This is a fascinating post to me. Around Christmas time I was trying to do some research to find records of women having these types of experiences. As much of early Mormonism seems to be a recapitualtion of events in the scriptures, I wondered if women experienced “anunciation” type visions, etc.

I wonder what the role of women’s “stewardship” re: childbearing plays in all of this. If women’s “sphere” is raising children, are they more entitled in their own minds to such revelation.

As an aside, I have had two such experiences, both in a temple, both totally surprised me as I was not really seeking spiritual guidance on the topic at the time. Hopefully, no one I’ve shared that with thinks I’m manipulative OR crazy.

I’m far more conscious of your backfire position, when something feels manipulative. The statement by the woman quoted in the article — “Many people would repeat the story with awe and decide to pattern their lives after the individual so perhaps they too could have a similar personal revelation from God” — feels manipulative to me. The implication that I would be in awe of someone who lives as she ought to live, that I would choose to live a gospel principle because someone else did and not because the principle was right, or that I would ape a person with the goal of manipulating God into rewarding me — all that rubs me the wrong way. Maybe that’s what I’m denying, and not recognizing that I reward less manipulative claims with a more subtle currency.

You make me think.

(That said, it can backfire if you overshare and so people feel that you’re being manipulative or, well, just plain crazy by talking about your personal experiences with the divine.)

Ray, that claim from one of Brady’s narratives is entirely out of my experience, too. I picked up the article in the first place because I thought it would be interesting to read about modern Mormon visionary experiences, and I actually wrote this post as I read, summarizing each section before going on. Had I read it all before beginning to write, I might have been so exasperated by the disconnect between the body of the article and its conclusion that I probably wouldn’t have bothered posting — but I’m glad I did, because of the experiences some commenters have shared, sketchy as they are. I don’t know how I’ve missed hearing such narratives myself!

The second one was when we thought we were done. It was not the type of vision described here, and it was mine, not my wife’s, but it was every bit as real.

My biggest problem with Brady’s conclusion is the idea that these experiences confer some kind of spiritual capital. That, imho, is hogwash. The experiences were incredibly personal, as you can see in my lack of detail here – and, among those with whom we have shared the details, we never once had anyone express the idea that we somehow were more spiritual because we had them.

And no, you *can’t* generalize personal revelation, can you? I mean, isn’t that the point of *personal* revelation? (I haven’t clicked to your link yet, but will.)