They shall take up serpents and other promises

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. (Mark 16:16-18)

I have wondered about that promise that those who believe shall take up serpents. I know of at least one Christian denomination that takes this literally and incorporates snake handling in their worship services. It’s enough to make me wonder, “Is this a special-occasion promise for when we have to move snakes?”  We are so isolated from the natural world, especially in developed countries, that occasions for running across snakes are few and far between, and when we find them, we know better than to pick them up. We leave them thoroughly alone.

So why this promise that believers in Christ will take up serpents?

As I thought about this, I seemed to me that Jesus meant it as a physical image to describe a spiritual reality. The serpents can represent temptation. Just like it is dangerous to pick up snakes, it is also a dangerous thing to pick up temptation and hold it without letting it bite you.  Saints prefer to avoid temptation, but occasionally situations may come up when a Saint, in the course of his or her calling or doing his or her duty, must go into a situation of temptation and endure it without giving in.  That is like taking up a serpent.  It is hard to be specific about what the temptation might be.

Apparently Jesus anticipated that the Saints would face these situations from time to time, and His promise here is an implicit reassurance that He will make safety possible. Belief in Him will make it so.

What about the promise that believers will speak with new tongues?  A tongue is a language. How can someone speak a new language and still be understood? If it is new, then it hasn’t been around, and it is unlikely that others would understand it.

I think the Book of Mormon gives a hint when it says angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost and speak the words of Christ. Extrapolating from that, speaking a new tongue is speaking by the Holy Ghost, especially because of how conversion makes a person new. 

But what about people who have been in the church all their lives, gained testimonies, stayed faithful, and all that? How do they speak with new tongues if it seems like they’ve always “had it”?

Maybe new tongues can also refer to how believers will keep finding new ways to express their testimony and understanding of Christ’s atonement and what it has done for them. To them it will be as though their language is new, and to those who hear them, it will express newness and life as well.

KJV versus JST: The Eagles gathered Together Over the Carcass

You actually get two analyses for the price of one today. (grin)(It’s all free anyway.)

KJV Matthew 24:27-28	Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:26-27
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.	26 For as the light of the morning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, and covereth the whole earth, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.	27 And now I show unto you a parable. Behold, wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together; so likewise shall mine elect be gathered from the four quarters of the earth.

The Joseph Smith Translation makes some significant clarifications to these two verses that help us better understand these particular signs.

Comparing the second coming of Christ to lightning evokes speediness and surprise. Joseph Smith’s translation changes this “lightning” to “light of the morning,” which should remind us of a sunrise instead. The sunrise starts in the east and steadily grows until it can be seen in the west, at which time the sunlight is over the whole earth.  This is a very good metaphor for the growth of the restored church and how it spreads. 

Some might wonder why this sunrise image is used about the coming of the Son of Man if we expect Christ to come with a Grand Entrance suddenly and cleanse the earth of the wicked and set everything in order. 

It seems to me that the coming, with the spread of the church, is needed to prepare people for the Grand Entrance. The world was in apostasy before. If the Grand Entrance came while the whole world was in apostasy, everyone would just be destroyed. Thus, the gospel had to be restored and spread to prepare those who are willing to listen.  And Christ did come to Joseph Smith to get that going. 

The next image Joseph Smith gave clarification on is that of the carcass and the eagles being gathered to it.  Joseph Smith tells us it is a parable that is to be applied to the gathering of the elect. 

This is important intelligence because there is a great portion of the Christian world that does not look at this imagery of the carcass and eagles in a positive way.  They interpret the carcass to mean the decadence and deadness of wicked society and the eagles as heavenly powers bringing vengeance to eat up the wicked. 

Joseph Smith’s translation of this parable makes this image a positive one (though still kind of gross) and it actually teaches some important things about the gathering of the elect. The carcass is the body of the church. There is doctrinal meat there that can’t be found anywhere else, so the parable expresses the church is a place where people can be fed.  Just like eagles (or vultures) seem to have an uncanny ability to spot an animal carcass, the elect will be able to spot the true church with its saving doctrine and priesthood power. They will know spiritual meat when they see it.  Just like eagles are drawn to a carcass in the desert, the elect will be drawn to the body of the church.

The idea of there being a body of the church (rather than a diffuse non-organized grouping of the faithful) is emphasized, as is the gathering process.

I’m grateful to have this clarification from Joseph Smith--Matthew. Having an accurate idea of what to look for helps us to locate ourselves accurately in the timeline of prophecy. It saves us from doubt and uncertainty and know what events to expect and also what is expected of us.  We’re to share that meat and invite others to come. We’re to help spread the light.

