Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

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itsmerich
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Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by itsmerich »

I've had dreams of me going back to my mission (served a foreign one) for several years. I'm in my current age, have younger companions.

Does anyone else have dreams of returning and being in the mission field where you previously where? When I see dreams (not hopes and aspirations but dreams when you sleep).

The reason I ask is, I wonder if "the reserve" will be called up to physically bring back, motivate, bring to rememberence as many people prior to the US/Zion prior to the harvest. I don't know sounds a bit silly but wondered if I'm the only one :)

I know I stand ready to be "called up" again.
Last edited by itsmerich on November 10th, 2012, 6:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Original_Intent
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Re: Dreams of Mission

Post by Original_Intent »

I have that dream from time to time. Similar, I am called back to serve in Japan, I am my currrent age, but sometimes I am serving alone (wfie left back in the states and no companion) Or sometimes I am serving with a companion, although not quite the same (less mission rules, in fact not a lot of oversight, more of an independent effort.)

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itsmerich
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Re: Dreams of Mission

Post by itsmerich »

Original - is God reaching out to his "Reserve" to inspire/prepare them to come back? Why do other missionaries have these dreams. Something is a foot (in a good way).

scottja
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Re: Dreams of Mission

Post by scottja »

Fascinating.... I too have similar dreams, where I am my older self, serving as a missionary back in Osaka Japan, where I served at 19... I am more fluent now, as I spent 8 years working in Japan after my mission. Similar to OI, I also was more independent in who/how/where we taught, and not always did I have a companion... WOW!
Last edited by scottja on November 10th, 2012, 9:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

DRollingKearney
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by DRollingKearney »

I must be doing something wrong... I've never had a dream like that.

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Sariel
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by Sariel »

I dream of that kind of often. I never really thought it meant anything.

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Benjamin Harrison
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by Benjamin Harrison »

My wife and I have both had blessings where we were told we would return and serve again. My mission President gave me one before I left for home during our last monthly interveiw. I am not sure about any dreams I have had about it, as I don't remember mine too well. Guess I should do what Elder Scott said once and keep a note book by my bed and start keeping track of my impressions better as I wake or before I fall asleep. I know my wife probably has had dreams like that and she usually remembers. I'll have to ask her.

jonesde
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by jonesde »

A mission is a significant experience in life and it's only natural to dream about it. Not that it doesn't mean something special, but dreams about missions and combining of past, present, and possible or desired (or feared) future are probably pretty common.

I've had various dreams about my mission or about going back to the MTC or back to where I served, and even serving in other places. However, I unfortunately had a number of bad experiences on my mission so at least half of the dreams are better described as nightmares... ;)

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Benjamin Harrison
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by Benjamin Harrison »

Sorry you had some bad experiences and have nightmares. I remember some hard times too, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. I loved it. Another thought about remembering. I would be walking around or driving or whatever and I would catch a whiff of certain smells and I would immediately have a flash back to a time during the mission where I had smelled that same thing and then I would almost start to daydream and replay in my mind some day or a moment teaching some one. It happend numerous times for about the first five years or so. I guess it still does to this day, but not as frequently. I've been back several times to where I served and maybe that has lessened those old memories. Plus having married my wife, who was living in one of my areas also helps. I guess I have flash backs everyday from living with her! :D

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BroJones
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by BroJones »

A vivid dream has a group of people walking east along the I-70 route, in a flat dry area. Somehow though, water is plentiful to us.
We are a happy lot, looking forward to something.
Then I woke up.

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tmac
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by tmac »

Doc, sounds like you're having dreams of heading east to your mission to build NJ. Having acquired property in MO, and spent quite a bit of time there, etc., it (returning, etc.,) is probably something you think a fair amount about.

I haven't had any dreams, yet, of returning as a missionary to Norway. But like BH, for the vast majority of my life, I have seldom remembered my dreams. In fact, I recently started a thread about remembering dreams on another forum, and I'll include something from my opening post:
I'm just curious about others' experience or take on this. Regardless of whether we remember our dreams or not, it seems to be the consensus among those who supposedly know (doctors, neurologists, researchers, etc.), that everyone dreams, essentially every night while they sleep. I am one of those who seldom remembers my night-time dreams. That is the way it has always been for me -- it is very rare that I have any vivid memory of my dreams. But over the course of the past couple years, I have had this experience of gaining new understanding and having the eyes of my understanding continually opened. Some of it comes from studying the scriptures and other books, etc. Some of it comes from discussions here. Sometimes I get discernible impressions while I am awake. But oftentimes I can't account in any way for where the new understanding comes from. Sometimes it feels like it is poured into my mind while I am asleep, and I wake up with it in the morning, but simply have no memory or understanding of how it happens. So it makes me wonder if it happens via dreams that I can't/don't recall.

