Join me as I shed light on the intense spiritual warfare that preceded my last video message. Patience was learned on all levels. Also, an in depth conversation into the books/scripture that President Nelson counseled the sisters to read. Just what treasures are buried in there?
Mosiah 18:9 - Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as a witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection that ye may have eternal life
Showing posts with label warfare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label warfare. Show all posts
Monday, November 11, 2019
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Goodbye Lies - Transformation Begins!
Hooray!! Thank you everyone for your prayers. ❤️ At times it almost seemed impossible that the glitches with this video would go away. I woke up this morning and everything was fixed! Here is this week's video message - it comes with an awesome surprise I am excited to share. Has taken a lot of hours to put together. Now my kids can have their mom back. 😄
In this video I share a tool I created for incredible transformation and healing. Plus, I talk updates on what's happening in the news and what it all means!
In this video I share a tool I created for incredible transformation and healing. Plus, I talk updates on what's happening in the news and what it all means!
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Shocking Headlines, Surreal Experiences, and Faith vs. Fear!
YouTube continues to block your voice on my channel. Please feel free to share your comments here or on my Happy Lady facebook page where this video is also posted. I'd love to hear from you. ❤️
In this week's video message I talk about bout fear vs. faith, personal experiences, and recent headlines in the news. Just what messages are in the mess? And was there a message in the controversial Kentucky Derby? You know there was! 😉
In this week's video message I talk about bout fear vs. faith, personal experiences, and recent headlines in the news. Just what messages are in the mess? And was there a message in the controversial Kentucky Derby? You know there was! 😉
Saturday, October 6, 2018
A Battle For Your Mind - & An Epic General Conference!
Yay! I am so excited that this day has finally arrived. This General Conference should one we never forget. I have the orange rolls rising in the oven and spent some time in the early hours this morning being with the Lord. I am so ready to hear the inspired new messages that the Lord will reveal to us today. I pasted links below if you'd like to watch.
In this week's video message I share about more symbolism in local and world events as well as the battle that is raging right now within the kingdoms, the world, and our very own minds. How can we come prepared to the battle? Watch to find out.
WATCH GENERAL CONFERENCE LIVE TODAY AND TOMORROW:
https://www.lds.org/
RE-WATCH PAST BROADCAST:
https://www.lds.org/general-conference?cid=HP16GC&lang=eng
In this week's video message I share about more symbolism in local and world events as well as the battle that is raging right now within the kingdoms, the world, and our very own minds. How can we come prepared to the battle? Watch to find out.
WATCH GENERAL CONFERENCE LIVE TODAY AND TOMORROW:
https://www.lds.org/
RE-WATCH PAST BROADCAST:
https://www.lds.org/general-conference?cid=HP16GC&lang=eng
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
The Battle For Your Soul!
I listened to these two episodes the other day back to back and wanted to share. They have a similar message in relation to sharing personal experiences that shed light on the adversary's plans to steal our soul.
The first episode is a recent interview with Mike Simpson from Theta Wellness, who I have mentioned many times in my videos. He helped with a physical health issue and has since helped so many of you. The second episode is a Provo man's story of overcoming incredible hurdles of darkness. Both episodes have a theme of "physical, spiritual, and emotional healing comes after forgiveness."
Enjoy!!
The first episode is a recent interview with Mike Simpson from Theta Wellness, who I have mentioned many times in my videos. He helped with a physical health issue and has since helped so many of you. The second episode is a Provo man's story of overcoming incredible hurdles of darkness. Both episodes have a theme of "physical, spiritual, and emotional healing comes after forgiveness."
Enjoy!!
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Are You an 11th Hour Worker - And What Does That Mean?
Are you an 11th hour worker - what message can we learn from this final hour? I explain what that means and it's connection to 311. Check out what viewers have been sharing - and more about stars.
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Piecing the Puzzle to See God's Design in Your Life
I recently had the experience of going back and revisiting old journal entries as prompted by the Spirit. I was shown how past dreams (I had forgotten about) and prayer requests (I had journaled about) were fulfilled in amazing ways! Had I not revisited them and connected the pieces, I would have never realized how God was speaking to me and answering me.
In this week's video message, I show you just how to do this! You may think that God does not hear you, speak back to you, or answer your prayers - I plan to prove that wrong in this video.
Also, I share some updates of how the adversary has been trying to interfere in my life - and how he has failed. Learn how he can fail in your life as well. :)
In this week's video message, I show you just how to do this! You may think that God does not hear you, speak back to you, or answer your prayers - I plan to prove that wrong in this video.
Also, I share some updates of how the adversary has been trying to interfere in my life - and how he has failed. Learn how he can fail in your life as well. :)
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Let's Talk General Conference! (Part 2)
I had some strong headwinds this week while trying to save and upload part 2 of this video! I spent days and hours trying to fix program bugs, errors, and even cleaning out unexpected viruses. After several tutorials and starting to feel defeated, I came to the realization that maybe...just maybe there were darker forces at play here.
My YouTube channel got slammed over the last 24 hours with cruel & attacking comments. People appearing as fellow church members who were trolling my videos, and overwhelming the comment feed. These types of comments are never published and always deleted. My YouTube channel as well as this blog, are to be places where the Spirit is cultivated and contention is not tolerated. The thought came to me about why the internet community has given these types of people the name "trolls".
The Urban Dictionary defines a troll as - "One who posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument."
The Wikipedia defines mythological trolls as:
"In Norse mythology, beings described as "trolls" dwell in isolated rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely described as helpful or friendly.
The Old Norse term for "troll" is used to denote various beings, such as a jötunn or mountain-dweller, a witch, an evil spirit, a ghost, a blámaðr, a magical boar, a heathen demi-god, a demon, a brunnmigi, or a berserker.
Later, in Scandinavian folklore, trolls became beings in their own right, where they live far from human habitation, are not Christianized, and are considered dangerous to human beings."
No, they are not like the cute little creatures in the animated cartoons. I truly feel that there are certain individuals ("cyber bullies", "trolls", etc.) who are being influenced by evil, and who can attack us with unseen forces of darkness. Servants of the adversary whether they realize it or not.
I blessed my computer, prayed over the programs, commanded all darkness out of my home, electrical circuits, wireless transmission etc. and asked the Lord to cease all efforts of the enemy against me. After doing so, the programs all began to run smoothly again, and without any further problems, my video saved successfully and uploaded quickly!
Sharing the messages of General Conference surely must be a powerful weapon of Light that Satan is not thrilled about. He did not want this video to happen. However, with the Lord on our side we can be victorious against darkness!
P.S....you better believe that I pray for my enemies - even the trolls :)
Friday, September 8, 2017
A Message About September 23rd
A couple years ago I was led by the Spirit to learn about an Indian Christian minister named Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj. He travels all over the world delivering messages to churches of different nations. Sadhu often has visions of the last days that he shares in his messages. There were some things I was to learn from his messages, and I found them to be very profound for my life. Because his name his difficult to say, I call him the "Indian Prophet." He truly looks like an ancient prophet straight out of the Old Testament.
When I first learned of him, I was a little uncertain because he was not familiar to me, his appearance was unusual, and I was uncertain as to what his beliefs were about. Still, the Spirit pressed on my heart to watch some of his videos. I was reminded of my gift of discernment and that it has never led me astray. His sense of humor and great humility easily won me over. As I have learned from and shared many times before, I am often led to the best gems that are most helpful to my journey when I'm stepping outside of the box.
It had been several months since I had watched any of Sadhu's messages, however after the recent eclipse, the Spirit put this minister's name back into my mind and I was told there was another message I was to hear. The video below video popped up in my feed shortly after it was published on August 30th. I found some very good counsel, pearls of wisdom, and important warnings in his message. After sharing with my family and hearing their feelings about how "in tune" and well timed this message is, I felt prompted to share it here with you.
This video is from a conference that was held in Moravian Falls, North Carolina called, "On Earth As It is in Heaven". There are other parts to this message on YouTube that are not in this video, and there are many other videos on YouTube of different conferences he has spoken at in the United States and all around the world. I feel that his message is another trumpet that God is sounding to reach His other children. Regardless of who his audience is, this message truly is relevant and inspiring for all!
I would love to hear your thoughts. What gems did you take away from this message?
When I first learned of him, I was a little uncertain because he was not familiar to me, his appearance was unusual, and I was uncertain as to what his beliefs were about. Still, the Spirit pressed on my heart to watch some of his videos. I was reminded of my gift of discernment and that it has never led me astray. His sense of humor and great humility easily won me over. As I have learned from and shared many times before, I am often led to the best gems that are most helpful to my journey when I'm stepping outside of the box.
It had been several months since I had watched any of Sadhu's messages, however after the recent eclipse, the Spirit put this minister's name back into my mind and I was told there was another message I was to hear. The video below video popped up in my feed shortly after it was published on August 30th. I found some very good counsel, pearls of wisdom, and important warnings in his message. After sharing with my family and hearing their feelings about how "in tune" and well timed this message is, I felt prompted to share it here with you.
This video is from a conference that was held in Moravian Falls, North Carolina called, "On Earth As It is in Heaven". There are other parts to this message on YouTube that are not in this video, and there are many other videos on YouTube of different conferences he has spoken at in the United States and all around the world. I feel that his message is another trumpet that God is sounding to reach His other children. Regardless of who his audience is, this message truly is relevant and inspiring for all!
I would love to hear your thoughts. What gems did you take away from this message?
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
A Week of Prophetic Dreams
It has been an intense week. With so much happening and so quickly, there is so much I want to share but there's not always enough time to do so.
As I edited this "message of the week" video for my Happy Lady series on my HappyMarriages channel, several thoughts came to my mind after I had uploaded it. Last night, while watching the headlines the Spirit said to me, "Look up the meaning for the name Harvey". So, I pulled up the name and here is what I learned:
Name: Harvey
Origin: Scottish-Gaelic.
Meaning: Carnage worthy, warrior, eager for battle.
Yes, I would agree that this storm is carnage worthy. The name is appropriate. Just what battle is this storm fighting? I wanted to know more from the Spirit. It was then I was reminded of the all the hate news that had dominated the headlines days prior. The race wars that appeared to be going strong according to the news. As I looked at the images on my TV screen, I saw black, white, Hispanic, and Asian races all coming together in love. Love was winning! It was now love that was dominating the national headlines. I was led to this article that said it best!
"You don’t need to wait for a devastating disaster to love. You don’t need to wait until your neighbors are drowning to reach across the color, religious, nationality, political boundaries. This world is suffering a different kind of storm, one far more dangerous than Harvey–a storm of hatred. Let’s refuse to let it break us."
God sent this storm to cleanse our nation of hatred. To turn our hearts towards Him. To love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
Shortly before going to bed last night, I was led by the Spirit to the words of an evangelist who said that the Lord told him beginning in 2017 through the year 2021, the Lord would pour out an abundance of spiritual gifts upon His children. He spoke of what he terms the "global harvest" and that this outpouring from God would create a fire that would help gather in souls to come to know their Savior.
