Gift of Dreams, Visions, and Interpretation of Dreams Part 2
In part one we discussed how God can and does send dreams to communicate with his children. They can be sent to warn, protect, instruct and teach us more about the true nature of God and ourselves. Dreams can be prophetic, and even revelatory.
For every gift from God there is a counterfeit from the Adversary. True of dreams and visions as well. The key is to know from which source - (Light or Darkness) you are getting it from.
Nephi shares with us the following account from his Father Lehi.
1st Nephi 8:2 And it came to pass that while my father tarried in the wilderness he spake unto us, saying: Behold, I have dreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have seen a vision.
Here is a little insight from a brother of mine (who has both the gift of dreams and interpretation of dreams. Along with having Visions from the Lord.) I had asked him about the difference between dreams and visions.
* I have permission to share our conversation with the rest of you.
“I break my dreams from God into two different categories.
The first is when the Lord sends a dream which is instructional or prophetic or revelatory in some way, and of course the Holy Ghost bears witness and usually the interpretation is also provided, if the dream was symbolic in nature.
The second category of dreams is when I am taken to a different location. I am awake, though my mortal body is still asleep, and I interact with, socialize with, talk to, and be taught by heavenly beings. There is a significant difference between the two types of dreams.
In the first I am asleep and am communicated to by dreams; in the second, I am awake and conscious and fully functional. Sometimes, I start out in the first dream category, and then progress to the second.
When I say 'visions', I mean the type of vision that happens when I have not gone to sleep, but happens when I am wide awake. Sometimes my eyes are closed as in prayer, and sometimes they are fully open. It happens when the veil draws thin and we can easily see through it, or at other times it happens like a conduit opens up and I can see whatever the Lord wants to show me. When being shown things in the past or the future, a lot of times it is like a conduit/portal that opens and I can see through time, but sometimes I can go through the conduit and be there and see everything up close and personal.”
In the scriptures there are accounts of “night visions” sounds alot like my friend’s second category of his dreams. I have also had “night visions”. My mortal body is asleep but my spirit is awake and alive and I am in the Spiritual realm. There have been times upon my mortal body waking up in the morning my body is vibrating. Even though I got x amount of hours of sleep and I should be “well rested” My physical body is tired and some times exhausted. It’s those times when I have had a “night vision”. I am describing how it is for me. Not saying this happens to everyone else. I am no expert in this, just sharing a tiny glimpse into what is possible.
Here are accounts of “night visions” that are recorded in the Scriptures
Paul/Saul Acts 16:9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. Acts 18:9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:
I love how Lehi gave the account of “The Tree of Life” and later Nephi is given a waking vision of it and given the interpretation because he asked. Asking is also a spiritual gift.
1 Nephi 11-
1 For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away (vision) in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot.
2 And the Spirit said unto me: Behold, what desirest thou?
3 And I said: I desire to behold the things which my father saw.
4 And the Spirit said unto me: Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken?
5 And I said: Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father.
6 And when I had spoken these words, the Spirit cried with a loud voice, saying: Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all. And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired.
For, behold, said he, I have seen a vision, in which I know that Jerusalem is destroyed; and had we remained in Jerusalem we should also have perished.
The Lord is in the details. Look at this account of ALma meeting Amulek as found in Alm 8: 18-27
18 Now it came to pass that after Alma had received his message from the angel of the Lord he returned speedily to the land of Ammonihah. And he entered the city by another way, yea, by the way which is on the south of the city of Ammonihah.
19 And as he entered the city he was an hungered, and he said to a man: Will ye give to an humble servant of God something to eat?
20 And the man said unto him: I am a Nephite, and I know that thou art a holy prophet of God, for thou art the man whom an angel said in a vision: Thou shalt receive. Therefore, go with me into my house and I will impart unto thee of my food; and I know that thou wilt be a blessing unto me and my house.
21 And it came to pass that the man received him into his house; and the man was called Amulek; and he brought forth bread and meat and set before Alma.
22 And it came to pass that Alma ate bread and was filled; and he blessed Amulek and his house, and he gave thanks unto God.
23 And after he had eaten and was filled he said unto Amulek: I am Alma, and am the high priest over the church of God throughout the land.
24 And behold, I have been called to preach the word of God among all this people, according to the spirit of revelation and prophecy; and I was in this land and they would not receive me, but they cast me out and I was about to set my back towards this land forever.
25 But behold, I have been commanded that I should turn again and prophesy unto this people, yea, and to testify against them concerning their iniquities.
26 And now, Amulek, because thou hast fed me and taken me in, thou art blessed; for I was an hungered, for I had fasted many days.
27 And Alma tarried many days with Amulek before he began to preach unto the people.
Abish -a Lamanite lady was converted many years before Ammon came to teach her people because of the vision her Father had.
Alma 19:6 And it came to pass that they did call on the name of the Lord, in their might, even until they had all fallen to the earth, save it were one of the Lamanitish woman, whose name was Abish, she having been converted unto the Lord for many years, on account of a remarkable vision of her father.
The Prophet Joseph Smith was giving many visions where the Heavens opened up to him. They can be found in the Doctrine and Covenants one of my favorites is the Vision of the Degrees of Glory where -”While it is often called “the vision,” Doctrine and Covenants 76 is a series of visions combined into one grand revelation”
“Philo Dibble was an eyewitness to the reception of this revelation. He wrote that “the vision which is recorded in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants was given at the house of ‘Father Johnson,’ in Hiram, Ohio, and during the time that Joseph and Sidney were in the spirit and saw the heavens open, there were other men in the room, perhaps twelve, among whom I was one during a part of the time—probably two-thirds of the time,—I saw the glory and felt the power, but did not see the vision.”
I will close Part 2 with the words of Nephi found in 1 Nephi Chapter 10: 17-22
17 And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the words of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a vision, and also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost, which power he received by faith on the Son of God—and the Son of God was the Messiah who should come—I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men.
For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him.
For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.
Therefore remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into judgement. Wherefore, if ye have sought to do wickedly in the days of your probation, then ye are found unclean before the judgment-seat of God; and no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore, ye must be cast off forever.
22 And the Holy Ghost giveth authority that I should speak these things, and deny them not.
