During my time serving as a missionary, I attended numerous services of other churches. One of the most interesting experiences I had attending one of these church events occurred in Albany, NY. I was riding on the city bus and struck up a conversation with a gentleman who was a pastor for a local Pentecostal church. After having a pleasant conversation, he gave me a flyer and invited me to attend a “revival” meeting the following night where a female evangelist visiting from Philadelphia would conduct the revival.
The following evening my missionary companion and I attended the revival service. It was in an older, smaller church. The church was about 2/3 filled and had an aisle down the middle leading to an altar. The pastor I visited with the previous day started the revival meeting. He exuded much energy and enthusiasm to excite the attendants. Music was played that was loud and raucous and the attendants became more excited and, being led by the pastor, began swaying back and forth and raising their hands over their head and clapping. The pastor then called out the female evangelist who really began whipping the attendants into a frenzy with her repeated shouts of “hallelujah.” The female pastor then shouted to one side of the attendants: “Give me a J.” To which the attendants on that side shouted “J.” She then shouted to the other side: “Give me an “E” and they shouted “E.” She then shouted to the original side: Give me an “S” to which they shouted “S.” She shouted to the other side: “Give me a “U” and that side shouted “U.” Finally, she turned to the original side and shouted give me an “S” and the attendants shouted “S.” She then screamed: “What does that spell?” And the attendants screamed back “Jesus.” She screamed the same question two more times with the same response screamed back to her. All the while, loud music was playing, the attendants were swaying back and forth and clapping their hands together as they screamed their responses to this evangelist. It was a very unusual experience, like being at a football game and watching a cheerleader getting the crowd worked up into a frenzy.
At a later point in the revival, the female evangelist invited any who were possessed with a devil that they wanted to be cast out to come forth. In response, a man came forward who kneeled before the female evangelist. The evangelist invited several other attendants to join her and they place their hands on his head and she began screaming “Jesus” at the man. She literally put her head a few inches away from his ear screaming “Jesus” over and over again. I was worried that his ear drum was being damaged. After what seemed a long time of doing this, she suddenly stopped and everyone lifted their hands off the man’s head and he collapsed in a heap on the floor. At that point, the female evangelist left the man on the floor and continued with the revival meeting. After a few minutes, the man picked himself off the floor and returned to his seat.
After more music playing and singing, crowd swaying and hand clapping, collection trays were passed around soliciting donations from the attendants and the meeting ended.
When I left that revival meeting, I had been mildly entertained, but had not received any spiritual edification. The revival meeting was all about ramping up people’s emotions. As I reflected on my experience at that revival meeting, it caused me to think of the prophet Elijah’s experience on Mount Horeb as he hid from Jezebel. There was much commotion with the earthquake, rushing wind and fire, but the Lord was not present in them. It was the still small voice which the Lord used. And so it was with the revival meeting. There was a lot of commotion and frenzy with the loud, raucous music, the “Jesus” cheer and shouting, the crowd swaying and hand clapping, but no still small voice.
Over my years of attending fast and testimony meetings, I have heard many simple, humble testimonies borne expressing love for God and Jesus, acknowledging and giving thanks for Jesus as their personal Savior and Redeemer, and sincere expressions of devotion to God and Christ. On many of these occasions, I have heard the still small voice speak to me and I have been spiritually edified and strengthened in my own personal testimony of Jesus as my Savior and Redeemer. It is true that there are some whose testimonies wander and some children who bear testimonies with help from a parent, but I would never criticize for, as Christ taught, “Suffer little children and forbid them not to come unto me for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” While it may be true that some bear testimonies that may appear to lack spiritual substance, I can honestly say that I have never attended a testimony meeting where I have failed to hear someone bear witness of Jesus Christ and their Lord and Savior.
Too bad you cannot see the fraud that is in pious, old men with wavering, monotone voices who promise that for 10% of your income, dietary restrictions, and hard work, you too can become a god.
LOL
How sad that you were unable to open your heart to the Lord in that meeting, that you were sitting in judgement on believers who were praising His name with "joyful noise". It's no wonder that you were only "mildly entertained". How do you know that the Holy Ghost was not present there and inspiring with His message the act of chanting out Jesus' name? Do you believe the HG only whispers to those who seek him out in private?
I don't remember ever seeing any actual joy in any meeting in the mormon churches that I attended. Everything was said and done by rote, as though ticking off a list of chores to be done.
I have posted before the glorious experience I had at a Christian church at a Good Friday evening service. There were candles burning on the altar and at the podium, the Pastor and choir had donned their best robes, and the sanctuary was full to overflowing. There was a mantle over every one of us of closeness to Jesus there that night...The choir offered hymns of thankfulness for His sacrifice for us, and the Pastor gave us the story of the crucifixion while standing before the bare, naked wooden cross. At the end of the service he gave a prayer, and as the prayer ended all the lights in the sanctuary dimmed until total darkness claimed the scene...
Then, you could hear the shuffling of feet as they approached the cross, and unintelligible cries in another language..then silence...then.....BAM! BAM!.....BAM! BAM!...the sound of hammering on wood resounded through the silence...the sound of nails being driven into the cross...and a long silence...then, a few candles were lit, just enough to find with tear-dimmed eyes, your way to the aisle and out into the foyer, where we embraced each other and whispered "Good night" through our closed throats.
That is an experience you will never have in a mormon chapel....there will be no cross, and there will be no Good Friday service. There will be no flower-draped cross on Easter Sunday to celebrate His resurrection...Mormons disdain the presence of the cross.
Somehow, I feel you are missing much.