I am writing this post while on a train from Durham, England to St Andrews, Scotland (thank goodness for free WiFi). I spent two days in Durham and absolutely loved the place. I will make sure to post more info plus pictures soon. I would like to post now some selections from a term paper I wrote for my History of Theology class at Marquette.
I have previously written on St. Seraphim and the fruits of the Spirit (see here). Please refer to that post for a more complete account of Seraphim’s discussion on recognizing the presence of the Holy Spirit. In this post, I will present the main points that he makes, similar themes from the Patristic period, and then modern similarities from Mormon teaching and experience. I have cut out several parts from the original paper for the sake of brevity, but have tried to preserve the parts of most interest to LDS readers.
Saint Seraphim of Sarov and the Recognition of the Holy Spirit
The spirituality of St. Seraphim of Sarov has become well-recognized in modern Christian mystical literature for its stunning portrayal of the tangible effects of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In his highly circulated conversation with Nicholas Motovilov, “Concerning the Aim of the Christian Life,” Seraphim attempts to instruct his friend regarding the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. After attempting to express the process using a number of different explanations, Seraphim directs Motovilov’s attention to the intense spiritual manifestation they were experiencing as a recognizable outpouring of the Holy Spirit. St. Seraphim teaches his disciple that one can know when the Third Person of the Trinity is present by certain signs and feelings or emotions that accompany the Spirit.
In the above-mentioned conversation with Motovilov, likely recorded around 1830, Motovilov expresses to the saintly monk his inability to fully understand how an individual can know that he has the Spirit with him; how he can “dwell” in the Holy Spirit and “apprehend his appearance” in him. “My need,” he exclaimed, “is to understand this well.” Instead of offering further explanations or scriptural illustrations, as he had previously done, St. Seraphim turns to a more practical and tangible demonstration of his point by asking his friend to simply recognize what he is seeing and feeling at the moment -his final and greatest proof for how one is to know that the Holy Spirit is present. According to Motovilov’s account, the following were described as recognizable manifestations of the Holy Spirit:
- Transfigured appearance
Father Seraphim grabs Motovilov by the shoulders and says “We are both together, son, in the Spirit of God! Why lookest thou not on me?” To which Motovilov replies:
“I cannot look, father, because lightning flashes from your eyes. Your face is brighter than the sun and my eyes ache in pain!” Father Seraphim says: “Fear not, my son; you too have become as bright as I. You too are now in the fulness of God’s Spirit; otherwise you would not be able to look on me as I am.”
- Calmness and peace
St. Seraphim then asks, “How do you feel now?” “Unwontedly well!” Motovilov exclaims. The staretz then probes deeper, looking for his friend to sincerely evaluate and recognize exactly what he is feeling. “But well in what way? How in particular?” Motovilov answers: “I feel a calmness and peace in my soul that I cannot express in words!”
- Sweetness
Seraphim encourages him to further express the specific feelings that he is experiencing. “An unwonted sweetness!” is the reply.
- Joy
“An unwonted joy in all my heart!”
- Warmth
“An unwonted warmth!” When Seraphim hears this from his disciple, he probes him further in order to see if he understands the significance of this manifestation. “But why warmth, my son? See, we sit in the forest, the winter is out and about, the snow
is underfoot, there is more than an inch of snow on us and still the snowflakes fall. What warmth can there be?” Motovilov answeres: “Such as there is in the bath-house, when they pour the water on the stone and the steam rises in a cloud.”
- Aid to Memory
As this powerful experience with the Spirit of God would clearly be an important lesson to remember, Father Seraphim asks his disciple: “Will you remember this manifestation of God’s ineffable mercy which has visited us?” “I know not, father,” he replies, “whether the Lord will grant me always to remember this mercy of God as vividly and clearly as now I feel it.” “I think,” Father Seraphim answers, “that the Lord will help you always to retain it in your memory…”
This process of questioning by St. Seraphim can be seen as a tool-even the principal tool-used by the saint to help his friend recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit and know when he had acquired it in his life. For St. Seraphim, the acquisition of the Holy Spirit is the most important goal of mortal life. It is essential for priest, monk, and layman alike. When one’s heart is open to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, that heart becomes “the throne whereon [the Lord] loves to sit and whereon He appears in the fulness of His heavenly glory.” (p. 56) Without this acquisition of the Holy Spirit, “there is not and cannot be any salvation” (p. 51). Seraphim wants his disciple to know when he has the Spirit and his conversation serves as an outline for what one should be able to see and feel when he does.
