There is controversy in the news with several former church members who have been strongly influenced by the book Visions of Glory. In this presentation, we explore some questions around that book and its genre, which is called apocalyptic.
Questions we explore:
- When someone claims to have experienced a vision of the end times, what is the nature of that experience?
- When it comes to discerning visionary experiences, is it a simple question of whether they are from God or Satan?
- When the great psychologist Carl Jung understood apocalyptic as being an archetypal experience, what did that mean?
- Are visionary experiences sometimes mistaken for psychosis, or vice-versa?
- What are archetypes in Jungian psychology?
- What is myth? If something is described in a myth, does that mean it is not real?
- Why are elements of the gospel found in many cultures around the world, going back into ancient history?
- Carl Jung described a collective unconscious shared by all of humanity; how does that relate to Latter-day Saint doctrines around the Light of Christ and premortality?
- What does it mean that we have a spiritual memory from premortality?
- Is revelation sometimes the unveiling of things that we already know?
- How do archetypes relate to the notion of spiritual memory of premortality?
- How are archetypes interpreted?
- Do some mythical archetypes manifest in tangible, observable reality?
- What are some of the layers of interpretation that we apply to our experiences of spiritual memory, the gospel, and the world around us?
- How do the three temptations of Christ shape interpretation of our life experiences, including revelatory experiences?
- What is the book Visions of Glory and what does it mean that it was/is interpreted by its authors and readers?
- What are some dangers of coming to identify with archetypes like Hero, Prophet, or Wounded Healer?
- What are some of the dangers of following charismatic figures with apocalyptic thinking?
Presentation video:
Resources:
Christopher Blythe: Terrible Revolution
Lionel Corbett: Jung’s Approach to Treatment of Psychosis
Jeffrey Bradshaw, The Investiture Panel at Mari and Rituals of Divine Kingship in the Ancient Near East
John F. Hall, Ancient Mediterranean Temple Ceremonies
Truman G. Madsen: On How We Know
President Dallin H. Oaks: The Great Plan
Eric Samuels conversion story on Saints Unscripted
Dan Peterson, Nephi and His Asherah
Wendy Ulrich: Seeing our Blindness text, video
Bruno Bettleheim, The Uses of Enchantment
Text of Thom Harrison’s letter to his priesthood leaders:
Thomas Gene Harrison
March 23, 2014
Regarding “Visions of Glory”
To Whom it may concern and My Priesthood Leaders as now constituted;
After meeting with my Stake President on this 23rd day of March 2014, I write this letter to disclose my feelings and present opinions of the book “Visions of Glory”, which was published by Cedar Fort Publishing Co. on December of 2012.
I disclose that I am “Spencer” the person whom the majority of this account is written about. I have been asked to discuss the origins and my present feelings associated with this book.
I first met John Pontius via a person whom I met when she was in her youth. She and John’s daughter had moved into the same ward in Colorado. She thought that he and I had shared many similar experiences from our mutual years of illness and my three near-death experiences and that it would be “good for us to meet.” After our first meeting I was pleased to speak with John, an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who had the capacity to talk openly about these things we had in common, which much of these things I had kept to myself for a number of years. It was refreshing to be able to speak openly of these things with him.
Shortly after our first meeting John suggested that these experiences should be written down, even if it were just for my posterity. This concept was initially contrary to everything I had been taught and had read about regarding the sharing of sacred experiences with others. We continued to talk and I began to see the possible purpose in having this record for my family. John was a published author of many books dealing with LDS church topics. John assisted me by sharing his insights into the things I spoke with him about. Many of these experiences I shared with him I had and seen when I was very ill over a protracted period of time. In hindsight, I see far more clearly that it would have been better to follow the counsel of Elder Neal Maxwell, a member of our ward, when he said to me, “Brother Thom, do not try and interpret these things or read into them.” He counseled me that I should wait to see and experience these things in the proper timing of the Lord.
