Doctrine and Covenants 9:8

"But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that YOUR BOSOM SHALL BURN WITHIN YOU; therefore, you shall feel that it is right."

When I was a missionary, this was a popular scripture. Missionaries who truly believed in their "mission" were always striving to "be in tune with the promptings of the spirit" so that they would be led to people who were searching for the gospel and also be inspired as to what things to say and do to touch their investigators' hearts and minds.

At first it sounded like a wonderful thing. Personal revelation. Praying for guidance. Getting guidance in the form of a burning sensation in one's bosom (no, not the kind that was due to eating too much greasy food).

In the course of trying to put it into practice over a period of two years, and watching other missionaries trying to put it into practice, I began noticing that burning bosoms were not always in sync with each other. It was not uncommon to see two missionaries nearly come to blows when they disagreed strongly about a particular course of action. One would claim that he felt the promptings so strongly that they should do [XYZ], while the other countered that he had prayed about it and felt that not doing [XYZ] was the correct way to go.

The newest missionaries would usually play the burning bosom card first, in effect claiming that the burning in their bosom was so intense that it could not possibly be wrong. The more seasoned missionaries would in effect claim that the burning in their bosom was less intense, but was combined with a still, small voice telling them that following wisdom derived from experience was the way to go, rather than mistaking excess zeal and ambition for the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

Usually, they worked it out with minimal conflict. Occasionally, however, the conflicts became quite horrific and emergency transfers had to be made. Often, in such cases, the more zealous and less experienced companion would accuse the other one of being unworthy to recognize promptings and inspiration. "He doesn't have faith." The accused companion would be greatly offended by such accusation and much hate and resentment would ensue.

These cases of dueling bosoms leading to relationship dumpster fires was not limited to missionaries, however. After my mission, I was somewhat tuned into the problem and could see it playing out at the ward and stake level quite often, sometimes manifesting in angry words in priesthood meetings or in other settings.

That helped me realize that "epistemology" is an important branch of philosophy and is not just a bunch of abstract and irrelevant concepts.

It also helped me realize that the "Restored Gospel" has actually failed to provided any added value to its members' lives in terms of providing guidance on how to obtain valid inspiration, revelation and knowledge.

If two missionaries, sacrificing two of the most important years of their lives for a common goal, fasting and praying for guidance, can frequently end up fighting each other about the answers to their prayers and the correct way forward, it would appear that all of the fancy talk in Mormon scriptures and conference talks about personal revelation and guidance are just empty words.

During the first year of my mission, I would waste tremendous amounts of time and mental energy trying to discern whether my feelings were from the Holy Ghost or just feelings. At one point, I had decided that whatever would be the hardest, most awkward and potentially embarrassing thing would likely be what the Holy Ghost was telling me to do...because it would be a test of faith. The thing that seemed simplest and most conventional/in line with common sense had to be wrong because it was the path of least resistance and required no faith, gumption or sacrifice. Needless to say, this approach mostly just led to unnecessary difficulty, awkwardness and embarrassment. I gave it up after a few months. Toward the end of my mission, I gave up on the idea of looking for promptings and burning bosoms altogether.

Amazingly, I started getting consistently better results in everything AFTER I gave up on the burning bosom idea.

Makes me wonder about the G.A.s. Imagine when they disagree. Their duels have to be on grand scale. Forget dumpster fires. Their battles must be more like flame throwers by now.

Never had a burning in the bosom but claimed I did of course. Who wants to be the only one who didn't get the holy fuzzies?
And I think that principle right there is why the simple little "burning bosom" ploy is brilliant. Another bit in the Mormon church that you can't prove which means to them, that it can't be disproven and that is the basis of all Mormonism. Well, was. Nowadays plenty can be disproven. So the burning bosom is even more important than ever.

"I don't care about the DNA issues and the lack of chariots. I prayed and I *felt* in my very bosom that the BoM was true. So there!"

“Who wants to be the only one who didn't get the holy fuzzies?”

I spent so many years trying to convince myself that I could see the emperor’s new clothes.

The have chariots of fire races. They all try to reach prophet level when they can quit the race and become a little ceaser, a pope for Jesus Smith.

