Conquering Spiritual Evil

Doug Tales 137: The Conscious Mind, Part One

Do you ever spend any time thinking about thinking? That is, do you really know how your mind works, and how you personally respond to the many things around you seeking to influence your thoughts? Or, as Doug Mendenhall would joke, “Are you going to think about such things, or instead just go back to sleep after you eat another cookie?” As Doug became conscious of his own consciousness, he sought to teach others to “awake and arise.” Some foundational concepts about mindfulness are in his book I See…Awake! (2015), pp. 63-65:

While I was working on this chapter, my daughter, Denise, asked if I wanted to hear what the Lord had taught her the night before. Now I don’t know about you, but I am always curious about what the Lord teaches other people, and even more so when the other person is “sighted.” So obviously I said “yes.”

We discussed how the conscious mind works and what the Lord had shared with her about it and the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind accepts all that is put into it with no judgment, and it is the conscious mind that has the job of figuring out right and wrong.

Then she said, “He taught me how the conscious mind works.”

“Really?” I replied, “Because that is what I have been writing about, the basics of consciousness. Do you want to explain what He taught you and the reason He taught it to you? I am not going to tell you what I have written until you explain what He said. That way I can get my witness even before I finish writing about the concept.”

“Okay,” she answered.

She told me some of the same things I had written. (What a great way to have something witnessed to you, even while writing about it. I felt like the Lord was giving me the “further knowledge” part before the chapter was finished!) She explained that the brain has three parts and the upper part has a male and female side to it and must be in balance to be healthy. She also mentioned that these were some of the things taught in the ancient mystery schools of wisdom. She said that Jesus showed her during her near-death experience that after they fled Jerusalem He had attended those schools as a very young child in Egypt. (Wow, another witness of how He learned line upon line.)

I asked her why He had shared this information with her the previous night. She explained that He told her that since the time of Adam, the Gods of Light and especially the Adversary taught how the mind worked, and He wanted her to know about it. I agreed with her that this has been known since the earliest times. Satan made a covenant with Cain that he would not divulge the “great secret” when he declared:

“And Cain said: Truly I am Mahan, the master of this great secret, that I may murder and get gain. Wherefore Cain was called Master Mahan, and he gloried in his wickedness.” (Moses 5:31)

The great secret was their covenant together, but also how to get gain, rule, and control people. He taught Cain how the mind works.

People who really do not understand what makes them tick, how their mind works, how to function mentally and emotionally, are in a position to be completely controlled and manipulated because the Adversary knows more about it all than they do. So we must understand how the mind works.

The solution for not being deceived is consciousness. In the LDS Temple the man Adam, (who represents everyone) was in a deep sleep and was told to “awake and arise.” God is talking to all of us and that is what we must do, awaken our conscious mind and arise, meaning get busy—it is a call to action. From that point on we are taken on a journey designed to enlighten our minds, finally culminating with a parting of the veil of the mind as we enter symbolically into the presence of a glorified being. Sounds to me like what we have come here to earth to do—wake up and do whatever the Lord God requires for enlightenment—thereby opening our spiritual sight and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ in a sacred embrace.

Are we so hungry for someone to think for us and to solve our problems that we are willing to lay down our personal responsibility and take any solution offered? It’s like saying, “Just give me the sales pitch, and I’ll buy it” like the people did in Moses’ time. But doing so, we give up our personal dominion, or self-rule, allowing others to reign and rule over us. If all we have to do is what we are told, our minds become malleable and our behaviors become directable by these organizations. This is wrong as none of us can abdicate our responsibility for choosing a particular behavior.

Are we not always responsible for any harm we have caused?

When we stand before the Lord Jesus Christ, will He accept our statement, “My Stake President told me to do it,” and all is well? We alone are responsible for our thoughts and actions; we cannot pass it off to another, no matter what we may have been taught. We will pay a price if we give up our agency (except to the Lord) or take it from another.

Doug Tales 136: Sacrifice, Part Three

Doug Mendenhall sought learning from a wide variety of people and sources. He shares thoughts on the topic of sacrifice from two individuals in I See…Awake! (2015), on pages 61-62 and 290, 294-296. The first thoughts are three scriptures from Kitten, and the second thoughts are Doug’s summary of an experience of Iohani Wolfgramm involving sacrifice. (In his book, I See…Awake! pp. 290-294, Doug reprints the full experience from Iohani Wolfgramm’s biography in addition to the concepts shared here.)

Kitten

“For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.” (Hebrews 13:11-12)

“The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.” (Psalm 50:1-6)

“Verily I say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice—yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command—they are accepted of me.” (Doctrine & Covenants 97:8)

And her final word: “Anyone whining and sniveling about sacrificing as commanded of God (not man), has lots of friends in an exceptionally dark place.”

…

Iohani Wolfgramm

I had heard of Iohani Wolfgramm for many years and had wanted to meet him but never had the opportunity before he passed away. While Denise and I were up in Oregon conducting a book review, the family we were staying with had Iohani’s biography. I spent two solid days reading it. Later I met a man that had taken over 300 people to Iohani for a blessing. I asked him what it was like. He made the most curious statement, “Iohani would spend anywhere from fifteen minutes to three hours ‘telling story’ to the person and then give the blessing.” When I inquired the reason for this, he said it was to get the person’s faith up to the point that Iohani could give the blessing. In other words, Iohani was raising the frequency in the room, or bringing the Spirit.