He said the Lord showed him Acts 2:17-21 to confirm his message. Notice the numbers of the scripture: 2017-2021.
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of 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:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
I was touched by the Spirit upon reading this, after having had the experiences I shared in my video below. We truly are living in marvelous and wondrous times. Let us continue to pray for our nation, for this world, and for our local communities and families. Prayer and love will be the most powerful weapons in this Last Days battle. God bless!
As I edited this "message of the week" video for my Happy Lady series on my HappyMarriages channel, several thoughts came to my mind after I had uploaded it. Last night, while watching the headlines the Spirit said to me, "Look up the meaning for the name Harvey". So, I pulled up the name and here is what I learned:
Name: Harvey
Origin: Scottish-Gaelic.
Meaning: Carnage worthy, warrior, eager for battle.
Yes, I would agree that this storm is carnage worthy. The name is appropriate. Just what battle is this storm fighting? I wanted to know more from the Spirit. It was then I was reminded of the all the hate news that had dominated the headlines days prior. The race wars that appeared to be going strong according to the news. As I looked at the images on my TV screen, I saw black, white, Hispanic, and Asian races all coming together in love. Love was winning! It was now love that was dominating the national headlines. I was led to this article that said it best!
"You don’t need to wait for a devastating disaster to love. You don’t need to wait until your neighbors are drowning to reach across the color, religious, nationality, political boundaries. This world is suffering a different kind of storm, one far more dangerous than Harvey–a storm of hatred. Let’s refuse to let it break us."
Shortly before going to bed last night, I was led by the Spirit to the words of an evangelist who said that the Lord told him beginning in 2017 through the year 2021, the Lord would pour out an abundance of spiritual gifts upon His children. He spoke of what he terms the "global harvest" and that this outpouring from God would create a fire that would help gather in souls to come to know their Savior.
He said the Lord showed him Acts 2:17-21 to confirm his message. Notice the numbers of the scripture: 2017-2021.
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of 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:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
I was touched by the Spirit upon reading this, after having had the experiences I shared in my video below. We truly are living in marvelous and wondrous times. Let us continue to pray for our nation, for this world, and for our local communities and families. Prayer and love will be the most powerful weapons in this Last Days battle. God bless!
Thursday, June 22, 2017
The Power of An Open Mind
The most valuable wisdom I have learned on my life's journey is the importance of keeping an open mind. You may have heard the saying, "When your heart is open, love will always find it's way in." - Jane Seymour. The same is true for knowledge, "When your mind is open, truth will always find it's way in." - Lindsey Rietzsch :)
While doing the dishes this morning in my kitchen, the Spirit impressed upon my mind the importance and urgency of writing a post about this topic today. I think this may be one of the most important blog posts I have ever written.
There is a real spiritual warfare going on right now and when we are ignorant to it, we become victims. I believe that Satan wants us to be ignorant to it. He wants us to become consumed by life and all the stress and distractions. He wants our eyes to be covered and our minds to be loud and busy. Because if we were in-tune enough to see, still enough to hear, and open enough to receive, then we would be filled with such truths and knowledge about the Spirit World, how Satan operates, and the Kingdom of Heaven, that we would would become powerful against the enemy. Knowledge is power, truth is light, and light is Jesus. The greatest weapon against the adversary is light, truth, and our Savior Jesus Christ.
Through the Holy Ghost, Christ dwells within us. When we are filled with light, truth, and love, we are filled with Jesus. When we are filled with Jesus we have His power within us. When His power is within us, there is nothing we should fear.
Doctrine and Covenants 93:36-37
36 The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.
37 Light and truth forsake that evil one.
"Faith in Jesus Christ propels us to do things we otherwise would not do. Faith that motivates us to action gives us more access to His power. When you spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before, then His power will flow into you. And then you will understand the deep meaning of words we sing in the hymn “The Spirit of God”:
The Lord is extending the Saints’ understanding. …
The knowledge and power of God are expanding;
The veil o’er the earth is beginning to burst." - Russell M. Nelson
I truly believe that there are many members of the Church and many followers of Christ who have limited their own progression of light, truth, and knowledge because of their disbelief. Fear has caused them to doubt, and doubt has led to disbelief. They are closed off to further light and truth, and content with the basics. It's a safe zone. Truth and light will never be forced upon us by God. If we are not ready for it, open to it, and are not asking for it, then when it does cross our paths we will dismiss it or turn from it. We will doubt it, fear it, and disbelieve it.
You may have experienced this, what the Savior calls "cast(ing) pearls". You may have shared something beautiful, personal, and scared with someone only to find that they did not believe your words, thought you were deceived or that you were confused. When someone is not ready for, or open to truth, they will not feel touched by the Spirit. One person may read a scripture verse and find it boring, yet another may read that same scripture verse and be overcome by the Spirit and brought to tears. When we seek and we are ready, the Spirit will testify.
There is so much more to God's Kingdom than we understand. It is up to us to pursue Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, and God the Father, and develop a personal relationship with each of them. They are the teachers of the beautiful Mysteries. There are many truths that have been sealed up and not revealed to the Church as a whole because as a whole they are not ready. However, if we seek with faith and an open and honest heart, there is nothing that the Lord will withhold from us. We can learn the sealed truths and mysteries if it is God's will for us to know them. I assure you, there is nothing more that delights God, than when we seek Him and we seek to truly know Him.
With our free agency we can choose to receive truth or repel it. However, each time we set aside fear and doubt and receive truth, we open ourselves up a little wider to receive more. Line upon line, precept upon precept until our belief and knowledge is so pure, and our faith is so strong that the veil can no longer separate us. Our belief leads to seeing, and when we see, we move from believing to knowing.
2 Nephi 9:28,42-43
28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.
42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.
43 But the things of the wise and the prudent shall be hid from them forever—yea, that happiness which is prepared for the saints.
We learn from this scripture that even when we are knocking, when we are asking for answers, if we are not humble and do not realize that there is much we do not know or understand, then the Lord will not open. We will not find and we will not receive, because of our pride. We may refer to this as the Lord not answering our prayers. However, it is our own pride and disbelief that keeps us from receiving His answers.
Many view pride as strength and humility as weakness. If we admit that there is much we do not know, or that we have been wrong about some things, we fear that others may see us as weak and under-learned. That mindset is the very thing that closes us off to truth - further light and knowledge.
I can assure you from personal experience that there is nothing more liberating than letting go of all boundaries and paradigms, and just letting the Spirit be your guide. You may be guided to a book or article that you otherwise would have dismissed. In that article you may be led to a gem of truth pertinent to your purpose and mission. You may also come across error and deceit, yet with your gift of discernment you will know what to dismiss and what to grasp onto. The truth will fill you with warm light and exceeding joy, the error will leave you in a stupor of thought. Some truths you may feel are not for you to learn at this time.
Alma taught us how we can decipher: Alma 32:28
28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.
You may be guided to a person or teacher whose cultural background and beliefs differ greatly from yours, however there is something you are to learn from them that will will prepare you for the next gem of truth the Spirit would like to reveal. You will find that truth adds to your testimony of Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation. It never takes away from that. It fills you with peace, leaves you energized and with great clarity - it never leaves you confused or depleted.
You will find that all the people, places, books, videos, dreams, visions, etc. that you are led to, several years ago you would have ignored, dismissed, or overlooked. They may have appeared strange, unfamiliar, and out of your comfort zone. However, as you let down your guard and open yourself to the Spirit and all possibilities, you will find that the bits and pieces of truth that you learn here and there feel very familiar as if you had known all this before, and had just forgot.
There is truth spread all across this vast wilderness, and one day it will all be circumscribed into one great whole - but until then we have to seek it piece by piece, relying on our compass (the Holy Ghost) to be our guide. As you continue seeking, you'll soon find that you no longer approach truth with a sense of caution or fear. You are drawn to it like a magnet. You can feel it before it arrives. Someone or something who others might see as strange or different, you see at first glance as beautiful and highly valuable. You are eager to learn and open to truth in whatever form it may come. Because of the gift of discernment you have no reason to fear. Your relationship with the Holy Ghost is so solid that doubt has no room in your heart.
When we are quick to judge and criticize others, that is a red flag that we are not open minded people. We are not as little children. We are not humble. Little children love unconditionally, and they believe whatever their parents tell them to believe. They don't need proof, evidence, verification, references, or approval of others to believe - they just believe.
Mosiah 3:18
18 For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; but men drink damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become as little children, and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.
We cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven if we do not believe. Our spirit remembers all truth and hungers for our physical mind to catch on. When our soul truly hungers, it will be fed. Our spirit jumps for joy each time we seek truth, receive it, and believe it. The veil slowly peels back as truth begins to feel familiar to us. When we close ourselves off to truth because we don't understand it, we cause damnation to our souls. Because when we are not moving forward and progressing, we are moving backwards and regressing. There is no standing still. We are always in motion - either forward or backward. Forward is life, and backward is death. Truth is life eternal.
When our body is filled with sickness and pain, when emotionally we feel like we are "dying" inside - the physical is evidence of the spiritual. Are we open to truth, are we seeking light and moving forward? Or are we stuck in sin and moving backward? Are we content with the basics and stuck in false beliefs that hinder our progression. Beliefs that we are not worthy of God's love, we are not worthy of healing and miracles - they may be possible for others but not for us. Beliefs that God is punishing us, is angry at us, or has chosen a life of pain for us because we are to learn from it, or we were not worthy enough to be blessed with a life of joy. From the bottom of my heart, and from personal experience, I truly believe that these beliefs are false!
I have yet to meet a doubter who has received a miraculous healing. When I talk to people who are suffering from severe pain or illness they often talk about putting their faith and hope into finding the right drug, doctor, or medication - but I never hear them mention hope in a miraculous healing from the Lord. They don't believe it's possible that they could wake up the next morning and be miraculously healed. I remember asking a blind woman once if she had ever asked for a special prayer or blessing for the Lord to heal her eyes. She told me that she did not have the faith to ask for such a miracle, so she chose to accept her blindness instead. However her Great Grandmother had the same blindness and asked for a blessing in which she was instantly healed. The woman was aware of this miracle but told me her Great Grandmother had faith and she did not. She along with many others believes that she must accept this trial and bear it all her life - coupled with an underlying fear that what if they ask for healing and it doesn't work? Will they lose their faith in God all together? They feel it's safer to just not ask at all. We have access to the most amazing gift - the healing power of Jesus Christ and His Atonement, but many of us take it for granted.
In Doctrine and Covenants 29: 46-47 we learn that Satan has no power to tempt children until they reach the age of accountability. They are redeemed from the beginning through Jesus Christ.