Done & Done Wrote:
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> Makes me wonder about the G.A.s. Imagine when
> they disagree. Their duels have to be on grand
> scale. Forget dumpster fires. Their battles must
> be more like flame throwers by now.

The most recent example of that, of course, is the simmering duel between Nelson (on one side) and Hinckley and Monson (on the other side) regarding the "Mormon" nickname.

Hinckley actually called out Nelson in a 2006 conference talk.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1990/10/mormon-should-mean-more-good?lang=eng

He referred back to a Nelson GC talk where Nelson had campaigned against the use of the "Mormon" nickname. Then Hinckley proceeded to make the argument IN FAVOR of the nickname. After Hinckley died, Monson continued to ignore Nelson's pet peeve regarding the Mormon nickname. Now that Nelson is in, he's implemented his pet peeve as policy/revelation.

Granted, the two sides didn't curse each other out with expletives in public. Hinckley didn't kick Nelson in the groin area in General Conference. But you can be sure that with a disagreement that had become so obvious in public, the behind-the-scenes disharmony was probably at least 10 degrees hotter.

Reading between the lines: Hinckley and Monson were essentially taking the position that Nelson was full of crap. Nelson's position obviously implies that Monson, Hinckley and all the other predecessors were not sufficiently in tune with the spirit of revelation to perceive that Jesus was offended by the Mormon nickname. (Logically, no case can be made that Jesus was fine with it until the year 2018.)

So there you have it. The burning bosoms of the guys at the very pinnacle of priesthood power, authority and worthiness on planet earth...can't even agree on whether Mormons should be called Mormons. And yet they purport to be our "authorities" and take it upon themselves to lecture us about revelation and what god wants.

Then there was Brigham Young and his testimony about our God named Adam....

A burning in my bosom tells me your words are true.

https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1701-1800/john-wesleys-heart-strangely-warmed-11630227.html

John Wesley's heart was "strangely warmed":

"The Moravians assured him their personal experiences had also been instantaneous. John found himself crying out, "Lord, help my unbelief!" However, he felt dull within and little motivated even to pray for his own salvation. On this day, May 24th, 1738 he opened his Bible at about five in the morning and came across these words, "There are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, even that ye should partakers of the divine nature." He read similar words in other places.

"That evening he reluctantly attended a meeting in Aldersgate. Someone read from Luther's Preface to the Epistle to Romans. About 8:45 p.m. "while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.""

I'm not sure which would be better. Burning bosoms sound a bit dangerous. I wonder if that's why the LSD Church eventually went for an all-out ban on alcohol. You don't want to dribble any alcohol on your bosom when it's burning.

Strangely warm.... It sounds safer than a burning bosom. But it also sounds a bit more ambiguous. It could just be a rash or inflammation caused by a wool sweater. I would hesitate to make pronouncements on doctrinal matters based solely on a strange warmth of the bosom.

TBH, I don't know why God always has to play these kinds of games.

"You're getting warmer...warmer...oooh....now you're getting cooler...getting more cooler...very cold...okay...getting a bit warmer...."

Why can't God just show up and speak fercrissake!? He's done it before. What's with all the games and parlor tricks? How are peepstones and burning bosoms any better than ouija boards and crystal balls?

Wally Prince Wrote:
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> Why can't God just show up and speak fercrissake!?
> He's done it before.

For the same reason "thoughts and prayers" and/or sending money are more likely than actual personal help.

ha ha. Like everybody else, God is sending his thoughts and prayers! Haha ha ha. Just what everyone needs. Right?

Sure working out for those starving kids.

Yep and though his are all powerful they have to be spread so thin you can't see their effects much. You have to help "seeing."

Wally Prince, this was fascinating and hilarious, thank you.

In my year, yeah, people always asked me if I heard a 'still, small voice' and I never did.

for the record (as if U didn't already know, ha ha)-
I love bosoms!

Now BACK to your usual threads...

Way too much fighting on my mission and I'm not talking about missionary basketball. A lot of it came from self-righteous zone leaders that thought only they could find solutions to problems. I had no idea that I would get slugged and tackled (I'm a big guy too ;) as a missionary.