A friend of mine has discovered the church is not true. . . sort of.

What is keeping him in, is he believes he has felt and seen the power of the preisthood. He claims he has struggled with the Joseph Smith story, but knows the preisthood is real.

Did anyone on here feel something when it came to the preisthood or see anything in their life that made them second guess leaving the church because of it? Did you think it was real?

I had an experience where the blessing instantly made me feel at peace. However, I don't think that means the priesthood is true. There are any number of reasons why it helped. Placebo effect perhaps. Also, many belief systems believe that the power of touch is very healing. If you've heard of reiki, the healer hovers their hands over certain spots in the body and people claim to benefit from it. There are more examples but I can't think of them Right now.

I felt some kind of power (maybe the power of love) when I gave my daughter a blessing on the way to the hospital, after an accident. Oops, I'm a woman, so this thread doesn't apply to me.

At the hospital, after surgery, when my little girl was going to be fine, the stake president came to give my daughter a "real" blessing, with the consecrated oil, and all that. Weeks later, I found out that the married SP had been having sex with my neighbor's daughter, How arrogant to behave as though his blessing meant more to God than a mother's loving blessing.

I remember reading - years ago - Joseph Smith said that women can give blessings if they are so moved. I believe it was in the "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith" series. It surprised me when I read it, which is probably why I remember it.

Sorry Brother Ragnar, that teaching has been superseded.

Check your operator's manual.


Anagrammy

I actually felt a strong power come over me at church soon after my baptism. This experience was impressive, and was a big factor that kept my belief going for many years.

Don't ask me what it was, I don't really know, but it felt real at the time. But I was physically weak at the time from living a poor lifestyle.

I had surgery more than a few times and was given blessings. All I felt was oily hair. That's not a joke. I hated having that stuff put on my head. It felt gross.

though I didn't witness where a sibling of mine was given blessings and survived--and it helped my parents, too, who very much weren't into blessings.

BUT when I was trying to 'save' my gay boyfriend, every blessing I had from the bishop and others (very few, I was too afraid to ask) it felt as though the heavens were slammed shut. "A stupor of thought?"

It did occur to me--as forestpal said--later on that I should BE ABLE TO have just as much influence and closeness with God as the priesthood holders did.

I was just thinking last night about something that could have easily made me stay in the church--MEETING my gay boyfriend/husband. I no longer believe it had anything to do with being lds, but maybe getting us both out.

No never, and neither did I when I was baptized at age 8 and when I was impressionable enough to feel it..

When my 2-year-old son was in the hospital - in critical condition after a traffic accident involving a drunk driver - my father said that he woke up in the middle of the night, and felt a 'powerful prompting' that he should go right then to give my son a blessing. He was sure that this was the right thing to do. He was so sure that he called up his home teaching companion to go with him, and he even took a blanket with him to wrap my son with as he fully expected my little boy to be completely healed, and they would be able to immediately take him home (I was in a different hospital because of my injuries from the accident). They gave the blessing, and - of course - nothing happened.

I was released from my hospital the next day, and I immediately went to see my son. That's when the doctors there told me that there was no brain activity. They ran another EEG on him the next day, and then diconnected his life support system. My son was dead.

The stupid LDS Corp puts crazy ideas in people's heads, that they can heal people and bring people back to life 'through the power of the priesthood' if they 'have enough faith.' My father had the 'presthood' (a high priest), and he certainly showed faith (bringing the blanket with him to take my son home with him afterwards).

Instead of curing my little boy, we had to bury him a few days later.

Stupid, damaging, hurtful cult.

I'm so incredibly sorry.

Yeah that is sad.

NEVER NEVER NEVER

I rarely asked for p-hood blessings because as a fallible women's leader, I was also among imperfect men in leadership meetings. Although we got along well, I didn't feel that men in the church could give me more in a blessing than what I believed I was receiving through personal prayer.

I had prepared for natural birth but when I went into labor, the monitors read complications with either my daughter's heartbeat or mine, I can't remember, but there were issues. My midwife felt if the situation didn't resolve soon, they'd have to induce me. I was panicked thinking something was wrong with my baby and asked my then-husband for a blessing so I could calm down. Everyone left the room, he gave me a blessing, I felt relaxed and you know what? I needed to poop. Once everything came out, vitals were monitored as fine, I went into full labor and my daughter was born happy and healthy. At the time, I believed the blessing was the reason.