Some thoughts on Signs before the Second Coming from Joseph Smith--Matthew

30 And again, because iniquity shall abound, the love of men shall wax cold; but he that shall not be overcome, the same shall be saved.

31 And again, this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come, or the destruction of the wicked;

32 And again shall the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, be fulfilled.

33 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

34 Verily, I say unto you, this generation, in which these things shall be shown forth, shall not pass away until all I have told you shall be fulfilled.

35 Although, the days will come, that heaven and earth shall pass away; yet my words shall not pass away, but all shall be fulfilled.

36 And, as I said before, after the tribulation of those days, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn; and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory;

37 And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived, for the Son of Man shall come, and he shall send his angels before him with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together the remainder of his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.(Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:30-37)

These verses describe a sequence of events to watch for:

1)    Iniquity abounding, causing love to turn cold,

2)    The gospel preached to all nations

3)    The destruction of the wicked, the abomination of desolation

4)    The sun and moon darkened, stars falling from heaven, powers of heaven shaken

5)    All fulfilled in a generation

6)    Christ comes in heaven

One thing that would confuse me about this sequence is that I would read about the destruction of the wicked (v31-32) and automatically assume that was because Christ came and destroyed them. Then, it would puzzle me that Christ’s coming is mentioned apparently again in v36 as though it hadn’t happened yet.

I have since figured out that Christ’s coming is not at the destruction of the wicked described in v31-32. The destruction happens because the wicked will be destroying each other. This follows a pattern that is seen in history when the gospel is preached and rejected. Mormon observed the wicked Nephites in his day who rejected the truth were destroyed by wicked Lamanites. (Christ didn’t have to come to do that.) The wicked Jews were destroyed by the Romans in 70AD; Christ didn’t have to come to do that.

It’s kind of a scary thing to think about, but I think v34 gives some comfort when it says these things will happen in the space of one generation. Depending on how long a generation is defined, that is 30-60 years.

Something else I notice from these verses is that the gospel is preached to all nations, but by the time Christ comes, all the tribes of the earth mourn. So nations will have been broken down into tribes by all the destruction and tribulation, much like the Nephite government was broken into tribes.

Along with these difficult things, I think it is worthwhile to point out what we are told we need to do. I like noticing the counsel because it helps me feel less powerless and more hopeful that the tribulations can be survived and turn for our good, like a refiners fire.

Verse 30 tells us that while iniquity abounds and love waxes cold, “he that shall not be overcome, the same shall be saved.”  It is going to be a struggle for everyone, but if we don’t give up and don’t allow ourselves to be overcome, we’ll be all right.  So whatever you do, don’t give up!

Verse 31 tells us the gospel will be preached as a witness to all nations. That implies being a part of missionary work will help us. We can be good examples, stand for the right, testify to how living gospel principles has blessed us, and share the gospel.

Verse 32 seems scary because of talking about the abomination of desolation, and it doesn’t seem to have instruction about what to do there, but I notice that there is a similar prediction in v12 that does have something applicable, and it may help in the future as well.

When you, therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, then you shall stand in the holy place; whoso readeth let him understand. (v12)

So when we see the abomination of desolation, stand in the holy place.  To me that means that the more uncivil and murderous people become, the more we need to resist the anger and be kind, and seek out our refuge in the temple, and make our homes sacred places, and meet with the Saints.  Countering the anger and violence with peace and kindness is not easy. Here in the United States we’ve seen lots of incivility surrounding our last election and “abomination of desolation” evokes so much worse than that. But goodness has to be counter-cultural.

Verse 35 assures us that Christ’s words will all be fulfilled, so we will have much to look forward to, watching for those signs and events to take place.

Verse 37 tells us that whoso treasures up Christ’s word will not be deceived, so reading and cleaving to the principles and doctrines found in the scriptures will save us from being beguiled by the ways of the world that would flatter us away to destruction.

So our safety comes from:

·      Not giving up

·      Participating in missionary work

·      Stand in the holy place

·      Watch for the signs of Christ’s coming

·      Treasure up Christ’s word

Some Helpful Context about Tokens and Signs

I ran across the word “token” in my reading of D&C 88, and I wondered where else in the scriptures tokens are mentioned, so I did a search. I was surprised to see how many instances there were.