Iohani would do thousands of blessings, from raising the dead to healing a paralyzed man over the phone. Below is one of my favorite Iohani experiences from the biography. It happened to Iohani Wolfgramm while serving a mission for the LDS church in Tonga with his family in 1943 and involves his daughter, Tisina, at age three:

[In his book, at this point Doug includes a lengthy quote of from pages 89-91 of Iohani Wolfgramm: Man of Faith and Vision, 1911-1997 (1999), which biography was compiled by Iohani’s daughter Tisina Wolfgramm Gerber.  A scanned copy of the complete 260 page biography is available online in PDF format via the LDS Family Search Library at: https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/164234-redirection (requires a free subscription).]

Iohani opened the window and the sun had just come up, it was tomorrow.

Let’s examine the stages that Iohani went through.

First, he was busy when the Spirit talked to him and so he didn’t obey. Finally the third time he responded well after the accident.

Second, when he got his wits about himself he realized that Tisina needed a blessing, so he kept her home.

Third, even after his companion anointed Tisina he couldn’t receive any revelation from the Lord, his mouth was locked and his mind was blank. He needed to remove those who were “of little faith” and the unbelievers. Just like Christ, their unbelief not only inhibited heaven from intervening but actually prevented it.

Fourth, he prayed for four hours. He was obeying the law of sacrifice, he was spending spiritual currency—time and attention (faith). After four hours the Lord told him that Tisina would be with Him that night and with Iohani tomorrow. “And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:29)

Fifth, when the Spirit told him to—only then—Iohani blessed his dead daughter. What faith! To have waited now around 12 hours since the accident before being allowed to do the blessing.

Sixth, he voiced in the blessing what God told him to say and did so with the power of God that had been given to him because of his preparation and faith.

Seventh, a miracle occurred. Tisina came back completely recovered.

Obviously, Iohani didn’t become a man of such faith overnight. His biography says that he had prepared many years for this. His patriarchal blessing declared that he would bless many lives, and he did. The miracles the Lord brought forth from him are simply amazing. Yet not really, he did what his God told him to do; he lived the same way as Fools Crow, preparing for the next person the Lord would send to him. Before he passed away in 1997 he and his wife would spend almost every day in the Temple serving others. What great preparation.

Doug Tales 135: Friends, Part Five

Abraham “was called the Friend of God.” (James 2:23, see also 2 Chronicles 20:7, Isaiah 41:8) How can each of us follow Abraham’s example and truly be a friend to God and to others in the way our Heavenly Parents desire of us? Doug Mendenhall explores the connections between choice, agency and true godly friendship in Possibilities: Lessons From the Spirit (2002), pp. 129-132:

How many of us, me included, tend to jump to conclusions about things we know nothing about? Some days my legs get real tired (from all the jumping I do). I also have stepped on many people’s agency and am trying to become cognizant of it and not do it anymore. We related in the first book [My Peace I Give Unto You] how I did try to abuse my daughter Denise’s agency by getting her to use her gifts for my benefit. I am as guilty as anyone.

I feel many of us believe our intent is pure and our hearts are pure, when in reality we are actually stepping on or abusing another person’s agency. I felt at the time the Lord had given my daughter these incredible gifts to bless our family, and how much more could these gifts bless us than to deliver us out of the heavy load debt that we were under. I felt my “intent” was pure and acted accordingly, as I am sure all of these individuals did.

The Lord has stated: “when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.” (D&C 121:37)

Then He goes on to explain how we can exercise our “authority” or even “influence” in a righteous or godly manner:

“No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.” (D&C 121:41-44)

I believe the words of the Lord apply to anyone. If we exercise control, dominion or compulsion on our family’s agency or anyone else’s for that matter, we are not doing as the Lord would have us do. Domination, control or compulsion are part of Lucifer’s plan to MAKE us obey him. When we do these things to others, we no longer act under God’s authority, for we then have chosen to follow Lucifer’s plan.

How much heartache, guilt, angst (dread or anguish), anger, etc. could have been avoided if my wife and I had been approached according to the Lord’s way of doing things? A lot.

It looks to me that the world in general is intent on keeping Lucifer’s plan going. If we truly want to follow our Savior and His plan, it might do us all good to study the Lord’s way of doing things. Maybe we ought to be more cognizant of not infringing on the agency of others, in our family or not. If we feel that maybe they are doing “wrong” in our eyes, maybe we ought to approach them the way the Lord has prescribed.

We have been taught in my church that Christ presented Heavenly Father’s plan. So it seems that this foundation of agency was determined anciently. If we didn’t have agency, there could be no progression.

When a man does good and serves his God and fellow man and in his agency he places God first, it fills his soul with light. But Satan or darkness would command that he does evil or seeks his own gratification by hurting the innocent by inflicting his will upon them. By doing so he serves darkness or Satan.

As we seek to inflict our will on others, we are taking away their agency. It seems to me that the war in heaven is still going on, we just have a different battle front. If it was agency that Satan sought in the pre-earth life and something he still seeks, does it give him power if we abuse another’s agency? I believe it does. After witnessing firsthand how negative emotions or influences allow darkness into us, I believe that unrighteous dominion allows some very negative forces or demons into the individual.