Now? I feel that moment was like meditation since I was concentrating on relaxing, not on the Lord saving me or intervening.

I am so sorry for your loss Ragnar.

When the person gets well they claim it's the "power of the priesthood". When they don't, they say it was God's will.

When I was little I was considered a miracle child. I wasn't supposed to live. Everyone fasted and prayed and I am sure there were numerous blessings given. They said God guided the surgeon rather than give him credit for his amazing skill. I had to live with the burden of having been saved to do something special. Now that I have given up church, I think it makes them even more delusional that I will go back someday and do whatever it was I supposed to do. Funny note: My cigarette smoking non-LDS pediatrician was the the person that figured out that something was wrong with me in the first place. How can that be? ha-ha

Fast forward a few years and my mom goes into cardiac arrest during childbirth. Some bigwig in the church (don't remember who but I think he was an apostle, my Uncle's connections probably got him there) gave her a blessing. She died leaving her six children. But we were told that God needed her more than we did. Same thing happened when my step-mom had cancer. Blessings did not heal her nor did they seem to ease her suffering. I was out of the church near the end of her life when my oldest brother gave her a blessing. I felt horrible about what he said. Basically he was saying "let her die so she doesn't suffer anymore". If the priesthood is so strong how about asking that she get well? It was the opposite of comforting or inspirational.

I won't even get into how my other brother seems to believe he has more powerful priesthood powers than other men. He is pretty much an idiot that screws up and takes no responsibility for it but he looks down his nose at others because he thinks he has super special priesthood.

So me, the one that leaves the church lives, but the two "perfect" women did not and nobody questions that at all. It's so messed up.

I had a similar experience as a young person. Where many thought I was going to die. I was made to feel guilty for not being a good mormon.

I am thankful for doctors, and modern medicine that makes life better. Preisthood blessing don't do anything, other than possibly lifting the spirits of the delusional.

I kept believing in them, even though nothing ever seemed to come true. That started to bother me only as I was beginning to find my way out.

I never felt the Spirit. Every time someone said, "Man, I really felt the Spirit so strongly today," I wondered what the heck they were feeling.

Edit: I just read the other replies. I'm so sorry Ragnar. That's so sad. I guess it's easy for someone to feel very strongly prompted to get up and give someone a blessing because then they don't feel so helpless. They feel like they're at least doing something.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2012 02:23PM by Greyfort.

People claim they feel the spirit in the church. However basically every religion on Earth, people claim they have felt something. Buddhists, Hindus, and other Christians say the same thing. Ask a Muslim who traveled to Mecca if he felt something, and he would say he had.

"Spiritual feelings" do not prove anything, but they are interesting. As far as blessings, they are pointless other than to make the delusional feel better.

I've never felt priesthood power. In fact, now that I think about it, blessings always made me a little uncomfortable. I never really understood the point of blessings. What is going to happen to someone is going to happen to them, given a blessing or not. Maybe it's just a comfort thing, I don't know.

In all the years I was mormon I only had 1 bishop that was truly a spiritual person. You really could feel it when you were around him.

I was starting college soon, and he asked me if he could come over to my house and give me a blessing. During the blessing I had a sensation that I was transported, and for a split second felt Gods pure love. There really is no way I can describe what happened. It was so intense, as soon as he was done I had to leave the room. I didn't want that experience to end. I've never felt anything like that since then.

I don't think it had anything to do with the priesthood, or being mormon. That was also an impression I received. It was about Gods love for me, pure and simple. I couldn't even tell you what was said in the blessing, it didn't seem important.

I've had a lot of blessings in my life. I didn't get anything out of any of them. I don't know why I had that experience. I would give anything to have that feeling again. If I knew how to recreate that I would. It's not something I had any control over. It was totally unexpected. I was more or less letting him give me a blessing because he asked. It wasn't like I was on a spiritual seeking high. Far from it. Distracted, is what I really was.

Thank you, everyone...

One thing bothers me about 'priesthood blessings' that don't work out. They say "It wasn't god's will" or "It wasn't part of god's plan." Also, I remember that many such 'blessings' included "... if it be thy will, oh lord ..." [or something to that effect].

