My Testimony

I share this testimony in the spirit of friendship to any fellow seeker of Christ.
I am a normal lay member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I have no presiding authority to teach or command within the organization of the church.  Within the stewardship of the organization, I respect the authority of those presiding authorities, and I keep these experiences to myself.   I share unrestrained to my friends and my family. Spirituality and the gospel are greater than any organization.
I served an honorable mission, married in the temple, and have a current temple recommend.  I have been and remain an active member of the LDS church.  I have no intentions of leaving it.
I have been asked to post this testimony here.  I hope that this will be a one-post declaration of the grace Christ has bestowed on me.  I have no intention to publicize this beyond a few family members and friends.  I am not a great example.  I have no secret to share that has been hidden.  All I can do is testify that knowing Christ literally is possible.  This is not a full record of my experiences, but what I share here did happen.
Background
I started college at BYU as a freshman in 1994.  I had one full school year before my LDS mission.  During that freshman year, I took up reading the Book of Mormon for a half hour every day.  I soon recognized an invitation to know the Lord personally as did Lehi, Nephi, and many others contained within that book.  This invitation to know the Lord is explicitly made in D&C 93:1.
D&C 93:1 Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;
The invitation in this scripture impressed me so much that I included it on my missionary plaque.  From that time, seeing His face and knowing the Lord has been my goal.  I sought after this goal for nearly 18 years.  This desire has not been merely a new whim.  I am not a kindergartner seeking a crash course in calculus.
Joseph Smith taught “for God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what He will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them, for the day must come when no man need say to his neighbor, Know ye the Lord; for all shall know Him (who remain) from the least to the greatest.’ ” Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, page 149.
I believed him.
I didn’t have a name for what I went through during that period at BYU until many years later.  Though I was baptized by water when I was 8, it was during that year, at age 18, that I received the Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost.
This is how in 2012, I found myself pleading for true messengers.  That prayer led me to a book called The Second Comforter: Conversing with the Lord Through the Veil by Denver C. Snuffer Jr.  I recognized The Second Comforter as a manual.  I saw in it many experiences that I had already gone through. It was like a map.  From reading it I saw where I had been on the path, where I was, and what else I could expect to experience.  It was then a simple matter of pondering, identifying, and working on the areas I had identified.
My Witness
On April 14, 2012, I was carried away into the heavenly temple.  I shook the hand of the angel that was my guide.  I saw and heard the Father and the Son speak to me.  This experience involved sight, touch, sound, and smell.  It was as real as anything I have experienced in my day-to-day life, only the glory and intelligence conveyed is indescribable.  This was not my last encounter beyond the veil.
I am a witness that Jesus Christ lives.  He is a real, knowable person.
If you seek and accept His messengers to prepare the way, He will come suddenly to His temple and reveal to you His glorious body of burnings.  He is talkative.  He wants to know you more than you want to know Him.  I know this because I have experienced this as a man speaks to another.
Jesus Christ is the Second Comforter. He literally came to me and has comforted me.
This is not a full statement of my witness.  I share my testimony so that you may know that Christ lives and His work is to save imperfect people.  I hope that this testimony will allow you to exercise faith enough to lay hold on these blessings.
The Doctrine of Christ
The path to knowing Him is simple.  The Book of Mormon calls it the Doctrine of Christ.  It is faith, repentance, baptism, and then to actually receive the Holy Ghost.  Once you have actually received the Baptism by Fire and the Holy Ghost you must do everything the Holy Ghost says until Christ manifests Himself to you.  This is the end or goal to which we endure.  It is to know Him literally.  He has a ministry to accomplish with you personally.
You cannot get there by following any program or man.  It is a matter of working on what one thing the Holy Ghost tells you to do each day.  We are commanded to press forward to this goal with steadfastness.
2 Nephi 31:20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
If you are expecting to know Christ in death when you have not known Him in life, you will be disappointed.  While being martyred, Stephen would not have been welcomed by Christ in His glory had Stephen not known Christ in his life.
Alma 34:32 For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors. 33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed. 34 Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.
The Book of Mormon contains this doctrine within its first six verses.  Page after page, example after example, we can see how normal people had the desire and faith to know the Lord while in the flesh.  Study Nephi’s last discourse in 2 Nephi, especially chapters 31-32.  Study Moroni Chapter 7 and the ministry of angels.  Study the whole book with the idea of how you can obtain what the authors obtained.  They were not satisfied until they knew God while during their mortal lives.
The Lectures on Faith – A Neglected Treasure
I highly recommend the Lectures on Faith.  It is scripture and was accepted as such by all quorums and the general membership of the church.  It was edited, written, and approved by a man that had communed with Jehovah.  The Lectures on Faith set out in methodical form keys or knowledge to knowing Christ and His Father.
Without Faith There is No Ministry of Angels – A Key Offered
In the months that followed, a heavenly messenger came to my bedside and taught me from the scriptures, primarily the Book of Mormon and Isaiah.  This happened on three different nights over a period of two months, each time repeating the prior message and adding more.  The best one line summary of the hours-long conversation is “the Gentiles in the Book of Mormon should be understood as referring to the LDS”.  Please understand that this is a very inadequate summary.
