Since I’m still not quite ready to Un-Blog full steam ahead yet, I thought I would mention these pictues I find for each posting. It is really an interesting thing. Not always, but an impressive amout of the time, I type the title I chose into Google Images, hit search, and the picture I use is usually on the first page, sometimes the first image on the page. It has happened so many times, that I have come to believe there is spiritual magic involved.
I hope you enjoy them. And, I hope you keep commenting when the Spirit moves you. It helps me. Recently I had the impression that I was Un-Blogging the 501 course doctrine, when I should be doing about 201 course stuff at least part of the time. I am interested in your opinion on that subject too. My motive is to Un-Blog those things that most bless your lives, and while I do my very best to qualify to be inspired each day, your comments give a little taller ladder to be inspired from – if that makes sense.
Thursday was the highest reader count so far. This means lots of new people are peeking in, which also most likely means you are telling your friends.
Thank you, and God bless,
Brother John
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Dear Brother John,
I know this comment is a year plus after the fact, but for those of us who are newbies and sincerely searching, thank you for all your inspired posts. I too read all I can from many inspired authors, our prophets and apostles, and the scriptures yearning to learn more. The insights you have shared have taught me divine truths I know are true, through the spirit bearing witness to my soul. I also believe there are things you have taught me through your blog and listening to past firesides (thanks for putting them up), that Heavenly Father wants me to know, and you are the messenger. I love the spirit that attends your words. It feels peaceful, with frequent “ah ha’s” of enlightenment sprinkled liberally among your words. Thank you.
Kathy A.
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Kathy,
I am very humbled and blessed by your words. Someone said that the meaning of life was to be a part of something bigger than yourself, to be part of a noble cause. This is how I feel, as if I have been swept unexpectedly into a grand parade, and instead of being a spectator as I planned, I am suddenly allowed to march with chosen toward Zion, banging my little tamborine as if I actually belonged there.
Brother John
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Brother John,
I think I feel what many here have felt…I think that you are doing just fine following the promptings you have and writing what you do when you do. You just never know when someone who really needs a 201 lesson will tune in just when you felt inspired to write such an article. Yet, the Spirit can teach those needing a 501 lesson more than you even wrote.
I’m 61 and because of wording in my Pat. Blessing, I’ve always felt I would live to see the Savior return and live into the Millennium. I have also, in the past 10-15, years been dissatisfied with my spiritual growth, but had not figured out why I seemed stalled. I read everything I could find from Nibley, Yorgason, Gileadi, Lund, many BYU religion professors, many of the prophets, and then I found M. Catherine Thomas. She opened many vistas for me and I loved what she taught me. And then I found you.
You write with great simplicity, yet with the Spirit. I feel like when I first heard the gospel at 16 yrs. old…like I am hearing something that I knew, but had forgotten. And it makes my heart light and joyful. I know with great certainty that what you write is not only true, but absolutely can be done. And there are so many things that you write that strike such a chord with me because of experiences in my life – it doesn’t matter if it is a 201 lesson or a 501 lesson. All of them teach me something.
So, just continue following the Spirit and we will all learn something that we need – something new or a reminder of something we have known. It’s all good!
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To Jeanene,
Thank you for your comments here, they really touched my heart. You must miss your husband so much.
I also appreciate what you’ve said about seekers needing someone like John to show them the way. Not because they seek out the role of leadership, but for the simple reason that they’ve already walked the path least taken, and without a little bit of help or prompting from those who have, the rest of us who wish to walk that path could easily miss the road-signs.
-Kim Gifford
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Dear Brother John,
My heart aches and my eyes tear as I read your blog and about your illness. I remember how desperately my husband thought he would be translated even up until his last breath. In fact, two nights before he died, the Lord came to him and asked him three different times if he still believed in translation and spiritual rebirth. And James answered, “Yes, Lord” each times. I don’t recall exactly what the Lord said to him. I recorded it on my old computer in Utah and I’m now on a laptop in Hawaii. The Lord gave Jim some explanation about timing and calling. He believed with all his heart that translation is possible all the while knowing that the keys hadn’t been restored yet. I guess he thought it was time. The last thing he said before he passed over was, “thy will be done, Lord.” Our love story was not unlike your love story with your wife. The Lord brought us together with many revelations and lots of help from the angels. On the day we married, I asked him to promise me that he would never leave me. He made that promise and even though I still mourn that I can’t hold his hand any more, he and the Lord assure me that he has kept his promise to never leave me. I know he has guided me and has helped me to grow spiritually in leaps and bounds that was slow going before. Before he died I used to tell people that he was almost perfect. Before he died I think he made that benchmark. People, like children, that can see through the veil have told me that when they see him there is no end to the glory around him. He has told me that he is happy beyond description because he is learning “without distraction or ” but that he is sad because he can’t discuss this with me. It has nothing to do with mortality and I wouldn’t understand. We discussed everything together and sometimes debated a single word for hours or days. I miss that too but am very delighted to read your blog. Please don’t “dumb down” your blog. Things you have to teach are not available any where else. People still learning fundamental and intermediary principles can learn them any where, but seekers can only learn from people like you. Please continue on the level you are teaching. Much love and Appreciation, Jeanene Custer
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I have been reading your blog for quite some time. (and have read your books) I was taught your understanding of the role of translation in Zion some years ago by my brother-in-law who is a fine gospel scholar. It sounded true to me when he taught it, but I had never heard it taught elsewhere. I was thrilled to read what you have said regarding it…confirming it as a correct principle.
