Has anyone on this discussion board seen God?

I have a picture of Him. It’s not a real current one, though.

I have been told that I was created in God’s image, and I do look in the mirror occasionally.

I have not. However, I don't always pay attention. He may have been at the mall and I missed him. Bearded fellow, 6', average build, sandals, robe. I don't think I have seen him.

Has anybody here seen my old friend God?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He killed a lot of people
But it seems the gods die young
But I just looked around and he's gone

No.

But I have seen a goddess, and I love her.

Further deponent braggeth not.

elderolddog Wrote:
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> No.
>
> But I have seen a goddess, and I love her.
>
> Further deponent braggeth not.


You are wonderful mi amor.

I have seen him and he says to tell you Hi.

Define god......or better yet.....don't.

Yes. Please, please please with sugar and honey on it----don't!

HAHAHA

I had the same experience as EOD.

no, but I had a friend who saw the devil.

macaRomney Wrote:
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> no, but I had a friend who saw the devil.


Was this in Georgia perchance?

If not God how about Jesus? - for many, God incarnate and possibly for others, separate but equal with God. Jesus seems to show up more often or at least that's what I hear.

Wanna see me anytime? Just closely examine that grilled cheese sandwich. I can't get enough of 'em.

I once saw a guy with long hair and a beard who was wearing a robe and carrying a huge cross on his shoulder, but the cross had a wheel on the end, so it was a bit of a cheating Jesus.

Ganesh! I'd rather see an elephant fly!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2020 11:45AM by Elder Berry.

A four armed god at that. Extremely useful feature when trying to open a door with a box in your hands, or at cocktail parties, when you have a drink on one hand and an hors d'oeuvre in the other.

Not to mention being able to pick stuff up and open things with your nose.

Here is a visual.

https://stephenkuusisto.com/2009/12/20/of-dumbo-and-ganesh/

Elder Berry Wrote:
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> Ganesh! I'd rather see an elephant fly!

:D

No. I have not seen God. But if I did and I knew it, I would not forget it, especially if it, she or he appeared to me with its son. And I definitely wouldn't forget the date, especially if we had a 3-way conversation and they were floating in the air the whole time.

Moreover, back in the 1830's, Joseph Smith was the editor of the Messenger and Advocate (published in Kirtland, Ohio) and along with Oliver Cowdery published (1834-5) the history of the church and said in writing that in 1823 Joe was praying "for the all important information if a supreme being existed," when he allegedly had an angel appear to him in 1823.

Really Joe? As the editor you never corrected that written account?

Really Joe? You mean you forgot about your 1820 first vision?

Really Joe? After praying vocally for the first time in your life, and in a grove of trees you had specifically chosen for your prayer, you can't remember that event or the date? In 1834, just a few years later?

Really Joe? Your mom, Lucy Mack Smith, wrote a history and she never mentioned you having told her about your alleged 1820 first vision. She started everything from your alleged 1823 angel story, you know the guy Nephi or Moroni, the name that even early church leaders couldn't get right when they talked about the event.

Come on Mormon Church. Tell the whole truth about Joe Smith.

Fact is, he either forgot seeing God, or it DID NOT HAPPEN!

For me, I remember the day and date I was baptized at 8 years old.

For me, I remember the day and date I was confirmed a member of the church, and I can remember fifty years later where I was sitting in the stake center chapel during Sacrament Meeting as I was called to come sit in a chair on the stand for my father to give the confirmation blessing.

For me, I remember the day I passed the sacrament as a 12 year old Deacon.

For me, I would remember seeing God and Jesus as an 8 or 12 year old kid. That would be much more impressive than baptism, confirmation or passing the sacrament for the first time.

And Joseph Smith was 14 during the alleged vision? And he couldn't remember the event a few years later?

...NEWS FLASH...The reality is this: I wasn't set apart in some pre-existence to come to earth to restore God's one true church and be put into Mormon scripture and named (Joseph smith) as someone second in importance to Jesus Christ.

GEEEEEEEEZ. I'm sure glad I have a brain and can process FACTS rather than ignore them and claim to have FAITH in FICTION.

And faith in fiction is precisely the narrative of the Mormon church I was born into! And if I believe the narrative and give them 10% of my money all my life and endure to the end (which means mortal death), well then, the SLC leaders are happy with their amassed fortune and financial portfolio.

Yup, fact is, Joseph Smith either forgot seeing God or it DID NOT HAPPEN. And for sure, I haven't seen God. I'm 100% sure which facts are correct.

It took Joes literally years to realize who he had seen.

Great slant there. Nice.

Cut JoJu a little slack, there!

What if it was a 'recovered memory'?

What if the two ghawds pulled down JoJu's pants and diddled him and laughed when he got hard and then trashed-talked to him about it? What if they told him they'd come and do it again if he wasn't good?

Can you see why, even the glorious message of the restoration, he would have repressed that memory?

But then in 1834, when John Bennett diddled him, the entire episode came rushing back! And just in time to settle down the more rambunctious saints! Miracle!!!

