthy, and bear witness to their spirit of God and Christ, but may not tarry with them. *
McConkie was merely parroting what Joseph Smith said in D&C 130:23 —
“A man may receive the Holy Ghost, and it may descend upon him and not tarry with him.”
Whatever happened to John 14:23?
“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
BTW the transliteration for the word ‘abode’ is monē. It means to tarry, a residence, or mansion. Vocabulary.com says it means ‘to linger, and take your time’. Moreover, John 14:16 tells us when Jesus was speaking with His disciples He told them God’s Spirit, ‘another comforter’, would come, and be with them forever.
‘And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever’.
Beloved, it’s no coincidence Smith would use the word tarry just as the Bible does, and ‘by chance’ it just so happens to be the very same verse # we find in God’s word.
What are the odds? This is another display of plagiarism, not a prophetic doctrine from God Almighty!
The one thing I remember most vividly as a Mormon is the demeanor of Christian friends when I met with them for lunch, etc. They were different, and at the time I didn’t know why. Eventually I learned the difference was caused by God’s Holy Spirit inside them, and His presence that took center stage.
Our visits even at a mundane ‘What-a-Burger’ during the Christmas season filled the atmosphere with His presence. I remember thinking it was the first time I had felt at peace – keep in mind I was living in ‘Sin City‘ Vegas, 8 months pregnant, and my husband was off at war in the Gulf. It left an indelible mark forever. I needed stability during the tumultuous events taking place around me that I had no control over.
This lasting peace and truth is what we pray for at Life After. We pray as the Christians meet with their Mormon friends and loved ones, their mere presence radiates what the Mormon is missing – God’s truth.The Mormon Holy Ghost Mr. McConkie spoke of is from beneath which means it’s Satan. The spirit he wrote about is ungodly, unholy, and most certainly, unworthy of accepting as truth.
I’m living proof if a Christian simply has a quick lunch with a Mormon, lives can be changed forever. Don’t forget to pray!
*Page # for this reference is solely for the online version of the 1958 Mormon Doctrine. For other versions, see 1966 Mormon Doctrine, or offline at the Gospelink, p. 753.
With Love in Christ;
Michelle
Why do I feel like plucking flower petals???…He loves me …He loves me not.🌹
What-A-Burger? I don’t think we have those here in SOCAL.
Oh, What-A-Burger places were awesome! Wish they had them in Seattle….
Questions on how the HS works is one of the most common topics we see when people leave the Church. It takes time to relax and settle in knowing God will guide you as a believer. Mormons are always waiting for the Church to tell them what to do all the time so waiting on God, and trusting what He says in the Bible can be a scary thing at first.
Mormons have been told they shouldn’t run to God for the little things in life, but find out what the leaders would say.
God tells us to go to Him for everything so you can just imagine the hesitancy, aka, trust issues going on …
Your flower petal analogy is awesome! Thanks!
Heeeey…you picked up on my analogy. Sometimes I wonder if people get my quirky, weird mindset. In case you haven’t noticed my weird take on things.
Do you have an IN ‘N OUT BURGER up in the PNW yet?
The Holy Spirit and burgers what a glorious combination.🤓
If the General Authorities, in particular the President of the church, is a true prophet, how come nobody outside Mormonism knows who they are.? If I was described by the members of my church
as the only living prophet on the face of the earth, I would be embarrassed at having failed humanity in such a major way
Hi Soldiermp ~
You might feel that way,yes, because you’ve thought of the implications such a claim would bring. Nelson, Monson,Hinckley,and all the way back to ol’ Joe himself wouldn’t entertain that idea because they’ve convinced themselves they’re all that and more.
I’d never thought of Nelson’s lack of humility in the way you mentioned – but you’re 100% spot on!
It’s a scary thing to behold! Prayers for those who follow along (like my mother) are always in desperate need. Sigh…
The Mormons believe that the Church President is the only living prophet on the face of the earth. My question is, how come nobody outside of the Mormon community knows who the prophet is?
Sorry about leaving two of the same comments above. First time on this site and I am still learning how to navigate my way around, particularly with regard to postings comments.
Not being able to think outside the box or on their own , has always been a sore point for me among my LDS Peers. I mentioned during Fast and Testimony a couple of months ago,how it is wrong to largely discard the Holy Bible and to focus scripture reading primarily on the BOM. When Jesus did battle (was tempted) with and by the devil, after having fasted for 40 days in the mountains (See Matthew 4;1-11 and (Luke 4: 1-13), HIS weapon of choice against Satan, was the Word of God “I behold, it is written, it is written”. I asked the congregation, “how many of you believe God loves you/”; ever body raised their hands. If you believe God loves you, why do you think he would give you a deficient weapon in your struggles ( of war) with the Ruler of Darkness in High Places (Eph 6:12). Articles of Faith 8, says that we believe in the Bible as far as it is translated correctly. I told the congregation that in my opinion, the translation we have today is the translation God wants us to have, otherwise, it would be like being a military Commander sending his troops off to fight a war with weapons that don’t always work. Article 8 of the Articles of Faith is teaching the members of the church that the BOM has priority over everything and because the Bible has not always been translated correctly, we should focus out scripture reading on the BOM (most correct book ever written). What I told the ward that day during F&T, was that by neglecting the Bible, they were becoming inefficient soldiers of God
By the way, I am still a Mormon, but haven’t been to church in 7 or 8 weeks. I go recuse my family is LDS