When spiritual impressions seem mistaken - Revision history

SpencerMarsh at 18:16, 16 January 2026

2026-01-16T18:16:10Z

SpencerMarsh at 16:25, 14 January 2026

2026-01-14T16:25:22Z

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	==Question: Why might someone not be able to see their spiritual impressions come to successful, obvious, and/or beautiful fruition?==		==Question: Why might someone not be able to see their spiritual impressions come to successful, obvious, and/or beautiful fruition?==
	===Introduction to Question===		===Introduction to Question===
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	The idea is that an impression that something is the right thing to do now is not necessarily a guarantee that it will always be the right thing. We all still have our free agency and ability to listen to our lesser angels or otherwise just make decisions that don't lead to the fruition of our promised blessings.		The idea is that an impression that something is the right thing to do now is not necessarily a guarantee that it will always be the right thing. We all still have our free agency and ability to listen to our lesser angels or otherwise just make decisions that don't lead to the fruition of our promised blessings.

			====<span style="color:lightblue">14. You tried to receive revelation outside the bounds of your stewardship</span>====
			Another possibility is that you tried to receive a revelation that is outside the bounds of your stewardship.

			Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught the following. His words are supported by scripture (cited in the footnotes):
			<blockquote>First, we should understand what can be called the principle of “responsibility in revelation.” Our Heavenly Father’s house is a house of order, where his servants are commanded to “act in the office in which [they are] appointed."<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/107.99?lang=eng#p99 Doctrine & Covenants 107:99].</ref> This principle applies to revelation. Only the President of the Church receives revelation to guide the entire Church. Only the stake president receives revelation for the special guidance of the stake. The person who receives revelation for the ward is the bishop. For a family, it is the priesthood leadership of the family. Leaders receive revelation for their own areas of responsibility. Individuals can receive revelation to guide their own lives. But when one person purports to receive revelation for another person outside his or her own area of responsibility—such as a Church member who claims to have revelation to guide the entire Church or a person who claims to have a revelation to guide another person over whom he or she has no presiding authority according to the order of the Church—you can be sure that such revelations are not from the Lord. “There are counterfeit signals.”<ref>Boyd K. Packer, “[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1979/11/prayers-and-answers?lang=eng Prayers and Answers],” ''Ensign'' 9, no. 11 (November 1979): 19–20.</ref> Satan is a great deceiver, and he is the source of some of these spurious revelations. Others are imagined.

			If a revelation is outside the limits of your specific responsibility, you can and should know that it is not from the Lord and neither you nor others are bound by it.<ref>Dallin H. Oaks, "[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/1982/09/revelation?lang=eng Revelation]," ''New Era'' 11, no. 9 (September 1982): 45–46.</ref></blockquote>

	====<span style="color:lightblue">But How Does One Know that the Church is True Following This Same Process?</span>====		====<span style="color:lightblue">But How Does One Know that the Church is True Following This Same Process?</span>====

GregSmith: GregSmith moved page Question: Why might someone not be able to see their spiritual impressions come to successful, obvious, and/or beautiful fruition? to When spiritual impressions seem mistaken

2024-05-20T22:47:10Z

GregSmith moved page Question: Why might someone not be able to see their spiritual impressions come to successful, obvious, and/or beautiful fruition? to When spiritual impressions seem mistaken

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	==Question: Why might someone not be able to see their spiritual impressions come to successful, obvious, and/or beautiful fruition?==		==Question: Why might someone not be able to see their spiritual impressions come to successful, obvious, and/or beautiful fruition?==

GregSmith: /* Trust and Follow ''All'' Spiritual Impressions */bot - tag "Questions"

2024-04-13T03:52:02Z

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SpencerMarsh: /* Response to Question */