The Lord has stated that “the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved” when we exercise unrighteous dominion. If the heavens have withdrawn themselves from our lives then who might take up that place? I believe if we are doing the bidding of darkness, that is what will take up residency in our life. I also believe that if we place the will of God first in our lives, then it will be His spirit that takes up residency in our lives and darkness will not be able to enter in.

I believe that God our Father and all that is truth will never take away our agency. I also believe that Lucifer and his minions of evil will take every chance to abuse or feed upon our agency, for I know our disobedience gives them power.

Doug Tales 134: Friends, Part Four

Doug Mendenhall once said that one of the things he wanted to overcome in this life was how easy it was for him to get angry. As a result, he believed God gave him many opportunities to practice patience, and like the hymn “In Humility, Our Savior” prays, “Fill our hearts with sweet forgiving; Teach us tolerance and love.” (LDS Hymns #172) Doug talks about things which “friends” taught him about agency and the “tendency to walk all over each other’s agency” in Possibilities: Lessons From the Spirit (2002), pp. 127-131:

“We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. Hence many are called, but few are chosen.” (D&C 121:39-40)

——-

It seems to me that the “war in heaven” was fought over agency. Christ presented His plan for us to come here to earth, receive bodies and experience what we couldn’t with a Father in Heaven who is perfect. Since we would have our agency to decide if we wanted to obey God or not, a Savior was provided to give us a way of repenting for our misdeeds or atoning for our sins. But we would have the right to choose. Christ would also give all glory to the Father.

Then Lucifer presented his plan. He would have us all come here to earth, and he would take our agency away, thereby making us obey all the commandments. We would be forced to obey. Then he, Lucifer, would take all the glory for himself.

Fortunately two-thirds of us chose Christ and His plan. One third of Heavenly Father’s children left with Lucifer. They were placed here on earth to provide our opposition. For with opposition I have found, we grow the strongest. Plus, I believe “it is required in all things.”

As a result of our experiences I have found that man does have a tendency to walk all over each other’s agency. When we do, are we under the influence of the evil one and could this be to our own detriment? The Lord seems to indicate it is. After all wasn’t agency what we “fought” over in heaven? Could it then be one of the foundational principles of heaven? I believe it is. Otherwise why would the Lord deem it so important and tell us to be careful of taking away someone else’s agency, impinging on it, or even giving another individual part or all of our own agency.

After we started having our “experiences” with Denise in December of 1999, I had an encounter with someone who felt it was his duty to take away my agency.

A family that I had considered to be close friends stopped by our home around Christmas time. They had moved some five hours away and we were very happy to see them. I had considered the father, Jeff, to be one of my best friends and had always confided in him. Well, we told them what we had experienced with Denise up to that point. My mind was always reeling, trying to figure out what was going on each day with each new experience we were having. It felt good to confide in Jeff. I guess I was seeking understanding.

The next Sunday in church my bishop came up and told me that Jeff had called and had tried to get me excommunicated from my church. He told me that he told Jeff to back off, that he was aware of all that was happening. I believed that would be the last I heard of Jeff. Was I ever wrong.

In our first book, the story was told of how someone had called the Division of Family Services on me, accusing me of abusing Denise. DFS came to the house and checked on Denise. After a few minutes they wanted to know who I thought had turned us in because “obviously there is no abuse here.” I thought it might have been Jeff and so indicated to DFS and also mentioned the same thought in the first book. I have found out since from several people that he personally told that he indeed did turn us in as abusers to DFS.

I don’t hold any ill feelings toward Jeff for doing what he did. I have talked to him several times since. It is just amazing to sit back and see what we do to each other. How we try to justify taking away another person’s agency.

In my opinion, Jeff followed what the world (Satan) is telling us to do, turn each other in. What is interesting is seeing how we love to do this, even based upon false conclusions we have come to.

Five months after this incident with Jeff, another person showed up at our home and accused us of abusing Denise. He said he had talked to Jeff that week and because of his “love and concern for Denise” he was there to “test her urine” to determine if we were abusing her. I wondered to myself when and where he had received his medical degree.

He stayed at our home for over one hour accusing us of many things that I feel Jeff had put into his mind or false conclusions that he had jumped to on his own. It didn’t seem to matter to him that Jeff seemed to have a personal vendetta against us or that we hadn’t seen Jeff in five months and he would have no idea what was going on in our home. He didn’t seem to care that our bishop had told Jeff to mind his own business, and I felt that maybe he ought to follow the same advice. It also didn’t matter when Dianne and I asked him if he would believe a “friend” over family. We were shocked when he said he would. We asked if he wanted to hear our story of what was going on and he declined. We were flabbergasted to say the least. I finally asked him to leave.

Then we found out that this person had told another individual what Jeff had said about us, and then he also turned us in to the Division of Family Services. I have talked to him and he said he “did it out of love and concern for Denise.”

Now I am not telling these stories because of any pent up feelings or wanting to “get back” at these people. In fact both of these people have apologized to us and we have accepted their apologies. They really are caring individuals.

I just happen to believe these stories are a good example of how we step on each other’s agency and then sometimes justify it because of our “love and concern” or some other reason we make up in our own mind….

When a man does good and serves his God and fellow man and in his agency he places God first, it fills his soul with light. But Satan or darkness would command that he does evil or seeks his own gratification by hurting the innocent by inflicting his will upon them. By doing so he serves darkness or Satan.