The rainbow was made a token of the covenant God made with Noah that He would not flood the earth and destroy all flesh. (see Genesis 9:12-15)

God made circumcision a token of the Abrahamic covenant to Abraham and his seed after him. (see Genesis 17:10-11)

God’s presence with Moses and the promise that he and the Israelite would serve God upon that mountain was to be a token to Moses that God had sent him to Pharaoh. (see Exodus 3:11-12)

The lamb’s blood put upon the doorposts was to be Israel’s token to God so that God would pass over them and not destroy them. (see Exodus 12:13)

Israel’s act to sacrifice their firstborn animals and redeem their firstborn children was to be a token they remembered the Lord’s power that brought them out of Egypt. (see Exodus 13:15-16)

Aaron’s rod that budded was to be kept in the tabernacle as a token against those who rebelled against Moses and Aaron. (see Numbers 17:10)

Rahab, who sheltered Joshua’s two spies in Jericho, asked for a “true token” that they would save her and her family from death. (see Joshua 2:12) The scarlet cord at her window was that token. (Almost like her own special Passover, huh?)

David asked God for a token for good so that those who hated him would be ashamed and see the Lord was helping him. (see Psalms 86:17)

Judas Iscariot plotted with the Jewish leaders that the one he kissed should be a token so they would know who to capture. (see Mark 14:44)

Here’s one I have to quote directly:

And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. (Phil. 1:28)

Paul observed to the Philippians that their lack of fear was considered a token of perdition to their adversaries, but to the righteous it was a token of salvation. Interesting; it shows that signs and tokens may be read differently, depending on the level of integrity and virtue of one’s character.

Paul would add a personally written salutation in every epistle as a token it was him. (see 2 Thes. 3:17)

In the Book of Mormon, after Captain Moroni made the Title of Liberty, the people rent their garments and piled them at his feet in token of their covenant. (see Alma 46:21)

The Lamanite king raised his bowing servants with his hand as a token of peace… and was promptly assassinated by one of Amalickiah’s goons. (see Alma 47:23-24)

The depraved Nephites devoured flesh of the daughters of the Lamanites as a token of bravery after raping, torturing, and murdering them. (see Moroni 9:9-10)   Eeeeew.

The teacher in the school of the prophets was to offer prayer on his knees to God before class in token or remembrance of the everlasting covenant. (see D&C 88:130-131)

The teacher in the school of the prophets was also to greet each brother entering and salute them in the name of Jesus Christ in token or remembrance of the everlasting covenant. (see D&C 88:133)

The class members of the school of the prophets were to greet the teacher with uplifted hands with the same prayer or covenant they were greeted by, or by saying “Amen” in token of the same. (see D&C 88:135)

Those part of the United Order were to be given what they asked for by the treasurer in token that they were in full fellowship and faithful and wise stewards. (see D&C 104:75)

Obviously there are a few bad tokens in the list, but by and large, tokens seem to have been little acts done to represent good faith, commitment, assurance of things to come, as a memorial, or as a representation of favored status before God.

I think tokens are a way of making intentions visible when they would not otherwise be. They help do away with uncertainty in relationships. (For instance, an engagement ring in our culture is a token of intent to marry.) Seeing how tokens work in the above scriptures makes me think of temple covenants, but also of the various visible things we do that may also act as tokens to God and to each other of our inward state and intentions. 

As an example, we say taking the sacrament is a witness we are renewing our covenants, and I suppose that makes it a token or sign.  Same with baptism as a token we are making the covenant. 

What other tokens can you think of that we give the Lord or that He gives us?

Signs of the Times: Rumors of Wars

One of the many signs that Christ gives is that of wars and rumors of wars. The idea of rumors of wars is simple, but rather opaque to me, so I decided to do a search-and-study to see what context it is appears in.

First there is the New Testament accounts of what Christ said about it:

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. (Matt. 24:6)

And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. (Mark 13:7)

Behold, I speak these things unto you for the elect’s sake; and you also shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled, for all I have told you must come to pass; but the end is not yet. (JS-Matt 1:23)

And they shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars. (JS-Matt 1:28)

So this condition of wars and rumors of wars is common, but not a sign of the end. This is why we call it a sign of the times rather than a sign of Christ’s coming.

(Well, if it isn’t a sign of the time of Christ’s coming, then what kind of time is it a sign of?  Ehhhhh…. Probably a sign of the spiritual condition of the societies involved.)

I have heard a rumour from the Lord, and an ambassador is sent unto the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle. (Jeremiah 49:14)

If a prophet hears a rumor from the Lord, that probably has a lot more credence than rumors from other sources.  The source of the rumor matters.

It is interesting that at the same time Jeremiah hears this rumor, a foreign ambassador goes to the heathen nations to incite them to war. This could be a source of rumors of war.

Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. (Isaiah 37:7)

This comes from the story of the Assyrian king who invaded Israel. The Lord predicted how the Assyrian king would eventually be defeated: he would hear a rumor about what was happening at home, he’d go back to deal with it, and then he’d be killed by his own people.