The Tradition
That all these properties should be linked to the presence of the Holy Spirit was an idea that was perpetuated in the early Church and in the Christian tradition over the centuries. Over time, these principles were preserved more strongly in the more ascetic or mystical strains of Christianity, and in the Eastern Orthodox churches. Because space is limited, I will only highlight a few examples of the preservation of each of the spiritual manifestations.
Transfigured Appearance
As mentioned above, the “lightning” from the eyes and face “shining like the sun” motifs, for the uninitiated, can be the most familiar and startling parts of Seraphim’s explanation. While such descriptions are uncommon among most Christians today, talk of such visions of light was surprisingly frequent and emphatic for centuries. Out of all the elements referred to in this essay, there was likely more ink spent on this topic by the ancients than any of the others. The brilliant appearance of a person as the result of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit was often referred to as a transfiguration or transformation into an angelic or divine state.
Tertullian was well aware of the importance of this motif in the Scriptures:
Even the Holy Scriptures give us instances of this form of change…For example, the face of Moses was changed, with a brightness that the eyes could not bear…So also Stephen had already put on the appearance of an angel-even though it was still his human knees that bent beneath the stoning. The Lord, again, in the retirement of the mountain, had changed His clothing for a robe of light…In that same scene, Moses also and Elijah gave proof that the same condition of bodily existence may continue even in glory.
For Origen, this transformation, including the shining face, was a step in the process of the glorification or deification of the human. Citing the example of Moses’ radiant countenance, Origen explained that it was a result of his vision of Deity, for which he had been purified; he then “transcended all material things” and was “deified by what [he] contemplate[d].” He continued by stating:
Such a state may be said to be the glorification of the face of him who has contemplated God and conversed with him and spent time in such a vision, since this is represented figuratively by the glorified face of Moses, when his intellect had been deified by God.
A few centuries later, in the so-called Macarian writings, Macarius emphasized the central role of the Holy Spirit in monastic life. His exegesis of Ezekiel’s vision of the throne-chariot portrays a view of the indwelling of the Spirit very similar to that of St. Seraphim:
For the prophet was contemplating a mystery of the soul that was to receive its own Lord and become a throne of glory to him. For a soul that is counted worthy to participate in the Spirit of his light and is illuminated by the beauty of his ineffable glory, seeing that he has prepared it for himself as a throne and dwelling, becomes wholly light…That is to say, no part of it is in darkness, but has been turned entirely and completely into light and spirit…seeing that the ineffable beauty of the glory of the light of the face of Christ has mounted it and sat upon it…Thus the soul is illuminated perfectly by the ineffable beauty of the glory of the face of Christ and has participated perfectly in the Holy Spirit, and has been counted worthy to become a throne and dwelling of God.
Gregory Palamas, a central figure of the hesychast movement of the fourteenth century, strongly emphasized the importance of the vision of divine light and how it transforms both body and soul. He states:
So, when the saints contemplate this divine light within themselves, seeing it by the divinizing communion of the Spirit, through the mysterious visitation of perfecting illuminations-then they behold the garment of their deification, their mind being glorified and filled by the grace of the Word, beautiful beyond measure in his splendour; just as the divinity of the Word on the mountain glorified with divine light the body conjoined to it.
Other Manifestations
The sublime peace afforded by the Holy Spirit was the goal of every monk. Diadochus, in the fifth century, indicated that when a person turns to the Lord, grace makes itself felt in the heart as a “sensible warmth.” Isaac of Ninevah proclaimed that “sweeter than honey and the honeycomb is the awareness of God whence love is born.”
Eastern theologian John Cassian explained:
It is not easy to know how and in what respects spiritual tenderness overwhelms the soul. Often it is by an ineffable joy and by vehement aspirations that its presence is revealed. So much so that the joy is rendered unbearable by its very intensity, and breaks out into cries that carry tidings of your inebriation as far as a neighbouring cell. Sometimes οn the contrary the whole soul descends and lies hidden in abysses of silence. The suddenness of the light stupefies it and robs it of speech. All its senses remain withdrawn in its inmost depths or completely suspended. And it is by inarticulate groans that it tells God of its desire. Sometimes, finally, it is so swollen with a sorrowful tenderness that οnly tears can give it consolation.