46 But behold, I say unto you, that little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten;
47 Wherefore, they cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me;
Though Satan cannot tempt children (as they are not accountable), he certainly can torment and afflict them. He will jump at ever opportunity he gets. Devils and unclean spirits can and will attach to anyone who is vulnerable. Though Satan is given power to bruise our heel, we are given power to crush his head because of the Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. When you truly understand the Atonement and how to use it, you break the chains that Satan has bound you in. Chains of sickness, depression, fear, doubt, unforgiveness, pain, addiction, abuse, anger and so on. We don't have to tolerate Satan and his tormentors. We don't have to accept pain and live a life dependent on medications, surgeries, and therapists. We can be healed. We can be freed!
God needs us to be whole, He needs us to be powerful in His Kingdom. Healing, wholeness, and prosperity are a manifestation of His Glory and Power. They are the signs and wonders that lead others unto Him. The Lord does not desire for the body of His church to be filled with sickness, sadness, pain, and torment. He is a God of healing, of miracles, of wonders, and these testify of Him and His Power. It is the marvelous works, miracles, and manifestations of the Spirit that lead people to Christ. The examples led by His followers. The sad, downtrodden, afflicted and weary are looking for hope.That desire to be healed, to be freed, to be saved. The Lord wants His Church to reflect that. It is through our own disbelief that miracles cease.
Pain, disease, and sickness are not of God and are not of the Celestial or Terrestrial worlds. You will not find it in His Kingdom. God is life. All things that promote life, happiness, joy, and love are of God. The City of Enoch bypassed death because they were already living the Celestial law and currently abiding in a Terrestrial world. They understood the Atonement and how to truly apply it. They understood the gospel of Jesus Christ and how to truly live it. Satan had no power over them. Death had no place among them.
Sickness, illness, disease, and pain promote death. Death is of Satan - it is of this fallen Telestial world. He is anti-life in any shape and form. Because of our agency, we sometimes make choices in our lives that result in pain, disease, and sickness. Whether we choose to harbor feelings that are negative and allow those feelings to take root in us, or we choose to watch or participate in activities that drive away the Spirit and invite darkness into our soul, this is all classified as sin because sin is anything that pulls us away from life and from God. We are always planting seeds in our soul. Good seeds fill us with life, and bad seeds corrupt us with death. Until we repent and give our pain, sorrows, afflictions and sins to our Savior, we cannot be healed.
The Jews of the New Testament referred to sickness as "devils" or "unclean spirits". We read of many accounts of the Savior casting out "devils". Often times we don't realized that much of our sickness can be healed from simply raising our right hand to the square and casting out evil. From simple headaches to terrible fevers, the sickness is a manifestation of the adversary. Through the Spirit we can learn how we became vulnerable to those afflictions (a negative song, a violent TV show, pornography, speaking curse words at someone), so that we can avoid making the same mistakes in the future. Satan stands by waiting for an opportunity to torment us. Our choices can invite him into our homes to not only affect us but also our children. When the Spirit leaves, Satan moves in. If we are ignorant to his presence, we will not cast him out. In addition to casting him out, we should always be up to date on applying the Atonement. We should be repenting daily of sin, and casting our sorrows, negative thoughts, and feelings to the Savior. They don't leave on their own, we must take action through the Atonement.
I remember once hearing a woman complain about her family always being sick. Virus after virus from colds, to flues, to strep throat and pneumonia. For six months her family had been plagued and she was fatigued. Soon she learned that her husband had a pornography addiction. As he addressed the addiction and together they used the Atonement to heal and forgive, the sickness left their home.
Affliction and torment is not of God and He does not send it to us. When we sin or harbor negative feelings (which is also sin) we pull ourselves away from God and His protection, allowing Satan to have power over us. Because of free will and agency God allows this to happen. However we must remember that what Satan uses for our harm, God uses for our benefit. No negative experience in this life is wasted. We can choose to learn what we need to through a life of pain and affliction or through a life of miracles, joy, and healing.
Because we live in a Telestial world it does not mean that we have to live a Telestial glory in this mortal life. This is what is meant by the phrase be in the world but not of the world. (John 15:17) We can physically live in this Telesial world but live in a higher state/glory. By becoming purified, holy, and sanctified, we are not of this world. Satan has no power over us. Physically our bodies are here, but spiritually we operate from a higher realm.
Humility leads us beyond this world. An open mind allows us to find the truth and knowledge that will progress our soul. We are commanded to try and be like our Savior. Our Savior emulated everything that He saw the Father do. As we try to be like the Savior, we also become like our Father in Heaven as they are one in purpose. The goal of our existence is eternal life and to one day attain all that the Father has. Our Father in Heaven is glorified through His children. Our happiness, joy, progression and exaltation, glorifies Him.
John 17:10-11
And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
To illustrate the power of an open mind and heart, Jesus said in Matthew 13:15-17
15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
The Lord teaches us in these verses that His word heals us! If we are not truly converted and born again of the Spirit, He cannot heal us. When our eyes and ears are closed to truth, we close ourselves off from His healing power. We close ourselves off from miracles.
A couple verses down, Jesus then gives us the parable of the sower in which we learn that when people are given truth and they don't understand it, Satan comes along and "catcheth away that which was sown in his(their) heart." He explains that this is why He spoke in parables. He was protecting the unbelievers from Satan. This is why He counseled us not to cast our pearls before unbelievers. He then tells us that "he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." Those who understand the mysteries of truth in the parables, are those who bring forth a bounteous harvest of fruit. By their fruits ye shall know them (Matthew 7). Marvelous signs and wonders follow those that believe (Moroni 9). These are believers who are converted to the Lord 100%. They have received a mighty change of heart. They are operating in a Celestial realm. Miracles follow them, and where they are - there is no place for sickness or pain.
Have you been truly converted to the Lord? Have you received that mighty change of heart in which you have no desire to do evil? Have you released all sin to the Savior, or are you currently suffering for your own sins? You will know this by the way you feel. The Atonement is for all! You do not have to reach a level of worthiness to use it or even be close to perfect. And don't fall for the lie that that there are certain sins you must carry and suffer for on your own because it's your purpose to endure those afflictions all the days of your life, or that you are being punished. Sin pulls you away from God and away from wholeness. It is not what He wants for you. But if you choose that path and change your mind later, He can and will use it all for your good because He loves you!
Our choices affect our lives, and our posterity. We may bring curses, illnesses, addictions, abuse etc. upon our lives that get passed down through the generations. But it doesn't have to be that way or stay that way. The Atonement doesn't just heal us, it heals our posterity, it heals generations! We can also pass on faith, belief, healing, prosperity, and miracles to our posterity.
In summary, it all comes down to our relationship with the Godhead, our understanding and use of the Atonement (even for feelings and emotions), and having an open mind and heart. How well do we know our Savior? Do we know Him as a God of Resurrection Power? What does that mean to us? Do we know that He can resurrect our dreams, our relationships, and our motivation? He is the Great Redeemer? What does that mean to us? He can redeem and restore lost blessings, lost opportunities, and our happiness. Do we know Him as the Savior? He saves us from sin, from pain, from sorrow and torment. He saves us from the Fall(death) and brings us towards life. Do you feel like you are full of life and zest and joy? Does passion for life and love burn within you? When you truly know the Savior you can't help but answer "yes"to all these questions.
We are not here to live mediocre. We are not here to stay inside our boxes and just learn the basics. Receiving the ordinances without receiving Christ in your heart doesn't do much good. Baptism without being born again of the Spirit is no different than baptizing a bag of sand. We have to open our minds and our hearts to the Spirit. We have to be changed from the natural man in order to experience the fullness. We have to be teachable and humble. We have to love unconditionally. And we must continue progressing this is part of "enduring".
Spiritual warfare is real. Are we doing all we can to cast out devils and unclean spirits every morning when we awake and every night before going to bed? Casting it out of our homes, our children, and our families? Casting out evil in all of its forms? Kicking it off of our property and calling on Heavenly protection to guard us? Blessing our homes and our families. Doing things to invite the Spirit into our bodies, our homes, and our lives? The battle is real and if we are ignorant to it we become victims rather than victors.
What we learn in this life will give us all the more advantage in the life to come.The greater truths that are going to help us progress, are not written about in books, or taught over the pulpit, they are taught by the Spirit. It is my hope and prayer that we allow the Spirit to become our guide and teacher. That we don't settle for mediocre, but instead set aside all fear, all doubt, and all disbelief and surrender ourselves to the Savior and all that He has for us. As we seek Him we will find Him and He will become our greatest teacher! We will have Divine experiences that we never thought possible. We will receive the mighty change of heart. I say this in Jesus' name amen.
While doing the dishes this morning in my kitchen, the Spirit impressed upon my mind the importance and urgency of writing a post about this topic today. I think this may be one of the most important blog posts I have ever written.There is a real spiritual warfare going on right now and when we are ignorant to it, we become victims. I believe that Satan wants us to be ignorant to it. He wants us to become consumed by life and all the stress and distractions. He wants our eyes to be covered and our minds to be loud and busy. Because if we were in-tune enough to see, still enough to hear, and open enough to receive, then we would be filled with such truths and knowledge about the Spirit World, how Satan operates, and the Kingdom of Heaven, that we would would become powerful against the enemy. Knowledge is power, truth is light, and light is Jesus. The greatest weapon against the adversary is light, truth, and our Savior Jesus Christ.
Through the Holy Ghost, Christ dwells within us. When we are filled with light, truth, and love, we are filled with Jesus. When we are filled with Jesus we have His power within us. When His power is within us, there is nothing we should fear.
Doctrine and Covenants 93:36-37
36 The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.
37 Light and truth forsake that evil one.
"Faith in Jesus Christ propels us to do things we otherwise would not do. Faith that motivates us to action gives us more access to His power. When you spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before, then His power will flow into you. And then you will understand the deep meaning of words we sing in the hymn “The Spirit of God”:
The Lord is extending the Saints’ understanding. …
The knowledge and power of God are expanding;
The veil o’er the earth is beginning to burst." - Russell M. Nelson
I truly believe that there are many members of the Church and many followers of Christ who have limited their own progression of light, truth, and knowledge because of their disbelief. Fear has caused them to doubt, and doubt has led to disbelief. They are closed off to further light and truth, and content with the basics. It's a safe zone. Truth and light will never be forced upon us by God. If we are not ready for it, open to it, and are not asking for it, then when it does cross our paths we will dismiss it or turn from it. We will doubt it, fear it, and disbelieve it.
You may have experienced this, what the Savior calls "cast(ing) pearls". You may have shared something beautiful, personal, and scared with someone only to find that they did not believe your words, thought you were deceived or that you were confused. When someone is not ready for, or open to truth, they will not feel touched by the Spirit. One person may read a scripture verse and find it boring, yet another may read that same scripture verse and be overcome by the Spirit and brought to tears. When we seek and we are ready, the Spirit will testify.
There is so much more to God's Kingdom than we understand. It is up to us to pursue Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, and God the Father, and develop a personal relationship with each of them. They are the teachers of the beautiful Mysteries. There are many truths that have been sealed up and not revealed to the Church as a whole because as a whole they are not ready. However, if we seek with faith and an open and honest heart, there is nothing that the Lord will withhold from us. We can learn the sealed truths and mysteries if it is God's will for us to know them. I assure you, there is nothing more that delights God, than when we seek Him and we seek to truly know Him.