Moroni 7:37 Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain. 38 For no man can be saved, according to the words of Christ, save they shall have faith in his name; wherefore, if these things have ceased, then has faith ceased also; and awful is the state of man, for they are as though there had been no redemption made.
Ask the Lord to show you what unbelief you have.  If you ask with a sincere heart, He will answer you.  A sincere heart means that you are willing to accept the answer no matter what it is without preconceptions.  Work on casting aside that unbelief.  This is the hard part.  We have accepted many traditions that are unbelief.  The Book of Mormon will be your key.  It was written to you, its reader.
In the period that has followed, my mind has been completely blown by the knowledge communicated from heaven.  I had to lay down long-held beliefs that were really philosophies of men.  A quality that is attractive to heaven is an openness to learning.  I have also learned that if Angels have not come to you, then it is because of some unbelief that you are holding onto.  Unbelief is more than not believing, it also includes belief in errors or incorrect belief.  You may not even be aware of what it is.  You may think it is truth when it is not.
Whose Connection to Heaven Matters?
To those who rely on others for their connection to heaven, the standing of any apostle, president, parent, bishop, or any other person, whether they commune with God or not, will not matter for your salvation.  What matters is your own connection to heaven.  If every person magnifies his calling and converses with the Lord, it will not matter to you if you do not do the same.  God is no respecter of persons; you cannot be in the same kingdom as Nephi, Lehi, Abraham, and others without having had the same experiences.  There is never any safety in following men.  Even followers of true prophets find themselves in the telestial kingdom (see D&C 76:98-101).
Lectures on Faith 6:8 It is in vain for persons to fancy to themselves that they are heirs with those, or can be heirs with them, who have offered their all in sacrifice, and by this means obtained faith in God and favor with him so as to obtain eternal life, unless they in like manner offer unto him the same sacrifice, and through that offering obtain the knowledge that they are accepted of him.
The True Standard of Righteousness
Regarding righteousness, a person can try to live up to every law and commandment both cultural and scriptural and it will be insufficient.  At the end of the day, after all we can do, we are saved by Christ’s grace.  Why did Nephi labor so diligently to teach of Christ?  Why did he and his people believe in Christ and talk about Him so much?
Nephi spoke of Christ because all we do amounts to basically nothing.  No amount of compliance with any law will be sufficient to save us.
Assume your height was a visible measure of your righteousness.  You could compare yourself to others and say, “Look, I’m six feet tall and everyone else is five feet, therefore I am righteous.”  This is in essence what we do; we compare ourselves to others and find comfort in being “taller”.
Christ is the Empire State Building or Mt. Everest. From His perspective the difference between the best of us and the worst of us is so insignificant that we all equally fall short. You can’t even tell from the top of the Empire State Building just who is taller than the other.
This is the standard of righteousness that heaven uses. We all fall so far short of it that it is purely by Christ’s grace that we are saved.
You will not save yourself by saving up for that bicycle. The amount you offer is nothing compared to the standard of Righteousness. The only thing you can offer is a broken heart and contrite spirit. You must be willing to set aside anything and everything to know Him, including your cherished but incorrect beliefs.
To the Critics of the Church
For those of you aware of facts that have shaken your faith in Joseph Smith or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, faith in a man or an institution is idolatry.  The only object worthy of faith is Jesus Christ.  To have your faith shaken in an idol is a good thing.  Joseph Smith defined Mormonism as truth:
Mormonism is truth; and every man who embraces it feels himself at liberty to embrace every truth. Consequently the shackles of superstition, bigotry, ignorance, and priestcraft, fall at once from his neck; and his eyes are opened to see the truth, and truth greatly prevails over priestcraft…The first and fundamental principle of our holy religion is, that we believe that we have a right to embrace all, and every item of truth, without limitation or without being circumscribed or prohibited by the creeds or superstitious notions of men, or by the dominations of one another, when that truth is clearly demonstrated to our minds, and we have the highest degree of evidence of the same.
- Joseph Smith -Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, page 264,
The truth is, your skepticism of men and institutions puts you in good company.  In 1830 the Lord called the church “true and living” (D&C 1:30).  By 1832 the Lord stated that the church is “condemned” (D&C 84:54-57).  By 1841 the Lord says He has taken the fullness of the priesthood away from the church (D&C 124:28).  The Lord promised that if we did not repent, we would “by [our] own works, bring cursings, wrath, indignation, and judgments upon your own heads, by your follies, and by all your abominations, which you practice before me, saith the Lord.” (v. 48).
You have learned truth and that truth is confirmed by the Lord’s own words.  We were moved out of Nauvoo and have suffered cursings by our own follies.  With this knowledge of truth you can refocus your faith in the proper place, Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is an expert at saving fallen things.
If you do not accuse each other, God will not accuse you. If you have no accuser you will enter heaven, and if you will follow the revelations and instructions which God gives you through me, I will take you into heaven as my back load. If you will not accuse me, I will not accuse you. If you will throw a cloak of charity over my sins, I will over yours—for charity covereth a multitude of sins. – Joseph Smith -Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, page 193
We all need this cloak of charity.