Just wondered if anyone else has had similar experiences, and/or can shed any further light on this theory.
It has been a very interesting experience, because as soon as I started that thread, suddenly I started remembering dreams I was having each night. So I have now started keeping a journal of my dreams. They are very interesting to say the least, and I can't figure out where in the world they are coming from. A lot of them are sports-themed, and set at BYU. It's really strange because although sports were really important to me in HS, and I played college football, since then I haven't really had any interest in competitive sports, and I virtually never watch games, etc. Likewise, I didn't attend BYU, and haven't really been much of a BYU fan in over 30 years, and only have a passing interest in local college sports (never watch the games, but occasionally pay a little interest to their outcomes and scores, etc.).
Last edited by tmac on November 11th, 2012, 6:58 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Fairminded
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by Fairminded »

I can't say about mission dreams, but I frequently have dreams of being back at BYU. I left before graduating so it could be my subconscious returning to something I left undone.

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tmac
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by tmac »

I'm going to go ahead and share a couple of the "BYU" dreams that I have recorded in my dream journal.
In this dream, BYU had recently recruited, and brought in the greatest athlete ever to don a uniform at BYU. Don't know if he was LDS or not, but he had already arrived and made a very big splash. When push came to shove, though, he said he wasn't going to stay unless he could live with his girlfriend. Consequently, BYU had decided to change its policies, etc., to accommodate him. The decision and everything that was happening was a very, very big deal -- at least in Utah, etc., and was seemingly rocking the very foundations of Mormondom, etc. It was a big mess. (And just to clarify, I'm not really a big BYU fan, and never really have been. It has been over 30 years since I really cared much about BYU sports). I was involved in all this as a journalist who was covering the whole thing, and interviewing the athlete, coaches, administration, etc., and writing articles, columns and editorials about it. It created a huge dilemma. I could see that when push came to shove there was a very big gap between theory and reality, etc. The big question for me was how to handle it -- straight-on, no holds barred, take the gloves off, and tell it like it is (which has often my style in such situations, including business and politics, disputes, etc.), taking the establishment to task, and letting the chips fall where they may, including ramifications for my Church standing and membership, etc., or something more subtle and diplomatic, factoring all such possible consequences into the equation.

This all seemed very probing in many ways, especially in light of my recent efforts, over the past year or so to soften my approach in such situations. It raised more questions than answers. Unsettling, but not as tortuous as the dream the night before in which I felt I was the rope being used in a tug-a-war contest, although there was still that element in this one too. It just wasn't as physical in nature.
This morning, I woke up at 4 and quickly wracked my brain to see if I could remember or recall any kind of dream. I couldn't, so I thought, "Well, this breaks my string," and I experienced a definite feeling of disappointment, that I recorded in my mind. But then, I went back to sleep for an hour and a half. When I woke up again, I had a vivid recollection of a dream, that apparently happened in the meantime. It was a BYU football game. BYU was playing Florida State (sorry Ute fans) -- but how could the fact that I knew it was FSU possibly be important?. It was in Provo. It was huge. There were people every where. It was very loud, very raucus. And it was a very close game. The intensity, and the environment, and the fever-pitched emotion gave the impression that the fate of the whole world was hanging on this one game. And it had this huge idolistic, hero-worship, gladiator element to it. Then I recalled actually asking a question: "But what can all this possibly mean?" And the answer came to me very clearly, paralleling wording (but slightly different) from the temple (at least live sessions, which we sometimes do) -- "It represents Babylon, or the world in which we now live." So then, I looked around, searching for some other meaningful symbol or meaning or message, and after checking out everything, from the surrounding mountains, and the huge stadium and the crowd, to the band, the cheerleaders, and coaches, to the players on the field, after a few minutes I finally essentially gave-up and asked, "But what else is there? What other meaning is there here?" And again, the answer, came very quickly and clearly: "Exactly, bingo, you got it -- there is nothing else here. It's all Babylon, totally consumed in Babylon. There is nothing else here BUT Babylon."

Now, the real question is, did it only represent "the world," or did it also represent my life? I didn't get a chance to ask that question, but perhaps it was left for me to consider and think about.

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Benjamin Harrison
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by Benjamin Harrison »

:-? Could mean that BYU isn't the "Lord's University" anymore and the members are not acting like they should, "Checking their religion at the door" to quote Elder Holland from the recent youth fireside, and that the Lord has moved his school up to Logan :)) Sorry. On a more serious note I have to start keeping a dream journal too. That is pretty cool how you subconsciously asked quetions and they were answered clear as a bell.