2 Nephi 9:28,42-43
28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.
42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.
43 But the things of the wise and the prudent shall be hid from them forever—yea, that happiness which is prepared for the saints.
We learn from this scripture that even when we are knocking, when we are asking for answers, if we are not humble and do not realize that there is much we do not know or understand, then the Lord will not open. We will not find and we will not receive, because of our pride. We may refer to this as the Lord not answering our prayers. However, it is our own pride and disbelief that keeps us from receiving His answers.
Many view pride as strength and humility as weakness. If we admit that there is much we do not know, or that we have been wrong about some things, we fear that others may see us as weak and under-learned. That mindset is the very thing that closes us off to truth - further light and knowledge.
I can assure you from personal experience that there is nothing more liberating than letting go of all boundaries and paradigms, and just letting the Spirit be your guide. You may be guided to a book or article that you otherwise would have dismissed. In that article you may be led to a gem of truth pertinent to your purpose and mission. You may also come across error and deceit, yet with your gift of discernment you will know what to dismiss and what to grasp onto. The truth will fill you with warm light and exceeding joy, the error will leave you in a stupor of thought. Some truths you may feel are not for you to learn at this time.
Alma taught us how we can decipher: Alma 32:28
28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.
You may be guided to a person or teacher whose cultural background and beliefs differ greatly from yours, however there is something you are to learn from them that will will prepare you for the next gem of truth the Spirit would like to reveal. You will find that truth adds to your testimony of Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation. It never takes away from that. It fills you with peace, leaves you energized and with great clarity - it never leaves you confused or depleted.
You will find that all the people, places, books, videos, dreams, visions, etc. that you are led to, several years ago you would have ignored, dismissed, or overlooked. They may have appeared strange, unfamiliar, and out of your comfort zone. However, as you let down your guard and open yourself to the Spirit and all possibilities, you will find that the bits and pieces of truth that you learn here and there feel very familiar as if you had known all this before, and had just forgot.
There is truth spread all across this vast wilderness, and one day it will all be circumscribed into one great whole - but until then we have to seek it piece by piece, relying on our compass (the Holy Ghost) to be our guide. As you continue seeking, you'll soon find that you no longer approach truth with a sense of caution or fear. You are drawn to it like a magnet. You can feel it before it arrives. Someone or something who others might see as strange or different, you see at first glance as beautiful and highly valuable. You are eager to learn and open to truth in whatever form it may come. Because of the gift of discernment you have no reason to fear. Your relationship with the Holy Ghost is so solid that doubt has no room in your heart.
When we are quick to judge and criticize others, that is a red flag that we are not open minded people. We are not as little children. We are not humble. Little children love unconditionally, and they believe whatever their parents tell them to believe. They don't need proof, evidence, verification, references, or approval of others to believe - they just believe.
Mosiah 3:18
18 For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; but men drink damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become as little children, and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.
We cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven if we do not believe. Our spirit remembers all truth and hungers for our physical mind to catch on. When our soul truly hungers, it will be fed. Our spirit jumps for joy each time we seek truth, receive it, and believe it. The veil slowly peels back as truth begins to feel familiar to us. When we close ourselves off to truth because we don't understand it, we cause damnation to our souls. Because when we are not moving forward and progressing, we are moving backwards and regressing. There is no standing still. We are always in motion - either forward or backward. Forward is life, and backward is death. Truth is life eternal.
When our body is filled with sickness and pain, when emotionally we feel like we are "dying" inside - the physical is evidence of the spiritual. Are we open to truth, are we seeking light and moving forward? Or are we stuck in sin and moving backward? Are we content with the basics and stuck in false beliefs that hinder our progression. Beliefs that we are not worthy of God's love, we are not worthy of healing and miracles - they may be possible for others but not for us. Beliefs that God is punishing us, is angry at us, or has chosen a life of pain for us because we are to learn from it, or we were not worthy enough to be blessed with a life of joy. From the bottom of my heart, and from personal experience, I truly believe that these beliefs are false!
I have yet to meet a doubter who has received a miraculous healing. When I talk to people who are suffering from severe pain or illness they often talk about putting their faith and hope into finding the right drug, doctor, or medication - but I never hear them mention hope in a miraculous healing from the Lord. They don't believe it's possible that they could wake up the next morning and be miraculously healed. I remember asking a blind woman once if she had ever asked for a special prayer or blessing for the Lord to heal her eyes. She told me that she did not have the faith to ask for such a miracle, so she chose to accept her blindness instead. However her Great Grandmother had the same blindness and asked for a blessing in which she was instantly healed. The woman was aware of this miracle but told me her Great Grandmother had faith and she did not. She along with many others believes that she must accept this trial and bear it all her life - coupled with an underlying fear that what if they ask for healing and it doesn't work? Will they lose their faith in God all together? They feel it's safer to just not ask at all. We have access to the most amazing gift - the healing power of Jesus Christ and His Atonement, but many of us take it for granted.
In Doctrine and Covenants 29: 46-47 we learn that Satan has no power to tempt children until they reach the age of accountability. They are redeemed from the beginning through Jesus Christ.
46 But behold, I say unto you, that little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten;
47 Wherefore, they cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me;
Though Satan cannot tempt children (as they are not accountable), he certainly can torment and afflict them. He will jump at ever opportunity he gets. Devils and unclean spirits can and will attach to anyone who is vulnerable. Though Satan is given power to bruise our heel, we are given power to crush his head because of the Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. When you truly understand the Atonement and how to use it, you break the chains that Satan has bound you in. Chains of sickness, depression, fear, doubt, unforgiveness, pain, addiction, abuse, anger and so on. We don't have to tolerate Satan and his tormentors. We don't have to accept pain and live a life dependent on medications, surgeries, and therapists. We can be healed. We can be freed!
Pain, disease, and sickness are not of God and are not of the Celestial or Terrestrial worlds. You will not find it in His Kingdom. God is life. All things that promote life, happiness, joy, and love are of God. The City of Enoch bypassed death because they were already living the Celestial law and currently abiding in a Terrestrial world. They understood the Atonement and how to truly apply it. They understood the gospel of Jesus Christ and how to truly live it. Satan had no power over them. Death had no place among them.Sickness, illness, disease, and pain promote death. Death is of Satan - it is of this fallen Telestial world. He is anti-life in any shape and form. Because of our agency, we sometimes make choices in our lives that result in pain, disease, and sickness. Whether we choose to harbor feelings that are negative and allow those feelings to take root in us, or we choose to watch or participate in activities that drive away the Spirit and invite darkness into our soul, this is all classified as sin because sin is anything that pulls us away from life and from God. We are always planting seeds in our soul. Good seeds fill us with life, and bad seeds corrupt us with death. Until we repent and give our pain, sorrows, afflictions and sins to our Savior, we cannot be healed.
The Jews of the New Testament referred to sickness as "devils" or "unclean spirits". We read of many accounts of the Savior casting out "devils". Often times we don't realized that much of our sickness can be healed from simply raising our right hand to the square and casting out evil. From simple headaches to terrible fevers, the sickness is a manifestation of the adversary. Through the Spirit we can learn how we became vulnerable to those afflictions (a negative song, a violent TV show, pornography, speaking curse words at someone), so that we can avoid making the same mistakes in the future. Satan stands by waiting for an opportunity to torment us. Our choices can invite him into our homes to not only affect us but also our children. When the Spirit leaves, Satan moves in. If we are ignorant to his presence, we will not cast him out. In addition to casting him out, we should always be up to date on applying the Atonement. We should be repenting daily of sin, and casting our sorrows, negative thoughts, and feelings to the Savior. They don't leave on their own, we must take action through the Atonement.
I remember once hearing a woman complain about her family always being sick. Virus after virus from colds, to flues, to strep throat and pneumonia. For six months her family had been plagued and she was fatigued. Soon she learned that her husband had a pornography addiction. As he addressed the addiction and together they used the Atonement to heal and forgive, the sickness left their home.
Affliction and torment is not of God and He does not send it to us. When we sin or harbor negative feelings (which is also sin) we pull ourselves away from God and His protection, allowing Satan to have power over us. Because of free will and agency God allows this to happen. However we must remember that what Satan uses for our harm, God uses for our benefit. No negative experience in this life is wasted. We can choose to learn what we need to through a life of pain and affliction or through a life of miracles, joy, and healing.
Because we live in a Telestial world it does not mean that we have to live a Telestial glory in this mortal life. This is what is meant by the phrase be in the world but not of the world. (John 15:17) We can physically live in this Telesial world but live in a higher state/glory. By becoming purified, holy, and sanctified, we are not of this world. Satan has no power over us. Physically our bodies are here, but spiritually we operate from a higher realm.
Humility leads us beyond this world. An open mind allows us to find the truth and knowledge that will progress our soul. We are commanded to try and be like our Savior. Our Savior emulated everything that He saw the Father do. As we try to be like the Savior, we also become like our Father in Heaven as they are one in purpose. The goal of our existence is eternal life and to one day attain all that the Father has. Our Father in Heaven is glorified through His children. Our happiness, joy, progression and exaltation, glorifies Him.
John 17:10-11
And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
To illustrate the power of an open mind and heart, Jesus said in Matthew 13:15-17
15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
A couple verses down, Jesus then gives us the parable of the sower in which we learn that when people are given truth and they don't understand it, Satan comes along and "catcheth away that which was sown in his(their) heart." He explains that this is why He spoke in parables. He was protecting the unbelievers from Satan. This is why He counseled us not to cast our pearls before unbelievers. He then tells us that "he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." Those who understand the mysteries of truth in the parables, are those who bring forth a bounteous harvest of fruit. By their fruits ye shall know them (Matthew 7). Marvelous signs and wonders follow those that believe (Moroni 9). These are believers who are converted to the Lord 100%. They have received a mighty change of heart. They are operating in a Celestial realm. Miracles follow them, and where they are - there is no place for sickness or pain.
Have you been truly converted to the Lord? Have you received that mighty change of heart in which you have no desire to do evil? Have you released all sin to the Savior, or are you currently suffering for your own sins? You will know this by the way you feel. The Atonement is for all! You do not have to reach a level of worthiness to use it or even be close to perfect. And don't fall for the lie that that there are certain sins you must carry and suffer for on your own because it's your purpose to endure those afflictions all the days of your life, or that you are being punished. Sin pulls you away from God and away from wholeness. It is not what He wants for you. But if you choose that path and change your mind later, He can and will use it all for your good because He loves you!
Our choices affect our lives, and our posterity. We may bring curses, illnesses, addictions, abuse etc. upon our lives that get passed down through the generations. But it doesn't have to be that way or stay that way. The Atonement doesn't just heal us, it heals our posterity, it heals generations! We can also pass on faith, belief, healing, prosperity, and miracles to our posterity.