2023-03-29T13:51:29Z

Response to Question

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	The same can be true of our spiritual impressions and the falsehoods we embrace. Satan and those he inspires can present us with clever distortions of the truth and that can make it so that we're led into sinful, incorrect, or even disastrous paths that are both physically and spiritually fatal. The only way for truth to prevail and for those physical and spiritual lives to be saved is to bring those souls to the living fountain of truth that is God, what he has revealed through prophets, and what those prophets have recorded in scripture. God has a means by which we can judge good from evil, and that is the word of God as revealed to the prophets and recorded in scripture.<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/11.25?lang=eng#p25#25 1 Nephi 11:25]; [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/15.24?lang=eng#p24#24 15:24]; [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/moro/7.20-25?lang=eng Moroni 7:20–25]; [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/42.56-60?lang=eng Doctrine & Covenants 42:56–60]</ref> Indeed, the iron rod of Lehi and Nephi's dream that leads us to salvation is the Word of God: scripture.<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/11.25?lang=eng&clang=eng#p25 1 Nephi 11:25]. You may be wondering "But what about all the uncertainties of accurately determining Scripture's message? Aren't there contradictions in Scripture?" For answers to those questions, see [[Question: How can one best read and understand the scriptures?\|here]] and [[Question: How can one view contradictions in Scripture in a faithful way?\|here]].</ref> God's word provided by prophets gives us the means by which we can discern the spirits whether they be false or true and work our way back to God's presence in the Celestial Kingdom. Our job as Latter-day Saints is to administer that truth to all the world. Joseph Smith told the Saints that we should “[bring] to light all the hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them” because “there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it[.]”<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/123.12-13 Doctrine & Covenants 123:12–13].</ref>		The same can be true of our spiritual impressions and the falsehoods we embrace. Satan and those he inspires can present us with clever distortions of the truth and that can make it so that we're led into sinful, incorrect, or even disastrous paths that are both physically and spiritually fatal. The only way for truth to prevail and for those physical and spiritual lives to be saved is to bring those souls to the living fountain of truth that is God, what he has revealed through prophets, and what those prophets have recorded in scripture. God has a means by which we can judge good from evil, and that is the word of God as revealed to the prophets and recorded in scripture.<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/11.25?lang=eng#p25#25 1 Nephi 11:25]; [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/15.24?lang=eng#p24#24 15:24]; [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/moro/7.20-25?lang=eng Moroni 7:20–25]; [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/42.56-60?lang=eng Doctrine & Covenants 42:56–60]</ref> Indeed, the iron rod of Lehi and Nephi's dream that leads us to salvation is the Word of God: scripture.<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/11.25?lang=eng&clang=eng#p25 1 Nephi 11:25]. You may be wondering "But what about all the uncertainties of accurately determining Scripture's message? Aren't there contradictions in Scripture?" For answers to those questions, see [[Question: How can one best read and understand the scriptures?\|here]] and [[Question: How can one view contradictions in Scripture in a faithful way?\|here]].</ref> God's word provided by prophets gives us the means by which we can discern the spirits whether they be false or true and work our way back to God's presence in the Celestial Kingdom. Our job as Latter-day Saints is to administer that truth to all the world. Joseph Smith told the Saints that we should “[bring] to light all the hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them” because “there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it[.]”<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/123.12-13 Doctrine & Covenants 123:12–13].</ref>

			====<span style="color:lightblue">13. Free will</span>====
			The author is aware of a case in which a young man and young woman both prayed to know whether they should marry each other and both felt the Spirit's influence confirming that it was the right decision. The couple were married and, a year into the relationship, the husband became physically abusive. The couple divorced. The young woman approached her religion teachers to ask why such a thing would happen.

			We know from the scriptures that we all have free will and agency. Lehi in his valedictory tells us that "men are free according to the flesh; and call things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself."<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/2.27?lang=eng 2 Nephi 2:27]</ref>

			It is possible that the husband had a personality and set of behavioral characteristics that, at the moment of marriage, made him a suitable and worthy marriage partner. It is possible that, through his own free choices and reactions to the vicissitudes of life, he made decisions that led him to become physically abusive.

			The idea is that an impression that something is the right thing to do now is not necessarily a guarantee that it will always be the right thing. We all still have our free agency and ability to listen to our lesser angels or otherwise just make decisions that don't lead to the fruition of our promised blessings.

