I prayed about it and......???

[jimuk]

Originally Posted by Lost_one

Although all answers already given, have a similar vain. I also noticed that we all have differances to in how we recognise the Spirit. I like the quote above by Mormon, in Moroni 7:16. I think that is the scripture im going to ponder tonight. Thank you Vanhin for posting it.

With that said. I wasnt really looking for scriptures. Im really interested in peoples personal feelings. For example, you could tell me a story of how you had a question answered or just knew it was HF talking to you. Here's one from me to help you understand what i mean.

Although i was eager to be baptized into the church, i still had some niggling doubts. I arrived at the church that night. My ward didnt have a building yet so we all went to the one in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire. I got ready for my baptizm and after a little while, was sent for to "get wet" I followed Elder Harris's instructions and got dunked. Still those niggles wouldnt go away.

After i got changed we all walked round to the little room next door so that i could recieve the Holy Spirit. I sat there infront of everyone. The Bishop, Elder Harris and Elder Griffith put there hands on my head and started to speak. I didnt hear a word. I was praying with all my heart to my Heavenly Father, I really was scared i had made a mistake. I called to him inside my head and begged him to tell me, if i was really doing what he wanted. I got my answer. As soon as i asked, it felt as though a hole had opened over my heart and warm water was being pored in. It started at my heart and spread out into my chest, down my arms and legs and eventually my whole body was filled with this feeling and i finally felt at piece. I knew i had done the right thing.

Hope that helped.

Phew, what a great testimony to Baptism and the gift of the Holy ghost, dont you ever forget that beautiful feeling, whenever bad temptations are laid before you just remember the gift you were given at your baptism.
You needed to know if what you were doing was right, and heavenly father was sure not going to let you get away lol. He let you know with the most powerful gift he could give to any of his children, and boy did he sock it to you.

Thanks for a great post and Testimony as to our father in heaven.

[lilered]

One thing I might add to what has already been said is in my case when I expirence the spirit, I often times feel warm and I expierence a very loving feeling in my heart not only for my Father In Heaven, but increased desires to try harder, do more, be more grateful for my blessings.

[candyprpl]

Originally Posted by Lost_one

I hear this quite alot. Someone prays to Heavenly Father with a question or problem and He gives them an answer through the spirit.

Ive done this and it works. My question is: How do you know when its the spirit and when its just you?

I know a person that will use this little sentence alot and for some reason, Heavenly Father ALWAYS seems to agrees with her.

Im not so lucky. Sometimes when i want him to agree with me, he doesnt. Sometimes he does though. Sometimes however, im suspicious that im the one answering the question and not really listening for His answer. Mostly when i REALLY want him to agree with me and know in my heart that He wont.

I guess what im asking is. How do you tell the differance?

Thanks

I've had some wonderful experiences with hearing the voice of the Lord and knowing for sure it's Him.

About a month ago I bought the book by Gerald N. Lund called, "Hearing the Voice of the Lord" Principles and Patterns of Personal Revelation.

I can't say enough good things about this book!!! It's absolutely wonderful!! I learned so much and gained a better understanding about personal revelations. In Section IV -- Is There False Revelation? How Do We Recognize It? Are There Counterfeit Forms of Revelation? How Can We Tell the Difference Between True and Counterfeit Forms of Revelation?

In the flap of the book -- In Hearing the Voice of he Lord, Elder Gerald N. Lund provides reassuring and practical answers to these and many other questions. He discusses:
*ways in which revelation comes
*key principles that help us know how to "hear" and understand personal revelation
*what we can do to avoid being misled as we seek heavenly guidance
*how we can increase our sensitivity to the promptings of the Holy Ghost

[candyprpl]

I got so excited by all your posts that I decided I wanted to tell some of my experiences.

In my profile (right now it's under comments, I need to move it) is my most sacred experience and I don't share it often.