In summary, it all comes down to our relationship with the Godhead, our understanding and use of the Atonement (even for feelings and emotions), and having an open mind and heart. How well do we know our Savior? Do we know Him as a God of Resurrection Power? What does that mean to us? Do we know that He can resurrect our dreams, our relationships, and our motivation? He is the Great Redeemer? What does that mean to us? He can redeem and restore lost blessings, lost opportunities, and our happiness. Do we know Him as the Savior? He saves us from sin, from pain, from sorrow and torment. He saves us from the Fall(death) and brings us towards life. Do you feel like you are full of life and zest and joy? Does passion for life and love burn within you? When you truly know the Savior you can't help but answer "yes"to all these questions.
We are not here to live mediocre. We are not here to stay inside our boxes and just learn the basics. Receiving the ordinances without receiving Christ in your heart doesn't do much good. Baptism without being born again of the Spirit is no different than baptizing a bag of sand. We have to open our minds and our hearts to the Spirit. We have to be changed from the natural man in order to experience the fullness. We have to be teachable and humble. We have to love unconditionally. And we must continue progressing this is part of "enduring".
Spiritual warfare is real. Are we doing all we can to cast out devils and unclean spirits every morning when we awake and every night before going to bed? Casting it out of our homes, our children, and our families? Casting out evil in all of its forms? Kicking it off of our property and calling on Heavenly protection to guard us? Blessing our homes and our families. Doing things to invite the Spirit into our bodies, our homes, and our lives? The battle is real and if we are ignorant to it we become victims rather than victors.
What we learn in this life will give us all the more advantage in the life to come.The greater truths that are going to help us progress, are not written about in books, or taught over the pulpit, they are taught by the Spirit. It is my hope and prayer that we allow the Spirit to become our guide and teacher. That we don't settle for mediocre, but instead set aside all fear, all doubt, and all disbelief and surrender ourselves to the Savior and all that He has for us. As we seek Him we will find Him and He will become our greatest teacher! We will have Divine experiences that we never thought possible. We will receive the mighty change of heart. I say this in Jesus' name amen.
Thursday, April 27, 2017
The Real Power of Music - Things You Didn't Know
A few weeks ago, I taught my son's primary class at church. I was so excited that the lesson was all about the hymn book. Whenever I teach a lesson, I always go the extra mile and put forth all my passion into the lesson. When I substitute primary, the kids feed off of my passion and the Spirit is always so strong.
Truly, I believe that children today hunger for truth. When lessons are watered down, generic, or void of the Spirit, the kids lose interest. There were kids in my son's class who (according to my son) normally disrupt and struggle to focus or participate - who happened to be the most participating kids in the class that day. They were eager to learn and feel the Spirit. They smiled, shared thoughts, asked questions and didn't want the lesson to come to an end. When I realized time had run out, they begged me to go five minutes over so they could hear the rest of the lesson. There was a wonderful Spirit in the class that day and we had an incredible discussion about the power of music!
The lesson had such an impact on the children, that one of the boys volunteered to sing a solo during music time in front of the entire primary. His father was quite surprised, as I guess he normally doesn't do that sort of thing. He sang with the sweetest voice, the most beautiful song, and he tried his best. I really felt that the lesson made an impact in his life.
The lesson was about the Hymn Book and how Emma Smith was commissioned to create a book of hymns for the early saints. I felt impressed to take it a step further, and talk with the kids about why music is so important. They told me they had no idea! So, I thought I would share the material we talked about here on my blog.
Why do we sing at church?
We sing at the opening of the sacrament meeting, then we sing again prior to blessing the sacrament, then we sing an intermission hymn, then we sing another hymn to close the meeting. So, why is music such a big part of our church meetings? Music is a language. It’s the language of the Spirit. Your Spirit speaks that language and that’s why you feel really good when you hear certain songs. The adversary also uses music as a language. Some songs make us feel down, anxious, negative, or depressed. Brigham Young once said: “There is no music in hell, for all good music belongs to heaven".
What difference do you think it would make if we didn't sing church meetings?
I once had a young bishop (who was the same age as me) in an old ward, who took music very seriously. On more than one occasion he would interrupt the hymns in sacrament meeting (mid singing) and ask the congregation to start over. He would give a quick sermon about the importance of "everyone" singing, and remind us that hymns are prayers. If he saw people not singing, or the congregation was singing too quietly he would do this every time. Eventually the ward got better at taking the hymns more seriously. They would sing with boldness, with passion, and with the Spirit. It truly improved our meetings and invited the Spirit in, and very much improved fast and testimony meetings.
Boyd K. Packer once said, “Music is of enormous importance in our worship services. I believe that those who choose, conduct, present, and accompany the music may influence the spirit of reverence in our meetings more than a speaker does”
I remember once while serving as first counselor in the primary presidency, being told to always let music time go longer if needed. Never cut it short to make time for the sharing time lesson, because the music was more important. At the time I didn't understand and I always felt sad when music time cut so much into my lesson that I was only left with 6 minutes to teach. Of course, I don't feel that way anymore.
The First Presidency of the Church has said, “Brothers and sisters, let us use the hymns to invite the spirit of the Lord into our congregations, our homes, and our personal lives. Let us memorize and ponder them, recite and sing them, and partake of their spiritual nourishment. Know that the song of the righteous is a prayer unto our Father in Heaven, ‘and it shall be answered with a blessing upon [your] heads’”
I have found that there are three ways that music works as a power in our lives.
1) Power of Worship
David was a son of Jesse of the tribe of Judah. He was a courageous youth who slew a lion, a bear, and the Philistine giant Goliath (1 Sam. 17). David was chosen and anointed to be king of Israel. David was also a skilled musician and while king, he created a vast musical program in which four thousand Levites were selected as musicians and trained for the elaborate choral and instrumental music that was introduced by David into the religious services of Israel. The entire book of Psalms which translates in Hebrew as "praises", is in essence a book of songs and David is accredited as it's author. The Psalms were written not merely as poems, but as worship songs for singing.
More than a third of the psalms are addressed to the Director of Music. Some psalms exhort the worshiper to sing (e.g. Pss. 33:1-3; 92:1-3; 96:1-3; 98:1; 101:1; 150). Some Psalms were to be accompanied by stringed instruments (Neginah, Neginoth Ps. 4; 54–55; 61; 67; 76; and Hab. 3:19), others by wind instruments (Nehiloth Ps. 5); while such titles as “Set to Alamoth” (“maidens,” Ps. 46), or “Set to the Sheminith” (“the octave,” Ps. 6; 12), seem to imply that there was singing in parts. Some of the titles appear to be intended to indicate the character of the Psalm, as Maschil (“giving instruction,” Ps. 32; 42; 44–45; 52–55; 74; 78; and 88–89), Michtam, rendered by some Golden Psalm (Ps. 16; 56–60); while Shiggaion (Ps. 7) with Shigionoth (Hab. 3:1) may refer to the irregular erratic style of the compositions, and Gittith (“belonging to Gath,” Ps. 8; 81; 84) may relate either to the melody or to the instrument used in the performance. The other titles are all probably names of tunes, well known at the time, to which the Psalms were appointed to be sung. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psalms https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bd/psalms
Masoretic cantillation, is the ritual chanting of readings from the Hebrew Bible in synagogue services. The chants are written and notated in accordance with the special signs or marks printed in the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Bible (or Tanakh) to complement the letters and vowel points. David. C. Mitchell discovered that when applying Psalm 114 to the Masoretic cantillation, a melody can be found that is recognizable as the tonus peregrinus of church and synagogue. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psalms
New Testament references show that the earliest Christians used the Psalms in worship, and the Psalms have remained an important part of worship in most Christian Churches. In fact, some Christian denominations only sing Psalms in their services, and no other non-Biblical hymns.
Many Near Death Experience encounters, testify of hearing music of praise and worship when they cross through the veil. In fact, many witnesses speak of angels, plants, flowers and even animals singing praises about them as they pass through the veil. Music appears to be a language that is widely used in the Heavenly spirit realm.
In a recent post, I shared a discovery of the sounds of crickets being slowed down to reveal a Heavenly chorus of worship and praise music. It is no wonder in the hymn, Sing Praise to Him we hear the words, "All creatures of our God and King,. Lift up your voice and with us sing" I believe the Lord created all creatures to sing praises unto Him. I can't help but notice that the word "create" is found in the word "creature". All of the Lord's creations were made with purpose, and made for praise, and to testify of the goodness of the Lord.
In Pslams 148, David exhorts all creatures, animals and people to:
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
8 Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word:
9 Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
10 Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:
11 Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:
12 Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:
2) Power of Healing
Music used for healing can be traced back to the creation of the Chinese characters because the word for medicine (yao) comes from the word for music (yue). Music purifies and uplifts the soul. https://www.andywasserman.com/arts-in-ed/holistic-music-healing
In some of the books I have written, and in my workshops and presentations, I teach about the healing power of music. One research study that I often speak about is that of John Hutchinson, an electro-magnetic energy expert from Vancouver, B.C. Canada, who has verified that a certain selection of “music” has helped purify poisoned water. Using the 528Hz frequency, known as the love/DNA repair frequency, he and his partner Nancy Lazaryan were able to heal water from the Gulf Oil Spill in 2010. The frequencies they selected have been shown scientifically to reduce the oil and grease in polluted waters in the Gulf of Mexico from 7 ppm to less than 1 ppm, restoring the water's vitality as manifest by the return of fish, dolphins and even barnacles to a region of Perdido Bay in Lillian, Alabama, USA, where they conducted their first test. The area was treated with the frequencies for four hours the first day, and by the next morning, the waters were cleared.
Dr. Masaru Emoto is world renowned for his research with water. You may have heard of the rice jar experiments that children often do in science class. The student takes two jars filled with rice and water. For 30 days they speak kinds words and play beautiful music to one jar, and unkind words and unpleasant music to the other jar. After the 30 days the rice in "unkind" jar turns putrid and black. The rice in the "kind" jar stays white and clean.
Dr. Emoto can be credited for these experiments stemming from his research. Emoto's water crystal experiments consisted of exposing water in glasses to different words, pictures or music, and then freezing and examining the aesthetic properties of the resulting crystals with microscopic photography. Emoto made the claim that water exposed to positive speech and thoughts would result in visually "pleasing" crystals being formed when that water was frozen, and that negative intention would yield "ugly" frozen crystal formations.
I too, can vouch for music working as a tool for healing. There have been countless times I have played music with a 528 Hz frequency around my children when they have been injured or sick and we have experienced miracles. I believe that because God is love, when we are in tune with Him, we are aligned with His will and therefore sync ourselves to the 528 Hz frequency. Unconditional love heals and unconditional love is who God is.
Ancient civilizations understood the powerful benefit of sound and vibration. They composed music based on the perfect mathematical proportions that can be found in the construction of many sacred temples, space, and time. These tones are used in the Gregorian chants of the western Roman Catholic Church.
