Today's Favorite Verse: Joel 1:28 "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:"
This is the time that we are living in.
When Moroni visited Joseph Smith he quoted this verse in Joel. I have wondered what other explanations and scriptures that couldn't be mentioned were told him? Surely, the instructions have been passed to us in other scriptures and in the temple, but it would have been interesting to know all that was covered that night.
"He also quoted the second chapter of Joel, from the twenty-eighth verse to the last. He also said that this was not yet fulfilled, but was soon to be. And he further stated that the fulness of the Gentiles was soon to come in. He quoted many other passages of scripture, and offered many explanations which cannot be mentioned here." (Joseph Smith-History 1:41)
Today's Favorite Verse: Mosiah 3:1-2 "And again my brethren, I would call your attention, for I have somewhat more to speak unto you; for behold, I have things to tell you concerning that which is to come. And the things which I shall tell you are made known unto me by an angel from God. And he said unto me: Awake; and I awoke, and behold he stood before me."
This made me think of this. "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7)
I also thought about President Russell M. Nelson and how he has received revelation in the night. I grew up thinking the restoration of the gospel was complete. It wasn't until President Nelson became prophet that I understood it was ongoing and much more is to come.
"Ponder these three truths: 1. The Restoration is a process, not an event, and will continue until the Lord comes again. 2. The ultimate objective of the gathering of Israel is to bring the blessings of the temple to God’s faithful children. 3. As we seek how to accomplish that objective more effectively, the Lord reveals more insights. The ongoing Restoration needs ongoing revelation." (Russell M. Nelson, "The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation", Oct 2021 General Conference)
I love this video where Sister Wendy Nelson described what happens as President Nelson receives revelation or visitations in the night.
"I am a witness by being present, and I’m a witness by being absent, that the Lord indeed instructs His prophet...Sometimes the Lord has me stay close to my husband when he is receiving instructions. My husband will say during the night, “OK dear, it’s happening.” I just remain quiet and then soon he's sitting up at the side of the bed writing, now with a lighted pen that someone gave him. It’s pretty cute. The number of nighttime messages to him, since becoming President of the Church, have increased exponentially. It's incredible. It was an early Saturday morning, and I could feel I was supposed to get out of bed. I wasn't finished sleeping, I didn't want to get out of bed, but I could feel, “Move out of bed now.” So I went down and did some family history research. Two hours later, my husband emerged from our bedroom and said, “Wendy, you won't believe what’s been happening for two hours. The Lord has given me detailed instruction about a process I am to follow.” Sometimes it's just two lines, I never look at it, he’ll just hold it up and show me. I just think, those are private messages to him and I would never look." (Sister Wendy Nelson, "My Witness | Sister Wendy Nelson," video, 0:00 and 1:20, YouTube, posted by Church News, March 11, 2019)
Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 15:8-9 "And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord? And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us."
While Nephi is receiving instruction from the Lord on the vision his father had, his brothers are disputing with each other over the meaning of the vision. He finds them in this condition and is overwhelmed with grief, after-all he had seen the destruction of his people by his brother's descendants. Nephi goes to be by himself until he receives enough strength to speak with his brothers. The first thing he asks them is if they had inquired of the Lord? They hadn't, because they didn't have faith that they would receive answers. What I noticed is that Nephi is willing to explain the answers to his brothers' questions, but he does not tell them all that he saw. In fact I'm not even sure he told his brothers about his vision only that he had asked and had the answers for them. He wrote about his vision for future generations to learn from.
A memory came back to me about my near-death experience. Something that is not found in the story that is recorded. Before I became gravely ill I had been pondering and praying on a particular matter. It was my gospel question that I could not understand. I still don't feel to share that question. But, after my near-death experience I totally understood the answer. I had never asked for a near-death experience, I had never asked to see a vision. I had only pondered and asked for understanding. It wasn't with doubt, it was done in faith believing that understanding would come. Yet, it was this act of pondering on a specific gospel question that lead to a uniquely personal answer.
Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 11:1, 17 "For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot. And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things."
I noticed some key things about Nephi and his ability to see the vision his father had. First, was his desire, and his belief that God could make it known to him. Then he pondered in his heart what he had heard. This pondering in his heart was key to being receptive to the Spirit and to be taught. Nephi was humble and teachable. He did not know the meaning of all things, and that was OK. As he sat pondering he was ready to be taught by the Spirit.
This made me think of another prophet, Joseph F. Smith and how he received a remarkable vision of the redemption of the dead after pondering the scriptures. "On the third of October, in the year nineteen hundred and eighteen, I sat in my room pondering over the scriptures;" (Doctrine and Covenants 138:1)
What does it mean to ponder? "To meditate and think deeply, often upon the scriptures or other things of God. When combined with prayer, pondering the things of God may bring revelation and understanding." (Guide to the scriptures, Ponder)
Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 10:17, 19 "And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the words of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a vision, and also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost, which power he received by faith on the Son of God—and the Son of God was the Messiah who should come—I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men. For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round."