Reading between the lines, we can surmise that there were probably rumors going both ways. The king probably got rumors about back home, and powerful people at home  probably got rumors of what the king was doing or saying that they didn’t like, so they rebelled.

And lest your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land; a rumour shall both come one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumour, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler. (Jeremiah 51:46)

What I get from this verse is that rumors cause worry and fear, and when rumors keep circulating, they can bring violence and pit rulers and nations against each other.

Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients. (Ezekiel 7:26)

Here we have mischief, rumors, and a lack of spiritual leadership, which sounds an awful lot like apostasy. So mischief, rumors, and apostasy seem to be connected.

Nephi saw in vision that there would be wars and rumors of wars among his people in the promised land (see 1 Ne 12:2), among the Jews before Jesus came among them in mortality (see 2 Ne. 25:12), and also among the Lamanites after the Nephites were destroyed (see 1 Ne. 12:21). Mormon saw there would be the same condition during the time when the Book of Mormon would come forth (see Mormon 8:30).

Joseph Smith History also has something to say about rumor.

The excitement, however, still continued, and rumor with her thousand tongues was all the time employed in circulating falsehoods about my father’s family, and about myself. If I were to relate a thousandth part of them, it would fill up volumes. The persecution, however, became so intolerable that I was under the necessity of leaving Manchester, and going with my wife to Susquehanna county, in the State of Pennsylvania. While preparing to start—being very poor, and the persecution so heavy upon us that there was no probability that we would ever be otherwise—in the midst of our afflictions we found a friend in a gentleman by the name of Martin Harris… (JS History 1:61)

“The excitement, however, still continued” – Rumor is a source of excitement, and for bored people who have nothing better to do, discussing rumors, speculating, and spreading rumors is a method of cheap entertainment. 

Joseph Smith experienced how rumor could destroy reputation and provoke persecution that made it difficult for him to even provide for his family. And it was false rumors, intended to raise prejudice and animus against him. We can learn from this how easy it is for rumors of wars to include lies as well.

Nephi also saw wars and rumors of wars to come in the latter days after the establishment of the church of the Lamb.

15 And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of God was poured out upon that great and abominable church, insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth.

16 And as there began to be wars and rumors of wars among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations, the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold, the wrath of God is upon the mother of harlots; and behold, thou seest all these things— (1 Ne 14:15-16)

It is interesting that the wars and rumors of wars seem to be part of the wrath of God that is poured on the great and abominable church. 

It another significant feature is that these wars and rumors of wars are among “nations and kindreds.”  That implies conflict and rumors at a national level and at the family level. This sounds like yet another reason why families need to be strengthened.

And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them, and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth. (D&C 45:26)

Just an aside—From this verse it seems there will even be some believers that are afraid. Those that say Christ delays are believers, but they clearly think Christ should have come some time ago. Perhaps they have not understood the signs, or perhaps their minds are so taken up with the bad things happening that it speaks in their ears louder than their faith and the Spirit.

Also, what is commotion? The dictionary says it is “a disorderly outburst or tumult, the act of making a noisy disturbance, confused movement.” Synonyms for commotion include disruption, disturbance, flutter, hoo-ha, hurly burly, kerfuffle, to-do, din, ruckus, rumpus.

I’d say the internet facilitates all kinds of commotion. Anything people don’t like can turn into a commotion. Social media facilitates it, as well as the many outlets for venting online. And of course, the internet and social media spreads rumors as well.

The next scripture lifts the curtain on the cause of it all:

And many more things did the people imagine up in their hearts, which were foolish and vain; and they were much disturbed, for Satan did stir them up to do iniquity continually; yea, he did go about spreading rumors and contentions upon all the face of the land, that he might harden the hearts of the people against that which was good and against that which should come. (Helaman 16:22)

Here we see that Satan is the engine of it. He provokes foolish and vain imaginations to disturb people, then he stirs up people to do iniquity, then he spreads rumors and contentions so they gossip and contend about everyone else’s iniquity.  And among all this, he stirs up lies and rumors against good to harden hearts and cement prejudices.

After looking at all these scriptures, it seems clear to me that rumors were how people shared and spread news. There would be official news sources, such as ambassadors and official messengers between countries passing messages, and officials who announced news and proclamations, but there would also be unofficial sources, such as leaks and gossip and rumors.  There would also be groups of people gathering to share opinions about what was happening and trying to figure out what would happen in the future, and those opinions tend to spread as if they are official news with a voice of authenticity. Thus, war tends to come with a cloud of worry, anticipation, discussion, and speculation over it, both formal and informal, both among government decision-makers and among common people of both sides (and even among others not involved).  And the media puts their oar in too.  And often it is the rumors of war that cause so much concern, fear, worry, etc.   If actual war is the eye of the hurricane, then rumors of war is the clouds and storm around it, which stretches for hundreds of miles in every direction.