Doug Tales 133: Friends, Part Three

Is a person being your friend when they cause you difficulties in your life? Doug Mendenhall learned many things about friendship when others questioned what was going on with him and his family. And, he learned even more about the friendship offered by our Savior. Doug recalls some of his early experiences with friends in My Peace I Give Unto You (2001), pp. 146-149:

“Now that that is taken care of, I need to talk to you about something that troubles me.” As he began his posture changed. My Bishop fidgeted with the pen on his desk. “I received a call last week from a former member of our congregation. He kept me on the phone for almost an hour as he told me a story he had heard.”

He lowered his eyes. His discomfort was beginning to affect me. “Doug, it was Jeff, your good friend and former neighbor, who called me. The story you told him had him very upset.”…

“I need you to tell me what you told Jeff.”

“I just told him what was happening with Denise.” I answered, still shocked, trying desperately to understand Jeff’s reaction.

“Doug, will you tell me what has been going on with Denise?” He tried to get me to focus on what he wanted to hear; namely, Denise’s story.

“Well, since she woke up from the coma amazing things have been happening,” I started but hesitated. If the story had that effect on Jeff, what would it do to the Bishop?

Tell him about her gifts.

The voice, that is more felt than heard, whispered.

It was a feeling I realized I hadn’t felt for some days now.

“Bishop, she came back to us with no veil.”

The Bishop sat back in his chair.

I told him how, just a few days after coming home from the hospital, she revealed that she could see auras. I told him of how she could see spirits and then I retold the story of the slumber party. I didn’t mention Denise’s ability to leave her body and be taught by ancient prophets but I did talk about the three days she spent with our Heavenly Father and Christ and how she still sees Christ at times, how He talks to her and teaches her.

I was going to tell him about her ability to know things like the cards and lottery numbers but I was told not to.

I then expressed how much I had learned about my Savior and how my love for Him had grown, thanks to my daughter’s gifts.

I noticed the Bishop’s posture. He had gone from stiff to edgy. He was sitting forward in his chair intently studying me.

“She has greatly blessed the whole family, Bishop. We know now that the Savior is our personal friend and guide. We know that He will come and sit with us should we ask Him. His love for us has become real as we have learned to know Him.” I finished somewhat timidly.

“Are you sure that who she sees is Jesus Christ?”

He startled me.

“Yes.”

“Are you positive? Satan is very good at deception. Did she ask to shake the Savior’s hand?”

“Shake His hand? No. She says she hugs Him, though.”

“Are you serious?” Now he looked confused.

“Bishop, I have no doubt that she actually sees the Savior. I know, in part, because I, too, have felt Him with us. I’m positive she is not being deceived.”

“Okay, I just wanted to make sure.” He calmed down.

“I don’t think Lucifer can give you the Peace that we have been experiencing.”

He changed his line of thought. “Well, I guess the Savior would spend time with a child. He did love the little children.” He thought for a moment.

“Doug, that is a very special and sacred story. I wonder if you should tell anyone else. The Savior often warned against throwing pearls before swine. You know, some things are wasted on the unbelieving. They just aren’t meant to understand. I think that is why Jeff called me. He’s not meant to understand Denise’s gifts and abilities.”

“But I was sure, Bishop, that I needed to tell him. I felt it was okay for him to know.”

“Doug, even Mary, the mother of Christ, pondered many things in her heart without divulging them. I worry how others in the congregation will react to Denise’s story. Will you do me a favor and not tell the story anymore, unless you are absolutely positive the Lord wants you to share it?”

“Okay, Bishop.”

“Great! Thanks for sharing those experiences with me. I know the Lord will help you in deciding who to share them with and who not to share them with.” He finished and searched in his drawer for the food vouchers.

“I’ll drop the rent check by first thing in the morning. God bless you.”

“Thank you again for helping us.”

I left his office with renewed vigor, lighter; some of my troubles had been temporarily lifted. Even though he had a hard time understanding what I had told him about Denise, he was truly concerned for us and I was very grateful for that.

I will provide.

“What?” I asked but no one was around.

I love you and will provide.

Of course! Denise had insisted that the Lord would provide for us if I but looked inside for Him. She was right, He did provide.

Maybe the lottery wasn’t meant to feed my family or pay the rent.

Maybe the Lord wanted me to rely on Him, not on Denise.

Maybe the Lord preferred this to the lottery because it gave others the opportunity to serve Him.

As I walked home I felt a strong feeling of Peace knowing that the Lord’s will had been done.

But what about the medical bills?

Doug Tales 132: Friends, Part Two

Doug Mendenhall’s former friends complained about Doug to his local church leader when they learned about Doug’s daughter having spiritual gifts. When Doug talked to his church leader about his financial difficulties, his LDS ward bishop spoke to him about the prior friends’ complaints about Doug. Doug writes about the conflict in My Peace I Give Unto You (2001), pp. 144-147:

“Doug, will you please ask the Bishop for help?” my wife Dianne urged. “There isn’t much food left and the landlord called about rent again. Please promise me, Doug, that you will talk to him tomorrow at church.” Dianne was very insistent.

“Okay, I’ll talk to him tomorrow.” I looked down and walked away.

I couldn’t believe this. Two days ago I learned that my daughter Denise had the power and ability to completely take away our financial stress, and yet she refused. I had asked her over and over the past two days and each time she kind of scowled at me and told me, “No, Daddy, look inside.”