Mormonism
The spiritual revivals that helped spread the influence of Methodism also opened the way for new spiritual movements such as Alexander Campbell’s “restorationist” movement and Joseph Smith, Jr.’s The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Joseph Smith (1805-1844), roughly a contemporary of St. Seraphim, held to a view of the fruits of the Holy Spirit very similar to that of the Russian Orthodox monk.
The early Mormon Church was recognized for its powerful and dramatic spiritual manifestations. A contemporary religious periodical, The Spiritual Magazine [May 1, 1871], attempted to account for the success of early Mormon missionaries to the British Isles:
In Great Britain the Mormons were Spiritualists. Their churches were established, converts made, and success wrought out by spiritual manifestations and the “influences.” This was recognized by the various denominations whose disciples the Elders (Mormon missionaries) drew away by their spiritual fascinations…The possession of this “power” gave the Elders such a decided advantage over the learned clergy that in many cases they have annihilated whole churches, and Mormonism has swept some of the districts of England and Wales like a whirlwind, literally to the consternation of other religious bodies.
While perhaps not as recognized, this emphasis on manifestations of the Spirit continues in modern Mormon proselytizing efforts. In the Missionary Guide, a manual printed in 1988 by the Church and issued to all missionaries until only recently, missionaries are instructed that the “most important process in conversion is for people to feel the Spirit of the Lord… It is your privilege to act as a servant of the Lord and help people feel and recognize the influence of the Spirit.” In order to help others “feel and recognize” the Holy Spirit, a technique is employed that is remarkably similar to that of St. Seraphim in his conversation with Nicholas Motovilov-the missionary is to ask the person how he or she feels. The missionary teaches scriptural principles, and then encourages listeners to express how they feel; when the missionary is convinced that the listener has felt the Spirit of the Lord (by listening to their answers to such questions), the missionary is to identify that they are, indeed, feeling the Spirit.
The precedent for spiritual manifestations in the Mormon Church was set by Joseph Smith himself, who was considered by his followers to be a prophet. Many of Smith’s contemporaries give descriptions of his appearance and demeanor when under the influence of the Holy Spirit that are very similar in nature to Motovilov’s account of St. Seraphim. Mormon scholar Hyrum Andrus comments that the “visions and revelations given to Joseph Smith were also accompanied by an overshadowing power and glory visible to those present-not merely a change of facial expression resulting from a given mood or attitude of mind, but a thrilling, intelligent power both felt and seen by others.”
Orson Pratt testified that he saw the Smith’s “countenance light up as the inspiration of the Holy Ghost rested upon him…” And Brigham Young said:
Those who were acquainted with him knew when the Spirit of revelation was upon him for his countenance wore an expression peculiar to himself while under that influence. He preached by the Spirit of revelation, and taught in his council by it, and those who were acquainted with him could discover it at once, for at such times there was a peculiar clearness and transparency in his face.
Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner, an early convert to the Church, witnessed a similar transfiguration in Joseph Smith at a small meeting at Smith’s home in Kirtland, Ohio. She related:
After prayer and singing, Joseph began talking. He began very solemnly and very earnestly. Suddenly, his countenance changed and he stood mute; he seemed almost transfixed. He was looking ahead and his face outshone the candle which was on a shelf just behind him. I thought I could almost see the cheek bones. He looked as though a searchlight was inside his face. I never saw anything like it on earth. I could not take my eyes away from him. I shall remember him as he looked then as long as I live.
Smith’s revelations on the topic of the influence of the Spirit also parallel the elements expressed in Seraphim’s conversation. He taught that the Holy Spirit brings feelings of peace, joy, warmth, intelligence, and love. Dr. Victor Ludlow of Brigham Young University, outlines some of the ways in which Mormons are taught to recognize the presence of the Spirit:
Some people feel a burning sensation in the body when the Spirit is present. (See D&C 9:8.) Some feel a sense of peace or joy, making them feel like praising or even singing God’s glory and blessings. Others experience a tingling sensation or a quickening of the mind…One common manifestation of the spirit…is when a sudden idea or insight comes into our minds after we have been pondering over a question or problem…The ideas and insights we receive from the Spirit are also confirmed by feelings of peace…God reminded him [Oliver Cowdery, Joseph's scribe] again how to recognize the manifestation of his Spirit: “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart” (D&C 8:2).
