By: Don Bowman, Moroni Channel
Kentucky, USA
 
As we have five physical senses, being the ear or hearing, touch or feeling, nose or smelling, mouth or tasting, and eyes or seeing; Also we have five corresponding spiritual senses, by which we discern and perceive spiritual things. I would like to share some principals about the five spiritual senses, with their importance in perceiving the things of the spirit, so that, if we use each one and in order, we might enhance and enlarge our spiritually, and develop, to a greater extent, the use of our spiritual senses. If we even recognize past happenings in our life, that have increase our testimonies of Christ, and of certain truths, we will have the assurance of becoming more firmly rooted and grounded within. Along with this, we have there opposites, which keep us, or lead us away, and therefore remove us from the things of the spirit. I would like to share a scripture with the challenge of finding within, all these spiritual senses.

The first sense is the ear or hearing. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing the word of God, which includes the act of reading, especially the reading of the scriptures. The spiritual sense of hearing is to have an affection for the truth, whereby we have a willing desire, a wanting, and perhaps a groaning, or an affection to receive the things of the spirit, and the things of heaven, and or, of God. These can quicken the soul, causing a warming or a heating, from which comes a warm burning of the heart, perhaps a beating of the heart, a beating unto The Lord. It can even cause a swelling of the throat, and a constricting, that somewhat binds the throat, making it difficult to swallow or speak, being overcome by the spirit. The chest or abdomen can also swell giving an urgency or a wanting to act on these feelings. It can expand the mind, and enlarge the soul, strengthening the spiritual or inner man, giving it vitality and life. It inspires and lifts the mind, bringing a smile to the face, and does also uplift the spiritual being. We then can have a wanting to serve others and to feel to do so. Then as we hearken to some, or all these feelings, we will then become obedient, and live according to what that truth teaches, with which we have received. Within the word hearkening, we find the word obedience tucked within, and they therefore go hand in hand. The opposite is to be dull of hearing, an inertness giving no real power to act. Resistance or sluggishness make their appearance, even a false sense of humility, which appears as a sense of desire, yet it is either borrowed, or is a false pretense, of which displays a lack of desire, of wanting, or affection for all these things. It shows a privation of a spiritual life, acting on tradition, therefore an unwillingness to be instructed by the things of heaven, and or, the things of God. Hearing they hear not!

The second sense which follows hearing is the sense of touch or to feel. Spiritually speaking, what ever we touch, something is communicated to us, then transferred and then received by the recipient. When we lay hands on the head of an individual, heaven communicates it’s heavenly message through the spirit to the one giving the blessing. The message is then transferred, and then to be felt, and to be received by the recipient.

We feel with the heart, which like the soil, can be soft with warmth, therefore ripe to receive, so that it might start to take root. Yet if the soil, or the heart is harden, it will defect, block, or suffocate the spiritual message sent, as the soil will reject the implanted seed. In the scriptures, it talks of rocky soil, or the hard way, one not having roots that take hold, the other having no roots that form. A soften heart is an understanding heart, clean and with pure motives. All this lays the ground work, or the foundation, to the building of a most wonderful mansion, a holy temple within.

The neck is the passage way from the head to the body, representing spiritually, higher things to lower things, and or, inner to exterior things. If the neck is stiff or bound with cords, the passage becomes hindered and will inhibit the communication that is flowing down from the heavens, to the soul of man. The heart when soft beats unto to The Lord and shows humility, and therefore is willing to receive. The neck when loosen allows for a free flow of heavenly things, from the heavens, through the passage of the neck, down to the different levels, out to the outer parts of man. Both therefore, are willing to receive all things necessary from the heavens, for the exercise of obtaining eternal life.

The third sense is the nose or smell. We smell, and are grateful for the things received, and perceive it within has a sense of joy and delight. We smell or perceive the good from the evil, or and, the truths from the falsities. The good corresponds to the warmth or heat of the day, charity, as opposed to the chill or cold of the day, the lack of charity. Charity corresponds to the warmth, as in the springtime when everything grows, buds, blossoms to fruition and is beautified. The lack of charity, or love of the world, corresponds to the winter, where it is torpid and sluggish and has a lack of growth, where charity does not abound.

We then smell, or perceive truth from what is false, and this truth corresponds to the light of day, where there is clarity and understanding, where as falsity corresponds to the darkness of night, where there is ignorance, error and reasonings of the natural man against this truth. In fact the natural man is dark when in comparison to the light of the spiritual man, for light is life, and the spiritual man giveth life to the natural man.

First we hear the word of God and are quicken. Then we feel that it is right and with soften hearts we are willing to receive. Now we perceive that the Word is good and that the Word is true and a smell of perceptions and of gratitude fills the air.

Fourth sense that of taste: We hear the word of God, then receive it, having a soft heart, then we smell gratitude, and perceive that something is good and that something is true. We then spiritually taste it and if it is delicious to the taste, we have a wanting for seconds or more. We have a wanting for more truths, knowledges, intelligences, and wisdom from God. After all we are at a feast, and are worshipping our Lord, surrounded by our consociations, grateful and thankful, praising and honoring our Lord God. We eat and drink from the table of The Lord, the goods of love and the truths of faith, and then take them in, and appropriate them within our inner or spiritual man.

The opposite is having a craving or a instant gratification for either our own appetites of the flesh, or of the cupidities of this world, satisfying the lust and the gain thereof. It is also a wanting to exercise their self intelligence (insanity) and or man’s wisdom, (foolishness).

The fifth sense is of the eyes. A seeing and understanding of things received and learned. It is an illumination an enlightenment, having a increase affection for the spiritual things of and from God. It is a state of peace, rest and clarity of thought about such things. One learns how to think from God, and to feel his spirit in his talk, and his decisions made. It’s an internal dictate, a knowing that Jesus Christ lives, and has a church here on earth. It is knowing that we have a prophet leading, guiding, and directing the Church of Jesus Christ. It is a knowing and understanding that Joseph Smith was indeed the prophet of the restoration, and that he sacrifice even his life to accomplish all that was required of him.

The opposite is confusion, a fog or cloudiness of the mind, or stupor of thought. The anxiety, stress, or restlessness causes a loss of affection, and a disturbance of the mind, rendering doubt, and a forgetting to the things taught or learned. Sometimes though, we blind ourselves or become blind to the things of God. Seeing we do not see, because our intend and or motives are not genuine, and therefore deflect, or block the spirit as it flows in. Hearing we do not hear and seeing we do not see and are blind and also blinded by the craftiness of men.

Here we have the five spiritual senses and if followed, it will lead us to all truth according to our wants and desires and according to our intents and motives to receive. We also will have wonderful experiences with our best gift, the gift of the Holy Ghost tasting, swallowing, and then experience all the great things that He brings forth. Our learning, after being schooled in the things of the spirit, can and will bring elation and joy to the heart, and gladness and delightfulness to the mind.

​</span >In the scripture below, all five senses are found therein

But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves — It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me. Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge. But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, will not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith: for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say unto you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth unto its own likeness. Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth not, behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away. And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good. And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand. O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good; and now behold, after ye have tasted this light is your knowledge perfect? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither must ye lay aside your faith, for ye have only exercised your faith to plant the seed that ye might try the experiment to know if the seed was good. And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit. But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out. Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof. And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life. But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life. And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst. Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.

Share This