Strong Impression
My first experience was as an eleven year old boy, my primary school arranged an Easter holiday for pupils whose families were able to afford it, in Kilkee, County Clare, Ireland. On our first full day we went for a walk along the headland, at one point there was a path that sloped down to a flat piece of rock overhanging the Atlantic Ocean. The large waves were crashing below the precipice creating spumes of spray, it looked very exciting. Standing on the rock was a Teacher Mr Brookes and at least three pupils. I felt inclined to join them, however before my feet could move I was overwhelmed by a spirit of foreboding, so great was the feeling that I ran up the path to the main headland walk. As I looked back I could see a pupil with a blooded eye lying on his back in the sea. The headteacher bravely stripped off and made his way into the water, another pupil and myself persuaded a walker passing by to go into town to raise the alarm. Sadly, the young boy drowned and his body was not recovered for several days. Anyone reading this could come up with a conclusion, you just perceived danger, but I feel as it was my experience I can honestly say my inclination was to join them, but a very strong feeling influenced me to turn and run as though even standing twenty metres away and above them, I was in mortal danger. When the missionaries taught our family about the Holy Ghost, my mother urged me to share my holiday experience. I still feel to this day, that an omniscient intelligence warned me.
A Clear Voice
In my late teens I was sitting on our sofa when a young girl who had been visiting the Young Women’s President, (my Mother) popped into the living room to say hello. I had no romantic interest in her, as she opened the door, a voice from the door declared “This woman will be the mother of your children”. I remember gazing at the door trying to identify the voice, but we were alone. About seven years later, I did marry the girl in question and we had four children. This experience was not suggestive from any prior context, it was totally out of the blue and if I was making it up I would have described her as a girl never a woman.
A Clear Voice
As a District Leader in Perth, Scotland, I interviewed Reg Dilks for baptism. He was single, a train driver who lodged with an unmarried mother of two children of Primary school age. Within the first few minutes of the interview, a voice in my head clearly said, “Ask him if he is sleeping with his landlady?” I chided myself for having such an uncharitable idea, there was nothing about our conversation that could have prompted such a thought. However, as the interview continued, he did admit the circumstances I thought I had conjured up. Later, I looked back and knew that it wasn’t me that came up with the thought, but had been given it by another source. Incidentally, without going into all the details, he married the woman before he could be baptised, knowing that she was not mentally healthy. I have never witnessed before or since such an act of love.
A Clear Voice
During a fast and testimony meeting I was on the stand bearing mine, as I looked toward the back of the chapel I fixed my gaze on long term investigator, Derek Freeman, an elderly gentleman, a lifetime Church of England member, I had befriended him long after the missionaries had moved on. I used to pop over and chat for an hour or so, occasionally cut his lawn, etc. He loved the feeling of community Newton Abbot ward gave him. He couldn’t understand why we put up with a pianist who could barely play a note. I was Ward Mission Leader at the time, as I was speaking looking at Derek, a clear voice told me to invite Derek to be baptised on the coming Saturday. After the meeting I sat in the chapel with Derek, accompanied by the Bishop. I informed Derek the commission the voice had given me during the service. He said he would consider it. We spoke a couple of times during the week, he decided he wasn’t prepared to commit. During the week after the proposed baptism he died of a heart attack.
A Clear Voice
Whilst I worked in a school for pupils who were challenging, I had an incident with a pupil who had been threatening toward me. Without going into the exact details of it, the clear voice gave me a clear instruction that I obeyed within a few seconds. The incident resulted in a disciplinary procedure set against me by the head teacher with whom I had grown out of favour, he used it as an opportunity to gain leverage over me, threatening my career. I survived the incident and managed to thrive in another setting with an unblemished record. The warning instructions of the voice helped minimise any potential accusations against me.
Daydream
As a missionary in Hawick Scotland, I was in bed awake, reflecting on spiritual promptings. In particular I considered how I might have thoughts or promptings and wondered whether they were purely of my own making or divinely inspired. As I lay pondering, an idea came to me that colleague missionaries in a town of Peebles baptised a couple from a place called Penicuik, I told my companion about my thought. Later, at a Zone conference in Dalkeith my companion Paul Lewtas informed me that my daydream had in fact occurred. At the time I felt reassured that I should continue to act on thoughts and not worry about their source.
