Supernatural knowledge and lights is so completely detached and removed from all the intelligible forms, which are objects of that understanding, that it is neither perceived nor observed. Nor is mystical insight a purely intellectual act, for the higher and more sublime the Divine light, the darker is it to our understanding. Union with God transcends all knowledge. The difficulty is increased by the doctrine that in mystical experience is increased by the doctrine that in mystical experience the subject-object distinction breaks down, and with it, naturally enough, go all our thought models for cognitive activities. Faced with the risk of complete failure in communication, the mystic usually resorts to a characteristic complex use of the language. This works in part by negations (not ordinary perception, not simply emotion) and in part by descriptions of one’s religious situations as one interprets it in metaphysical and theological terms, enhanced with poetical imagery; God now dwells in the individual, or has absorbed the person in the embrace and abyss of the Lord’s sweetness. The mystical experiences are objective and reliably cognitive in nature. However, sometimes it is suggested that the mystic’s language might by best understood not as a description of reality but as the expression of a state of mind. Yet, this does not imply that the mystic is psychotic. Some psychotic experiences are mystical experiences, but it hardly follows that all mysticism is psychosis. #RandolphHarris 1 of 10

The person’s basic motivations remain the same; that, for instance, one’s respect for life and human dignity is part of oneself, not subject to change. In the same sense we have faith in ourselves, we are aware of the existence of a self, of a core in our personality which is unchangeable and which persists throughout our life in spite of varying circumstances, and regardless of certain changes in opinions and feelings. It is this core which is the reality being our absolute knowledge of our own identity. Unless we have faith in the persistence of our self, our feeling of identity is threatened and we become dependent on other people whose approval then becomes the basis for our feeling of identity. Only the person who has faith in him or her self is able to be faithful to others, because only he or she can be sure that one will be the same at a future time, as he or she is today and, therefore, that one will feel and act as one now expects. Faith in oneself is a condition of our ability to promise, and human beings can be defined by their capacity to promise, faith is one of the conditions of human existence. What maters in relation to love is the faith in one’s own love; in its ability to produce love in others, and it its reliability. The critic could confine oneself to pointing out this disturbing parallel in the use of language: both mystical and psychotics use situation-descriptive language for what, in the latter case at any rate, is a serious misperception of one’s situation, a projection of inner disturbances upon the outer World. #RandolphHarris 2 of 10

Furthermore, the projection occurs, partly at least, because the disturbances are not understood for what they are, and there is a failure of insight, the critic might claim. However, it must be pointed out that to analyze one’s experience as a state of mind is not necessarily to discredit it. States of mine can be—and normally are—elicited by objective states of affairs, properly interpreted. People do, on occasion, fall victim to real persecution; their fears and anxieties can be very well founded. “Behold multitudes of people who have not fallen because of the great and terrible judgment of the Lord,” reports 1 Nephi 12.5. Enough people believe in God for God to be real. In most cases, 75-90 percent of people in developed nations believe in the Lord. In decisiveness, either in criticism or defense, is once more not to be had. Of course one’s fears can be well-founded, but a person who says he or she does not really exists any more must be deluded. Significantly, as soon as such remarks verge on the paradoxical, we cease to take them at their face value and treat them as certain signs of disorder. The mystical experience is characterized by loss of individuality and dissolution in a limitless divine totality, little or nothing has been said from a philosophical or psychological viewpoint. “The Holy One shall execute judgment in righteousness,” reports 1 Nephi 22.21. Maybe it is God’s way of choosing his angels. God’s ways are not our ways, they are better than our ways. Thus, a revelation fills the gap left by philosophical skepticism. #RandolphHarris 3 of 10