I am not an Example
I am not an example because I am more righteous or perfect or more virtuous.  I am not.  I am utterly unworthy of any heavenly attention as to myself and am certainly not worth any earthly attention.  I only share my experience so that others may know that no matter how low you are, Christ will save you if you let Him.
Christ’s work is to save you.  He is good at what He does.  Let Him work with you.  Be patient and teachable as a little child.  Children do not have all the preconceptions and false traditions we have.  Try to read the Book of Mormon without any preconceptions about what it means.  I know that is very hard to do.  I still have weaknesses.  We all do.  We are given weaknesses to humble us.  Let yourself be humble.
I have no stewardship to reveal anything to any member of the church.  I am not a presiding authority, and therefore nothing I share would be of any force to anyone.  I believe I had stated that clearly, but I do so again just to be clear.
The Lord has asked me to share these thoughts here, but only in the capacity as a friend and fellow seeker, and not by way of commandment or revelation.  The only tool I have is testimony and persuasion.  I do not consider myself an expert, special, more righteous, or anything other than an ordinary LDS guy.
My only goal in writing here is to increase faith in Christ.  I believe the preeminent doctrine worth talking about is the Doctrine of Christ — Faith, Repentance, Baptism, taking the Holy Ghost as your guide until Christ manifests Himself to you.  Christ is real and employs no servant at the gate.
2 Nephi 9:41 O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.
If my words have caused anyone to have less faith in Christ, then I beg for your forgiveness and ask you to ignore me.  Of all my mistakes, which are many, it yet remains that I experienced what I did.  To echo Joseph’s words — I know it and I know God knows it.
I do not fault nor accuse anyone for disbelieving me.  Christ is the only one worthy of belief. Believe in Him. Seek after Him.  He has promised that He will come to you.  Please do not be satisfied with anything less than His literal presence.
John 14:23 – Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
D&C 130:3 – John 14:23—The appearing of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man’s heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false.
Please do not stop casting out unbelief until the Angels come and Christ manifests Himself.  These things are absolutely necessary for your eternal salvation.  Christ has a work to do that no earthly man or program can provide.  There is no servant at the gate.  There is no substitute for conversing with the Lord through the veil.
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66 thoughts on “My Testimony”

  2. That is a powerful testimony. Thank you for sharing it with the world. I felt the Spirit of truth testify to me that you spoke those words in truth and plain humility.
    Thank you.
    Reply
  3. Thank you for your testimony! I felt the Spirit testify of the truthfulness in your words. It is a blessing to be able to read testimonies of Christ.
    Reply
  4. Thank you for sharing these things. I know its difficult to put yourself out there for criticism and to give others the opportunity to bare false witness against you and/or accuse you for having shared such glorious things. One of our articles of faith states that we lds should hope for all things and to beleive ALL things. Thank you for your beautiful testimony and witness. You are right. At the end of the day it doesnt matter if others beleive your experiences though. What is important is for them to go on and receive of their own. Often times that belief begins when we know of others who have received such things and we begin to believe it is possible for us. This is what fast and testimony meetings are supposed to be about and why God asks His followers to bear witness of Him. Its not to venture into voyeurism but to give HOPE. We need to develop Faith, Hope, And Charity and we can KNOW Him. Even all this can we do if we will. Amen!
    Reply
  5. Read this right away after you pointed it out. Then asked Father to point out my unbelief. Lets do this and not procrastinate.
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  6. I draw strength from your words. I long for that Living Water to quench my parched soul. Your witness gives me assurance He can come to me too, my Beloved, the King of Kings. I realize now that I don’t know anything, all my “truth” is false and all unbelief until I receive that sure knowledge. God help me.
    Thank you Dan
    Eva
    Reply
  8. Your testimony is beautiful. I thank God that a lowly man like yourself has experienced this. Your experience strengthens my resolve to have the same happen to me.
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  9. Thank you for sharing such a sacred experience. You are an inspiration to me to seek
    deeper for further light and knowledge– that I, too, may meet My Savior.
    Reply
  10. Dan,
    Know that your intent to nurture greater faith in Christ has been achieved in my soul. Your words have strengthened me on my path to the Second Comforter. Thank you for your witness, encouragement and edification. When I read that Christ wishes to know me more than I wish to know Him, I wept, for I felt the truth of this statement. I proclaim, as the father in Mark 9:24, and as I have so many times and will continue doing so, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief”.
    I pray many blessings to you and to all who read your words.
    Kellie
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  11. Dan,
    I love that you have the courage to share something so special. What I love even more is how you talk about getting there. I believe also that it is essential that we cast off unbelief and that Christ truly is good at what he does.
    Thanks!
    Reply
  12. Thank you for your humble testimony. I believe you. Thank you for your words about unbelief. Joseph Smith taught us to believe ALL things. We often conflate that to mean ALL gospel-related things. Joseph did not put a limit on that statement. We need to believe ALL things. That is the beginning of true discernment. Then like you stated, ask God to remove your unbelief on a daily basis. He is in control, we just need to repent daily.
