High Eagle once said, " In life, many thoughts are born in the course of a moment, an hour, a day. Some are dreams, some visions. Often, we are unable to distinguish between them. To some, they are the same; however, not all dreams are visions. Much energy is lost in fanciful dreams that never bear fruit. But visions are messages from the Great Spirit, each for a different purpose in life. Consequently, one person's vision may not be that of another. To have a vision, one must be prepared to receive it, and when it comes, to accept it. Thus when these inner urges become reality, only then can visions be fulfilled. The spiritual side of life knows everyone's heart and who to trust. How could a vision ever be given to someone to harbor if that person could not be trusted to carry it out. The message is simple: commitment precedes vision." Indeed dreams are different from visions, but yet they are connected in one special way. They are both given from our loving Heavenly Father. He knows everything about us, and how we are spending each hour of each day. He knows the fears and the desires of our hearts. He wants us to succeed in life, and he wants us to be happy. Through prayer he answers our questions, guides us, and lets us know that he loves us. But prayer isn't the only way to ones spirit.
Throughout the Bible and the Book of the Mormon, Heavenly Father has spoken to his children as well as his prophets through spiritual dreams. The dictionary defines a dream as, a succession of images, thoughts, or emotions passing through mind during sleep. But in the Bible dictionary it defines dreams as one means by which God communicates with men. I had a spiritual dream one night that I will never forget. It was about four years ago, and I was very frustrated with how wicked the world was becoming. Walking down the halls of school all I could hear was profanity and words that were displeasing to my spirit. On the tv, actors were making fun of sacred things. I was upset, and afraid for the future. That night I had a very descriptive dream. I had a dream that the Second Coming was occuring, and I was right in the middle of it. Destruction, fire, and screams of terror were everywhere. I was scared and frightened in my dream. I fell to the ground, not being able to handle it anymore. All of the sudden I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Christ standing above me with his arms stretched out beckoning me to come to him. He wrapped his arms around me and said, "peace be unto your soul." I remember feeling so safe and loved while I was in his arms. I knew that although the world was wicked, if I did my best and continued to live my life righteously, I would have nothing to fear. I know that the Lord sent me that dream to comfort me and give me strength.
Spiritual dreams have been given to countless great men throughout the scriptures. Including, Lehi, Nephi, Joseph Smith, Joseph, Daniel, and King Nebuchadnezzar. In Nephi 8:2 it reads, "And it came to pass while my father tarried in the wilderness he spake unto us saying: behold I have dreamed a dream; or in other words I have seen a vision." Now the Lord gave Lehi the dream of the iron rod, so he would know what his obligations were, and what the Lord would have him do. By receiving this dream many great things came to pass. First off Lehi and his family were given a greater appreciate of the love of God. Second they were warned about the temptations that would arise, and how they could handled those situations. And lastly the dream was also warning Lehi that he needed to watch out for Laman and Lemuel, and stress to them the importance of keeping the commandments. The Lord can send us warnings through dreams. One night my aunt had a terrible dream. She had a dream that her father in law had gotten into a terrible accident and killed. The next morning my aunt woke up and called her father in law. She reminded him to put on his seat belt, knowing he rarely put it on. A few hours later she got the call that he had been in an accident, but due to his seat belt his life had been saved. The first thing my aunt did when she received this call was knelt down and thanked the Lord for sending her that dream. she knew that the Lord had sent her that dream for a reason, so her father in law would be saved.
The Lord works through mysterious ways, and dreams are one of them. Many ask, how do I receive spiritual dreams? In the Guide to the Scriptures it reads, " Dreams are one way that God reveals his will to men and women on earth. Not all dreams are revelations, however inspired dreams are the fruit of faith." In order for one to have spiritual dreams, one must have faith and be keeping the commandments. One must have faith in the Lord, and know that he can do all things. Spiritual dreams do not come to those who lack faith. Now those who aren't members of the church are also able to recieve spiritual dreams, as long as they have faith and desire. When my good friend returned from his mission in Brazil, he told me a story about one of his converts before she became a member of the church. My friend and his companion were walking down the street, when an older women starting pointing at them and yelling," It was you! It was you!" They stopped and began to talk to the lady. She went on to tell them her story. The night before she had had a dream that two men, who resembled my friend and his companion, came riding down the street on a horse. The two men had on white shirts and ties and were holding a book that was glowing. My friend instantly pulled out a copy of the Book of Mormon and held it out to her. Tears filled her eyes as she nodded her head slowly saying, "It was you, and this is the book you were holding." She read the Book of Mormon and shortly after was baptized a member of the church.
I know without a doubt that the Lord speaks to all his children. After Lehi had received the dream from God, Nephi wanted to see the dream as well. In 1Nephi 10:17, it reads, "I, Nephi was desirous also that I might see, and hear, of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost." Because Nephi had a contrite spirit and faith, the Lord showed unto him the things that he showed unto his father. Matthew 7:7 reads " Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." If we ask the Lord with a sincere heart, he will make many things manifest to us. Dreams are magical things, and are symbolic of Christ's Love. I know without a doubt that spiritual dreams come from God. They have been given to prophets for centuries. And to this day they are still being given. The Lord loves us and as I said early works in mysterious ways to reveal this love to us. After having a spiritual dream, don't just brush it off. Ponder about it and think about what the Lord is trying to say to you. "Pay attention to your dreams-God's angels often speak directly to your heart when you are asleep."- Eileen Elias Freeman.
Works Cited
Scriptures
"Guide to the Scriptures"
Bible Dictionary
8 comments:
Lovely picture! Great personal examples, too. I like that you point out faith is necessary for the Lord to speak to us in general, and in dreams. I’d like to know more about your thoughts on the interpretations of dreams.
This is a very thoughtful posting. The three stories that you shared moved me deeply. I really needed to hear your dream about the Second Coming because I have also been concerned about worldiness. Your aunt's life-saving dream brought tears to my eyes, and the Book of Mormon missionary dream gave me goose bumps. Thank you for sharing.
This was a great post! The line that stuck out to me most was, "Commitment precedes vision." I love that because it can apply to the visions that your blog was about or spiritual vision in our everyday lives. To receive either we need to be committed to the cause.
That was an inspiring opening quote. I love how you tied it in to spiritual dreams, etc. through the rest of the post.
I really like when you said, "To have a vision, one must be prepared to receive it, and when it comes, to accept it." Visions aren't just given to anyone, and because of that, they truly are special blessings. I really enjoyed your essay!!
I really loved how you included your very special experience with your dream. The other experiences of others were a perfect addition as well. It made what you were saying more applicable to our lives now and showed that inspired dreams are not just a part of the past but happen now, in modern times.
Your opening picture really anchors your essay together. It sets the stage for your personal experiences, kind of like a canvas sets the scene for the painting.
i like the explanation between dreams and visions, visions are from God. i like the quote from Freeman that angels speak to your heart when your sleeping.
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