The original Solfeggio scale was developed by a Benedictine monk, Guido d’Arezzo (c. 991 AD – c. 1050 AD). It was used by singers to learn chants and songs more easily. Today we know the Solfeggio scale as seven ascending notes assigned to the syllables Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti. The original scale was six ascending notes assigned to Ut-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La. The syllables for the scale were taken from a hymn to St. John the Baptist, Ut Queant Laxis, written by Paulus Diaconus.
Guido d’Arezzo. In the mid-1970’s Dr. Joseph Puleo, a physician and America’s leading herbalist, found six electro-magnetic sound frequencies that corresponded to the syllables from the hymn to St. John the Baptist. https://attunedvibrations.com/solfeggio/
In many cultures today, notes on the scale and music written in certain keys, are used as medicine to heal specific areas of the body. Best Selling Deseret Book authors Karol Truman and Carol Tuttle both have written about this topic. I've had the privilege to meet with Karol Truman and interview her about music and healing. She shared with me that her husband Delmont, has the gift of healing through his singing voice. His voice is perfectly pitched in such a way that when he sings, he heals people. Karol herself has also written music that she feels was Divinely inspired, that heals the mind, body, and soul.
Karol says, "Each of us has every note of the musical scale in our body and speaking voice. Every note corresponds to an energy center in our body. Many of us however, are lacking the note of B,Sadly, this is our Spiritual energy center. By listening to music in the Key of B, you can help restore the B note in your body/voice."
She shared with me a special story about a friend of hers who had the gift of recognizing notes that were missing in a person's voice. If someone was sick, she could detect the missing note/frequency and be able to sing that frequency/note back into their being. Her friend's son was one day very ill in the hospital. She called him on the phone and detected the missing note in his voice. When she got to the hospital she was able to sing him back to wellness!
I believe that our sacred hymns not only heal because of their words (there is power in the Word) but because of the music itself. There is Divine power in the notes themselves. It is the language of the Spirit the language of Heaven. We can cast out darkness through prayer and we can cast out darkness when we sing or play a hymn. When we cast out darkness, powerful healing can take place.
3) Power of Warfare
Music has been used in warfare all throughout the ages of man. Chapter 6 of the Old Testament’s book of Joshua, contains an exceptionally detailed description of the deployment of ram’s horns used in warfare against Jericho, the oldest fortified human settlement known to archaeology. Although ram’s horns do indeed make a powerful blast of sound. Priests blowing their horns in unison, fired up his warriors and weakened the Canaanites’ will to resist, and the entire city wall came crumbling to the ground.
Bagpipes, drums, horns, and flutes, have all been used on the battlefield. Music is a language and code in battle. I believe the same to be true with spiritual warfare. We can fight off the powers of darkness with praise and worship music - especially hymns.
Though music is used in battle, it has often been used on the battlefield to establish peace. Here are four examples:
1) During the American Civil War, musical duels between the two sides were common, as they heard each other as the music traveled across the countryside. The night before the Battle of Stones River, bands from both sides dueled with separate songs, until both sides started playing Home! Sweet Home!, at which time soldiers on both sides started singing together as one. A similar situation occurred in Fredericksburg,Virginia in the winter of 1862–3. On a cold afternoon a Union band started playing Northern patriotic tunes; a Southern band responded by playing Southern patriotic tunes. This back and forth continued into the night, until at the end both sides played Home! Sweet Home! simultaneously, to the cheers of both sides' forces. In a third instance, in the spring of 1863, the opposing armies were on the opposite sides of the Rappahannock River in Virginia, when the different sides played their patriotic tunes, and at taps one side played Home! Sweet Home!, and the other joined in, creating "cheers" from both sides that echoed throughout the hilly countryside.
2) During World War I, one morning 100 years ago, thousands of British, Belgian and French soldiers put down their rifles, stepped out of their trenches and spent Christmas mingling with their German enemies along the Western front. Most accounts suggest the truce began with carol singing from the trenches on Christmas Eve, "a beautiful moonlit night, frost on the ground, white almost everywhere", as Pvt. Albert Moren of the Second Queens Regiment recalled.
“First the Germans would sing one of their carols and then we would sing one of ours, until when we started up ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’ the Germans immediately joined in singing the same hymn to the Latin words Adeste Fideles. And I thought, well, this is really a most extraordinary thing – two nations both singing the same carol in the middle of a war.”
The next morning, in some places, German soldiers emerged from their trenches, calling out “Merry Christmas” in English. Allied soldiers came out warily to greet them. In others, Germans held up signs reading "You no shoot, we no shoot." Over the course of the day, troops exchanged gifts of cigarettes, food, buttons and hats. The Christmas truce also allowed both sides to finally bury their dead comrades, whose bodies had lain for weeks on "no man's land," the ground between opposing trenches.http://time.com/3643889/christmas-truce-1914/
3) Years ago, two Church members in Salt Lake City were having a serious argument about some business matters. They came to President Taylor and asked him if he would listen to their story and make a decision for them. President Taylor agreed to listen. But he said, “Brethren, before I hear your case, I would like very much to sing one of the songs of Zion for you.”
President Taylor was a good singer. He enthusiastically sang a hymn to the two men. Then he sang a second and then a third hymn. Then he said, “Now, brethren, I do not want to wear you out, but if you will forgive me, and listen to one more hymn, I promise to stop singing, and will hear your case.” When President Taylor had finished the fourth song, the brethren were so touched by the hymns that they had tears in their eyes. They shook hands, apologized to President Taylor for taking up his time, and left without telling President Taylor what their problem was.
4) A group of Latter-day Saint pioneers, led by Brigham Young, were near the Rocky Mountains. One night they camped in a small valley. After supper they built a big bonfire. They sang and danced around the bonfire to help them forget their fears and worries.Before they went to bed in their wagons, leaving a single guard on duty, they sang “Come, Come, Ye Saints,” a song they used to encourage each other and show their dedication to the Lord.
That night there were a thousand unfriendly Indians hiding around the camp, ready to attack the pioneers. But after the Indians heard the pioneers sing “Come, Come, Ye Saints,” they were unable to attack. They knew the Great Spirit (their name for Heavenly Father) was watching over the pioneers, so they got on their horses and rode away, leaving the pioneers alone.
Some time later, the man who had been chief over the group of Indians told this story to some Latter-day Saint missionaries. When he finished the story, he took out a violin and began to play “Come, Come, Ye Saints.” He explained to the missionaries, “This is your song, but it is my song, too. I play it every night before I go to bed. It brings the Great Spirit here to me and makes me and my people calm and happy.” (See Lucile C. Reading, “Song of the Pioneers,")
Scientists have measured the frequencies of words and music. They have proven that words and music with certain frequencies attract like frequencies. We can attract darkness or light into our lives from the music that we listen to!
Whenever I experience contention in my home, I turn on hymns or worship music in a back bedroom or sometimes full volume throughout the house, and the contention dissipates every time. Music is powerful against the enemy!
Our Hymns
I encourage you to study the hymns in the hymn book. Some of the writers of the earliest hymns were close to the prophet Joseph Smith. I can only imagine some of the glorious and wonderful things they learned that were too sacred to share in public. And I can't help but wonder if they subtly wrote about them in the hymns. I myself have been taught beautiful things by the Spirit through the hymns. I testify that if you study the hymns and learn about the writers of the hymns, you too will be taught beautiful truths through the Spirit.
What are your favorite hymns and why? I'd love for you to share below.
Lastly, I just want to share a brief history of the timeline of the LDS hymn book. Did you know each collection had a special theme? In fact, the 1908 collection is what inspired President Taylor in the story above, to sing to the two business men. They were new songs themed on Zion, and he was very much a fan. I also want to include a link to the very first hymn book. Many of these hymns are not in our current hymn book. I encourage you to study them as well, and you will love what the Spirit shares with you!
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/collection-of-sacred-hymns-1835/1
Emma Smith’s Hymn Collection, 1835
Israel,” “How Firm a Foundation,” and “The Spirit of God,” are found in the 1985 edition of the hymnbook Emma’s hymnbook, entitled A Collection of Sacred Hymns for the Church of the Latter Day Saints, appeared in print in August 1835. The vest-pocket edition. 26 of the original ninety texts, including “Redeemer of .) 90 hymns
The Manchester Hymnal, 1840
One of the most important hymnals of the Church was first published in Manchester, England, in March of 1840 by Brigham Young, Parley P. Pratt, and John Taylor. Entitled A Collection of Sacred Hymns for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Europe, it contained 271 hymn texts.
The Psalmody, 1889
The new Latter-day Saints’ Psalmody, published in Salt Lake City, was the first large collection of hymns to include musical settings with the texts. According to the preface, dated 27 May 1889, this hymnal was designed “to present a suitable and acceptable tune to every hymn in the Latter-day Saints’ Hymn Book.” It included many “choir hymns”—such as “Behold the Great Redeemer Die” and “As the Dew from Heaven Distilling”—created by Latter-day Saint composers for the Tabernacle Choir’s weekly performances.
Songs of Zion, 1908
Songs of Zion was compiled by nine mission presidents in the United States and was published in 1908 by the Northern States Mission in Chicago. Included about one hundred gospel hymns, among them “Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel,” “Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd,” and “Do What Is Right.”
Deseret Sunday School Songs, 1909
Published by the Deseret Sunday School Union in 1909, Deseret Sunday School Songs was patterned after Songs of Zion, which had been well received by the Church membership. It contained favorite songs of members and choristers throughout the Church, including “In Our Lovely Deseret,” “Who’s On the Lord’s Side?” and “Count Your Blessings.” Intended for use in “Sunday School, Primary, Religion Classes, and Home Socials,” this book quickly became the most popular hymnbook in the Church.
Hymns, 1927
The General Music Committee, organized in 1920, was assigned the task of compiling a new hymnal that would combine the best of the Manchester hymnal, the Psalmody of 1889, and Songs of Zion. Although new works were secured through a hymn contest, the works of Evan Stephens and others of the older generation were the bulk of the collection. The new hymnal was entitled Latter-day Saint Hymns but was commonly referred to as the “green hymnbook.” It was used along with Deseret Sunday School Songs until 1948, when Hymns merged the two.
Hymns, 1948
In October 1943, work began on a new hymnbook. Plans were also made for a recreational songbook for youth and for a children’s songbook.
When it was published in 1948, Hymns, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consisted of 387 hymns. The book had four general classifications: congregation, choir, men’s voices, and women’s voices. Nearly half of the tunes in the 1948 edition of Hymns were borrowed from non-LDS sources.
This hymnal was congregation-centered. But it also contained choir selections that were generally more elaborate than those intended for congregational use.
Hymns, 1950
Two years after the 1948 edition of Hymns was published, a revision was made. This edition replaced some of the hymns in the 1948 edition with hymns from earlier LDS hymnbooks.
Hymns, 1985
Through the decades, a diverse Latter-day Saint hymnody has developed. It includes simple American hymns, appealing gospel songs, noble hymns sung by the early English Saints, hymns borrowed from other religious traditions, unique LDS choir hymns of the late 1800s, and other hymns created by Latter-day Saints.
