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I would like to open this thread in the interest of sharing experiences with the Holy Ghost. This is not a thread to attack one another, and is not necessarily a "Mormon belief" only thread. The Holy Ghost is a revealtor and exists for the purpose of instructing us concerning the things of God, and I would be interested in knowing all of your experiences in this area.

I did not ask for your opinions, I asked for your actual experiences with the Holy Ghost.

If you have not had any, please do not post on this thread.

Thank you

Gaz

GAZ

What are actual experiences with the HG?????

I seem to be a little unclear on that one??????

Maybe you should be posting this type of thread on another board because you will not get the answer you are wanting here.

Gaz,

I, when an active member, believed I had such experiences. However, today, I interpret them far differently.

Actually, I don't think you can defend that you have had such experiences in any rational way without the argument becoming a circular one.

And, if that is so, then it is just going to become a Fast and Testimony meeting. I know I, for one, would rather not ever attend one of those meetings again. That really is an odd thing to do each month, now that I think of it.

Because the fact of the matter is that you actually can't know that the church is true. Don't believe me? Try to give me an argument that doesn't turn full-circle on itself.

With you there Gramps.

This is not F and T meeting here.

Well maybe it is and we just don't realize it yet.

Cofeecat,

I wonder if you could share with us what belief you have in the Holy Ghost. Are you a christian? Do oyu have a belief in God at all, and if so does it include a belief in the Holy Ghost.

Please share,

Gaz

p.s. This invitation is open to all. If you do not share a belief in the Mormon viewpoint, pleasee post what belief you do have in the Holy Ghost.

GAZ, GAZ

I am a heathen okay.

And no I am not a christian.

I refuse to have my name associated with any belief about a high power.

Do I believe in ahigher power why do you care???

Why does it matter what I believe in???

Are you going to hate me or like me based my answers???

Well that is your problem not mine and do not make your problem my problem.

Forgot

So of course I have no belief in the HG

Here's mine:

The summer before my mission, I decided that I should finally read the Book of Mormon from beginning to end. So I did it. I was so excited and felt a huge sense of accomplishment. Adding to my excitement was all the hoopla surrounding my leaving on a mission (family, friends, the ward, etc.). I did everything I was supposed to do as far as church goes. I even went on splits with the missionaries.

All of this was basically building up to some climax, and I knew it was coming. So I prayed about the Book of Mormon. And guess what happened? I got a rush of excitement. A burning feeling in my chest, that kind of radiated outward. And that was it. I 'knew' the Book of Mormon, and in turn, the church, was true.

I've grown/learned/matured a lot since then. And I've come to realize that my 'witness' was nothing more than the expected climax to a certain set of circumstances. I even saw similar things on my mission. Some people would pray and get their witness, while others wouldn't get theirs. I came to see connections between those that did, and saw differences with those that didn't.

Those that got their witnesses were basically 'set up' to receive them. Those that weren't 'set up' to receive them, didn't get such a witness.

Things have to be set up correctly before people will get their witnesses. They have to feel some connection with the church (they like the church, the people, the missionaries, etc.). They have to have some desire to get their witness (they get excited hearing about other peoples experiences, and they want to have the same thing). They have to be in the right frame of mind emotionally (maybe watch 'together forever' beforehand). If all of those things are in place, it's not hard for someone to get their 'burning in the bosom'. But it's not the holy ghost my friends. It's an emotional outcome due to a certain set of circumstances.

Hi Gaz...

I have observed that people from virtually all religions and belief systems, and those who are non-believers have a sense of "inspiration" or insight that feels like it something beyond themselves. It is just called different names.

It may be the indwelling, the HG, spirit guides, totems, angels, divine messages, intuition, heightened sensory awareness, whatever.... I think the experience is the same.

I feel this sense very often in my life.

:-)

~dancer~