    I really like how clear you were about specific points of your experience. Thank you for being willing to share in such a manner. You say that we need to get our own connection to heaven. I believe you are right. We need this connection or we will never be saved from this world.
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  13. Daniel, thank you so much for sharing this witness. I have much unbelief to caste out, and I am truly a sinner. But I believe in what you’ve shared, I have learned some portions of the process you describe, and have much more to learn and do. Thank you for strengthening my desire to know, and to receive.
    Reply
  14. Thanks, Dan.
    I joined the LDS church over 40 years ago, and in those days it seemed that even though we did not talk of it much, the goal of everyone was to push forward and receive the visitations and witnesses that you speak of. I don’t see that too often anymore. I rarely hear it spoken of as doctrine, and almost never is it spoken from the pulpit. That is sad. I miss it.
    The idea that the Book of Mormon was written as a warning about what could happen to the LDS faith would not have occurred to us then, I don’t think. Today, everything is Topsy-turvy.
    Reply
  15. I also believe Daniel’s testimony and am so thankful he followed the Lord’s prompting to answer when I asked if there were any other witnesses besides Denver to the process outlined in The Second Comforter: Conversing With the Lord Through the Veil (TSC), which is simply the doctrine of Christ from the Book of Mormon (2 Nephi 31-32). Daniel’s testimony changed my heart and helped me cast off a lot of my unbelief. I am also very grateful to Frederick for being a third witness to me.
    I have experienced many of the fruits of the path of instruction leading up to the veil since choosing to truly believe and follow the doctrine of Christ in fulfillment of His promises. I encourage everyone to believe in Christ unto repentance, and to ask, seek, and knock, as you follow the Light of Christ and the Holy Spirit back into His presence. He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Read the Book of Mormon, the Lectures on Faith, and TSC again with as open, believing, and as child-like (to the Lord) a faith as you possibly can. Cast off your unbelief and deny yourself of all ungodliness, Moroni 10:32-33, D&C 93:1. Trust the Lord and act on the feelings and subjective experiences and signs He gives you. As the Prophet Joseph put it, grow into the principle of revelation, by noticing and acting on the intelligence He gives you, and He will give you more and more, until you reach Him.
    I’m not there yet, but there have been many undeniable fruits and signs following my renewed faith in Him and His doctrine, which, to quote Nephi, is “the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.”
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  16. I feel happy to know about this testimonies, I’m 39years old and I learning a lot about when something sad happen to me to “let it go” with Suplication and get out and share the gospel, and after receiving comfort. I know that we talk and rejoice in Christ the heavens are happy and we feel that also…our comfort isn’t complete because I suppose the rest will be with Christ…I hope in this life to see through the veil some celestial being and to receive a pure love and friendship…
    Reply
  17. Dan, this is what Nephi was describing in 2 nephi 25:26 : “…we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies…” I am so grateful for your words. When we talk and share, we rejoice in our Redeemer. My hope that I can experience the same begins to overflow. I am pursuing the same path and your sharing the glorious ending is a great blessing. Shall we not go on in so great a cause? Courage, on to the victory! .
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  18. Thank you for sharing your testimony. I was greatly touched and inspired to keep trying and seeking the Second Comforter.
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  19. Thanks Dan. You know, the fact that I know you(a little bit) really gives me hope! You really are just a normal guy. Part of my unbelief is that I will only see the Lord when I have become a certain “type” of person, and only certain “types” of people have actually seen him and know him. Of course I am not that “type” of person and probably never will be. I have got to let go of the lie.
    Several months ago I was prompted to start using the phrase ‘Latter Day Saints’ interchangeably with ‘gentiles’ when ever I came across it in the Book of Mormon. I do it and it sure sheds a lot of light on our true condition before God.
    Looking forward to seeing you in December.
    Clarice
    Reply
  20. Humble, simple, direct, truthful, and penetrating.
    The visuals were insightful to such a degree that this has taken hold deep within…
    and now and until the rest of days of probation there is continual work to do to know
    him whilst on earth.
    Thank-you, God Bless-
    Reply
  21. Dan,
    I really appreciate your testimony. Your experiences and others’ have given me hope that I will obtain this for myself some day. The Spirit testifies that you speak truth. And I am so glad for your courage to say these things in the face of opposition and unbelief. Godspeed, my friend.
    Reply
  22. The spirit has testified to me of the truthfulness of your testimony. I have read it several times and each time I weep at your witness that He wants to know us more than we want to know Him. I am grateful that you have shared this and I have hope that I will someday be received of Him. Your willingness to show and share your imperfections also gives me hope that I too can receive these blessings despite my many sins and weaknesses. You and your family are in my prayers as you face your trials for boldly standing up and testifying of our Savior Jesus Christ.
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  24. Daniel,
    What a wonderful gift I received from reading your post. And what a joyous moment for me to see so many comments from others who are filled with the hope to come and know their Savior. Thank you so very much for sharing your testimony and a multitudes of Alleluias to God for his mercy and condescensions to man. Seriously, what great things are happening.
