On dreams and the interpretations thereof

Many years ago, in the time between the end of my first marriage and meeting my second wife, I had a dream. I was feeling particularly down and had asked in my prayers for a dream of the future. I wanted to know there was hope when I’d not been able to see it. The dream I had I have rarely shared, but what bothered me most is in being unable to interpret what the dream might mean.

You see, in the LDS Church, we believe in many “gifts of the Spirit”. These are mentioned in the New Testament(1 Corinthians 12) and Book of Mormon (Moroni 10:8-18), and are more specifically listed in the Doctrine and Covenants (Section 46). They include many different types of miracles, including healing, the gift of tongues, interpretation of tongues, wisdom, discerning of spirits, knowledge, and prophecy. These had been much more evident in the early Church than appear now, likely because we tend not to talk about such sacred things. How does one gain such things? The scriptures say it is by the Spirit of God. We’re also told in scripture that we should seek after these good gifts and to use them for the benefit of the children of God in the name of Christ.

We don’t seem to pursue them much anymore, perhaps from unbelief. We have a hard time believing that such miracles could be for us, even when we see or hear of them in the lives of others. But still, we are told to pursue them to help build the kingdom of God. I’ve always wanted “interpretation of tongues” myself, though I have a hard time learning languages. Others would be amazing to have, but how do you prepare or practice such things?

In any case, back to my dream. In my dream, I was returning home after attempting to catch someone at the bus station who was returning to us. I opened the door and to my left were my parents, easily recognizable but obviously much older. On a couch to the left was a young looking woman (perhaps a teen) excitedly jumping and two young boys. The excitement of everyone was electric. Then the woman who I’d gone to pick up entered.

At the time, I’d believed this would take place in the millennial era, when Christ would reign and the dead would be resurrected. The people there could be fit to those I knew of at the time; my parents, my younger sister and her then two sons, my older sister who had died before I was even born. As time has gone on (being 16 years ago now), I realized the roles could be different; my parents, my younger daughter and two sons, my wife.

It could also be that it was all “just a dream”, and I’ve been projecting my hopes on it. My father, who is in his mid eighties and has now been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, may soon die. I know of no one who has the gift of interpreting dreams like those of the Old Testament, Joseph and Daniel. If it was the future, could I not even know the people in the dream in present time?

Prophecy is a tricky thing. We could be shown things we have no words adequate to describe, like John in the book of Revelations, we can have no idea of the time frames involved, yet still for some reason they are given. There must be something about them that is needed at the time they are given, possibly even for times afterward. For me, my dream has given me hope, even when I’ve not been able to see a way for it to happen. It confirms my knowledge that our family will be together forever someday, no matter what separates us.

And that day will be gloriously happy for us all.

Polygamy and the end of days

For those who dont know, polygamy (here defined as 1 man marrying many women, not a correct definition) was practiced by the early LDS church and discontinued in 1890, when the US Supreme Court declared the laws against it Constitutional. Even in places where polygamy is lawful and culturally acceptable, the LDS church does not allow it members to have more than one living spouse at a time.

One of the rather weak arguments against gay marriage is that it will allow for the easing of restrictions on other unlawful unions, such as those involving incest and polygamy. While I don’t believe this to be true, I believe there is the possibility of polygamy being allowed in the United States and the rest of the world, but not in the Church, from the following verse in Isaiah (Chap 4, Verse 1):

And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

Before the 20th century, it was difficult, if not impossible, for women to be independant of men. In most places, they had no voice or consideration as people, which may have necessitated them to marry, even sometimes more than one to the same man, to be able to live and accomplish in the world. In the later 20th and 21st centuries, this has changed dramatically. Women have the ability and cultural acceptance to do whatever they want to do, making marriage a luxury rather than a necessity.

One of the reasons I have heard for same-sex marriage is in the ability to have the tax benefits given to opposite-sex marriages. In the case of polygamy, this would be especially true, as it would allow for men and women to have marriages in name and benefits only, no matter what their desire to cohabitate or even have sex within the marriage. Yes, I know that can happen now, but I was trying to make a point toward the scripture I cited, of more than one woman marrying the same man to remove their responsibility.

Do I have any idea how or when this is going to happen? Or even if? Nope. Its just one of those random thoughts.