Digitali
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by Digitali »

I must be dreaming everyday because I'm currently living where I served. Funny, I've never had dreams of my mission, but still have dreams of college and having to take one last exam and don't know the material...and then fortunately, I wake up :). I do have dreams of being in our chapel and people are moving chairs around and things being generally off kilter.

braingrunt
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by braingrunt »

Prior to getting married I had several dreams of returning to the mission field. Near the end of the series of dreams I knew that I was now serving my third two year mission. Every time I had the dream I would be like, "Hey, I've already done this!". Which would transform into: "I can do this for the Lord." But soon I would be weeping uncontrollably.

JohnnyL
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by JohnnyL »

One time, a week or two after returning, I had a dream that more people were needed on missions. I was asked to volunteer.

(My mission was mostly hell.)

I thought, sighed, and said ok.

Then I woke up.

I'll comment no further now!

That's been a while, so I'd say, maybe not that particular "preparation" message...

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gruden2.0
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by gruden2.0 »

jonesde wrote:A mission is a significant experience in life and it's only natural to dream about it. Not that it doesn't mean something special, but dreams about missions and combining of past, present, and possible or desired (or feared) future are probably pretty common.

I've had various dreams about my mission or about going back to the MTC or back to where I served, and even serving in other places. However, I unfortunately had a number of bad experiences on my mission so at least half of the dreams are better described as nightmares... ;)
Agreed. I've had missionary dreams once in a while for years - most of them are as surreal and strange as most other dreams, just as I've dreamed of high school, college, and other past phases of my life. I did have one while I was on my mission where I went to different places on the earth as a missionary which had a different tone to it, so who knows? Spiritual dreams have a different quality to it, and are laden with meaning. One might have dreams of being in church as well, but since that's a common waking experience that doesn't automatically mean it is laden with meaning. If you've had spiritual dreams, you can tell the difference when something is being imparted as opposed to the usual brain noise.

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Etosha
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by Etosha »

I was going to say that - I've had visions/dreams - and you KNOW when it's not just a regular dream.

Raindrop
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by Raindrop »

I had a strange dream about a year and a half ago which showed myself living through a crisis which is still about a year and a half in the future. (Time will tell if it meant anything, right?) I remember waking up with very heavy emotions and very somber feelings... and this was the curious part... I felt like much of what I'd dreamed was being kept from my conscious mortal memory. Sounds strange, I know - that's really all I can say.

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Re: Dreams of Mission

Post by Adall19 »

Original_Intent wrote: November 10th, 2012, 6:14 pm I have that dream from time to time. Similar, I am called back to serve in Japan, I am my currrent age, but sometimes I am serving alone (wfie left back in the states and no companion) Or sometimes I am serving with a companion, although not quite the same (less mission rules, in fact not a lot of oversight, more of an independent effort.)

OKAY, WOW... I HAVE THIS KIND OF DREAM MULTIOLE TIMES EVERY MONTH THE LAST 6 MONTHS! I HAVE BEEN HOME FROM MY FOREIGN MISSION FOR 6 YEARS NOW.

IN MY DREAM (WHICH ARE BASED THE SAME WAY AS YOU DESCRIBED YET THEY ARE LIKE OTHER PARTS OR ADDITIONS TO WHAT I NEVER GOT TO SEE IN THE PREVIOUS DREAM!)

IM AWARE THAT IM HAVING A VISION FROM HEAVEN. IM NERVOUS ABOUT MY HUSBAND FEELING LIKE HE IS NOT WITH ME ON THIS MISSION, YET I KNOW HE IS OKAY AND KEPT SAFE. I WORRY A BIT ABOUT MY KIDS YET I AM CALMED BY THE SPIRIT TELLING ME THEY ARE TAKEN CARE OF. I SEE MY CALL PAPER, SUDDENLY IM THERE IN THE FORGEIN LAND, IM SURROUNDED BY MANY WONDERFUL AMAZING MISSIONARIES THAT ARE ALL THERE FOR A 2ND OR 3RD TIME. I SEE DISASTERS THAT WE ARE HELPING TO GIVE AIDE TO. I SEE ANGELS OF HEAVEN HELPING US TO CARRY OUT OUR MISSIONS. THERE ARE NOT REALLY AS MANY RULES, IT IS MORE OF AN ORGANIZED MATURE OBEDIENCE WHERE WE ARE TRUSTED AND WE SERVE AS WE CAN. BUT I AM FOR SURE CALLED TO MY SPECIFIC MISSION MANY TIMES. I JUST KNOW HOW STRONG THEY FEEL COMPARED TO OTHER SILLY DREAMS. THESE ARE MUCH MORE ENLIGHTENED AND I FEEL IM MUCH STRONGER IN THEM, AS IF IM MY BETTER SELF. PERHAPS MY SPIRIT WORLD SELF? OR PERHAPS IT IS THE 2ND COMING PREPARATION? ALL I KNOW, IS THAT I WORRY SO MUCH ABOUT MY HUSBAND AND KIDS, BUT THEN I AM ASSURED THAT THEY ARE IN GREAT HANDS AND I WILL SEE THEM AGAIN, AFTER MY MISSION IS COMPLETED.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS POST!!!