I hope that you will continue to write gospel doctrine 501. I am hungry for meat and added light and truth. The concepts you write of are not new to me and I have been seeking further light on these matters for many years. I hope you will not begin to water things down because you have more people reading. There are so few places/sources one can go to for aid in furthering one’s understanding on the matters discussed here. I don’t need another relief society lesson or regular gospel doctrine class, I get that every week.(not complaining about that…just pointing out a fact) That’s not saying I don’t want your personal experiences. I have really appreciated valuable lessons and insights they convey…the can be 501 doctrine, too. I just really want to learn how to receive what is available to those who are truly seeking and trying to inquire of the Lord. I want to gleen all that I can from what you understand of the scriptures and the word of the Lord in your life experience. What insights and gems of truth your study has produced that can help me to have some of my own aahh-hah moments. I don’t want you to start giving milk because you are afraid you are saying too much for your audience.
I truly believe you, and a couple of others I am familiar with, are being used as instruments to help other saints that are truly yearning and desiring to come to greater light and truth…you are helping to show clearly that it can and must be done by each of us. It is giving hope to many saints in the reality of the promises. Please keep this a meat filled un-blog for those of us that have years and years of seeking under our belts. Just wanted to share these thoughts since you inquired as to our feelings. Look forward to each days entry.
Karen
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Sometimes, I feel like I am at a 501 level in willingness to be obedient and faithful. I’ve finally reached a point in my life where I feel ready to leave Babylon behind and submit completely to the will of the Lord. I’ve been working to be obedient to each prompting.
I think, however, that I may be at a 201 level when it comes to actually living out my day to day life. The promptings seems to be so few in number that I feel a bit adrift. Am I missing the promptings? Are they just not coming? I have 3 young kids and am busy from sun-up to sundown. Sometimes I think that I am too quick to look to the latest parenting book or blog for advice, so I am trying to read less and “be still” more.
I can think of a few promptings in my life during the past few weeks that felt obvious– but they were small matters.
As I’ve fasted and prayed about when to have another child, the heavens seem silent. Is that a “no” answer? Or maybe it’s the complete opposite…a “Haven’t you studied enough teachings of latter-day prophets to understand that of course you should be willing to accept another child into your home” answer.
As I mentioned, I’m completely willing to be faithful and obedient. It just makes me feel sad when I don’t know what that is.
I guess that if you had any, I would appreciate a few examples or a little more discussion about the different seasons of life when you’ve felt various amounts of inspiration. What do you do when the desire is there but the progression doesn’t seem to be happening?
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Dear Pondering,
Every person has different gifts, strengths and weaknesses, and some people seem to hear the whisperings of the Holy Spirit more easily than others initially. But, I do believe that all can acquire “ears to hear” by learning to obey what they have already, then allowing it to grow. I wrote “Following the Light of Christ into His Presence” on this subject. It would be more sequential and understandable perhaps to get that book. It is available at http://www.amazon.com, http://www.Seagullbook.com, http://www.cedarfort.com and other places.
I believe with your desires to do good and to grow, you can acquire this gift quite easily. You are surely receiving a lot more revelation than you realize, or you wouldn’t even be interesting in the Un-Blog or seeking for greater light. You just need to clearly view what you already have to make it grow.
God bless,
Brother John
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Dear John-
Your writing has always been remarkable to me for the way it reveals the more profound aspects of concepts I had always seen in more common ways. For instance, I will never forget the first time I read your treatment of the “Tree” in Nephi’s vision. A real heart and mind opener (this was from the FTL book).
When it comes to our interactions with God, people sometimes don’t know the questions to ask, don’t realize the things they could be exploring or how the process works, so their prayers don’t get out of the box, so to speak. I’ve loved the Unblogs that have gotten me asking and pondering again.
If you do requests (grin) I wish sometime you’d write about the trouble that comes of holding grudges. I’ve got a few youngsters in my life who I’d like to share a message or two about that with, but don’t have a creative way to open the subject. I have a special need for them to see it clearly without all the excuses clouding it up, and saying things clearly without a hint of recrimination is something you’ve always had such a talent for doing.
Thanks for all you do, John. I’ve come to look forward to these messages from you each day.
=)
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John,
I have found that the content of your postings is always “just right.” That being said, I hope you won’t shy away from 501 course doctrine. Thanks again for sharing so much light and truth.