If she said that one more time, I thought I would strangle her. Why couldn’t she just give me those winning lottery numbers?

I had prayed every night and morning that her heart would be softened, that she would tell me what I needed to know, but she was as stubborn as I was. She left me no choice but to go begging to the Bishop after church tomorrow. Oh, I hated the thought of that. I just wanted to provide for my family and she was standing in my way.

Just yesterday, I had talked to our caseworker at Medicaid. She gave me a list of documents that they needed before they could rule on our case. But because I hadn’t licensed my survey business, I didn’t have the documents she wanted. I tried to tell her that I couldn’t get some of the information, but she was very insistent and wouldn’t be satisfied until I promised her something I couldn’t deliver.

—–

“Bishop, can we talk?” I cornered him after services.

“Sure, Doug, come into my office where it’s a little more private. You know, this actually works out well because I need to talk to you.” He held the door for me.

“Sit down, Doug, make yourself comfortable.” He smiled warmly and took the chair behind his desk.

“What can I do for you?”

“Well, you see, Bishop,” I bowed my head, “I haven’t been able to work since Denise was in the hospital. I’ve tried but everything has gone wrong and, well, we have very little food left and our landlord is threatening to kick us out of the house if I don’t give him the rent. The hospital and state are arguing about the medical bills and we are caught in the middle without a penny. I guess what I’m saying . . . no, what I’m asking is, well . . . please, we need rent and food. Can the Church help us?” I finished with flowing tears.

I had been raised to be self-reliant and to actually admit that I wasn’t, hurt me more than I thought it could. I couldn’t believe I had just asked someone else to provide for my family.

“Oh, Doug, you know we love you and understand your pain. The Church would be honored to help. How much is your rent and who is your landlord and I will take care of it. As far as food goes, we have food vouchers redeemable at the local market that I will gladly give you. We love you and want to help you. You have been there in the past for us donating your time and money, so much so, that we cannot deny you in your time of need. Thank you for letting us help you.” He smiled again.

Bitterness filled me, I was angry at having to ask. If only my daughter . . .

“Thank you, Bishop. I don’t know what to say,” I replied, his generosity amazed me.

“Now that that is taken care of, I need to talk to you about something that troubles me.” As he began his posture changed. He fidgeted with the pen on his desk. “I received a call last week from a former member of our congregation. He kept me on the phone for almost an hour as he told me a story he had heard.”

He lowered his eyes. His discomfort was beginning to affect me. “Doug, it was Jeff, your good friend and former neighbor, who called me. The story you told him had him very upset.”

He looked at me as if expecting something. I had no clue what.

“Doug, he asked – no, demanded, that you be removed from our congregation. He said you were involved in things unholy and blasphemous before God. He warned me not to let you infect anyone else in the congregation.” He paused to let his words register with me.

“Wha . . . Jeff said what . . . about me? I don’t understand.” I was shocked, stunned and incredibly hurt.

“Doug, I told Jeff to mind his own business and that I didn’t need his counsel on what to do with my congregation. He hung up but he wasn’t satisfied with my response. I feel that he will try to cause you more problems.” He took courage in the fact that he had stood up for me. He raised his eyes to meet mine.

“I need you to tell me what you told Jeff.”

“I just told him what was happening with Denise.” I answered, still shocked, trying desperately to understand Jeff’s reaction.

“Doug, will you tell me what has been going on with Denise?” He tried to get me to focus on what he wanted to hear; namely, Denise’s story.

Doug Tales 131: Friends, Part One

After Jesus taught His followers—His friends—“hard sayings” many “murmured at it [and] he said unto them, Doth this offend you? … From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?” (John 6:60-66). Doug Mendenhall found that sharing about his daughter’s spiritual gifts and connection to Christ caused divisions between him and his former friends. He writes about one such early experience in My Peace I Give Unto You (2001), pp. 114-119:

Telling one friend and his wife just the little bit that I did about my daughter created a strong desire within me to tell the whole story. I wanted to share all of Denise’s gifts with someone but I didn’t know who I could tell.

I had shared a few of the things with some of our family but the reception was cold enough to prevent me from telling them anymore and I was afraid that if I told anybody in our congregation they would reject us. But I couldn’t keep it in. I just had to share it! I had to tell someone of all the miraculous events happening to us.

And then a few days before Christmas He gave me the opportunity I asked for. My good friend Jeff and his wife, who had moved eight hours to the south of us last summer, was in town visiting family.

They had heard of Denise’s stroke and about the coma, but hadn’t heard much more than that. They had no idea of the gifts my daughter had been blessed with. I decided that I could tell them about her gifts, because we had shared so much together over the years. I figured they were close enough friends that they wouldn’t think us crazy. I even hoped that they would believe what we were about to tell them.

—–

“Come on in, Jeff and Sharon, it’s cold out there.” I stepped aside. “Go on up. We’re so thrilled to see you guys. I’m glad you were able to stop by.”

“Sit down Sharon. Can I get you a drink? We have some soda.” Dianne offered.

“Oh, thank you, water would be fine.” She refused to sit. “You look good, Dianne. After all I had heard about what you’ve been through, I wasn’t sure . . .” Sharon hesitated, “Well . . . I’d be a wreck now if it were me.” She followed Dianne into the kitchen, talking….