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  25. I am grateful you obeyed in posting your testimony here Dan. I have been reflecting on your testimony for many weeks now. Your testimony has helped me to increased my faith and hope in Christ. Because of your testimony I am have increased my efforts and desire to follow every prompting no matter how great or especially how insignificant I in my light mindedness and ignorance judge it to be. Thank you for teaching me this.
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  26. Daniel: Thanks for your courage in sharing. Would that more people who have had this sort of experience would be as open about it. Testimonies like this help those of us who are still seeking to know the Savior and come unto him as he commanded us. God bless you in your continued efforts to follow the promptings of the spirit in spite of the fears and doubts others may cast in your face. Moroni 7:37 came to mind as I read your wonderful testimony and felt the need to strive harder to remove my own doubts and fears. -Tim Malone, Latter-day Commentary
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  27. Your courage to share is so inspiring. Thank you for being fearless in your testimony of the Savior and helping to guide us closer to Him. What beautiful experiences and words!!
    Reply
  28. We were freshmen at BYU the same year. :) Small world.
    And thank you. Thank you for your honesty and your witness. God IS talkative. And I can’t wait to see Him for myself.
    Reply
  30. Thank you for sharing this first-hand witness. After my mission, I searched for years to find others who longed for these things and only recently have the Heavens been opened. Truly Father is allowing additional Light to come forth and those of us who are actively seeking it are running to it.
    Hurrah for Israel.
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  31. I was led to your post from a link by Tim Malone. Thank you Tim!
    Thank you for sharing your beautiful experience! I pray that I will recognize and overcome my own unbelief that I may receive The Second Comforter. I pray that I may come to know my Savior and become more like Him!,
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  32. Tim and another individual led me to your site. Thanks, Tim!
    I left my former church 40+ years ago because it was not getting me closer to God. And though the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has taught me much more about God, I haven’t felt moved closer to Him all that much. I rejoice that imperfect people are finding their way to Him and share their experiences and joy and encourage us to do the same.
    Thank you for having the courage to pursue the journey and post your testimony here. Despite the persecutions you may face, I have to think that the Lord will (continue to) bless you and you will feel increasing joy.
    Steve
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  33. Brother Daniel,
    If some “friends” abandon you because of your testimony, please consider me as one who will stand with you no matter the cost. We are strangers until this moment, but we are kindred spirits now throughout eternity.
    Your brother, Roy.
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  34. EVERYTHING Dan has said here is verily true! The Baptism of Fire and of the Holy Ghost is the next step. It is as tangible as your Baptism of water, and even more so. When it happens it will not be a matter of question. You will know it. Read also Enos, 3rd Nephi 12:1-10; all of chp 19. Ether chp 12 in connection with what the scriptures Dan has listed here.
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  35. Daniel,
    What an amazing, beautiful testimony! Thank you so much for
    sharing this wonderful account. I feel the spirit testify to me the
    truthfulness of your words, they are powerful. How great and
    wonderful the royal majesty of our Heavenly Father and his Son
    Jesus Christ!
    Margo
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  37. Thank you for following up on your obligation to the Lord. It comes as an answer to sacred prayers of many of us who are traveling the same path.
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  40. Dan, thank you so much for posting your testimony. And thank you for including a positive comment about Denver. I’ve heard that you’ve been asked to remove this web page. Please don’t. We all need your steadfastness as the institutional opposition to the fullness increases.
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  41. Hi, have you read revelations found in The Second Book of Commandments? (www.2bc.info 1961 to present) Some question that the Lord would call a prophet independent of His Gentile church leadership. And besides, many others today write revelations in the Lord’s name. But some of us sought diligently and prayerfully for many years and know that the 2BC is a true continuation of the gift of oracles restored to the Prophet Joseph for Israel in the last days. All those that receive revelation today must present their revelation to the School of the Prophets authorized by the 2BC. And the School will determine from the Lord if it is a true revelation.
    Reply
  42. Blessed Brother,
    Thank you so very much for sharing your “Blessed Event ” and witnessing of Him, and of Father to the World.
    I can hear now the songs of praise, and gratitude, from the Heavens, “that you followed through”, and now stand beside your other fellow Brothers and Sisters of The Firstborn on Earth, declaring The Christ, and the Ascension to the Fathers.
    Again, thank you Daniel and Blessed will be thy name, forever and forever.
    All My Love,
    Elias Returns
    Reply
  43. Daniel,
    Is it possible to ask you a question or two through email? Some people think that you are simply following Denver Snuffer in his book “Passing the Heavenly Gift.”
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  44. Gad, I will join my friends (as well as many people I do not know) in telling you thank you for sharing your testimony so clearly. In Lehi’s time, many prophets were testifying, and Lehi ended up joining their ranks. I view you (and some of my other friends) as being like them.