Maybe what is gone today will steer us from danger. Maybe you were told how the closing moments would unfold. Logical principles (and even pure Reason), are necessary but not sufficient instruments for acquiring knowledge or discovering truths about reality. Keep in mind, all claims to knowledge, even those most impressively supported by evidence and experiment, are subject to revision or rejection in the light of new advances in knowledge. Contingency is a real trait of nature and fallibility as an inescapable future of human inquiry. God is the Father, lovingly merciful, omniscient, almighty, our eternal contemporary, the great companion who understand. Individual souls enter the World mysteriously; by God’s power we may be sure, but how or for what reason we are unable to fully explain. Given the human mind it its normal condition, the World appears as we see it. However, we have no right to infer from this that reality is in itself the ways it so appears. We assume the World we see to be in itself as we see it whereas in actuality it is a correlate of the particular psychophysical condition our minds are currently in. To change the metaphor, our sense receptors pick up only those wave lengths to which they are tuned. With the assistance of amplifiers and microscopes we pick up other wave lengths, but it is only when we rise to the condition of superconsciousness that we know reality itself.  When the Spirit touches the heart, hearts are changed. #RandolphHarris 4 of 10

In superconsciousness our receptors cease to reflect, like a prism, the pure light of being into the spectrum of multiplicity. Reality comes to us at last as it actually is: one without a second, infinite, unalloyed. These blessings should not be taken lightly. “Trifle not with sacred things,” reports Doctrines and Covenants 6.12. The temple and the holy ordinances are indeed sacred, and we should be spiritually sensitive to them. It is a sacred blessing to attend the temple to worship the Lord. There is a difference in just attending the temple and having a rich spiritual experience. The real blessings of the temple comes as we enhance our souls. To do so, we must feel a spirit of reverence for the temple and the spirit of worships.  All who should attend the temple or a living memorial should remember the counsel of the Lord when he reported in Leviticus 19.30, “Reverence my sanctuary.” Reverence is an expression of a deep respect, honor, and adoration for the Lord. It is having reverence for the Lord’s name, the Lord’s words, and for the Lord’s ordinances and covenants, for the Lord’s spiritual council, and for God’s temples and chapels. It is an outward indication of an inner feeling that we have for God. We should always remember that it is by God’s invitation that we come to his holy house, the temple of the Lord. We should respond to God’s invitation by being worthy, being prepared, and by having the temple as a priority in our lives. While in the temple, we should act as if we are in God’s holy presence. #RandolphHarris 5 of 10

Alchemy of the soul is a spiritual practice carried out for the benefit of the soul. When individuals, both members and investigators, feel the Spirit working with them, or when they see the evidence of the Lord’s love and mercy in their lives, they are edified and strengthened spiritually and their faith in God increases. To be reverent is not just to be quiet. It involves an awareness of what is taking place. We must have a divine desire to learn and to be receptive to the promptings of the Spirit. With this reverence, we are to strive to seek added light and knowledge. When a person is willing to experiment upon the word of God, these experiences with the Spirit follow naturally. This is how we come to feel the gospel is true and understand the role of everyday work in the soul by looking more closely at the revelation of God’s Kingdom. The Lord is our secret weapon. We are not bound by rigid rules. We have unlimited flexibility and are entitled and have the privilege to have our prayers answered. God’s great work of brining to pass the immortality and eternal life to all of his children is the Lord’s official goal. Let us all work harder to enjoy the companionship of the Spirit and bring about deeper spiritual conversation. However, the great wicked one is unleashing vulgar, revolting, violet, and sleazy filth with the design to destroy the spiritual sensitivity of our Father’s children. We are truly at war with those who mock God and shun the truth, so let us keep our covenants. #RandolphHarris 6 of 10