“So what has been going on in the neighborhood?”…Jeff loved knowing everything about everybody.

“Not much new. You know how we are here.” I didn’t really want to gossip with him, I wanted to share with him.

“So, where’s Denise?” Sharon asked Dianne as they reentered the living room. “Here’s your drink, Jeff. Anyway, that must have been very scary, Dianne. I had no idea you were that close to losing her.”

“What did I miss?” Jeff asked his wife.

“Dianne started telling me about what happened with Denise.”

Dianne continued on as if Jeff and I had been listening from the beginning.

“The doctors had written her off. In fact, we just found out a few days ago that the first two days she was in a coma they were wanting to talk about organ donation,” Dianne replied as Denise entered the room and sat next to her. Denise seemed a little subdued for some reason.

“You look great, Denise!” Sharon smiled at her.

“So what did happen?” Jeff asked.

“Well, the Friday after Halloween she went into a coma.” I restarted the story. “When we went into her room we couldn’t wake her. We had no idea she was diabetic and no clue what was wrong with her, just that she wouldn’t wake up. The doctors figured that it was at that time she suffered the stroke.”

I recounted our experience of our flight to the hospital. I told them of the dire outcome the doctors told us to expect, of how the stroke she suffered had destroyed two-thirds of the left side of her brain. I explained to them the hopelessness and pain we felt, and how at its worst, we were given the gift of His Peace. I explained that afterward we were okay with whatever the outcome would be. I recounted how the following Monday afternoon Denise woke up and spoke to me, going against everything the doctors had predicted and expected.

Dianne told of Denise’s miraculous recovery that confused the doctors. How, in just a few weeks, our daughter had progressed more than they had expected her to do in nine months. She retold of how Denise would walk the physical therapists to exhaustion. She told of our incredible Thanksgiving due to the generosity of others.

“We had no idea, none.” Sharon said and reached over to pat Denise’s leg while she snuggled up to Dianne.

“Few people did. We didn’t say much because we had already accepted whatever the outcome was to be. We were at complete peace,” I said and noticed a brief look of disbelief on Jeff’s face. I realized that he probably had no basis to understand the incredible Peace our Father in Heaven blessed us with.

“And then things started happening.” I led into Denise’s wondrous gifts.

I told them of how I discovered our daughter could see auras and explained each of the colors to them. I explained her ability to leave her body at night and travel. How she was often taught by people in the spirit world, including some ancient prophets. I recounted the night of the slumber party downstairs and how Denise could see spirits. Then I told them of how Denise could see Jesus Christ and how the Savior often spoke to her and spent time with her, teaching her.

“Why would the Savior spend so much time with a ten-year old little girl? I would think that He would have more important things to do.” Jeff commented.

I looked in his eyes and saw skepticism. I looked at Sharon and saw sympathy. “He would because He loves her like He loves all of us. He would spend the time with all of us if we would let Him.” I answered.

“That’s a beautiful story, Doug, Dianne. The Lord truly does work in mysterious ways.” Sharon said and at once I knew, by the sound of her voice, that the sympathy I saw was not directed towards Jeff for his lack of understanding but to us. She believed we were confused, misled and even delusional.

“Denise, where is Christ?” I turned to my daughter for help. I thought she might be able to prove to them that what we had said was the truth. They had to believe us. They were our close friends.

Denise looked at me and smiled as if to say, ‘It’s okay Daddy, they don’t have to believe for it to be true.’ She looked at Jeff and Sharon in turn and smiled at each one, but said nothing.

“Wow! Sharon, look at the time! We really have to be going.” Jeff quickly stood, motioning Sharon to get up and leave. “That was some story. I’m just glad that Denise is okay.”

He quickly directed Sharon to the stairs as he reached out to shake my hand. His face smiled but his eyes revealed fear. Sharon said her good-byes from the bottom of the stairs and Jeff hurriedly followed her out the door with promises to visit again the next time they were in town. The door closed. Dianne and I stood at the top of the stairs unsure of what had just happened.

“I guess it’s kind of hard to accept the first time you hear it all.” I said to no one in particular. “Denise, Christ was with us tonight, right?”

“Yes.” She said.

“Why didn’t you say anything when I asked you where He was?” I turned and tried to read her facial expressions as well as understand her words.

“He didn’t want me to. He said they wouldn’t understand what you told them even if I helped.”

I so wanted them to believe us and thought Denise could have helped had she spoken up. I peered into her eyes and acknowledged to myself once again that I did believe regardless of Jeff and Sharon’s reaction. Even more than that, I knew that she had those gifts. I knew that she spoke to my Savior. I knew because my experiences encompassed much more than just my senses.

My Savior had spoken to my heart and I knew that what I had told Jeff and Sharon was true.

Doug Tales 130: Semantics

Doug Mendenhall emailed many individuals before and after he started this blog in 2017. Here is one of his emails from February 18, 2019 titled “semantics,” where he talks about what a clearing is (and what it is not):

First I want to thank all of you for hanging in all these years. I keep whittling down my email list and it still keeps growing. Though I don’t use it much now days since the inception of the blog….

The past several weeks we have been quite busy. The one thing that has come up over and over is when people ask for a clearing or when they talk about a clearing, I’ve come to realize we are not really speaking about the same thing. It must be semantics, don’t you think?