With the 1985 edition, new hymns from this generation have been added to a balanced selection of old and borrowed hymns.
Truly, I believe that children today hunger for truth. When lessons are watered down, generic, or void of the Spirit, the kids lose interest. There were kids in my son's class who (according to my son) normally disrupt and struggle to focus or participate - who happened to be the most participating kids in the class that day. They were eager to learn and feel the Spirit. They smiled, shared thoughts, asked questions and didn't want the lesson to come to an end. When I realized time had run out, they begged me to go five minutes over so they could hear the rest of the lesson. There was a wonderful Spirit in the class that day and we had an incredible discussion about the power of music!
The lesson had such an impact on the children, that one of the boys volunteered to sing a solo during music time in front of the entire primary. His father was quite surprised, as I guess he normally doesn't do that sort of thing. He sang with the sweetest voice, the most beautiful song, and he tried his best. I really felt that the lesson made an impact in his life.
The lesson was about the Hymn Book and how Emma Smith was commissioned to create a book of hymns for the early saints. I felt impressed to take it a step further, and talk with the kids about why music is so important. They told me they had no idea! So, I thought I would share the material we talked about here on my blog.
Why do we sing at church?
We sing at the opening of the sacrament meeting, then we sing again prior to blessing the sacrament, then we sing an intermission hymn, then we sing another hymn to close the meeting. So, why is music such a big part of our church meetings? Music is a language. It’s the language of the Spirit. Your Spirit speaks that language and that’s why you feel really good when you hear certain songs. The adversary also uses music as a language. Some songs make us feel down, anxious, negative, or depressed. Brigham Young once said: “There is no music in hell, for all good music belongs to heaven".
What difference do you think it would make if we didn't sing church meetings?
I once had a young bishop (who was the same age as me) in an old ward, who took music very seriously. On more than one occasion he would interrupt the hymns in sacrament meeting (mid singing) and ask the congregation to start over. He would give a quick sermon about the importance of "everyone" singing, and remind us that hymns are prayers. If he saw people not singing, or the congregation was singing too quietly he would do this every time. Eventually the ward got better at taking the hymns more seriously. They would sing with boldness, with passion, and with the Spirit. It truly improved our meetings and invited the Spirit in, and very much improved fast and testimony meetings.
Boyd K. Packer once said, “Music is of enormous importance in our worship services. I believe that those who choose, conduct, present, and accompany the music may influence the spirit of reverence in our meetings more than a speaker does”
I remember once while serving as first counselor in the primary presidency, being told to always let music time go longer if needed. Never cut it short to make time for the sharing time lesson, because the music was more important. At the time I didn't understand and I always felt sad when music time cut so much into my lesson that I was only left with 6 minutes to teach. Of course, I don't feel that way anymore.
The First Presidency of the Church has said, “Brothers and sisters, let us use the hymns to invite the spirit of the Lord into our congregations, our homes, and our personal lives. Let us memorize and ponder them, recite and sing them, and partake of their spiritual nourishment. Know that the song of the righteous is a prayer unto our Father in Heaven, ‘and it shall be answered with a blessing upon [your] heads’”
1) Power of Worship
David was a son of Jesse of the tribe of Judah. He was a courageous youth who slew a lion, a bear, and the Philistine giant Goliath (1 Sam. 17). David was chosen and anointed to be king of Israel. David was also a skilled musician and while king, he created a vast musical program in which four thousand Levites were selected as musicians and trained for the elaborate choral and instrumental music that was introduced by David into the religious services of Israel. The entire book of Psalms which translates in Hebrew as "praises", is in essence a book of songs and David is accredited as it's author. The Psalms were written not merely as poems, but as worship songs for singing.
More than a third of the psalms are addressed to the Director of Music. Some psalms exhort the worshiper to sing (e.g. Pss. 33:1-3; 92:1-3; 96:1-3; 98:1; 101:1; 150). Some Psalms were to be accompanied by stringed instruments (Neginah, Neginoth Ps. 4; 54–55; 61; 67; 76; and Hab. 3:19), others by wind instruments (Nehiloth Ps. 5); while such titles as “Set to Alamoth” (“maidens,” Ps. 46), or “Set to the Sheminith” (“the octave,” Ps. 6; 12), seem to imply that there was singing in parts. Some of the titles appear to be intended to indicate the character of the Psalm, as Maschil (“giving instruction,” Ps. 32; 42; 44–45; 52–55; 74; 78; and 88–89), Michtam, rendered by some Golden Psalm (Ps. 16; 56–60); while Shiggaion (Ps. 7) with Shigionoth (Hab. 3:1) may refer to the irregular erratic style of the compositions, and Gittith (“belonging to Gath,” Ps. 8; 81; 84) may relate either to the melody or to the instrument used in the performance. The other titles are all probably names of tunes, well known at the time, to which the Psalms were appointed to be sung. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psalms https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bd/psalms
Masoretic cantillation, is the ritual chanting of readings from the Hebrew Bible in synagogue services. The chants are written and notated in accordance with the special signs or marks printed in the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Bible (or Tanakh) to complement the letters and vowel points. David. C. Mitchell discovered that when applying Psalm 114 to the Masoretic cantillation, a melody can be found that is recognizable as the tonus peregrinus of church and synagogue. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psalms
New Testament references show that the earliest Christians used the Psalms in worship, and the Psalms have remained an important part of worship in most Christian Churches. In fact, some Christian denominations only sing Psalms in their services, and no other non-Biblical hymns.
Many Near Death Experience encounters, testify of hearing music of praise and worship when they cross through the veil. In fact, many witnesses speak of angels, plants, flowers and even animals singing praises about them as they pass through the veil. Music appears to be a language that is widely used in the Heavenly spirit realm.
In a recent post, I shared a discovery of the sounds of crickets being slowed down to reveal a Heavenly chorus of worship and praise music. It is no wonder in the hymn, Sing Praise to Him we hear the words, "All creatures of our God and King,. Lift up your voice and with us sing" I believe the Lord created all creatures to sing praises unto Him. I can't help but notice that the word "create" is found in the word "creature". All of the Lord's creations were made with purpose, and made for praise, and to testify of the goodness of the Lord.
In Pslams 148, David exhorts all creatures, animals and people to:
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
8 Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word:
9 Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
10 Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:
11 Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:
12 Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:
2) Power of Healing
Music used for healing can be traced back to the creation of the Chinese characters because the word for medicine (yao) comes from the word for music (yue). Music purifies and uplifts the soul. https://www.andywasserman.com/arts-in-ed/holistic-music-healing
In some of the books I have written, and in my workshops and presentations, I teach about the healing power of music. One research study that I often speak about is that of John Hutchinson, an electro-magnetic energy expert from Vancouver, B.C. Canada, who has verified that a certain selection of “music” has helped purify poisoned water. Using the 528Hz frequency, known as the love/DNA repair frequency, he and his partner Nancy Lazaryan were able to heal water from the Gulf Oil Spill in 2010. The frequencies they selected have been shown scientifically to reduce the oil and grease in polluted waters in the Gulf of Mexico from 7 ppm to less than 1 ppm, restoring the water's vitality as manifest by the return of fish, dolphins and even barnacles to a region of Perdido Bay in Lillian, Alabama, USA, where they conducted their first test. The area was treated with the frequencies for four hours the first day, and by the next morning, the waters were cleared.
Dr. Masaru Emoto is world renowned for his research with water. You may have heard of the rice jar experiments that children often do in science class. The student takes two jars filled with rice and water. For 30 days they speak kinds words and play beautiful music to one jar, and unkind words and unpleasant music to the other jar. After the 30 days the rice in "unkind" jar turns putrid and black. The rice in the "kind" jar stays white and clean.
Dr. Emoto can be credited for these experiments stemming from his research. Emoto's water crystal experiments consisted of exposing water in glasses to different words, pictures or music, and then freezing and examining the aesthetic properties of the resulting crystals with microscopic photography. Emoto made the claim that water exposed to positive speech and thoughts would result in visually "pleasing" crystals being formed when that water was frozen, and that negative intention would yield "ugly" frozen crystal formations.
I too, can vouch for music working as a tool for healing. There have been countless times I have played music with a 528 Hz frequency around my children when they have been injured or sick and we have experienced miracles. I believe that because God is love, when we are in tune with Him, we are aligned with His will and therefore sync ourselves to the 528 Hz frequency. Unconditional love heals and unconditional love is who God is.
Ancient civilizations understood the powerful benefit of sound and vibration. They composed music based on the perfect mathematical proportions that can be found in the construction of many sacred temples, space, and time. These tones are used in the Gregorian chants of the western Roman Catholic Church.
The original Solfeggio scale was developed by a Benedictine monk, Guido d’Arezzo (c. 991 AD – c. 1050 AD). It was used by singers to learn chants and songs more easily. Today we know the Solfeggio scale as seven ascending notes assigned to the syllables Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti. The original scale was six ascending notes assigned to Ut-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La. The syllables for the scale were taken from a hymn to St. John the Baptist, Ut Queant Laxis, written by Paulus Diaconus.
Guido d’Arezzo. In the mid-1970’s Dr. Joseph Puleo, a physician and America’s leading herbalist, found six electro-magnetic sound frequencies that corresponded to the syllables from the hymn to St. John the Baptist. https://attunedvibrations.com/solfeggio/
In many cultures today, notes on the scale and music written in certain keys, are used as medicine to heal specific areas of the body. Best Selling Deseret Book authors Karol Truman and Carol Tuttle both have written about this topic. I've had the privilege to meet with Karol Truman and interview her about music and healing. She shared with me that her husband Delmont, has the gift of healing through his singing voice. His voice is perfectly pitched in such a way that when he sings, he heals people. Karol herself has also written music that she feels was Divinely inspired, that heals the mind, body, and soul.
Karol says, "Each of us has every note of the musical scale in our body and speaking voice. Every note corresponds to an energy center in our body. Many of us however, are lacking the note of B,Sadly, this is our Spiritual energy center. By listening to music in the Key of B, you can help restore the B note in your body/voice."
She shared with me a special story about a friend of hers who had the gift of recognizing notes that were missing in a person's voice. If someone was sick, she could detect the missing note/frequency and be able to sing that frequency/note back into their being. Her friend's son was one day very ill in the hospital. She called him on the phone and detected the missing note in his voice. When she got to the hospital she was able to sing him back to wellness!
I believe that our sacred hymns not only heal because of their words (there is power in the Word) but because of the music itself. There is Divine power in the notes themselves. It is the language of the Spirit the language of Heaven. We can cast out darkness through prayer and we can cast out darkness when we sing or play a hymn. When we cast out darkness, powerful healing can take place.
3) Power of Warfare
Music has been used in warfare all throughout the ages of man. Chapter 6 of the Old Testament’s book of Joshua, contains an exceptionally detailed description of the deployment of ram’s horns used in warfare against Jericho, the oldest fortified human settlement known to archaeology. Although ram’s horns do indeed make a powerful blast of sound. Priests blowing their horns in unison, fired up his warriors and weakened the Canaanites’ will to resist, and the entire city wall came crumbling to the ground.