George Q. Cannon, an early leader of the Church, offered a description of how one can recognize the influence of the Holy Ghost:
I will tell you a rule by which you may know the Spirit of God from the spirit of evil. The Spirit of God always produces joy and satisfaction of mind. When you have that Spirit you are happy; when you have another spirit you are not happy. The spirit of doubt is the spirit of the evil one; it produces uneasiness and other feelings that interfere with happiness and peace.”
The preceding explanations of the effects of the Holy Spirit are but a few examples from the vast Mormon discourse on the subject. These principles are still very much a part of the Mormon belief system, and while seemingly not as prevalent today, or perhaps not as acknowledged publicly as in the past, tangible manifestations of the Spirit are still a common phenomenon among Mormons, especially in the mission field.
Conclusion
While Nicholas Motovilov’s account of his conversation with St. Seraphim of Sarov and its attending spiritual manifestations may sound fantastical and foreign to many, such elements have been central to the beliefs of some Christians since New Testament times. In this essay, I have endeavored to show how these fruits of the Spirit discussed by Seraphim are securely rooted in Scripture, were known and understood by the early Church Fathers and subsequently carried on in the thought of many important theologians over time. While this type of spirituality is readily recognized as part of the Eastern Orthodox tradition, it is found in remarkably similar form in many modern Christian denominations, including Wesleyan thought, as well as Mormon doctrine and experience. The words of Diadοchus of Photike express the significance of this experience with the Spirit: “One who knows God by the feeling of the heart has been known by him.”
Tertullian, as cited in David W. Bercot, ed. A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1998), 650.
Origen, Commentary on John, 32. 27. 338-9, GCS iv. 472. 24-34, as cited in Norman Russell, The Doctrine of Deification in the Greek Patristic Tradition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004) 143-144.
Coll. II, Homilies, 1.2, as cited in Russell, 245.
Gregory Palamas, Triad 1.3.5, as cited in Russell, 306.
Isaac of Ninevah, Ascetic Treatises, 38.
Jοhn Cassian, Conferences, ΙX, 27 (SC 54, p. 63)
T. Shorter, “On Mormonism,” in The Spiritual Magazine, vol. VI, May 1871 (London: Thomas Scott), 194.
From the Missionary Guide, p. 9, published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Hyrum L. Andrus, Joseph Smith, the Man and the Seer (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1960), 136.
Ludlow is referring to the book of Doctrine and Covenants, published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is a collection of revelations given through Joseph Smith and some of his successors.
Victor L. Ludlow, Principles and Practices of the Restored Gospel (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1992), 97.
George Q. Cannon, Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. (London: Latter-day Saints’ Book Depot, 1855-86), 15:375.
Diadοchus of Photike, Gnostic Chapters, 14 (SC 5 bis, p. 91)
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4 Comments
Really interesting! I was about to ask you what pointed you to the St. Seraphim stuff, but then I saw your previous post and basically became competent.
Best wishes in your decision process: Durham v. St. Andrews. Be sure to use the Holy Ghost.
Since the beginning of “Heavenly Ascents” I have been impressed with your scholarly approach. You are helping to fulfill a real need in our LDS culture. Non-LDS theology scholars have much to offer, and you recognize this.
David, I share you open minded curiosity about christianity. I am a french catholic who visited america and many denominations and I enjoyed very much the LDS for their luminous holyness.
Here’s a link (http://www.tlig.fr/FTP/Miracle_LA_20090118.pdf) to pictures of miracle of light concerning Vassula Ryden, an orthodox living prophet, whose appeareances are sometimes accompanied by such phenomenons. She has received messages from God for 20 years, you can read on tlig.org.
Mutual ignorance prevents us from treasures.
I am looking forward to reading your next post.
Pierre
Thank you all for your great comments. I just got back from my UK trip last night and am still trying to catch up on things. I appreciate your support!