Feeling of the Holy Ghost while reading the Book of Mormon?

[_barrelomonkeys]

Probably the most poignant "spiritual witness" experience I've ever had was when I read about 2/3 of the Book of Mormon in about a day. It was on my mission, and my companion was sick so we stayed in. I was about 1/3 of the way into it already when this happened, and I just started reading and reading and basically finished it by the end of the day. I had an actual "burning bosom" kind of spiritual experience, which of course I attributed to the Holy Ghost confirming that the book was true, at the time. I already believed it was true before that time, but this experience was much more "powerful" than any I'd had previously on the subject.

Now I don't believe that that experience was in fact a Holy Ghost confirming truth to me. I am not sure what it was, but if I speculate I would say that the intense concentration and focus that I achieved over those hours of reading, along with a lot of enthusiasm and belief, combined to induce a euphoric state.

For the record, I had a similar experience of euphoria upon finishing the final book in the "Black Company" series of books by Glenn Cook, "Soldiers Live", when I read that entire book in one night. As anyone who has read the series can attest, this series would hardly be expected to be confirmed as truth by the Holy Ghost.

Thanks for sharing that.

[_barrelomonkeys]

Did any of you when you were members experience the burning of the bosom or some sort of presence when you read the Book of Mormon?

Yes.

If you did feel this way do you still have the same sensation at other times?

Yes, but not as much - the older I get, the less it happens.

Was this a unique experience?

No. But I tried to tell myself it was.

What do you think of this experience now if you are ex-LDS?

It was an emotional experience, much like any other - doesn't say anything about universal truth, but rather personal 'truth'.

Have you read the Book of Mormon after you left the Church? Did you have the same sort of experience?

[_AmazingDisgrace]

I just had an image of someone getting turned on by the Isaiah chapters in 2nd Nephi. Will someone please pour concentrated bleach into my eyes? I need that image gone.

Maybe it's all that walking and mincing that the daughters of Zion do. Mantles, wimples, and crisping pins are so hot.

[_Who Knows]

Have you read the Book of Mormon after you left the Church? Did you have the same sort of experience?

I was well into the 'questioning' phase around the time of Hinckley's Book of Mormon challenge. I thought about doing it, and then my wife asked me if I would. So I decided to. I also hadn't read it from cover to cover in a few years, so I thought, why not.

So yes, I did read it. Although my wife regretted asking me to do so. She, ironically, thought that was the final nail in the coffin for me, since as I read through it, I pointed out a ton of 'questionable' stuff to her - stuff that I had never noticed before, but did when reading it through 'skeptical' eyes (every time i had read it before, I read it with the preconcieved notion that it was what everyone had told me it was - true). wow, that was a run-on.

So no, I did not have the same sort of experience.

[_cacheman]

I'm one that never had a spiritual experience after reading the Book of Mormon and praying about it. Nothing at all. I've had what I think was a "burning in the bosom" two times in a religious type setting. One time was in an LDS testimony meeting when an out of town visitor stated simply and emphatically, "God exists". The experience was very similar to what beastie described. The other time was in conversing online with someone I won't name, although some of you probably know him. At the time, he belonged to a very interesting more recent off-shoot of Mormonism, complete with new scripture and a charismatic prophet. I really liked the guy and was interested in what he believed in. I had an experience just like the one I described from the testimony meeting while reading something he wrote. Real intense.

Something similar happened one time when I was in the hills. I study plants, so I have a lot of alone time in nature. One time, it just seemed like I had a rapid infusion of understanding and information (an epiphany I guess), while having the same type emotional reaction. Really cool.

So what does all this mean? Hell if I know, I'm just trying to figure things out.

cacheman

[_Some Schmo]

The only intense feeling I've ever had reading the Book of Mormon was intense boredom.

True story.

[_Blixa]

For me it was not even very intense boredom.

[_truth dancer]

I have that beautiful feeling come into my heart every time I read the beatitudes! :-) I once thought this was the HG.

For me however, I get this same feeling kneeling in a small Buddhist temple, sitting in a remote Catholic monestary, holding a yoga posture, meditating, or walking through a lovely park.

I become overwhelmed with emotion, and am deeply moved as I read various prose, listen to specific music, or, connect with loved ones.

And I am mindfully aware that the world is literally filled with billions of people having similar spiritual experiences as do the LDS... all confirming their truth is the correct one.

One of my biggest challenges as a believer was trying to explain away the reality that the LDS are not the only folks having healings, witnesses, revelations, visions, inspirations, and spiritual experiences.

~dancer~

[_barrelomonkeys]

What's interesting about the phenomenon is that, going by my observations, not everyone is equally inclined to have such an intense experience. I've know many exmormons who never had the experience, despite, sometimes, decades of trying. It's more complex than just "willing" yourself to have it. I certainly "willed" myself to have the experience as an answer to later prayers, and couldn't. And going by my probing of members' testimonies (when I was desperately trying to get a witness of Joseph Smith as a prophet), there are quite a few members who have never experienced it, either. They still believe for other reasons, but they've never experienced one of these intense events.

So if there is an external source for this, it is a very capricious one.

Beastie, I think I'm one of those people that is predisposed to the sort of experience. I actually have to work quite hard at suppressing it at times.

Tarski sent me a link and I'll see if I can find it where some people are just more inclined to have these sort of experiences.

Found it!

http://www.geocities.com/iona_m/Neuroth ... gy101.html

[_barrelomonkeys]

I'm one that never had a spiritual experience after reading the Book of Mormon and praying about it. Nothing at all. I've had what I think was a "burning in the bosom" two times in a religious type setting. One time was in an LDS testimony meeting when an out of town visitor stated simply and emphatically, "God exists". The experience was very similar to what beastie described. The other time was in conversing online with someone I won't name, although some of you probably know him. At the time, he belonged to a very interesting more recent off-shoot of Mormonism, complete with new scripture and a charismatic prophet. I really liked the guy and was interested in what he believed in. I had an experience just like the one I described from the testimony meeting while reading something he wrote. Real intense.

Something similar happened one time when I was in the hills. I study plants, so I have a lot of alone time in nature. One time, it just seemed like I had a rapid infusion of understanding and information (an epiphany I guess), while having the same type emotional reaction. Really cool.

So what does all this mean? Hell if I know, I'm just trying to figure things out.

cacheman

Cacheman, I've had something similar occur in nature a few times.

I'm trying to figure things out too. :)