    Reply
  46. Thank you Daniel for your testimony. Each of us must climb our spiritual Mount Sinai where at the top Christ awaits with open arms. Most members believe that being “born of the water and of the Spirit” mean watery baptism and confirmation. This simple is not true. “Born of the water” is watery baptism and confirmation because both are necessary to be a complete watery baptism. “Born of the Spirit” is the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, truly a separate event never to be forgotten. We must experience it because as the Lord through Alma (Mosiah 27:25-27) taught we must become spiritually begotten children of Christ or we are cast off (one of the lower kingdoms). The baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost causes, among other things, this spiritual rebirth to take place, not to mention becoming cleansed of all sin, prerequisite to being in the presence of Christ. (D&C 76:116,117)
    Reply
  47. Seeking his face consumes my every thought. Thank you for pointing me to my unbelief. It’s often hard to know what to focus on exactly and even to know where the path is we must take. I know that casting off my unbelief will lead me closer to him. Thank you!
    Reply
  48. I have posted this before at http://www.weepingforzion.com where it generated surprisingly little discussion, and would like to hear further from those here in response to my scriptural offerings in regards to the Second Comforter experienced by Dan and some of you of late (I have slightly edited it for this site). Dan I appreciate your admirable fairness in allowing me to re-post it here. My attempt contained herein is sincere, I assure you of that. Here are my observations and questions:
    So interesting to read these testimonies…thank you for sharing these. I love the spirit of hope…this shortening of the days towards Jesus’ return, so joyful a moment!
    If I may be bold, I have a question which bothers me, perhaps some of you can share your conjecture on it to help me out in my journey- According to D&C 124:28, a decade after receiving the fulness of the priesthood in very early 1830′s, the Lord stated that He had taken away this very fulness, and had not yet restored it in 1841:
    28 For there is not a place found on earth that he may come to and restore again that which was lost unto you, or which he hath taken away, even the fulness of the priesthood.
    The Lord further severely chastises the Saints for not living consecration as found in Section 42, and then flat out states that the Church is not right with Him in verse 48, thus common sense states these are the reasons why the priesthood was taken away-
    48 For instead of blessings, ye, by your own works, bring cursings, wrath, indignation, and judgments upon your ownheads, by your follies, and by all your abominations, which you practice before me, saith the Lord
    Following this there has never been an instance documented, or even simply claimed by anyone in the LDS faith since then, that the Lord finally did return and ‘restore AGAIN that which He took away, even the fulness of the Priesthood’, in the 4+ generations that has since passed.
    Now, according to Section 84:19-22 the fulness of the priesthood, which obviously contains the ‘greater priesthood’, is ESSENTIAL to seeing the face of God-
    19 And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. 20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest. 21 And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh; 22 For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.
    So, my problem lies in the fact that-
    1. The greater or highest priesthood is THE pre-requisite to seeing the face of God (Jesus).
    2. Without the highest priesthood, the face of God CANNOT be an event which can happen.
    3. According to the above scriptures, the greater priesthood was taken away by the LORD Himself.
    4. This greater priesthood has NEVER been restored by the Lord, who according to JST Genesis 14:25-40, is the ONLY possible One who directly ordains a person to it, and the fruits or the proof, is manifested in POWER, not just in vocal testimony, in the which is demonstrated by these manifestations-
    28 It being after the order of the Son of God; which order came, not by man, nor the will of man; neither by father nor mother; neither by beginning of days nor end of years; but of God;
    29 And it was delivered unto men by the calling of his own voice, according to his own will, unto as many as believed on his name.
    30 For God having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself; that every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry upwaters, to turn them out of their course;
    31 To put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God; to do all things according to his will, according to his command, subdue principalities and powers; and this by the will of the Son of God which was from before the foundation ofthe world.
    32 And men having this faith, coming up unto this order of God, were translated and taken up into heaven.
    So, as an obvious observation, I have not heard anyone claim the restoration of this Priesthood, the greater or highest Priesthood, by the Lord directly to anyone of my contemporaries here.
    Further, if somebody did make this claim, the above JST scriptures make clear how the power of this priesthood would be manifested, leaving no doubt, just as the saints did in Melchizidek’s day, Enoch’s day, and the magnificent era of 4th Nephi, where the very elements were controlled and commanded by these holy saints.
    So, without being rude, how is it possible that so many of you are able to go against the pre-requisites in the word of the Lord as contained in His holy Scriptures, and still see the face of God?? Please enlighten me. If you are having this experience, then the word of the Lord above is blatantly incorrect.
    If your experiences, which I have tried for so long myself to have without any success, is true, then there is yet hope for me! But until the Word of the Lord is justified in this, i am left scratching my mostly empty head… Please don’t be shy, I’d love to hear from all of you as I am as sincere in my desires as you are, and am completely aware of my pathetic nothingness before the Lord, whose mercy I desperately crave.
    Much love, Fusion
    Reply
    1. You converse with the Lord through the veil to get the missing pieces. Also, think of priesthood as a relationship/channel and see if that provides light.
      Reply
      1. Hi Fusion. If I may, let me suggest that what would be of immediate concern is that you concentrate on that next rung on the ladder and not so much with what is at the top, so to speak. What is at the top will come, but one only gets there ascending one rung at a time. I think you already know this. (Just from your post I see you are a deep and thoughtful person.) As Nephi said “Enter in By the way and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what you should do.” (2 Ne. 32:5) This is also the power by which we may “know the truth of all things.” (Mni 10:5) let the HG teach you all you want to know. The Baptism of fire and the HG is the next rung. The Lord will give you an answer to that question that will not only satisfy you but will open up vistas of knew insight and understanding into the priesthood and its operations.
