Mary Jane Woodger - Dreams as Revelation

Contents

Foreword

Robert L. Millet

One of the passages of scripture quoted by the angel Moroni to young Joseph Smith in September 1823 was from the Old Testament: And it shall come to pass... that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the housemaids in those days will I pour out my spirit (Joel 2:2728). You will recall that one fulfillment of this ancient prophecy came on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit fell upon the meridian Saints with power and great glory. The gift of tongues was dispensed as a fulfillment of John the Baptists prediction that the Messiah would baptize the people with fire and with the Holy Ghost (Matthew 3:11; JST John 4:3). But Moronis message concerned an additional fulfillment of Joels prophecy that would take place in the latter days, but that in 1823 was not yet fulfilled, but was soon to be (Joseph SmithHistory 1:41).

The length and depth and breadth of the love of Almighty God for his children is surely manifest in the myriad ways in which he chooses to communicate with us. Some are taken into visions, while others enjoy quiet promptings. Some hear a still, small voice, while others hear and feel the word of a loving Father in heaven to them through the inspired messages of his anointed prophets and apostles. Many of the Fathers children recognize an answer to earnest prayer through a quiet peace in their souls, while others, like the Prophet Joseph Smith, find that certain subjects or matters of import seem to occupy their minds and even press themselves upon their feelings (Doctrine and Covenants 128:1).

In one of the very first treatises on the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Parley P. Pratt explained that In all dispensations God has revealed many important instructions and warnings to men by means of dreams. He went on to explain that When the outward organs of thought and perception are released from their activity, the nerves unstrung, and the whole of mortal humanity lies hushed in quiet slumbers in order to renew its strength and vigor, men and women may recall some faint outlines, some confused and half-defined recollections, of that heavenly world and those endearing scenes of their former estate from which they have descended in order to obtain and mature a tabernacle of flesh.

Their loved ones then hover about them with the fondest affection, the most anxious solicitude. Spirit communes with spirit, thought meets thought, soul blends with soul, in all the rapture of mutual, pure, and eternal love.... In that situation, we frequently hold communication with our departed father, mother, brother, sister, son, or daughter; or with the former husband or wife of our bosom. Brother Pratt later added that blessed are they who forfeit not their claims to the watchful care and protection of, and communion with, the heavenly powers and pure and lovely spirits.

One of the reasons that this particular gospel topic is extremely important to me is because dreams have played such a significant role in the divine direction, growth, and happiness of members of my family. I had the privilege of serving in the Eastern States Mission from 196769. Because the mission headquarters was at 973 Fifth Avenue in New York City, it was not uncommon for General Authorities to stop in, spend time with our mission president, and then move on to their next destination. One of those who was in the City quite often was President Harold B. Lee, then a senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Because he attended regular board meetings of a prominent corporation that had its offices in New York, we were privileged to see and hear from him more than once.

President Lee spoke to the missionaries as much as he could. On one occasion, our missionaries were fascinated to hear this mighty apostles counsel to Never disregard any dream, especially those that seem to stay with you, dreams about which you find yourselves reflecting often. That poignant bit of advice stayed with me, and when I returned home following my mission I discussed it with my Dad. He nodded and assured me that what President Lee had spoken was very true and that he (my father) had experienced several dreams that were revelatory in nature, dreams that had been foundational and formative to his faith and conviction of the restored gospel. He also encouraged me to take notice of those dreams that seemed to be teaching or impressing upon me something significant. I tried to do so over the years, and, like my father, I have from time to time been directed from the other side of the veil.

If I may, allow me to share one dream that proved to be especially meaningful to our family. One of our children chose to leave the fold and separate, not only from Church activity but also from family association. He became heavily involved with addictive drugs and managed to bury himself in a hellish world that held out little hope for normal living in the future. My wife Shauna and I had prayed and wrestled and yearned for his recovery and return, but instead we heard nothing and were left to wonder whether our child was dead, imprisoned, or lost. No word had come in many months, and the burden of pain and awful anticipation of a notification of incarceration or drug overdose grew heavier each day. One night as Shauna and I knelt in prayer, broken and torn emotionally and physically weak from worry, we wept through our prayers and pleaded long and hard, once again, for the Good Shepherd to lead his wandering sheep home. We went to bed and slept from exhaustion.

During that night I found myself dreaming. My father, who had passed away in March of 1988, came to me in the dream, embraced me, and then looked me in the eye and said quite firmly: Son, I want you to pull yourself together. I am going to help you with those children of yours. Be patient. I awoke and immediately sat up in bed. My sudden movement awoke Shauna, and she replied: Whats wrong? What happened? I explained that I had seen Dad in a dream and that he told me he planned to help with our wanderers from the other side of the veil. Through our tears, deep feelings of gratitude and reassurance flowed into our souls.

Only days later the phone rang during the middle of the night. Then came these words: I just cant live like this anymore. Can I please come home? We were so thrilled to hear something, so grateful to know that our loved one was still alive, that we felt no need to set the terms or specify under what conditions a return would be permitted. We simply welcomed him home with tender affection.

A short time later my son and I sat together on the sofa in the living room. He turned to me and said hesitantly, Dad I need to share something with you. I nodded and encouraged him to proceed. He said: I know this sounds strange, but one night some time back I was on the verge of doing something terrible that would definitely have cost me my life. Before I could do it, I heard Grandpa Millets voice say, Dont do that! You have been taught better. Now get up and go home. He then asked, Dad, is that too weird to be true? With some emotion I said that it was not and added, Now I have a story to tell you. I then related to him my dream. We felt the Spirit of the Lord resting upon us, sensed that the entire experience was true and from God, and embraced.

My father was a wonderful man who loved his children and his grandchildren. He did all he could to assist us while he was alive, although in the closing decade of his life he wrestled with one physical ailment after another. Without question, his greatest impact on my familywhich, of course, is his family, toohas come since he has passed through the veil of death and been allowed to minister on occasion to loved ones. That dream changed my life.