He could never keep his story straight and would say anything to talk a woman into bed. Why shouldn’t I believe him?

he Left the building.

It seems no one has seen God or Jesus. So does anyone have an imaginary friend that they've actually seen?

It would probably take me 15 small typed pages to clearly explain the probability of that happening.
It would involve a deep probe into the translations of ancient cuneiform tablets and a rational disectioning of their content.
So let me just say that there is a possibility of an explaination but not much probability of clarification of the same

Come to think of it I think he died around the time of Nietzsche.

I saw God in a movie and He looked like George Burns..or was it Morgan Freeman?
Religion can be so confusing.

Has anyone heard the voice of God? Before you answer I don't want something that came from inside your head but a voice like you hear when you talk with another person. Next, what did the voice sound like? Was it high or low? Did the voice speak in your language? Was it male or female? He seems to talk with other people so please describe the voice.

I think that anyone who really does think they see God or that hears voices should seek out some serious professional psychological evaluation and possible treatment. The closest that I have come to hearing voices is to wake up from a vivid dream and to remember clearly what the voice in the dream sounded like. I would guess that these parts of the subconscious that manifest in a dream state could come out in a fully awoken state for some people. To have that happen and to not know which is real would be a real problem. Anyone who suspects these kinds of issues in themselves should get help. There is no stigma. It's the same as having a broken limb or a weak heart. The professionals can help. Unfortunately, those who need help the most sometimes are the least likely to seek or to accept help.

I have a few family members who really do have mental problems (diagnosed schizophrenia) and drug abuse problems. When I told one of them that I went in for some psychological evaluation, they said "you better be careful or they'll have you doing the thorozine shuffle". And then they looked at me like I was crazy. I didn't know what the thorozine shuffle even is. They knew all about it and were quick to enlighten me. I guess if you're considered to be a danger to yourself or to others, the doctors in a mental confinement facility will sometimes keep those people at times in a drug-induced zombie-like state where you walk with an shuffle and do whatever you're told by anyone who tells you to do something. Even as dysfunctional as these relatives who told me about this were, they weren't that messed-up. But they didn't know that. It was obvious why they were never able to get the help they needed.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/2020 08:23AM by azsteve.

Much like Tommy Chong, I dropped acid, played black sabbath at 78 speed and I saw God!

A former Bishop, who I shall call Shiny, told the young mens quorum that dreams are messages from our Heavenly Father.

When I was 5 I had a Dream that God was a 20 foot tall bearded man who was dressed as a roman soldier. We had to get on the room to talk to him.

when i was 9 I dreamed that Jesus returned and knew the answers to all questions--similar to the quiz master, but he never knew where the exit to any building was.

So, have I seen god? Maybe.

A former girlfriends mother had seen god, Jesus, Satan, Cain, angels, Moses, and the three nephites.

Seen God do what?

Come Down?

Or should I go down and see what God is doing?

Is it possible for any true believer to entertain the possibility that they are being conned to obtain money? Nobody around here has seen or heard anything but somehow certain select individuals have and they are the ones that want your money.

Coincidence or mystic happening?

Yes, I was married to him. Well, at least he thought he was God. I certainly never saw any proof other than he could magically make money disappear.

No.

Please state your case. I'm a hard sell and you and others may have already tried, however try again. I'm not beyond admitting that I could be wrong. But how can you accept something without evidence? You must have had feelings in your life where you went with your gut only to find that you were wrong?

In my mind the only way to protect oneself from deception is by using facts. You're seeing it played out right before your eyes, today. They are looking for a cure for Corona virus. I don't think anyone would settle for prayer instead of rubber gloves or faith healers instead of doctors.

Birdman Wrote:
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> Please state your case. I'm a hard sell and you
> and others may have already tried, however try
> again. I'm not beyond admitting that I could be
> wrong. But how can you accept something without
> evidence?

I don't know what you think I am accepting. Your question was: "Has anyone on this discussion board seen God?"

My answer was: No. [Meaning: I have never seen God.]


> You must have had feelings in your life
> where you went with your gut only to find that you
> were wrong?

When I was younger [adolescent through some of my adulthood], when I was just learning the "language" of my gut, I did make some wrong decisions--MAYBE. Certainly they were "wrong" on an outer level, yet they usually/often led to the "right" outcomes eventually. [Meaning: In retrospect, the path, when seen backwards from a specific point, was clear....had "this" ("bad thing"/"bad decision") NOT happened, then this OTHER "good thing" would have never been possible.]

As it turned out, the very best things (includes people) and decisions in my life were often the results of some far less than stellar interim decisions. I always did the best with what I had available to me at any particular time, I DID listen to my gut, and I chose as well as I was capable of choosing given the realities of my life at any given point.


> In my mind the only way to protect oneself from
> deception is by using facts.

Agreed that facts are important--but there seem to be, simultaneously, other realities which are part of the mix as well. There are times when life itself seems very confused; there are times when someone IS trying to deceive....but even when this is so, that situation may nudge (or actively "push") you onto a path you would not otherwise have chosen--and THAT path may be the optimum highway to take you, more or less directly, to your ultimate good (whatever that may consist of in any particular person's life).