It was not until I attended a leadership meeting at my Stake Center when I heard our present Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson tell us as priesthood leadership that we needed to share more openly our testimonies and special sacred experiences with our friends, families and fellow Saints on social media and in writing, to strengthen one another by that which we have experienced. After hearing this counsel, only then did I start to think maybe John Pontius was right and that I should express these experiences, to strengthen those who might read of these things, that they might remind them that God cares for each of us and is mindful of us. It was at this time that I also read Elder Melvin Ballard’s experience with a personal visitation with Christ and also read of Elder Haight’s story of Seeing Christ in Gethsemane.
I prayed expressively about this and after these experiences, believing maybe the Brethren had relaxed their view regarding disclosure, I agreed to disclose a portion of these things to John and go forward from there in association with what would become of these communications. I knew John had terminal cancer and he would leave my life as quickly as he had come into it. In hindsight believing, John would pass away before this book would ever see the light of day.
After 50 hours of meeting with John Pontius he asked if he could share some chapters of what we had written with his publisher, Cedar Fort. He did so and they were reluctant to publish them, stating their would not be an audience for such a story. They told John that if they did publish the Book, they would start with about 550 copies of the manuscript, however they did not think there would be a market for this book. I believed them and after consulting with John about his thinking, knowing that this was there business not mine and they must be familiar with what sells and what does not sell. I believed at best maybe a few copies would sell and John would have his last wish before departing this life, from the complications associated with his terminal intestinal cancer. John had a blog spot, “un-blog my soul” were I believed a few of his faithful readers would read such a book as this, it would be a flash in the pan and then done.
John continued to work on the book and sent me manuscripts to edit and comment on. We were doing this all electronically and I believed he was receiving all of my comments and changes as I sent them. I surprisingly learned after his death in December of 2012, when I was finally given a copy of the published book, that many of my corrections and the entire last editing of “Visions of Glory” had not either been received by the publisher or that John, in his profound state of illness in those last few weeks of his suffering, did not include. Realizing after reading the published book for the first time, that this was a joint effort and I would estimate that a third of the book was John’s interpretation of what I had seen or experienced or even that more of the content of the book was the facility that an author needs to use to place these experiences into a context and a story line scenario. John also added to the book things, which he had seen and experienced which were different from that, which I had experienced.
I have no need or do not want to give the impression that I am “throwing John Pontius under the bus,” however I can only be responsible to that which I actually related to him and experienced for myself. The remainder is John’s work, capacity for writing and his placing my experiences into an appropriate context and story line.
From the start, I do not or have not seen myself, or “Visions of Glory”, the book, as attempting to speak for the church or saying this is in any way doctrinal or a true account of what we as a people have in store for us. It was and is experiences given to me alone. Not meant to be generalized in to what will happen to the church or people as a whole. I believe much of it is a metaphor or analogy and should be seen as such. It is and has been just what I saw, my own experience. Not always depicted as I saw or experienced it but more as a writer would take a story and try to flesh it out for the reading public.
At this time of my life, I wished I would have kept it all to myself. That, “Visions of Glory” the book, was just those experiences one man had and that no one else had ever read this account. It has caused me great grief, despair, family discord, public ill treatment, derision and criticism. I have learned that when we undertake to cast sacred things before the masses that they turn and rend you and that the rending is very severe.
There are doctrinal incorrect aspects of the book. Some being my perception and some being errors in the transmission of the work. Some, out of my or John’s misinterpretation of what was being said, or what was shown to me. It is difficult for two minds to have complete accuracy in trying to explain what was seen into words that convey the true meaning of what was shown.
It is my intent to not speak of this account any further other than this letter. I do not have the rights to this work they belong to the Pontius family. So I have no power to stop the printing of this book.
Under no circumstance did John or I ever mean or conspire, deceive or acquire gain from these sacred things. Our hope was to lift, bless and bring people to Christ.
If asked about this work I will give those who inquire a copy of this letter. I will not give firesides or presentations regarding this book.
I hold my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as my most prized possession. I apologize for any injury or misunderstanding this has caused the Church, my family or any individual associated with this book. I am sorry for any offence this has caused any member.
Sincerely,
Thomas G. Harrison