Adall19
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by Adall19 »

OKAY, WOW... I HAVE THIS KIND OF DREAM MULTIPLE TIMES EVERY MONTH, FOR THE LAST 6 MONTHS! I HAVE BEEN HOME FROM MY FOREIGN LDS MISSION FOR 6 YEARS NOW.

IN MY DREAM (WHICH ARE BASED THE SAME WAY AS DESCRIBED YET EACH ONE IS LIKE ANOTHER PART OR ADDITION TO WHAT I NEVER GOT TO SEE IN THE PREVIOUS DREAM!)

IN THESE DREAMS OF MINE, IM AWARE THAT IM HAVING A VISION FROM HEAVEN. IM NERVOUS ABOUT MY HUSBAND FEELING LIKE HE IS NOT WITH ME ON THIS MISSION, YET I KNOW HE IS OKAY AND KEPT SAFE. I WORRY A BIT ABOUT MY KIDS YET I AM CALMED BY THE SPIRIT TELLING ME THEY ARE TAKEN CARE OF. I SEE MY CALL PAPER, SUDDENLY IM THERE IN THE FORGEIN LAND, IM SURROUNDED BY MANY WONDERFUL AMAZING MISSIONARIES THAT ARE ALL THERE FOR A 2ND OR 3RD TIME. I SEE DISASTERS THAT WE ARE HELPING TO GIVE AIDE TO. I SEE ANGELS OF HEAVEN HELPING US TO CARRY OUT OUR MISSIONS. THERE ARE NOT REALLY AS MANY RULES, IT IS MORE OF AN ORGANIZED MATURE OBEDIENCE WHERE WE ARE TRUSTED AND WE SERVE AS WE CAN. BUT I AM FOR SURE CALLED TO MY SPECIFIC MISSION MANY TIMES. I JUST KNOW HOW STRONG THEY FEEL COMPARED TO OTHER SILLY DREAMS. THESE ARE MUCH MORE ENLIGHTENED AND I FEEL IM MUCH STRONGER IN THEM, AS IF IM MY BETTER SELF. PERHAPS MY SPIRIT WORLD SELF? OR PERHAPS IT IS THE 2ND COMING PREPARATION? ALL I KNOW, IS THAT I WORRY SO MUCH ABOUT MY HUSBAND AND KIDS, BUT THEN I AM ASSURED THAT THEY ARE IN GREAT HANDS AND I WILL SEE THEM AGAIN, AFTER MY MISSION IS COMPLETED.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS POST!!!

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mirkwood
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by mirkwood »

I've had that dream. My companions always freak out because I'm carrying a gun. Then at night when I go home to sleep with my wife they freak out even more.

DesertWonderer
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by DesertWonderer »

I've had the same dream. I've also had dreams where I fly by flapping my arms. They're just dreams.
Last edited by DesertWonderer on April 24th, 2017, 9:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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David13
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Re: Dreams of Mission (are we to return)?

Post by David13 »

I didn't go on a mission.
However, throughout my life I always had dreams about what I was doing. In college, dreams about the material I was studying, and prior to exams dreams reviewing the answers to the exam. Same in law school.
Frequently I would have dreams that it was nearly October and I forgot to register and start school. But that may have been because of the Rod Stewart song with the line "it's late September and I really should be back in school ... "
I frequently had dreams about cases I was handling, what my argument in court would be, etc. More than once a winning argument came to me in a dream, usually after praying to know how to handle it.
More recently dreams about cases which I didn't want to argue or be in court with, which, I no longer work in court.
For vacations, travel, I always had dreams from where I was, to packing my case, to moving on to the next leg of my travel, to the airplane, to the sailing, whatever. Even to what I would eat the next day.
Recently (2 years ago) I prayed to know when I would die and how to better prepare for that death, which resulted in the (waking) call into the church.

I'm wondering if you guys dreaming about going back on your mission means that you are desirous of going back to your mission area for a visit, or if you are desirous of going on a new (senior?) mission, perhaps with the wife, or husband?

If so, do both.

Brother Jones dream of walking along highway 70 means he is desirous of going back to Utah. Just like me.

It's like DesertWonderer says, they are just dreams.
dc

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