Bagpipes, drums, horns, and flutes, have all been used on the battlefield. Music is a language and code in battle. I believe the same to be true with spiritual warfare. We can fight off the powers of darkness with praise and worship music - especially hymns.
Though music is used in battle, it has often been used on the battlefield to establish peace. Here are four examples:
1) During the American Civil War, musical duels between the two sides were common, as they heard each other as the music traveled across the countryside. The night before the Battle of Stones River, bands from both sides dueled with separate songs, until both sides started playing Home! Sweet Home!, at which time soldiers on both sides started singing together as one. A similar situation occurred in Fredericksburg,Virginia in the winter of 1862–3. On a cold afternoon a Union band started playing Northern patriotic tunes; a Southern band responded by playing Southern patriotic tunes. This back and forth continued into the night, until at the end both sides played Home! Sweet Home! simultaneously, to the cheers of both sides' forces. In a third instance, in the spring of 1863, the opposing armies were on the opposite sides of the Rappahannock River in Virginia, when the different sides played their patriotic tunes, and at taps one side played Home! Sweet Home!, and the other joined in, creating "cheers" from both sides that echoed throughout the hilly countryside.
2) During World War I, one morning 100 years ago, thousands of British, Belgian and French soldiers put down their rifles, stepped out of their trenches and spent Christmas mingling with their German enemies along the Western front. Most accounts suggest the truce began with carol singing from the trenches on Christmas Eve, "a beautiful moonlit night, frost on the ground, white almost everywhere", as Pvt. Albert Moren of the Second Queens Regiment recalled.
“First the Germans would sing one of their carols and then we would sing one of ours, until when we started up ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’ the Germans immediately joined in singing the same hymn to the Latin words Adeste Fideles. And I thought, well, this is really a most extraordinary thing – two nations both singing the same carol in the middle of a war.”
The next morning, in some places, German soldiers emerged from their trenches, calling out “Merry Christmas” in English. Allied soldiers came out warily to greet them. In others, Germans held up signs reading "You no shoot, we no shoot." Over the course of the day, troops exchanged gifts of cigarettes, food, buttons and hats. The Christmas truce also allowed both sides to finally bury their dead comrades, whose bodies had lain for weeks on "no man's land," the ground between opposing trenches.http://time.com/3643889/christmas-truce-1914/
3) Years ago, two Church members in Salt Lake City were having a serious argument about some business matters. They came to President Taylor and asked him if he would listen to their story and make a decision for them. President Taylor agreed to listen. But he said, “Brethren, before I hear your case, I would like very much to sing one of the songs of Zion for you.”
President Taylor was a good singer. He enthusiastically sang a hymn to the two men. Then he sang a second and then a third hymn. Then he said, “Now, brethren, I do not want to wear you out, but if you will forgive me, and listen to one more hymn, I promise to stop singing, and will hear your case.” When President Taylor had finished the fourth song, the brethren were so touched by the hymns that they had tears in their eyes. They shook hands, apologized to President Taylor for taking up his time, and left without telling President Taylor what their problem was.
4) A group of Latter-day Saint pioneers, led by Brigham Young, were near the Rocky Mountains. One night they camped in a small valley. After supper they built a big bonfire. They sang and danced around the bonfire to help them forget their fears and worries.Before they went to bed in their wagons, leaving a single guard on duty, they sang “Come, Come, Ye Saints,” a song they used to encourage each other and show their dedication to the Lord.
That night there were a thousand unfriendly Indians hiding around the camp, ready to attack the pioneers. But after the Indians heard the pioneers sing “Come, Come, Ye Saints,” they were unable to attack. They knew the Great Spirit (their name for Heavenly Father) was watching over the pioneers, so they got on their horses and rode away, leaving the pioneers alone.
Some time later, the man who had been chief over the group of Indians told this story to some Latter-day Saint missionaries. When he finished the story, he took out a violin and began to play “Come, Come, Ye Saints.” He explained to the missionaries, “This is your song, but it is my song, too. I play it every night before I go to bed. It brings the Great Spirit here to me and makes me and my people calm and happy.” (See Lucile C. Reading, “Song of the Pioneers,")
Scientists have measured the frequencies of words and music. They have proven that words and music with certain frequencies attract like frequencies. We can attract darkness or light into our lives from the music that we listen to!
Whenever I experience contention in my home, I turn on hymns or worship music in a back bedroom or sometimes full volume throughout the house, and the contention dissipates every time. Music is powerful against the enemy!
Our Hymns
In the most recent General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson said, "When you spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before, then His power will flow into you. And then you will understand the deep meaning of words we sing in the hymn “The Spirit of God”
The Spirit of God is one of my most favorite hymns. When I hear it and sing it, I feel a Divine power surge through me every time. It evokes the Spirit in a very powerful way. When I heard President Nelson say that, I felt prompted to begin to study the hymns. It was then that I realized many deep mysteries and sacred doctrines are only taught in the hymns. A perfect example of this is in the hymn Oh My Father, we sing,
"In the heav'ns are parents single? No, the thought makes reason stare!
Truth is reason; truth eternal, Tells me I've a mother there.
When I leave this frail existence, When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you, In your royal courts on high?"
From this hymn, we learn that we have a Heavenly Mother.
In the hymn, If You Could High to Kolob we learn about a place called "Kolob" that is the nearest star to our Heavenly Father's throne. A hymn written by William W. Phelps about the doctrine received in the Book of Abraham. We sing,
"If you could hie to Kolob
In the twinkling of an eye,
And then continue onward
With that same speed to fly,"
"Do you think that you could ever,
Through all eternity,
Find out the generation
Where Gods began to be?"
The Spirit of God is one of my most favorite hymns. When I hear it and sing it, I feel a Divine power surge through me every time. It evokes the Spirit in a very powerful way. When I heard President Nelson say that, I felt prompted to begin to study the hymns. It was then that I realized many deep mysteries and sacred doctrines are only taught in the hymns. A perfect example of this is in the hymn Oh My Father, we sing,
"In the heav'ns are parents single? No, the thought makes reason stare!
Truth is reason; truth eternal, Tells me I've a mother there.
When I leave this frail existence, When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you, In your royal courts on high?"
From this hymn, we learn that we have a Heavenly Mother.
In the hymn, If You Could High to Kolob we learn about a place called "Kolob" that is the nearest star to our Heavenly Father's throne. A hymn written by William W. Phelps about the doctrine received in the Book of Abraham. We sing,
"If you could hie to Kolob
In the twinkling of an eye,
And then continue onward
With that same speed to fly,"
"Do you think that you could ever,
Through all eternity,
Find out the generation
Where Gods began to be?"
I encourage you to study the hymns in the hymn book. Some of the writers of the earliest hymns were close to the prophet Joseph Smith. I can only imagine some of the glorious and wonderful things they learned that were too sacred to share in public. And I can't help but wonder if they subtly wrote about them in the hymns. I myself have been taught beautiful things by the Spirit through the hymns. I testify that if you study the hymns and learn about the writers of the hymns, you too will be taught beautiful truths through the Spirit.
What are your favorite hymns and why? I'd love for you to share below.
Lastly, I just want to share a brief history of the timeline of the LDS hymn book. Did you know each collection had a special theme? In fact, the 1908 collection is what inspired President Taylor in the story above, to sing to the two business men. They were new songs themed on Zion, and he was very much a fan. I also want to include a link to the very first hymn book. Many of these hymns are not in our current hymn book. I encourage you to study them as well, and you will love what the Spirit shares with you!
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/collection-of-sacred-hymns-1835/1
Emma Smith’s Hymn Collection, 1835
Israel,” “How Firm a Foundation,” and “The Spirit of God,” are found in the 1985 edition of the hymnbook Emma’s hymnbook, entitled A Collection of Sacred Hymns for the Church of the Latter Day Saints, appeared in print in August 1835. The vest-pocket edition. 26 of the original ninety texts, including “Redeemer of .) 90 hymns
The Manchester Hymnal, 1840
One of the most important hymnals of the Church was first published in Manchester, England, in March of 1840 by Brigham Young, Parley P. Pratt, and John Taylor. Entitled A Collection of Sacred Hymns for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Europe, it contained 271 hymn texts.
The Psalmody, 1889
The new Latter-day Saints’ Psalmody, published in Salt Lake City, was the first large collection of hymns to include musical settings with the texts. According to the preface, dated 27 May 1889, this hymnal was designed “to present a suitable and acceptable tune to every hymn in the Latter-day Saints’ Hymn Book.” It included many “choir hymns”—such as “Behold the Great Redeemer Die” and “As the Dew from Heaven Distilling”—created by Latter-day Saint composers for the Tabernacle Choir’s weekly performances.
Songs of Zion, 1908
Songs of Zion was compiled by nine mission presidents in the United States and was published in 1908 by the Northern States Mission in Chicago. Included about one hundred gospel hymns, among them “Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel,” “Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd,” and “Do What Is Right.”
Deseret Sunday School Songs, 1909
Published by the Deseret Sunday School Union in 1909, Deseret Sunday School Songs was patterned after Songs of Zion, which had been well received by the Church membership. It contained favorite songs of members and choristers throughout the Church, including “In Our Lovely Deseret,” “Who’s On the Lord’s Side?” and “Count Your Blessings.” Intended for use in “Sunday School, Primary, Religion Classes, and Home Socials,” this book quickly became the most popular hymnbook in the Church.
Hymns, 1927
The General Music Committee, organized in 1920, was assigned the task of compiling a new hymnal that would combine the best of the Manchester hymnal, the Psalmody of 1889, and Songs of Zion. Although new works were secured through a hymn contest, the works of Evan Stephens and others of the older generation were the bulk of the collection. The new hymnal was entitled Latter-day Saint Hymns but was commonly referred to as the “green hymnbook.” It was used along with Deseret Sunday School Songs until 1948, when Hymns merged the two.
Hymns, 1948
In October 1943, work began on a new hymnbook. Plans were also made for a recreational songbook for youth and for a children’s songbook.
When it was published in 1948, Hymns, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consisted of 387 hymns. The book had four general classifications: congregation, choir, men’s voices, and women’s voices. Nearly half of the tunes in the 1948 edition of Hymns were borrowed from non-LDS sources.
This hymnal was congregation-centered. But it also contained choir selections that were generally more elaborate than those intended for congregational use.
Hymns, 1950
Two years after the 1948 edition of Hymns was published, a revision was made. This edition replaced some of the hymns in the 1948 edition with hymns from earlier LDS hymnbooks.
Hymns, 1985
Through the decades, a diverse Latter-day Saint hymnody has developed. It includes simple American hymns, appealing gospel songs, noble hymns sung by the early English Saints, hymns borrowed from other religious traditions, unique LDS choir hymns of the late 1800s, and other hymns created by Latter-day Saints.
With the 1985 edition, new hymns from this generation have been added to a balanced selection of old and borrowed hymns.
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