Welcome to the 8th episode of the Nothing Doubting podcast. In this episode, we discuss how to recognize and validate personal revelation by observing the principles that true things follow. We explore the principles of relevance and appropriateness and how they apply to evaluating personal revelation. We talk about how our testimonies need to be based on good-quality evidence. We dissect the experience of revelation into two components; the internal experience of personal revelation and the external confirmation of that revelation. I share two experiences, one during my college midterms and the other later on during challenges with postpartum depression, to contrast the concept of confidence in one’s revelatory experiences. We emphasize the importance of developing confidence in one's spiritual experiences through careful analysis and understanding. In this episode I encourage you to evaluate their own experiences, evaluate your own confidence in these moments of revelation, and work towards raising your level of certainty to better prepare for life's challenges.
00:20 Welcome to Episode Eight
00:40 My Radical Truth Claim
02:00 Understanding the Concept of Appropriateness in Faith
07:37 Personal Experience: College Midterms Miracle
18:31 Internal and External Evidence of God
20:53 Scriptural Examples of Signs
23:16 Jacob's Encounter with Sherem
25:43 The Role of Signs in Faith
26:41 Personal Evidence and Confidence
31:17 A Story of Postpartum Depression
36:42 Evaluating Spiritual Experiences
42:03Addressing Doubts and Building Confidence
46:46 Conclusion and Next Steps
References:
Clore GL. Psychology and the Rationality of Emotion. Mod Theol. 2011 Apr 1;27(2):325-338. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-0025.2010.01679.x. PMID: 25125770; PMCID: PMC4128497.
Nelson, R. M. (2018, April 1). Revelation for the Church, revelation for our lives. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/04/revelation-for-the-church-revelation-for-our-lives?lang=eng#p33
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