I asked several who had cleared their home or cleared them how it was done. They said smudging was used to clear their home and themselves. I remember I smudged the old haunted LDS chapel/home our friends had down in AZ. It worked for a few minutes, I think. I do love the smell of the sage and other plants used in smudging though.

I looked on the net to find ways to clear a home or yourself and found:

“Take a shower, take a cleansing bath with salts, walk in the rain, sunlight, visualize the aura of others, make sounds (my stomach does this for me), shake your body, stretch, dance, journal, be alone, listen to guided meditation, ask your spirit guides to help, give yourself Reiki, sign up for a Reiki healing session, have a plant in each room (Colorado and a few other states have a way different idea of this one), claim you space, put salt on the carpet and then vacuum, burn white sage, room spray, high frequency music and black tourmaline stones.”

Whew!

I asked one person what her energy healer did and she just smudged the place and commanded all negative spirits to leave.

I believe some of these things may be helpful. Okay, I’m trying to be nice.

None of these “clearings” involved the Lord Jesus Christ, none call upon Him and so I don’t believe any will truly “clear” much of anything, except vacuuming and drinking Epsom salt water. Dark entities are quite good at going into hiding for a while to make one think they have gone away or have been cleared.

You can take a shower in the rain, while visualizing the aura of others, making all kinds of sounds while shaking and stretching your body, dancing alone while simultaneously listening to a wonderful guided meditation, smoking a stick of sage and not much will happen. I think the dark entities attached to you or in your home will get a kick out of it. Now don’t get me wrong, I also enjoy many of these things and participate in them. But in our experience, we have not seen them “clear” a person of entities, devices, shunts, curses, hexes, weapons, and all the other dark evil negative things that we get slimed with just by living life. Many of these things will help to keep things off of you and some, like stones, will keep you balanced.

The only true healer is the Lord Jesus Christ, I don’t care what any spiritual guru tells you. And no, He isn’t a “spirit guide,” or an “Ascended Master,” Source, or anything else but our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the true Master Healer.

There is much to help us in the world, but when the Savior is left out of the equation, there isn’t much that can help us in this world. I mean truly help us. There are band-aids and cream everywhere to cover up the problem, help a little, and make us feel better like we truly did something. True healing and true clearing involves Him, all else is fakery. (Is that a word?)

Doug

Doug Tales 129: Agency, Part Three

One way to understand the concept of agency is to look at cause and effect. What is one person’s motivation, reason for, and/or cause for the effect of stepping on the agency of another? What fear, false belief or negative issue is prompting him or her to seek to control others? What is the catalyst, and what is the result? Doug Mendenhall continues his exploration of many aspects of agency in Conquering Spiritual Evil, Volume Two (2020), pp. 88-91:

Taking agency from an individual amounts to theft. Natural law will require a recompense from the individual taking the agency; a price will be paid.

Denise and I actually allowed our agency to be taken years ago when a man approached us and said, “I’ve never worked on either of you. Why don’t you let me work on you today?” We were so weak willed, and I was so physically ill at the time, we acquiesced. Can you see where even this subtle form of “friendly” coercion is taking away another’s agency?

In this example both of us were at fault, his for asking and ours for giving up our agency to him. Was this man being prideful, filled with vain ambition? By stating, “I’ve never worked on either of you. Why don’t you let me work on you today,” is like bagging a “trophy” to get Denise on the table. I don’t know what his motivation was, but I do remember being on the table, and the entities would not leave. The man was getting quite frustrated. He went from calmly talking to them to yelling at them, trying to send them to hell. At that point I told him that I was the one that had sinned, and it would require sincere repentance from me to get rid of the problem. He told me no, that he would get the demons out of me. He never did. I repented for hours before the Lord Jesus Christ took them off.

There is such a thing as “overt coercion” and “covert coercion.”

Coercion: Use of physical or moral force to compel a person to do something, or to abstain from doing something, thereby depriving that person of the exercise of free will.

A good personal example is when I kept trying to use my daughter’s spiritual gifts for my benefit, ego, and to pay bills. All good things I thought at the time. Every time I tried to steal her agency, I kept digging myself a pit in hell, literally. If I had kept doing this, it would have become a blessing for the Savior to destroy the host, me, instead of allowing me to continue to dig that pit in hell deeper and deeper where I would have had to spend considerable time in order to “atone” for what I had done, especially if my heart was set in that direction. “Time for more classwork, Doug! Well, after you get out of hell first.”

God’s hands are tied unless repentance is done and the atonement applied. There is no Get Out of Jail, I mean “Hell”, free card. We are only made free by our Savior’s blood, and that requires hard work on our part.

“‘For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored…’ (Alma 41:15)

“It really is true that ‘what you send out shall return unto you again,’ to quote Alma. This is called ‘karma’ in another faith. It is a true principle. Perhaps it operates within a larger time frame than just this life, but it operates, nonetheless. Alma knew the truth and was teaching it to his son.” (“3 Nephi 12:7,” Oct. 5, 2010, in Denver Snuffer, Remembering the Covenant, Vol. 3, pp. 1030–1031)

Natural laws are no respecter of persons. They function the same in all parts of our Father’s kingdom, no matter what planet you find yourself on. They function equally for all people, good or evil because the law doesn’t know or care if the person is good or evil. The knowledge of these Universal moral laws allows us to take control over the effects we experience based on the actions we choose. We do have agency or freewill to choose our behavior, but we cannot be insulated from the consequences of our choices or behavior. Every behavioral choice carries consequences with it, good or bad. It is the law of cause and effect. The Lord Jesus Christ said it pretty simply in the Doctrine and Covenants:

“There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” (D&C 130:20–21)

Pretty simple, isn’t it? Obey a law and be blessed. The corollary is also true—disobey a law, and a payment must be made. As has been taught previously, this karmic principle is real, we reap what we sow, and sometimes its effect can and will come in this life. If not, it will still come, the price will be paid, and Natural law declares it. What we do here determines where we will go, worlds without number and in many cycles of creation.