I pondered on "see, hear and know". It sounds like Nephi was expecting to see a vision, a specific vision that his father had. I don't expect to see visions, should I? I reflected on how overpowering it must have been to hear Lehi's vision of the tree of life in person. The spirit must have been incredibly strong. I came to the conclusion that the spirit must have bore witness to Nephi that he needed to ask to see what his father saw. It wasn't because of doubt, it was because he did believe it. It think its a lot like a later Nephi that is given the sealing power, because he would not ask for anything contrary to God's will.
"And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will." (Helaman 10: 5)
There is a difference asking to "see" so you can believe, and "seeing" because you believe. Being able to see, hear and know can be just as real by a spiritual manifestation of the Holy Ghost as a physical one. The key is to not ask amiss, ask as the spirit confirms that you should, and not consumed upon your lusts. There was a specific reason Nephi was to ask to see this vision. For he would see more and record it for me to read and believe.
"And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate,
While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee."
I had missed the part that Peter was hungry when he fell into this trance and saw a vision of unclean animals and was commanded to eat. All the more reason for him to doubt and ponder on this vision afterwards. I can picture him wondering if the dream was simply because he was hungry? Not all dreams mean something. Things around us, experiences we have had can appear in our dreams. President Wilford Woodruff, a visionary man, explains it thus.
"A man eats a hot supper when he goes to bed; he gets the nightmare; he is chased by a bear; or he falls over a precipice, and as soon as he strikes the ground he wakes up. Now, the Lord had nothing to do with that. A man may go to bed half worried to death, tired, and dream about something that will never take place. Last night, for instance, I dreamed I was making glass houses out of blocks of glass two feet square. Now, I don't know that the Lord was in that. Yet I have had dreams of a very different character.
President Woodruff, continues in the book to share several examples of inspired dreams he has had. Then he says "Hence there are a great many things taught us in dreams that are true, and if a man has the spirit of God he can tell the difference between what is from the Lord and what is not. And I want to say to my brethren and sisters, that whenever you have a dream that you feel is from the Lord, pay attention to it." (pg. 286)
The important thing Peter did was ponder on his vision and ask the meaning. Then the spirit was able to give confirmation and instruction that Peter needed to follow. It is so important to have that confirmation that something is of God, because sometimes it can come from the wrong source. This past week I had a dream where in it I did something I would never do. I just knew it was not of God. Then the next night I had a dream of a similar nature. At that point it was so seared in my brain I had to actively stopping my mind from reviewing it again during the day. That third night of going to bed I asked that I would no longer be troubled by such a dream. That I could have it removed from my thoughts. And, if I was somehow wrong in the purpose of such a dream that the interpretation be made known to me. The wonderful thing was I was troubled no more by that dream and those thoughts were gone in the morning. I have not thought about it again until now, but thankful only in an instructional way confirming the need to test the source of our dreams and pray about it.
"I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.
Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be."
I love how this chapter shows how a vision is given and the interpretation is received. It's that question and answer session that the spirit uses to instruction. I am reminded what Joseph Smith said about interpretations of vision or figures.
“Whenever God gives a vision of an image, or beast, or figure of any kind, He always holds Himself responsible to give a revelation or interpretation of the meaning thereof, otherwise we are not responsible or accountable for our belief in it. Don’t be afraid of being damned for not knowing the meaning of a vision or figure, if God has not given a revelation or interpretation of the subject.”
“Oh, ye elders of Israel, hearken to my voice; and when you are sent into the world to preach, tell those things you are sent to tell; preach and cry aloud, ‘Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; repent and believe the Gospel.’ Declare the first principles, and let mysteries alone, lest ye be overthrown. Never meddle with the visions of beasts and subjects you do not understand”
"As any good thing can be misused, a word of warning may be appropriate. The scriptures don't have the answers to every question. Many important truths have yet to be revealed. Preoccupation with the so-called "mysteries" should be avoided. Beware also of private interpretation. Look to the living prophets and official policies for interpretation."
"O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!"
This made me think of our family's saying. "Can't see further than the end of their nose." When your thoughts are on the here and now, or fulfilling your immediate wants regardless of the end results, the vision is clouded on what consequences you face later down the road. The price we pay can be both mortal and eternal.
This made me think of President Nelson's general conference talk were he spoke of a granddaughter-in-law being myopic = near sighted. How her pondering on that changed her eternal perspective.
"After Jill’s father passed on, the word myopic kept coming to her mind. She opened her heart to understand even more deeply that myopic meant “nearsighted.” And her thinking began to shift. Jill then said, “Myopic caused me to stop, think, and heal. That word now fills me with peace. It reminds me to expand my perspective and seek the eternal. It reminds me that there is a divine plan and that my dad still lives and loves and looks out for me. Myopic has led me to God.”