Doesn't this 'priesthood power' supposed to mean something? Isn't it supposed to be 'power and authority' over people, places, things, or happenings in this world? What is it that they say, "As an aaronic priesthood holder, you have more power and authority in your little finger than all the kings and presidents of the world"?

Then, when you're supposed to exercise this power and authority for righteous things and it doesn't work out - it's always excused with "Well, god didn't want it" or "It wasn't in god's plan" or some such rubbish.

Well, if you can't do something that god doesn't want, that means you have no real power or authority.

And if it IS something that god does want to happen, why does he/she need someone on Earth to lay hands on people and give them a blessing to accomplish god's goal? If god wants it to happen, he/she will make it happen. Do these LDS Corp cult members really think that god sits there and says, "You know, I really want little Jimmy to live through this operation, and I'd like Sally to be cured of her cancer. But if no one down there is going to give them a priesthood blessing, I'm not gonna do it. That'll teach 'em!"

Stupid, damaging, hurtful cult.

Considering that the priesthood is given to virtually every man who is worthy, I'd assume that most priesthood holders aren't mature enough to actually be given the authority in life/death/extreme situations. They're really just supposed to use their priesthood to go to the temple.

I'm a private person and unless it's touching between myself and a loved one, I don't enjoy being touched, not even a little. Having some creepy dudes dressed like morticians putting their hands on me NEVER gave me a good vibe!

Always gave me a horrible headache. I just can't have anyone or anything pushing on the top of my head, I can't even wear hats, its so sensitive. So usually a blessing when I was sick just made me feel more sick...

Nope. I've been moved or touched by things said in prayers, but nothing beyond what I have felt when moved or touched by a piece of music, something I've read, or friend who called out of the blue because they were "thinking of" me.

One of the oh blessings I had was when dh and I were going through a rough patch and right before I was put on formal probation. Dh and I both were crying. He says he felt the spirit so strong. I was crying because of what was said in the blessing. The BP blessed me to remember the feelings I had from when dh and I first met and why I married him. I did remember but it was not with the effect it was intended to have.

Placebo Effect - it's real

http://www.skepdic.com/placebo.html

Thanks for sharing. Many good stories and good points.

It is weird though, as my friend and others are; that feeling they get is what keeps them in the morg.

I can't say that I have had any powerful experiences from preisthood blessings. I really wanted to. When I was pregnant and throwing up for 12 weeks straight I really wanted a preisthood blessing to work for me but it didn't. I just had to wait it out.

After we stopped attending church my VT came over and that is when I told her that I had learned more about church history and no longer believed it to be true. Her husband has cancer and has lived 4 years past what was expected. Then, with tears in her eyes, she started talking about family fasts, preisthood blessings and the power of prayer and she said, "see it is true." My reply was, "yes the power of prayer is real but it doesn't mean the Mormon church is true."

Some people live past they are supposed to. You could find many people who had prayed, fasted, and had others do the same yet died sooner than expected.

It is just the way of the world.

I stopped going to church just after I became a deacon, so I don't have personal experience with priestlyhood. I do have an uncle who said he used the power of the priesthood to break apart a thunderstorm because they were stuck in a canyon while hiking. He shook his fists at the sky and yelled, "By the power of the priesthood, I command you to part!"

Meanwhile, I was quietly giggling and thinking to myself, "By the power of Greyskull!"

I felt the "power of the priesthood" when I was blessing my third child...it kept me in another 10 years.

Then, later, when I was spewing pure BS as I was giving blessings, people would say how powerful and moving they were, and how much they felt the spirit.

At that point I knew a powerful speaking voice, and good tonals could get a lot of spirit moving around.

Then I was honest, and left.

Looking back, part of me wishes I had joined the club, and moved my way up. I was about to get called into the bishopric again, and with good planning could have made SP and then into area presidency.

I have the right look, the right voice, I was a good speaker with short notice on spiritual topics. It could have happened.

But then I remember that I hated going to church, I mocked the more ridiculous belief's constantly, and there was no way in hell I was spending my senior years in the temple or on a mission.

But I have never resigned...maybe a overpowering of spirit?

naahhh.


edit add...and I am definitely narcissistic enough, I can make every thread about me ;)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2012 07:38PM by icanseethelight.

Anything you say James Earl Jones!