My high school teacher told us our rights ended where someone else’s nose began. Some behaviors are Rights because they don’t cause harm to others. Other behaviors are Wrongs because they do cause harm to others. There it is, as simple as can be. A Right is an action that does not cause harm to another human being. A Wrong is an action that causes harm to another human being. Taking agency violates one of the “biggies”, and the resultant consequences could be devastating to your eternal progression. Just ask Satan. Does it not make sense why this is the law he works so hard to get us to violate since he understands the consequences and probably desires your company or destruction?

Our Lord Jesus Christ came here to obey His Father in all things, which He did. In the following account it seems that He acted before He was asked.

“And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” (John 5:5–8)

We know from Joseph Smith that our Bible is corrupted and there have been many changes, additions, and deletions. So we may not have the full story. Is it possible that the man had asked God to heal him for those thirty-eight years he was laying at the side of the pool? Would our Savior go against anyone’s agency? No, He wouldn’t. Neither should we.

Doug Tales 128: Agency, Part Two

Christ gives and Satan takes. And Christ waits while Satan intervenes. One honors our agency while the other does not. Doug Mendenhall teaches about giving up – and taking – agency in Conquering Spiritual Evil, Volume Two (2020), pp. 86-89:

Is your agency my right? Are there still people seeking, like I did, to give blessings to others, but not waiting for them to ask or seek the blessing themselves? Is this a violation of their agency? Why did our Savior state that He stands at the door knocking or waiting (Revelation 3:20), and we believe we have the right to bust through the door, like I did? Oh yea, I was the big powerful priesthood holder. My ego was so large there was no way I could get through any of those doors to bless anyone. Does Satan laugh and do angels of light hide their faces at this point?

Just this week my friend went into the hospital, and I went to see her. I must admit that as I stood there by her bed, my dogmatic preconditioned institutional behaviors wanted to take over. I almost asked her if she wanted a blessing. I know, there are many that will see nothing wrong with this because “If she didn’t, she would just say no.” Or “There is no harm in asking.” There isn’t?

Then why does our Savior stand at the door waiting? Obviously He knows when we are hurting, in pain, and need help. So why doesn’t He just take care of it? He honors agency. Why do we feel the need to offer a blessing or help? This was a huge paradigm shift for me. Growing up, I had been taught in church and elsewhere to offer help wherever I saw the need. Now I was being taught by the Savior’s example that what I had been taught might be wrong.

Some people who have either just come into their gifts or have had them for a long while seek others to work on. Some have expressed that since the gifts have come from God, shouldn’t we use them as often as we can to help others? Why? Is this not the same thing as seeking to give blessings? Does that come from a place of pride and ego like mine did? Or might it come from a place of caring and love? If that is the case, do those feelings of love and caring give us the right to ask others if we can work on them? The most gifted, caring person of all is our Savior. He has the greatest love, yet He stands there waiting to be asked. Do we think we can impinge on the agency of others where not even our Savior would tread? That is an interesting question indeed, in light of why Satan fell. His fall was the result of taking agency away from his children.

It is a strong temptation to offer your “services” when your gifts are new or you spent a lot of money to learn a new modality, or perhaps you just feel an abundant love for others. The different modalities may not teach their practitioners to openly solicit others, but their adherents know they need to “practice” to become proficient. Is that why some seek to work on others? There are ways to practice a modality that still honors agency.

But the practice of taking another’s agency away through any form of coercion is wrong.

Some might use manipulation to try and get someone else to make a decision. I know someone that did this. He told me that in his mind it was okay because he was just trying to get the other person to make a choice or a decision. Does that really make it okay? There are all kinds of ways to coerce someone else, like this person did, believing the end justifies the means. Does that mean it’s also okay to use passivity as a way to control or get our own way? “Wow, that pie you just made sure looks good. I wonder how it tastes.” (Hint! hint!)

Or some people actually get passive aggressive, getting angry or adding to what was said above, trying to make a person feel guilty if they don’t get their own way. “Wow, that pie you just made sure looks good. I wonder how it tastes. If you loved me, you’d let me have a piece right now.”

Let’s take a look at what the Lord Jesus Christ states about these interactions in D&C 121:37: “That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.” It doesn’t get much clearer than that.

So we do not have the “right” to take or impinge on another’s agency. Natural law tells us “A right is an action that does not cause harm to another human being…. Our rights come from what is called God’s law, spiritual law, or even natural law. One of the main laws of God is that of agency, which declares we have no right to impede or deny, [or even coerce] the agency of another human.” (I See…Awake!, p. 79) Taking agency from an individual amounts to theft. Natural law will require a recompense from the individual taking the agency; a price will be paid.