When I was getting ready for baptism I still had the question of why I needed to be baptized again. I had been baptized when I was 14 and still didn't understand the 'by proper authority' part. However, I had a confirmation already that this was the true Church of Christ and I wanted to do what Jesus had told me to do. So, I exercised my faith that this was the right thing to do. I was very nervous the night of my baptism. I remember being so afraid that the change I was expecting would not come. As I entered the waters I couldn't take my eyes off Elder Hansen for fear that he would disappear and this would end right then. When I came up out of the water I looked at the wonderful caring eyes of Elder Hansen. I wanted to hug him so bad! When I started up the steps I suddenly felt the need to look back at him. It was the most amazing experience! My thought at that moment was, he could just as well be John the Baptist. I knew that he had the authority to perform this sacred ordinance. The rest of the evening is kind of a blurr. I felt so peaceful and loved. A side-note on this one -- Elder Hansen finished his mission about 6 months after I was baptized and returned to Utah. My sister lives in SLC and when I went to see her he met me at 10th Ward and we went to church together and I got to give him that hug!!!! LOL!

Another experience -- this one was just hearing that still small voice, more than a feeling. I don't have very good health and in a time of huge money problems my granddaughters were in a situation that wasn't very good. Long story short. They were dropped off at my apartment with no one else to help them or me. I was so upset. I had very little food in the house, barely enough to feed myself. I looked at these two little girls with such worried faces sitting on my couch who were looking at me with such trust. I knelt down before them and told them that everything was going to be alright. I excused myself and went into my room, shut the door, got down on my knees and begged Heavenly Father for some help. As I knelt there a very strong, peaceful thought came to me. I remembered what I had heard President Hinckley say, that when he was faced with something hard and didn't guite know what to do, he would get down on his knees, pray and then get up and go to work. I said, okay -- let's go to work. I went out to where the girls were and it was like I was just being led. Pick up the phone and call the RS president. I did and then she went to work. She called my visiting teachers and the Bishop and they went to work. All of Heavenly Father's 'earthly angels' went to work. We were taken care of!

And so often when teaching my Valient 11 I hear that still small voice. It often surprises me in that situation, but I know it, I recognize it immediately and I always get that warm fuzzy feeling when I follow it.

[jimuk]

I hope you don't mind if i tell you of what i think was a miracle which happened to my wife and i one christmas it wont take long, it concerns two young missionaries.

Well i was out of work with 2 young children and i had nothing and i mean nothing, i dident burden the church with these problems but i was at rock bottom.

What i did have was my testimony and my family. Anyway it was about a week before christmas day and i heard of these two elders who would be on their own (i dont even remember names)
on christmas day, so before even thinking about where the food was going to come from to feed these extra two guys i had invited them to Christmas dinner, we dident even have enough for ourselves lol, but how could i leave these two young men sitting in their room on what should be a joyous day. The celebration of Jesus Christ's birth. anyway i must admit we was more than a little worried as to where our celebration dinner was coming from, but we were determined not to let the two guys down, two days before christmas i prayed and it was a much needed talk to/with my father, well i dident feel a thing, but was not unduly concerned about it as i had lots on my mind. (feeding my family and the elders)
That evening i for some reason went outside and low and behold, on my doorstep was a small food hamper, to this day i dont know how it got there (or do i) There was a small turkey and it was small lol, and some vegetables and other small bits and pieces, i couldent believe it.
Well to cut a long story short, We now had to make this meal go between Six people the kids included in the count, when the elders arrived on christmas day, they were so so pleased to be there it was so very heart warming.

This brings me to the miracle part, in the kitchen my wife had done the best she could with what she had to work with but i must admit things were not looking to promissing lol.
The thing is, the food went round with more to spare there was more of it than there could have been, our plates were full, and there was still turkey and vegatables in the centre of the table, everyone had second helpings.

No we dident see food appearing from mid air as if by magic, it just seemed to be much more than enough (bit like the loaves and the fishes i guess) it is very hard for me to explain, our father in heaven had provided and this was indeed a miracle. in our time.

I am sure there are lots of accounts of this kind of thing happening which we hear nothing about in the church today.

Thank you father in heaven for being so kind and being there for us.