Lance
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A lot times whenever I would share something from your blog with my wife she would say ‘wow, this John is too much, isn’t he? If it wasn’t for the changes I’ve see and still see happening on you, I would not believe all these stories from him.’ Yes, John, your words still have a tremendous impact on me and now on my wife too. It would take me hundreds of pages to detail all the miracles that have happened to me and to our home because of your words both from your books and your blog. Many times your blog words have been ‘divinely’ scheduled for the right time. One example (I’ve had a dozens of these), last year you shared a story how you felt impressed to give your daughter a blessing over the phone. Of course, that was a new concept to me. I read that entry just a few days before I flew for Tahiti for two weeks to attend my younger brother’s wedding. So I shared this entry of yours with my wife who of course was also suprise to hear this kind of experience. Before I left my wife and I agreed they would call me every night at the same time, and of course before I left I gave everyone in my family a priesthood blessing. Then two nights after I had arrived in Tahiti, my wife called me saying that our oldest son couldn’t sleep the second night after I was gone. He woke up in the middle of the night and was scared. it was 2 am. My wife asked if he wanted her to call on her brother living 10 minutes away to come and give him a blessing which he agreed. So my brother in law came and gave him a blessing. When she told me this over the phone, I remembered your ‘phone blessing entry’ and told my wife that if the same thing happens that she should call me and I’d give him or anyone else a ‘phone blessing.’ I also told her to share with our kids your story so that they would know that it wouldn’t be a new thing I had invented on my own (my oldest son know you and your because I talked to him, my wife, and other kids, a lot about. If you were to ask him which one is my favorite church book, he would pick your book, TTOZ:).) Anyway, the very next night, my wife called me and said that our oldest son didn’t sleep well again the night before and she shared with him your story and asked my son if he wanted to get a ‘phone blessing’ from me – he told her he wanted. So they called the next day and there I gave him a blessing over the phone. Amazingly, my wife told me after I came that since that phone blessing, he was alright for the rest of the time I was gone. She said he felt and saw a huge difference in my son’s attitude after that blessing and he slept peacefully every night ever since then….forward a few weeks later after my return, my younger brother whose wedding I attended had a serious knee surgery. I told my family about it and asked we pray for him every day. My oldest son suggested I call him and give him a phone blessing to which I said not to worry about it becaus I had already contacted two of my best friends in Tahiti to go give him a blessing which turned out to be a powerful experience both for my brother (who had just returned to church 5 months ago after having been inactive for over 20 years). My best friend emailed me saying that after they had blessed my brother (my parents, inactive, were also there) they went home ‘feeling like they were walking on a cloud’ later on I taled to my parents who said that they had a most spiritual experience that night my best friends blessed my brother. What I am saying is that when I offered to blessed my son over the phone, I experienced what you described in your entry, I felt the prompting of the spirit authorizing me to do so whereas for my brother, I shared the story with him too, but I didn’t get that divine authorization to do so even though I wanted it, instead, I felt the spirit prompting me to work through my 2 best friends which later on I found out from both of them that they needed that experience and it also touched my parents, my brother and his non-member wife, in other words it did more spiritual good to more people than if I had done a ‘phone blessing.’ Again, this unique experience I had with my son would have never happened had you not shared that story of yours. I know now that my kids will alwasy feel safe not matter how far we live from each other becaue they will always remember this experience and will know that they can still receive blessings from me over the phone…it has become an important knowledge in our family now. I could write about many similar experiences on how your stories and teachings had come just at the right time to bless me or my family. Yes, no doubt your words are making a difference in people’s lives, you are truly inspired. I myself would have a hard time believing in you and your words had I not had all the spiritual experiences I had had since I read your book TTOZ and the other one. Thank you. Jimmy, from Japan.
ps. I’m starting to believe that you have a special mission to prepare many people for Zion:)
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Dear brother John,
Your un-blogs seem to me just the way they should be. They have the effect of causing me to feel not just a desire to be a part of building Zion, but actually a yearning so strong that it feels like an urgency. The Spirit seems to whisper to me of a principle which is so simple that it could easily be overlooked, but to me it is profound, and that principle is this: People are not accidently led to a knowledge of spiritual truths; in other words, it is not by accident that we were led to learn of the truths concerning the building of Zion and the mission of the 144,000. The very fact that these truths were presented to us here in mortality seems to me to be an invitation. I don’t think the Lord would bring any of these things to our attention if He didn’t also intend for us to be a part of it. The thought that He made these things known to me in my life causes my heart to shout “Hallelujah!” within me. Not one person reading these things about Zion has to be left out of being a part of it if they don’t want to be. I know this is true, and it causes me joy.
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Brother Darrell, a big Amen from me. Well said. I do think when you learn of some gospel truth, and the Spirit causes it to burn in your soul, that that alone makes it a powerful invitation to you personally, because God will not put our feet upon a path that is impossible for us to walk.
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I just told my husband earlier this evening that I think you have been writing this unblog just for us. The messages are so perfectly personal to our stage of spiritual development (and the pictures are beautiful too!) Thank you.
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Dear Brother John,
Had the most overwhelming feeling that whatever you are inspired to unblog about is perfect for some, a refresher for others, and a challenge for some.
Whatever your unblogs are about I can say ah-ha, or oh-my, or thank you Heavenly Father.
Your conduit to the Spirit fits exactly whoever the Spirit is using you to reach at the time.
Bless you!
Love, Juli
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