First Thought
A couple of times I have been brave enough to pray, asking a question, then receive an idea immediately. During sacrament meeting in Newton Abbot, I once asked during the sacrament whether there was anyone Heavenly Father wanted me to share the Gospel with. Immediately a name came to me of an ex work colleague. I managed to contact him and after a couple of exchanges, I did ask whether he would allow a couple of missionaries to visit him. He did receive them, took a Book of Mormon but nothing came of it. Shortly after I found out that he passed away under circumstances where he may have contributed towards his early demise.
Many years later during the outbreak of Covid I asked a similar prayer, not to share the Gospel, but whether there was someone Heavenly Father wanted me to reach out to. Instantly the name Mark came into my mind, just as I was phrasing a secondary question, ‘Mark who?’ the surname came to me instantly. ‘Oh no!’ he is my ex head teacher! Not close buddies! So I girded up my loins and sent him an email. I said I had been in communication with the heavens and asked whether there was anyone I should reach out to! Now, he knew me well enought to know my irreverent manner, so he probably took my opening line as a figure of speech rather than a literal expression. I said I knew of his desire to do right by everyone, that if anyone was capable of finding humane solutions to difficult situations presented by the pandemic, he was the man. His reply was gracious, expressing genuine joy in recognition of his efforts in tackling a challenging job which rarely reached his ears.
Experience has shown, this is not a prayer or question to be asked frequently, as usually it presents a difficult situation. I honestly lack the faith to ask it more often.
Priesthood Blessings An imminent death.
An acquaintance and his wife, both members, were visiting her parents in the UK (they lived in Australia) her mother fell ill quite seriously and they asked me to join them at her hospital bedside and administer a priesthood blessing. I obliged and it was evident from my words that she was not going to recover and would pass through the veil of mortality. The blessing helped them to appreciate the likely outcome and prepare for it. I am no medical expert and was not in possession of any medical information to aid my preparation for the blessing. The mother did pass away, she never regained consciousness. For the daughter it was quite fortunate that her passing away occurred during her visit to the UK on her husbands business errand. It allowed her to see her mum before she fell ill and support her dad. They were both very appreciative of the blessing given.
Priesthood Blessing An imminent death
My son and I were Home / Ministering teachers to a retired couple throughout his teen years and I continued to minister to them with a friend and neighbour from church after Duncan left home. Shortly after the death of her husband to cancer, the wife was placed in a residential care home, specialising in dementia a few miles out of town. I used to visit her regularly, one Sunday after church I dropped in. Surprisingly, her son and new wife (who lived 200 miles away) were present at the home by her bedside. I was reluctant to intrude but the care staff insisted I would be welcome. Sure enough her son Michael expressed his gratitude for the visits I had made to her. He asked me to be voice in a priesthood blessing. Probably her physical appearance was a clue that she was preparing to pass away, my words certainly confirmed that notion. She died within a day or so of our visit.
Intuition An imminent death
On a visit to my parents in Eastbourne, as I sat beside my mum, I put my arm around her and somehow knew it would be the last time I would see her alive. I cuddled her and told her I loved her. My feeling proved correct. Perhaps I have some innate ability to know when people are about to pass away? This certainly wasn’t true in the circumstances of my father, as I bid him goodnight at Eastbourne hospital I thought I would be visiting him the next day, as I walked through the door of his home to eat and rest from a long day overseeing his transfer to hospital and transfer from A&E to other departments, my phone rang to inform me he had passed away. I was totally caught by surprise, even though the paramedics and doctors were indicating end of life, he appeared to rally. I was so pleased I was there with him throughout his final day.
Answer to Prayer
I wanted to serve a mission in Scotland as many of my contemporaries had done so before me. That being the case, the odds were on my side. I duly was. Scotland Edinburgh under Lamar Poulton. It was a valuable life experience, frequently gruelling, I displayed true grit proving myself, progressing from boy to man. I do not regret a thing about this experience. However, I am sure that there are many other rights of passage available to young people of equal value. But, an LDS mission was mine and I am rightfully proud of serving and of the people who served with me.
Provisional Conclusion
I felt that my testimony was a wall that had been constructed brick by brick on a series of experiences that individually did not amount to anything special but when combined, constituted a formidable edifice, namely a sure witness that God lived, his approval of baptism in the LDS church, that the Holy Spirit is real and communicates between God and man. The inference existed that my path was prescribed or at least approved by heavenly sources, reinforcing my LDS membership. Therefore, I was amazed that it could so quickly need rephrasing or positioning. I can still retain my testimony, I can still ascribe my experiences as interractions with diety on a personal level, that he may approve of baptism in the church and that the Holy Spirit exists. But, they do not by inference uphold the LDS church as the one and only true church of God. I may add other experiences at a later date.