	====<span style="color:lightblue">But How Does One Know that the Church is True Following This Same Process?</span>====		====<span style="color:lightblue">But How Does One Know that the Church is True Following This Same Process?</span>====

SpencerMarsh: /* Revelation takes time to master. We should understand how the Spirit functions and continue to test our knowledge. Eventually we are promised to see fruits for our efforts—even miracles */

2023-02-08T16:20:24Z

Revelation takes time to master. We should understand how the Spirit functions and continue to test our knowledge. Eventually we are promised to see fruits for our efforts—even miracles

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	<blockquote>To one who thought that revelation would always flow without effort (although sometimes the revelation is spontaneous), the Lord said:		<blockquote>To one who thought that revelation would always flow without effort (although sometimes the revelation is spontaneous), the Lord said:
	<br>		<br>
	“You have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.”		“You have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.

			"But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.”

	This burning in the bosom is not purely a physical sensation. It is more like a warm light shining within your being.		This burning in the bosom is not purely a physical sensation. It is more like a warm light shining within your being.

	Describing the promptings from the Holy Ghost to one who has not had them is very difficult. Such promptings are personal and strictly private!</blockquote>		Describing the promptings from the Holy Ghost to one who has not had them is very difficult. Such promptings are personal and strictly private!<ref>Boyd K. Packer, "[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1994/11/personal-revelation-the-gift-the-test-and-the-promise?lang=eng Personal Revelation: The Gift, the Test, and the Promise]," ''Ensign'' 24, no. 11 (November 1994): 59–60.</ref></blockquote>

	====<span style="color:lightblue">Doctrine & Covenants 50:24</span>====		====<span style="color:lightblue">Doctrine & Covenants 50:24</span>====

SpencerMarsh: /* Revelation takes time to master. We should understand how the Spirit functions and continue to test our knowledge. Eventually we are promised to see fruits for our efforts—even miracles */

2023-02-08T16:18:03Z

Revelation takes time to master. We should understand how the Spirit functions and continue to test our knowledge. Eventually we are promised to see fruits for our efforts—even miracles

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:18, 8 February 2023
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	<blockquote>To one who thought that revelation would always flow without effort (although sometimes the revelation is spontaneous), the Lord said:		<blockquote>To one who thought that revelation would always flow without effort (although sometimes the revelation is spontaneous), the Lord said:
			<br>
	“You have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.”		“You have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.”

SpencerMarsh: /* Revelation takes time to master. We should understand how the Spirit functions and continue to test our knowledge. Eventually we are promised to see fruits for our efforts—even miracles */

2023-02-08T16:17:50Z

Revelation takes time to master. We should understand how the Spirit functions and continue to test our knowledge. Eventually we are promised to see fruits for our efforts—even miracles

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:17, 8 February 2023
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	<blockquote>To one who thought that revelation would always flow without effort (although sometimes the revelation is spontaneous), the Lord said:		<blockquote>To one who thought that revelation would always flow without effort (although sometimes the revelation is spontaneous), the Lord said:
	“You have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.
	~~“But~~, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.”		“You have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.”

	This burning in the bosom is not purely a physical sensation. It is more like a warm light shining within your being.		This burning in the bosom is not purely a physical sensation. It is more like a warm light shining within your being.

	Describing the promptings from the Holy Ghost to one who has not had them is very difficult. Such promptings are personal and strictly private!</blockquote>		Describing the promptings from the Holy Ghost to one who has not had them is very difficult. Such promptings are personal and strictly private!</blockquote>

