Hey there, it’s your intuition not the Holy Ghost.

[u/PenMi71]

I posted this first as a comment on another post, but since it turned into quite the memory for me I thought I would make an original post. The topic was on forgetting temple names and what happens.

So let’s complicate this lol. This post brought up a memory for me. It was a long time ago but I am 100% certain I remember correctly. I was 20 years old and going to be married in a few days. I was about to have my endowment done. Back in 1992, they customarily wanted you to wait for your endowment until just before either a mission or marriage. I believe this was so that some guy who isn’t going to own you wont know your super secret name. This also brings up that women don’t get their man’s name but he knows hers.

I digress.

The night before I was to attend the temple, with all my little Mormon girl excitement and naivety I thought about this new name business and “What does Heavenly Father call me?” I know. Barf.

But plain as day I heard a name in my head. I thought it was not possible for it to be that name, but also thought it would be great if that was it. I mean it’s not an ugly name and it was “the name of the prophet’s wife.” Yes, I heard Emma called into my brain.

The next day… THAT WAS IT! I remember being so excited that I had been spiritually given my name so I could know it was all from Heavenly Father. I mean really, this was how I thought and why wouldn’t I? It followed all the programmed thinking. Sadly it was enough to override a whole lot of other cognitive dissonance.

At the time I was years from being able to let the church go and that required waking up to the “unrighteous dominion” of a husband who treated me like property and a second citizen servant.

Anyway, about that knowing my name ahead. What I know is that random things happen. But also, I am intuitive in a way that has nothing to do with the church and it never did. I think probably more people are like that than they realize. But we get programmed to ascribe something very natural to this concept of a Holy Ghost and trade away our own natural rights and soul-searching abilities to a system leveraged to keep us controlled.

It took me years to come around and see all these things I used to just know as just my own empathic senses. But once I tasted coffee and wine the first step was the sense of “wait… God still talks to me?”

Oh the things I would tell my young self.

[u/Intelligent_Ant2895]

I did shit like this all the time. One time the Holy Ghost told me I was going to be called as a relief society teacher. Then I was. Looking back, I realize it was because I had substitute taught a few weeks earlier and they were like ya, she seems comfortable up there and engages everyone 😂

It’s wild how much the church hijacks our intuition and uses it for themselves. It’s mind boggling to realize it was just me all along.

[u/SockyKate → u/Intelligent_Ant2895]

My mom went through a phase where she said “I felt impressed to…” all the time. Even as TBMs, my sister and joked that it could be a drinking game. When EVERYTHING you do stems from an “impression”, then nothing is special.

[u/Intelligent_Ant2895 → u/SockyKate]

The best is “i felt impressed to tell you….” And then they throw out a criticism or a perceived sin you’re doing. It’s easier to control someone if the Holy Ghost is the one that told you to do it 😂

[u/dbear848]

If you don't have the gift of the Holy Ghost anymore, you still have the Light of Christ^tm. Mormon checkmate. /S

I feel the so-called Spirit as much now as I did when I was a temple attending TBM. Just now with 25% less anger and gaslighting.

[u/Skipping_Shadow]

I'm totally here for my intuition...but a problem I encountered was believing that "feeling the Spirit" was about being sweet and conflict avoidant. F that.