        If this seems a cop out to you or a skirting of the question, be that as it may. There are several here on this board that could probably provide you with AN answer, but would probably leave you with more questions than answers, as it appears that the “Weeping for Zion” community was unable to answer to your satisfaction. And speaking from experience how the Lord answers is so much more edifying. I think you already know this as well.
        Reply
    2. As I read D&C 124:28 it seems to me that the Lord is addressing the church as a whole, or as an institution. My own interpretation is that a type of fullness was restored during the Kirtland Temple experience, then many apostated and fell into sin and that fullness was withdrawn.
      Also, the fullness of the priesthood is not the same as the High Priesthood, or the Priesthood of Melchizedek which holds the power to stand in the presence of the Lord. We still have that authority. Receiving the power has always been an individual process.
      The fullness of the priesthood is always revealed by the Lord personally. When enough individuals have received this, then a ZION, or institutional fullness is established.
      Reply
  49. So let me get this straight….15 million members of the church and only a handful of people know about this. Wouldn’t God want more people to know about this? How did you see Him if the “fullness” of the priesthood was taken away?
    I don’t disbelieve that this is possible but when as one reader put, “my ever thought is consumed with having this experience” it sounds a little cultish.
    I have had my own spiritual experiences that have CONVINCED me that God lives and Jesus is the Christ WITHOUT seeing them. It would be great to see them, but I DO NOT believe seeing them is a prerequisite to being saved in the celestial kingdom as you seem to claim. Seeing them is a privilege, but not a requirement to salvation.
    Reply
    1. It’s in the Doctrine and Covenants in several places. D&C 93:1, for example. The Book of Mormon has several examples of people (Lehi, Nephi, brother of Jared, Lamanites, and others) who came to the Lord, and saw Him in person.
      2 Nephi 32:
      5 For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.
      6 Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do.
      This is Christ telling YOU what to do after He manifests Himself to YOU in the flesh (not in the afterlife, not in the spirit world, not in some future judgment day – in other words, you are in your flesh when you see Him).
      So, if only a handful of people know this, it is because they do not search the scriptures that are readily available to most people who live on this planet. God has not spoken in secret. This information is available to millions and millions (and even billions) of people, if they would only open their eyes to see, open their ears to hear, and open their minds to understand.
      Joseph Smith’s example of seeing the Father and the Son was an example for us to follow. It was never intended that only a select elite few ever have an absolute knowledge (“I know He lives because I have seen Him and touched Him,” type of thing) of them.
      The D&C plainly says that Moses sought for his people to see the face of God (being brought into His “rest” is another way of wording it), but they would not have anything to do with it. It appears that we, as a people, are doing the same thing Moses’ people did.
      D&C 84:
      18 And the Lord confirmed a priesthood also upon Aaron and his seed, throughout all their generations, which priesthood also continueth and abideth forever with the priesthood which is after the holiest order of God.
      19 And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.
      20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.
      21 And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;
      22 For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.
      23 Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God;
      24 But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory.
      25 Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also;
      Reply
  50. Thanks. I too have read your testimony more than once. A little more than a year ago I experienced something I didn’t know how to describe other than being filled with the love of God. Since then, I have wanted everyone to be able to feel that… a knowledge? of Gods love for me and every. single. person. It was months before my feet touched the ground and I have been ‘consumed’, for the lack of a better term, with coming to Christ. Not seeking Him only, but finding Him. My love for Him has grown beyond my comprehension and I have found myself in a spiritual ‘place’ I’ve never been before. The processes I’ve read online by you, Elias Returns and Jim Malone has helped me to better focus, and relize I’m not alone in this. I have not read any of Denver’s books for the moment, but from what I have read, of those mentioned above, fits my experiences so far.
    Reply
  51. Replying to Fusion:
    Before Joseph Smith had his first vision he clearly did not hold the higher priesthood or any priesthood for that matter, yet he saw the face of God and His Son. So either your interpretation of D&C 84:19-22 is mistaken or Joseph was somehow endowed with the higher priesthood before the Father and Son appeared to him. Either way it appears possible for Daniel and others to have had a personal visit from the Savior even if the priesthood that was lost has not yet been restored.
    Now whether people such as Daniel and others have actually received such a visit as they have testified remains for each of us to determine for ourselves by a witness of the Spirit, as some of those who have posted here have done. Daniel’s admonition to not rely on him for anything, but rather to rely on Jesus Christ is good advice that we should all heed.
    Reply
  52. To Daniel:
    You wrote the following:
    Joseph Smith taught “for God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what He will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them, for the day must come when no man need say to his neighbor, ‘Know ye the Lord; for all shall know Him who, remain from the least to the greatest.’ ” TPJS 149.
    I wondered at the last sentence, as it seems to make no sense. So I looked it up and found that you misquoted it. Your paragraph should read:
    Joseph Smith taught “for God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what He will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them, for the day must come when no man need say to his neighbor, Know ye the Lord; for all shall know Him (who remain) from the least to the greatest.” TPJS 149.