SpencerMarsh: /* Trust and Follow All Spiritual Impressions */

2023-02-08T16:16:54Z

Trust and Follow All Spiritual Impressions

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	====<span style="color:lightblue">Trust and Follow ''All'' Spiritual Impressions</span>====		====<span style="color:lightblue">Trust and Follow ''All'' Spiritual Impressions</span>====
	Some may take some of the suggestions of this article to mean that they should not trust their spiritual impressions or not act on them. On the contrary, one should trust and follow all spiritual impressions since they will ultimately shape us into the type of disciples the Lord would have us be. They'll also shape us into the gods that we are meant to become after this life. Reviewing all of the proposed explanations above, one common theme running through them is that they are moments of instruction via different modes of spiritual pedagogy.<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/14.26?lang=eng John 14:26]</ref> They instruct us in following God and [[Question: How do Latter-day Saints understand the concept of love?\|learning the law of love as taught by the Savior and the scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]. No-one should feel any incentive to believe that their spiritual impressions are "untrustworthy" because of these different "failures" of spiritual impressions. True it is that Moroni tells us that "by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/moro/10.5?lang=eng Moroni 10:5]</ref> However, he does not tell us ''how'' the Holy Ghost will lead us into the truth of all things. The Holy Ghost will lead us to the truth, but ''how'' he does may be different than we expect. Additionally, we have to remember that there are false spirits that may lead us away from the truth. [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/50.1-3?lang=eng Doctrine & Covenants 50:1–3] informs us of that. Perhaps God allows us to be led away by these false spirits from time to time for the purpose of shaping us as people and as disciples.<ref>In this way, we can hold to at least one interpretation of the scriptural teaching that “the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be” while also acknowledging that we’ve had spiritual impressions that don’t bare fruit. See [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/jacob/4.13?lang=eng Jacob 4:13]. Another interpretation of that same passage is that Jacob is just saying that the Spirit is speaking truth about how Christ will actually come and redeem the world. He doesn't speak the truth about every matter at every moment of communication, but rather speaks the truth about Christ's coming.</ref>		Some may take some of the suggestions of this article to mean that they should not trust their spiritual impressions or not act on them. On the contrary, one should trust and follow all spiritual impressions since they will ultimately shape us into the type of disciples the Lord would have us be. They'll also shape us into the gods that we are meant to become after this life. Reviewing all of the proposed explanations above, one common theme running through them is that they are moments of instruction via different modes of spiritual pedagogy.<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/14.26?lang=eng John 14:26]</ref> They instruct us in following God and [[Question: How do Latter-day Saints understand the concept of love?\|learning the law of love as taught by the Savior and the scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]. No-one should feel any incentive to believe that their spiritual impressions are "untrustworthy" because of these different "failures" of spiritual impressions. True it is that Moroni tells us that "by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/moro/10.5?lang=eng Moroni 10:5]</ref> However, he does not tell us ''how'' the Holy Ghost will lead us into the truth of all things. The Holy Ghost will lead us to the truth, but ''how'' he does may be different than we expect. Additionally, we have to remember that there are false spirits that may lead us away from the truth. [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/50.1-3?lang=eng Doctrine & Covenants 50:1–3] informs us of that. Perhaps God allows us to be led away by these false spirits from time to time for the purpose of shaping us as people and as disciples.<ref>In this way, we can hold to at least one interpretation of the scriptural teaching that “the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be” while also acknowledging that we’ve had spiritual impressions that don’t bare fruit. See [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/jacob/4.13?lang=eng Jacob 4:13]. Another interpretation of that same passage is that Jacob is just saying that the Spirit is speaking truth about how Christ will actually come and redeem the world. He doesn't speak the truth about every matter at every moment of communication, but rather speaks the truth about Christ's coming. Also, in this way, we can affirm that God doesn't lie, as some scriptures seem to teach. There are scriptures in the Old Testament of God sending "lying spirits" to prophets and others. Perhaps these are distinct from the Holy Spirit which only testifies of truth.</ref>

	We hope that no one will turn away from the Spirit and their experiences with it because of confusions and trials of their faith such as this. It may come down to a choice to continue to believe and we hope that everyone will "''choose'' eternal life, according to the will of [H]is Holy Spirit".<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/2.28?lang=eng 2 Nephi 2:28]. Emphasis added.</ref>		We hope that no one will turn away from the Spirit and their experiences with it because of confusions and trials of their faith such as this. It may come down to a choice to continue to believe and we hope that everyone will "''choose'' eternal life, according to the will of [H]is Holy Spirit".<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/2.28?lang=eng 2 Nephi 2:28]. Emphasis added.</ref>
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