(Russell M. Nelson , "Let God Prevail", Oct 2020 General Conference)
Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 8:7-8
"And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste.
And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies."
What this verse makes me ponder on is that I can see an angel or messenger from God and listen and follow him and still feel I am in a dreary waste. The condition does not change until I discover my need for a deeper relationship with the Lord. That is who the messengers of God are pointing the way to. I need to be in a partnership with the Lord, and come to understand my need for his tender mercies. In the story of Lehi's family I see this in the actions of Laman and Lemuel verses Nephi and Sam. They all see an angel yet it is only Nephi that works to build that relationship with the Lord.
Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 2:17
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:"
I sat and pondered on what would be in these dreams, visions and prophesies? If it is particular to the last days then I would think it would be a way to prepare people for the Savior's second coming, and the events that lead up to it. I thought about how Lehi being warned in similar manner was told to leave Jerusalem with his family before its destruction. It is similar to recent stories, particularly out of Iran, that claim that Jesus has been appearing to Muslims in dreams and visions saying "Come to Me". Leading them to the Christian faith." The righteous will be prepared for what comes ahead no matter where they are. There is comforting in knowing that prophesy, visions and dreams will direct us in our lives for what is to come.
Today's Favorite Verse: John 5:25
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live."
Jesus is speaking of not only his resurrection, but the resurrection of the dead waiting in spirit prison. I reflected on not only Doctrine and Covenants 138 and Joseph F. Smith's vision of the redemption of the dead, but also Doctrine and Covenants 76:15-23. When Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon were translating this part of the New Testament and coming to the verses in this section they marveled.
"And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understanding and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone around about.
And we beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father, and received of his fullness."
Then they beautifully testify.
"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!
For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father."
(Doctrine and Covenants 76:15-23)
The thought came to me that it was pondering on these verses and the great work of the redemption of the dead that caused heavenly visions to come to each of them. This is an excellent thing for me to ponder on. Particularly, I had not reflected on this part of the ministry of the Savior during the partaking of the sacrament, and it would be an excellent thing to do.
Today's Favorite Verse: Hosea 12:10, 13
"I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.
And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved."
It has been a wonderful week listening to the words of the prophet and the apostles, which are also prophets, seers and revelators. The Lord prepared his people in the past by prophets. He is doing it again by prophets.
I loved this quote by President Nelson at the Rome Italy temple.
"This is a hinge point in the history of the church. Things are going to move forward at an accelerated pace, of which this is a part. We think the Church is an old Church, It's 189 years old. But it's only the beginning. Just project out what the next future will be and the Church is going to have an unprecedented future, unparalleled; we're just building up to what's ahead now.
As President Nelson mentioned during a recent visit to South America:
"We're witnesses to a process of restoration. If you think the Church has been fully restored, you're just seeing the beginning. There is much more to come...wait till next year. And then the next year. Eat your vitamin pills. Get your rest. It's going to be exciting."
Over and over again in this past general conference I heard reference that we were preparing for the second coming of the Lord. While we prepare for what is ahead is it any more important that we have a prophet then it was for the children of Israel to have a prophet that led them out of Egypt? Is it any different than Joseph being warned by an angel in a dream to flee and then to come out of Egypt to preserved Jesus as a child? This is part of the similitudes that Hosea mentions.
What I want to also reference is this beautiful testimony Sister Wendy Nelson recently give. Baring her personal witness that her husband Russell M. Nelson is the prophet of God. She said, "I can say that I am a witness by being present and I am a witness by being absent, that the Lord indeed instructs His prophet." Sister Nelson's testimony of what happened for two hours one night tells me the prophet is following the Lord's detailed plans right now.
"Two hours later, my husband emerged from our bedroom, and said, 'Wendy, you won't believe what has been happening for two hours. The Lord has given me detailed instructions about a process I am to follow."
I believe the Lord is at the head of this His church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he speaks to his living prophet.
"And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount."
As I was reading the description of how Israel was to build the tabernacle I got lost. It made me think of building furniture from written directions, without any pictures to go with it. Then when I hit this verse I realized Moses actually had the picture. The Lord didn't leave him to guess or picture it for himself, from the directions given. This was important and the Lord gave Moses every tool available to understand.
I do not know if Moses had a vision opened up to him or if he saw it in his mind as the Lord spoke. I may never experience a vision, but I can relate to seeing things in my mind. I picture things all day long. I found that thought rather interesting. There is an open drawing board inside of me for the spirit to write upon. My Heavenly Father has given me every tool needed to understand his will. I just need to be worthy to have the spirit always to be with me.
That blank drawing board reminded me of my New Years goal. I was blank, all I could see is a clean slate in front of me, and the whiteness was to perfect to write upon. Now I see the spirit is the one to do the writing, for I am to do the Father's will. I will understand as the pictures and impressions come to my mind. If I "Carry On" as the impressions came to me, I would be worthy to receive more.