My earned life wisdom is: You gather all the facts and information and contacts possible, you "listen" to ("experience") your gut (which, over time and with experience, you can usually rely on more and more), and then life often turns out, in retrospect, to have put itself together quite nicely (and perhaps far better than you ever could have once dreamed of).


> You're seeing it played out right before your eyes, today.
> They are looking for a cure for Corona virus. I don't
> think anyone would settle for prayer instead of
> rubber gloves or faith healers instead of doctors.

Granted.

I still don't see what this has to do with "seeing God." I don't think "seeing God" is necessary in any kind of prayer (but I was raised Hindu/Vedanta/Advaita, and I am a Jew, so my lifetime personal experience with "prayer" is EXTREMELY far removed from the personal experiences of most everyone on this board).

What "I" consider "prayer," and what most everyone else on this board has been taught is "prayer" are entirely different things.

And although a very small number of certain Jews (mostly in the "Old Testament") were supposed to have "seen God," even if this actually did happen (which is, and remains, a matter of debate), it is not necessary for anyone.

In life, you start where you are....you make the best decisions you are capable of making at any given moment....you DO "follow your gut"--and increasingly, as you continue to grow, your decisions get better and better in every way--even when, as they occur, they are difficult, and sometimes seem "wrong" in the short term.

When you DO make a mistake, you evaluate what happened to the best of your ability, you learn whatever is possible from that experience, and then you start over again--enriched by the deep inner wisdom you have gained through your latest lesson(s).

None of this requires "seeing God."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/2020 04:57AM by Tevai.

I appreciate the sincerity of your comments. I think you make some valid points. However I have a problem understanding your comments about your "gut feelings", for my lack of a better term.

Let me tell you a little about myself. My first marriage was based upon a gut feeling despite the evidence. Unfortunately, during the marriage ceremony I knew I had made a mistake. I had ignored obvious signs. I stayed with the marriage for 10 years because I was a faithful Mormon. The marriage produced two children.

I can't believe that all the fighting and bickering between myself and my wife was a benefit to my children. I finally divorced my wife and moved on. Much like what you talked about, my life actually improved and I learned from my mistake. I actually believe that my second marriages success is in part attributable to my first failure. It all worked out for me, but what about the collateral damage - my children from the first marriage?

I personally don't believe that bad decisions based upon gut feelings are not necessarily always bad for the person who made the decision, but what really bothers me is the collateral damage inflicted upon innocent or possibly even guilty people. We are humans, social beings and we don't live in a vacuum.

My question to you is, is there a price for ignoring the facts? This board, that we both participate on, is at least evidence of that. So many people have suffered because they followed their gut and got involved in the colossal fraud known as the Mormon Church.

You shouldn’t accept it without evidence. That’s why the mustard seed. Faith is an experience. The phenomenon is metaphysical, not imaginary. Your faith grows into a mighty tree, which burns to the ground when your shelf collapses. That’s Mormonism for you. A lot of people say “fuggit, I’m not starting over”.

Why would they have to start over? I thought Mormonism included all truths? When one bit don't fit move to another.

Shortly before I resigned from the church, I got some psychiatric evaluation to see if I was suffering from any serious psychological abnormalities that I should know about as I started restructuring my life and life choices. All the experts found was severe clinical depression.

At one point in this process, I was asked a series of questions to help evaluate my mental state. One question was "have you ever seen god?". It came right after the question that asked if I ever hear voices (I hadn't). But the 'god' question seemed so funny at the time. I remember coming out of a depressed, close-in, not-fully-aware feeling for just a few minutes in to laughter, because I realized that their question was serious and that they needed an answer to complete their evaluation of me, and that they weren't joking. Of course I had never seen God. I thought to myself at the time 'maybe I am not so crazy after all'. After I finished laughing I said 'no'. Considering all of the "I know..." crap from Mormonism, this experience gave me some healthy contrast. No one ever sees god. If they say they have, they're lieing or they're seriously mentally ill. The lie that JS said that he saw God and that some of us actually believed him has caused a lot of psychological damage to otherwise normal people.

azsteve Wrote:
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> The lie
> that JS said that he saw God and that some of us
> actually believed him has caused a lot of
> psychological damage to otherwise normal people.


The fact that it took years for him to claim it was God shows fraud more than likely. When people claim Joe was a pious fraud I think about his "first" vision and think the piety is a bit much.

They're everywhere, everywhere!

God has starred in at least two movies. He looks a little like the late George Burns.
He also had a cameo in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail":
King Arthur (Graham Chapman): "Good idea, oh Lord..."
God: "Of course it's a good idea!"

He was also in "Time Bandits" (1983), but there he looks like Ralph Richardson and goes by the name "The Supreme Being."
And you might or might not want to count count Laurence Olivier as Zeus in "Clash of the Titans" (1981), also featuring Ursula Andress as Aphrodite....