5 Modern Day of Pentecost-Type Accounts Of A Rushing Mighty Wind (Plus A Holy Earthquake!)
One of the defining moments in the post-Christ New Testament
is the mighty rushing wind:
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
It seems to have been a major factor in the apostle’s
transformation from students to teachers. From caterpillars to butterflies. From,
I don’t know, from delicious hamburgers to delicious hamburgers with cheese or
something.
Ahem. Clearly I’m running out of analogies.
But the point is that the rushing mighty wind was a
big deal. It has also been recorded as happening in more modern times - 5 accounts of 4 instances starting now:
First – you’ve probably heard of some of these. You
might even think the RMW only happened in the early days. Though most of these
are over 100 years old – this one is not:
1) Elder L. Tom Perry
“While [Spencer
W. Kimball] was praying we had a marvelous experience. We had just a unity of
feeling. The nearest I can describe it is that it was much like what has been
recounted as happening at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple. I felt
something like the rushing of wind. There was a feeling that came over the
whole group. When President Kimball got up he was visibly relieved and
overjoyed.” (https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3908&context=byusq)
This was seen and heard by Heber C. Kimball before he
ever met Joseph Smith. In fact – this happened the night J Smith got the plates
from the hill:
2) Heber C. Kimball
“Late one fall evening after Heber and
Vilate Kimball had retired to their bed, they were awakened suddenly by a
urgent knocking at their door. A neighbor, John Greene, who lived just 100
steps away, stood at the door and bade them come out and behold the scenery in
the heavens.”
“They did so, and it was a
beautiful starlit night, so exceptionally clear and brilliant that Heber said
he could “see to pick up a pin.”
“As the little group watched, a
white smoke formed on the eastern horizon, and slowly began to rise upward. As
it did so, it formed itself into a belt spreading across the sky toward the
southwest, and it was accompanied by the
sound of a rushing mighty wind.” (http://www.ldsliving.com/What-Heber-C-Kimball-Saw-the-Night-Joseph-Smith-Received-the-Book-of-Mormon-Plates/s/82294)
Notice the
wind in the end there – and the description of it. This next one if from
Benjamin Brown – an early LDS convert who’s showed up on a few of my lists
before – like the one about LDS priesthood holders raising the dead, and the
one about the 3-Nephite visits. Here the great Brother Brown relates a piece of
his conversion process – including the rushing mighty wind:
3) Benjamin Brown
“...a vision of my brother, who had died
some fourteen or fifteen years previous, appeared before me, praying. I heard
his voice clearly and distinctly, and listened attentively. In the course of
his prayer, he referred to a great work to be done on the earth during the last
days, quoting several scriptures. I did not, however, fully comprehend the
meaning of them, until, coming into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, years after, I saw the applicability of his words to the views of that
people, with regard to the restoration of the gospel gifts, the great work of
gathering the Saints of all nations in the last days, and the fullness of the
Latter-day glory, for he particularly prayed for the hastening of these things.
Soon he disappeared from my view, when suddenly, to use a scripture phrase, a
sound, as of a rushing mighty wind, with some accompanying influence, seemed to
fill the house and myself, and I heard a voice saying--"This is the spirit
of understanding."” (https://books.google.com/books?id=jY9QAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA18&lpg=PA18&dq=%E2%80%9C...a+vision+of+my+brother,+who+had+died+some+fourteen+or+fifteen+years+previous,+appeared+before+me,+praying.+I+heard+his+voice+clearly+and+distinctly,+and+listened+attentively.%22&source=bl&ots=1NYvWHkfLW&sig=T-suwWYLYnSxTe0TMQboZQa0MtQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiSnbT_gcvcAhVo74MKHW2MAvIQ6AEwAHoECAAQAQ#v=onepage&q=%E2%80%9C...a%20vision%20of%20my%20brother%2C%20who%20had%20died%20some%20fourteen%20or%20fifteen%20years%20previous%2C%20appeared%20before%20me%2C%20praying.%20I%20heard%20his%20voice%20clearly%20and%20distinctly%2C%20and%20listened%20attentively.%22&f=false)
Of course, you can’t talk about old-timey LDS rushing mighty
winds without talking about the Kirtland temple. So we’ll talk about it twice:
4)Orson Pratt
God was there [in the Kirtland
Temple], his angels were there, the Holy Ghost was in the midst of the people .