    It is a small thing and does not materially detract from your testimony, but in the interest of accuracy you might consider correcting it. Also you might at least once mention, for those who might not know, that TPJS stands for Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith. References to your other two quotes by Joseph Smith could also appropriately be added for those of us who like to confirm those kinds of things.
    Reply
    1. Thanks, I’ve updated the quote. I can’t promise when I’ll get around to providing additional cites, but I’ll put it on the to do list. This isn’t really a scholarly endeavor.
      Reply
      1. Yes, I understand that your post is meant as a heartfelt testimony and not a scholarly work, but when you include quotations from others, presumably to make a point, it seems proper to reference those quotations to allow readers to confirm them. You do reference every quote except those two attributed to Joseph Smith. If you would like to include those two missing references, I’ve found them for you. The “Mormonism is truth” quotation comes from Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, page 264, and the “If you do not accuse” quotation comes from Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, page 193.
        Reply
        2. Alright, I think I got that updated. I have decided that editing on a phone is something I would like to avoid in the future. I appreciate your help!
          Reply
  54. I add this with the hope of helping any who are still searching for answers to Coming unto Christ in this life.
    The Events of Testimony lead to the Events of Conversion
    Alma 12:10,11
    10 “And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.
    11 And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell.”
    The lesser portion of the word and the greater portion of the word together constitute the fulness of the gospel.
    The Lesser portion of the word -The events of testimony
    Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
    Repentance
    Baptism
    Gift of the Holy Ghost
    Melchezedek Priesthood
    Washing and Anointing
    Endowment
    Temple Marriage
    The Greater portion of the word – The events of conversion
    Purification
    Baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost (This cleanses us of all sin and we no longer desire to sin at all.)
    Born Again (No longer struggling to overcome the natural man. Spiritually begotten sons and daughters unto Christ. Mosiah 27:25,26)
    Fulness of the Priesthood By God’s own voice (Helaman 10 D&C 50:26-30 JST Gen:14:28-31)
    Personally know Christ face to face (D&C 93:1)
    Sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise (The Father tells you that you are going to be exalted)
    Calling and election made sure
    Sanctification (and by the blood (of Christ) ye are sanctified) Truly becoming a saint.
    Church of the Firstborn (Lds members who are prepared for exaltation and those who are already exalted are members of this church)
    Possible translation
    The above events can happen in any order that the Lord chooses them to happen. These could be even years apart from each other. Testimony gets one through the temple where promises of becoming converted are made. The events of conversion take place as the blessings of the promises made in the temple become realty in this life. When we are washed and are promised to become clean in the initiatory session of the temple it becomes fulfilled when the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost make those promises reality in this life. “And by the Spirit ye are purified.” Thus the Holy Ghost becomes a “purifier.” And thus we are made pure by fire, an interesting play on words. Now to let us speak of the Holy Priesthood of God. We have a man confer it upon us but we, when we become truly converted, receive the fulness of the Priesthood from Christ Himself by His own voice. Testimony alone will not save us. Those members of the church who only have a testimony, (the lesser portion of the word) who do not become converted, (i.e. those who harden their hearts) will fall away. These are the future tares and the unwise virgins. Elder Bednar’s comparison of the Ten Virgins wherein he states that the lamps represent testimony and the oil in the lamps represents conversion is wonderfully true.
    The events of testimony are designed to inspire us and lead us to the events of conversion. God does not want us just to have a testimony that could be denied when trials and tribulations come. For the winds will blow and the rains will descend and beat upon our house as the Savior said and if we only have a testimony built upon sand (the lessor portion of the word) we will not stand. But sand can become stone. Through the forces of nature sand must be pressed together with tremendous pressure and become chemically changed in order to solidify into sold rock. So must our testimonies pass through the spiritual processes of trials and obedience and with divine help surmount the summits of doubt and unbelief to produce a soul that is truly converted, truly changed within, truly built upon a foundation of sold rock which is Jesus Christ. This foundation of rock is knowledge that He lives and that we, because of Him, know that we are blessed with the events of conversion in our lives and that when the trials and tribulations descend upon us and all others, that we will not stumble and fall but stand, standing firm in the knowledge that only comes through the process of true conversion to Christ, the Lord. May we all become converted and so blessed by Him who mighty to save, in Jesus’ name, amen.
    Reply
  55. One thing I have wondered for a while is how important using the True Order of Prayer has been for those who have been able to pierce the veil. Does heaven respond if you don’t use this method of prayer? It used to be approved by the Church to conduct such prayers outside of the temple (Parley Pratt’s autobiography even references the prayer alter in his home), but all that was “officially” ended by Pres. Kimball. My first temple experience was post 1990, so I’ve never seen how it was done previously to the changes implemented that year. Is that also an impediment (i.e. does heaven recognize those 1990 changes as valid)? If you can’t post an answer to this online, could you respond via email?
    Reply
    1. 2 Ne 32:5 For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.
      Just rely on the Spirit.
      Reply