Question: Many who listened to Elder Dunn's stories felt the spirit. Why would one feel the spirit upon hearing a story that was fabricated? Doesn't this confirm a lie?

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Question: Many who listened to Elder Dunn's stories felt the spirit. Why would one feel the spirit upon hearing a story that was fabricated? Doesn't this confirm a lie?

Simply receiving a warm feeling about a speech or article is not enough to call it revelation or a confirmation of the spirit

The answer to this question is near identical to that given for why we might feel the spirit while wewatched a movie or film. Simply put, a spiritual impression is both a inspiration or revelation to the mind and a phenomena (not just a feeling or emotion) in the heart. Spiritual epistemology is a complex interaction and constant evaluation of the feelings of your heart, the thoughts of your mind, the health of your body, the light of Christ, and the outside influence of the spirit (D&C 8:2). Many can be feeling the spirit in a passive way as an abiding peace when one is doing what is right or, in the case of trying to receive revelation, is more dynamic in its influence. If those that felt the spirit from these events in a dynamic way, then it could have been thoughts to the mind about the importance of courage, or revelation tailored to their life. But the point is that confirmation from the spirit is going to be something manifested as both knowledge and a discernible outside influence transmitting that knowledge which is tailored to your personal circumstances. If this is not the case, then it cannot be called revelation in the dynamic way that Latter-day Saints understand the spirit.


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