I was watching the final Harry Potter movie the other night, and I was reminded of one of my favorite little quotes from a conversation between Harry and Dumbledore.
Harry had just been “killed”, and was in a heaven of sorts.
He has a cathartic conversation with Dumbledore, and receives clarity on what he should do next.
It’s kind of a strange scene.
And at the end, Harry says, “Is this all real? Or is it just happening inside my head?”
And Dumbledore responds with:
“Of course it’s happening inside your head, Harry.
“Why should that mean that it’s not real?”
Satan is SO GOOD at convincing us that spiritual experiences we’ve had in the past were just “all in our head”.
That girls camp testimony meeting feeling?
That quiet but firm nudge in a certain direction?
Little “coincidences” that you knew in the moment were anything but coincidences?
Joseph Smith encountered many who treated his great First Vision lightly and with contempt. (1:21)
They wanted him to write it off as a deception from the devil, or a mindless delusion.
But Joseph knew. And he knew that God knew. And he could not deny it.
It might seem like an odd question, but do you know that your past spiritual experiences are true?
Just like you know the First Vision is true, or the Book of Mormon is true?
Can you trust your past self?
Or do you sometimes deny the Godliness of those moments, writing it off as “all in your head”?
The Spirit speaks to us in our head and in our heart.
So yes – many of my past spiritual experiences are all in my head.
But that doesn’t make them any less real.
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
2 Responses
Oh my goodness, I love this. I think so many are doubting the spiritual feelings and experiences they have had. It’s So important to remember them and acknowledge them for what they truly are. They are what anchors us to Him and his gospel and not be swayed by every wind that comes along. Thank you for sharing your insights. I have been reading your posts over the past 6 months and have never commented but I want to thank you for helping me things see thing from a new and practical perspective; with fresh eyes. I’ve needed that.
Thank you so much for commenting! And totally agreed – we need these spiritual anchors!