So it is significant that Jesus tells us to not be troubled.  Probably because being troubled becomes an energy sink. Also, every time war looms, people worry, “Is this the end?” and Jesus said specifically, “The end is not yet.”   Knowing the other signs is supposed to help us identify where the real end is.

Who will see signs of Christ’s coming?

39 And it shall come to pass that he that feareth me shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man.

40 And they shall see signs and wonders, for they shall be shown forth in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath.

41 And they shall behold blood, and fire, and vapors of smoke.

42 And before the day of the Lord shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood, and the stars fall from heaven.

43 And the remnant shall be gathered unto this place; (D&C 45:39-43)

It impresses me that Jesus says those who fear Him (in the reverential awe sense) will be looking for the signs of His coming.  We can also infer the opposite—that those who don’t, will pay no attention to signs, and probably won’t see them.

It’s neat to me that He promises that those who look shall see signs and wonders in heaven and in earth.

It struck me that maybe He didn’t just mean only those who were alive when He come, but also those who live in the intervening generations would see signs as well that show how close He’s getting, even if they don’t see the specific signs listed that indicate Christ is coming in their day.

In v36-38, Christ uses the parable of the fig tree and how tender leaves shooting forth indicate coming summer to communicate how members may know how close the great day is by looking at certain signs.

I have fond memories of seeing how trees bud. It doesn’t happen all in a day. Little green shoots sprout and unfurl, like a green mist on the trees. Likewise, there are little sprouting signs we can watch for as members, such as seeing how much of the world is open to missionary work and the gospel. 

The specific signs and wonders listed in the above verses are of the violent and destructive variety, meant to wake up the world.  But I believe the faithful who are already “awake” will also be able to see positive signs, wonders, and miracles—compensatory blessings that are meant to help confirm their faith in a darkening age.  You can see this from Joel 2:28-32:

28 ¶And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.

32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

The destructive signs are very similar to the quoted verses from D&C 45, but there is the additional promise of the Spirit poured out, and increased spiritual gifts of prophecy, dreams, and visions.  I believe those gifts are designed to help us find peace and act in faith in the increasing uncertainties.

I don’t know that I can say much about prophecy or visions, but I have some experience with dreams, and I want to take a little time to talk about that particular gift.

 There is a kind of dream that I call at “heads-up” dream. (I’m borrowing this term from someone else who wrote about dreams.) 

Heads-up dreams can come in two forms—they can show us quite literally what will happen, or they can show us a symbolic situation and we decode the symbols to understand what will happen.  When Heavenly Father talks to us in dreams, He will speak according to our ability to understand, so it doesn’t much matter what form the message takes, whether literal or symbolic.  (My dreams tend to be symbolic, and I don’t know whether that means that I can’t handle a literal dream or whether the Lord wants me to do some work to understand what He is trying to tell me. Whatever the reason, He puts them in a form adapted for my weaknesses.)

Heads-up dreams can tell us something that will happen the next day, or they can show us what will happen over larger periods of time.  They may suggest something we (as individuals) must do, or they may prepare us for an experience we must simply go through.  I’ve had some that warned me of something I needed to do immediately, and others that warned me of difficult experiences I would have several years down the line. (Of course, I didn't know that until later.)

Usually I know a dream is important if it is particularly vivid and it stays with me once I’ve awakened.  Sometimes I know what it means immediately, but other times I am puzzled and have to think about it. I have noticed that reading the scriptures brings the Spirit enough that afterward I realize a dream’s meaning.  Or I might have to ponder it over a few days. A few have really weirded me out, but have turned out to be very helpful.

I believe it is important to write in our journals the dreams that Heavenly Father gives us. They are a form of revelation, and if not recorded, they are easy to forget. But if we record them, future readings of our journals will remind us and we will find them verified. Then we can record that the Lord knew what would happen and we can show how we were helped because He told us things ahead of time.

I believe that these dreams have a function of 1) preparing our minds for the future, 2) giving us clarity through synthetic experience, 3) giving us reassurance that Heavenly Father knows all things.   They are not meant to make us feel superior to others.

These spiritual gifts--prophecy, dreams, visions-- don’t come at our will.  Heavenly Father controls them and they are to fulfill His purposes, so they become very personalized signs to help us act and endure faithfully. They are meant to save us, and we need saving.