PERSONAL SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES

From the book, Odds Are, You’re Going To Be Exalted, page 38, by BYU Associate Professor Alonzo Gaskill we read:

“President Lorenzo Snow taught: ‘When the Gospel is preached to the spirits in prison, the success attending that preaching will be far greater than that attending the preaching of our Elders in this life. I believe there will be very few indeed of those spirits who will not gladly receive the Gospel when it is carried to them. The circumstances there will be a thousand times more favorable.’

In support of all that the Brethren have taught on this subject, there is the confirming witness of personal spiritual experiences. Consider this singular account, which highlights how readily the teaching of the Gospel goes forward in the spirit world and how generally vicarious ordinances are accepted by those on whose behalf we perform them.

Patriarch Charles Woodbury recorded this experience:

As I witnessed baptisms one day in the Manti Temple, when the first name was called for baptism, a voice said to me, ‘This person has had the Gospel taught to him, has accepted it and desires baptism.’

As the second name was read, the voice said: ‘This person has not heard the Gospel yet.’

Another name was called and I was told, ‘This person has heard the Gospel and was not converted.’
I witnessed 300 baptisms, each time being advised by the voice as to those who accepted of their baptism and those who did not.

Twenty-five of the 300 whose baptism had been done for them were not ready for it; they had as yet not been converted to the Gospel. The remaining 275 were prepared and rejoiced that their work was being done.”