{"id":84251,"date":"2020-04-10T15:28:35","date_gmt":"2020-04-10T21:28:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=84251"},"modified":"2020-04-12T14:25:04","modified_gmt":"2020-04-12T20:25:04","slug":"a-great-cloud-of-witnesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2020\/04\/a-great-cloud-of-witnesses.html","title":{"rendered":"A Great Cloud of Witnesses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Irish<\/a>
A sunrise in Ireland (Wikimedia Commons public domain image)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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I published this Easter 2016 column in the Deseret News<\/em>:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Since the appearance of the Father and the Son to Joseph Smith in the spring of 1820 and its formal organization in April 1830, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints<\/a> has resounded with testimonies of the risen Savior.<\/span><\/p>\n

Notable among these is the joint declaration of Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon following their February 1832 vision of the three degrees of glory:\u00a0 \u201cAnd now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!\u00a0 For we saw him, even on the right hand of God\u201d (Doctrine and Covenants 76:22-23).<\/span><\/p>\n

Also noteworthy is the collective witness of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve as it was expressed in January 2000, in a proclamation entitled \u201cThe Living Christ\u201d (https:\/\/www.lds.org\/bc\/content\/shared\/content\/english\/pdf\/36035_000_25_livingchrist.pdf<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Lesser known are the statements of President George Q. Cannon that I discussed here a few weeks ago (http:\/\/www.deseretnews.com\/article\/865647914\/Remembering-the-history-of-the-LDS-Church-on-the-Hawaiian-Islands.html<\/a>):\u00a0 Speaking during the 1893 dedicatory services of the Salt Lake Temple, he testified of having \u201cseen and conversed with Christ as a man talks with his friend,\u201d \u201cface to face.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cI know that God lives,\u201d he wrote in the \u201cDeseret Evening News\u201d on Oct. 6, 1896. \u201cI know that Jesus lives; for I have seen him. . . . \u00a0I testify to you of these things as one that knows\u2014as one of the Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Noteworthy, too, is President Lorenzo Snow\u2019s September 1898 experience in the Salt Lake Temple.\u00a0 Just hours after the death of President Wilford Woodruff, the Savior appeared to President Snow, directing him to reorganize the First Presidency immediately, rather than waiting for months or even years as had previously been done. \u00a0(See https:\/\/www.lds.org\/ensign\/2015\/09\/a-visit-from-the-savior?lang=eng<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

Elder Orson F. Whitney, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve between 1906 and 1931, had a life-changing experience while serving as a missionary in Pennsylvania:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne night I dreamed\u2014if dream it may be called\u2014that I was in the Garden of Gethsemane, a witness of the Savior\u2019s agony. \u00a0I saw Him as plainly as I see this congregation.\u201d\u00a0 The vision continued, he said, until \u201cI was perfectly familiar with His appearance\u2014face, form, and movements.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen came the divine illumination, which is greater than all dreams, visions, and other manifestations combined. By the light of God\u2019s candle\u2014the gift of the Holy Ghost\u2014I saw what till then I had never seen, I learned what till then I had never known, I loved the Lord as I had never loved Him before. \u00a0My soul was satisfied, my joy was full, for I had a testimony of the truth, and it has remained with me to this day.\u00a0 I know that my Redeemer liveth. Not even Job knew it better. I have evidence that I cannot doubt.\u201d\u00a0 (See https:\/\/www.lds.org\/liahona\/2003\/12\/the-divinity-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng<\/a>.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Elder David B. Haight, an apostle from 1976 until 2004, missed general conference in April 1989 because of a life-threatening health crisis that required a serious operation.\u00a0 In October conference of that year, however, he reported on what had happened when he lost consciousness during his illness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe terrible pain and commotion of people ceased. \u00a0I was now in a calm, peaceful setting; all was serene and quiet. . . .\u00a0 I heard no voices but was conscious of being in a holy presence and atmosphere. \u00a0During the hours and days that followed, there was impressed again and again upon my mind the eternal mission and exalted position of the Son of Man. . . .\u00a0 I was shown a panoramic view of His earthly ministry. . . . \u00a0I was being taught, and the eyes of my understanding were opened by the Holy Spirit of God so as to behold many things. . . .\u00a0 During those days of unconsciousness, I was given, by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, a more perfect knowledge of His mission. . . .\u00a0 I cannot begin to convey to you the deep impact that these scenes have confirmed upon my soul.\u201d\u00a0 (For more details, see https:\/\/www.lds.org\/liahona\/2007\/04\/the-sacrament-and-the-sacrifice?lang=eng<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s appropriate to recall such accounts\u2014which might be multiplied considerably\u2014at Easter season:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith\u201d (Hebrews 12:1-2).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 I published this Easter 2016 column in the Deseret News: \u00a0 Since the appearance of the Father and the Son to Joseph Smith in the spring of 1820 and its formal organization in April 1830, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has resounded with testimonies of the risen Savior. Notable among […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1821,1266,9775,1356,1809,7914,1363,4657,4654,9778,1369,380,2905,1812,1815,9733,788,55,8892,1366,9784,9781,356,8895,921],"class_list":["post-84251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-apostle","tag-apostles","tag-apostolic","tag-christ","tag-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints","tag-david","tag-easter","tag-george-cannon","tag-george-q-cannon","tag-haight","tag-jesus","tag-joseph-smith","tag-latter-day-saint","tag-latter-day-saints","tag-lds","tag-modern","tag-mormon","tag-mormonism","tag-orson","tag-resurrection","tag-rigdon","tag-sidney","tag-sidney-rigdon","tag-whitney","tag-witnesses"],"yoast_head":"\nA Great Cloud of Witnesses<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"    I published this 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