. . and they were filled from the crown of their heads to the soles of their
feet with the power and inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and uttered forth prophecies
in the midst of that congregation, which have been fulfilling from that day to
the present time"
"George A. Smith arose and
began to prophesy, when a noise was heard like the sound of a rushing mighty wind, which filled the Temple, and
all the congregation simultaneously arose, being moved upon by an invisible
power; many began to speak in tongues and prophesy; others saw glorious
visions; and I beheld the Temple was filled with angels, which fact I declared
to the congregation. The people of the neighborhood came running
together(hearing an unusual sound within, and seeing a bright light like a
pillar of fire resting upon the Temple), and were astonished at what was taking
place" (History of the Church, 2:428). (http://www.ldsliving.com/When-the-Kirtland-and-Nauvoo-Temples-Were-Engulfed-in-Spiritual-Fire/s/86126)
5) Joseph Smith:
A noise was
heard like the sound of a rushing mighty
wind, which filled the Temple, and all the congregation simultaneously arose,
being moved upon by an invisible power; many began to speak in tongues and
prophesy; others saw glorious visions; and I beheld the Temple was filled with
angels, which fact I declared to the congregation. The people of the
neighborhood came running together (hearing an unusual sound within, and seeing
a bright light like a pillar of fire resting upon the Temple), and were
astonished at what was taking place. (https://devotional.byuh.edu/node/160)
This next one – is kind of a cheat. There is no
rushing wind. But there is a huge divine manifestation big enough to make
neighbors come running. It reminds me so much of the paragraph that this paragraph is using as a hat – well
I just thought I’d include it on the list:
Bonus!) Orson Hyde:
“In the month of February, 1848,
the Twelve Apostles met at Hyde Park, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, where a small
Branch of the Church was established; and I must say that I feel not a little
proud of the circumstance, and also very thankful, on account of its happening
in my own little retired and sequestered hamlet, bearing my own name. We were
in prayer and council, communing together; and what took place on that
occasion? The voice of God came from on high, and spake to the Council. Every
latent feeling was aroused, and every heart melted. What did it say unto us?
"Let my servant Brigham step forth and receive the full power of the
presiding Priesthood in my Church and kingdom." This was the voice of the
Almighty unto us at Council Bluffs, before I removed to what was called
Kanesville. It has been said by some that Brigham was appointed by the people,
and not by the voice of God. I do not know that this testimony has often, if
ever, been given to the masses of the people before; but I am one that was
present, and there are others here that were also present on that occasion, and
did hear and feel the voice from heaven, and we were filled with the power of
God. This is my testimony; these are my declarations unto the Saints—unto the
members of the kingdom of God in the last days, and to all people.
“We said nothing about the
matter in those times, but kept it still. [After seating myself in the stand, I
was reminded of one circumstance that occurred, which I omitted in my discourse.
Men, women, and children came running together where we were, and asked us what
was the matter. They said that their houses shook, and the ground trembled, and
they did not know but that there was an earthquake. We told them that there was
nothing the matter—not to be alarmed; the Lord was only whispering to us a
little, and that he was probably not very far off. We felt no shaking of the earth
or of the house, but were led with the exceeding power and goodness of God.] We
knew and realized that we had the testimony of God within us. On the 6th day of
April following, at our Annual Conference, held in the Log Tabernacle at
Kanesville, the propriety of choosing a man to preside over the Church was
investigated. In a very few minutes it was agreed to, and Brigham Young was
chosen to fill that place without a dissenting voice, the people not knowing
that there had been any revelation touching the matter. They ignorantly
seconded the voice of the Lord from on high in his appointment. (Voice from the
stand: "That is Vox Dei, vox populi.") Yes, the voice of God was the
voice of the people. Brigham went right ahead, silently, to do the work of the
Lord, and to feed his sheep, and take care of them like a faithful shepherd,
leaving all vain aspirants to quarrel and contend about lineal descent, right,
power, and authority.” (https://books.google.com/books?id=4LtJAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA284&lpg=PA284&dq=%22That+is+Vox+Dei,+vox+populi.%22&source=bl&ots=UOSE-iPVaR&sig=AWh1az7DLcXI6ndWxDMXxunrEgk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwib1c-8tdLcAhWmhFQKHYctBxgQ6AEwAnoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22That%20is%20Vox%20Dei%2C%20vox%20populi.%22&f=false)
That is a lot of accounts of similar experiences. And then when you pile other rich LDS historical experiences on top of it like all the gold plates witnesses, Joseph Smith's accurate angelic encounter predictions, bunches of miraculous temple dedications etc... etc... And then throw on top of that people's own personal spiritual experiences that are happening everyday - the mound really starts to build and the mind starts to think.
And the spirit can start to flow.
PS. In case you think otherwise, God is still rooting
for you.
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