 If what we do or make is not up to our standards and does not reflect the attention and care when we stand back and look at it the soul suffers. Not understanding soul, some people look to other cultures and try to mimic their methods. However, it may not be enough to copy surface strategies, ignoring the deeper evaluation of the feeling and sensibility that gives work grounding in the human heart and not just in the brain. Irreverence is not only an act of disrespect for God, but it makes it impossible for the Spirit to teach us the things that we need to know. It is in the temple that we must speak in reverent tones. Reverence is no minor nor mundane matter. It has eternal consequences and should be treated as divine in nature. To be reverent in the temple, we must sense it to be a place of purity and a place of holiness. The temple is a place of purity. It is of the utmost importance that we keep the temple pure and holy. The Savior promised “And inasmuch as my people build a hose unto me in the name of the Lord, and do not suffer any unclean things to come into it, my glory shall rest upon it. Yeah, and my presence shall be there, for I will come into it,” reports Doctrines and Covenants 97.15-16. God creates the cosmos, we create the microcosmos, the human World. Entering our fate with generous attentiveness and care, we enjoy a soulful kind of creativity. This is an extension or reflection of yourself. #RandolphHarris 7 of 10

Those who enter the temple should prepare both their hearts and their minds. They should be able to answer in the affirmative to the questions asked by Alma. “Can you look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? Can you look up having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?” reports Alma 5.19. When we go deeper than intellectual abstractions, we move closer to the soul’s work. As we are reverent in the temple, we help to create an atmosphere that is pure and holy, free from distractions and offenses to the Spirit. We must remember to say nor do anything that would be offensive to the Lord. Reverence is a supernal form of worship. It is the form of worship that is found in the celestial kingdom. Leave the World behind and feel what it will be like when we enter the presence of God. We may consider what thoughts we would think and what communications we would have in God’s holy presence. If we can catch the visions of this eventual event, it will help us in preparing to enter God’s presence. This is an ancient idea: ordinary life is the means of entry into higher spiritual activity. Or we could say that at the very moment we are hard at work on some spiritual endeavor, we are also working on a different plane. Without knowing it, we are engaged in the labours of the soul. Many of us put a great deal of time into our spirituality because it is essential to the soul. We are crafting ourselves. We must move forward with the promise that the Spirit will bless us to know what to say as we assist those who are seeking truth. #RandolphHarris 8 of 10

Gaining added light and knowledge is not a passive process. It involves focusing on the things of the Spirit and seeking the spiritual lessons to be learned. “And if your mind’s eye be single to my (God’s) glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehends all things,” reports Doctrines and Covenants 88.67. It is during these times that we see the relationship between the Earthly and the eternal. And the Spirit can only teach those who are willing to learn. We work on the stuff of the soul by means of the things of life. Are we ready and willing to go through thick and thin for the cause which we are engaged? Do we reflect in our countenances the joy of living the gospel of the Lord as true disciples should? Everyone must come to understand that the doctrines of the Restoration are true and of great value. And everyone who accepts the message must strive to live the gospel by making and keeping sacred covenants and by participating in all of the ordinances of salvation and exaltation. We often think of conversation as applying only to the investigators, but there are some members who are not yet fully converted and who have yet to experience the mighty change of heart described in the scriptures. Let us go forward with ore faith, never forgetting that the will help as we turn to God in mighty prayer. Our Heavenly Father lives and loves each of his children. #RandolphHarris 9 of 10

The Lord has called for cheerful hearts and countenances. He also has asked us to so speak and act that we edify or build one another and has indicated that things which do not edify are not of God, and is wicked. The Holy Ghost is listening to the promptings of the Spirit and we should speak with the tongue of angels. If we enter the temple seeking added light and knowledge, we can learn and understand something new during the temple experience. “That which is God is light; and one that continues in God, receives more light; and that light grows brighter and brighter until the perfect day,” reports Doctrines and Covenants 50.24. This attitude of mind and heart includes a desire to know the truth and a willingness to act for that desire. Every day each of us is implicated in obscuring the light or in chasing away the darkness. We have all been called to invite the light and to be a light, to sanctify ourselves and edify others. God uses words on the basis of our redemption, to create something in those who listen which otherwise could never have been created. When we speak and act, we should ask whether our words and expressions are calculated to invite the powers of Heaven into our lives and invite all to come to the Savior.  We must have absolute faith in God and the Lord’s goodness. By going through the trial, we learn to know God better. #RandolphHarris 10 of 10