THINNING OF THE VEIL

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How can you tell the difference between the Holy Ghost, your own thoughts, and the adversary when you're seeking revelation? Class 2 of this LDS (Latter-day Saint) course for YSAs is about discerning the voices — how to recognize the Light of Christ, how Satan opposes it, and where your own voice actually fits — so you can hear Him faster and stop second-guessing every prompting.

Host Tia Smith starts with President Nelson's witness in "Hear Him" (April 2020) that he has seen the Lord's elect gathering Israel across the world, and that the elect, as D...

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How can young single adults learn to part the veil and receive revelation through the gathering of Israel? Class 1 of this LDS (Latter-day Saint) course for YSAs lays the foundation: what "parting the veil" really means, why the Lord opens the heavens to you specifically, and how to turn a revelation into real temple work — step by step.

Host Tia Smith, who taught this subject for years to young single adults including at Utah State Institute, begins with President Nelson's promise — repeated in "Hear Him" and "Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation" — that s...

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How can you have more spiritual experiences and learn to part the veil? It's the question host Tia Smith is asked most often, and in this episode of Thinning of the Veil she answers it for Latter-day Saints (LDS) by studying a pattern from the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith — the visit of the angel Moroni, who appeared four times on September 21-23 to teach a 14-year-old boy how the heavens open. Because God is no respecter of persons, you can follow the same pattern of revelation Joseph did: discerning spiritual promptings, le...

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Can Latter-day Saints (LDS) really part the veil and feel deceased ancestors near them? President Russell M. Nelson promised we can — that as we do temple and family history work, spiritual doors will open, God's angels will attend us, and we will learn how to part the veil between heaven and earth. In this episode, host Tia Smith plays President Nelson's own words from talks including "Hear Him" (April 2020), "Spiritual Treasures," "Rejoice in the Priesthood Keys," and "The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation," then reads real experiences sent in by listeners and drawn fr...

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Are LDS (Latter-day Saint) temple workers cherubim? In this episode of Thinning of the Veil, host Tia Smith traces a pattern she had never noticed until just days before recording: the ancient cherubim of the Old Testament and the temple workers serving in the House of the Lord today share the same sacred calling. Cherubim were placed to guard the way to the tree of life; temple workers stand as sentinels at the veil, guarding sacred space and helping God's children return to His presence.

Drawing on Genesis, Ezekiel, Alma 12, and...

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Can our deceased ancestors visit us from the spirit world? In this LDS (Latter-day Saint) family history message, President Russell M. Nelson and Sister Wendy Watson Nelson share a remarkable account of a father who returned after death to visit his living son — and teach why temple and family history work is so urgent.

Recorded at RootsTech Family Discovery Day on February 11, 2017 (when President Nelson was serving as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles), this beloved address uses a game of Scrabble to walk through the spirit of Elijah, th...

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Should we keep our spiritual experiences sacred, or share them? It's one of the most misunderstood questions among Latter-day Saints (LDS) — and in this episode, host Tia Smith works through it using scripture and prophetic teaching to show that the answer is both.

After a tender, personal thinning-of-the-veil experience involving her children on the other side of the veil, Tia received a public comment insisting that such things should always be kept private. That comment sparked this study — because while keeping certain experiences sacred is absolutely part of the doctrine of Jesu...

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How do angels communicate with us — and why do we say it's through the Holy Ghost, even when we sense a specific ancestor? In this LDS (Latter-day Saint) episode, Tia Smith answers a listener's question by teaching that angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost (2 Nephi 32:3), so their messages reach us spirit-to-spirit through that same medium — whether we hear a name, feel peace, or see with the eyes of our understanding. She walks through Moroni 7:29–32 (angels have not ceased to minister), Elder Dallin H. Oaks on how the Aaronic Priesthood and the sa...

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How do you recognize the voice of the Spirit — and know a prompting is really from God? In this LDS (Latter-day Saint) episode of Thinning of the Veil, host Tia Smith sits down with author Christina Dymock — writer of Hidden Holy Days and a student of the Gathering of Israel for two decades — to trace the patterns of personal revelation woven all through the Book of Mormon.

Together they walk through the "pattern of three" (Nephi commanded three times before he obeys in 1 Nephi 4; the people at the temple in 3 Nephi 11 hearin...

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What if understanding both sides of the veil — pre-mortal and post-mortal — is the key to making sense of mortality? Brent L. Top, retired BYU professor, author of more than 20 books, and sealer in the St. George Temple, returns to the podcast to teach two revolutionary doctrines of the Restoration: first, that we are literal offspring of heavenly parents with what he calls "celestial DNA" — spiritual capacities activated and refined by the Holy Ghost as we live the gospel; and second, that the work for the dead means every one of Heavenly Father's children will b...

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What if thinning of the veil experiences weren't unusual — but a normal part of how you grew up? Kerstin Ngatuakana  is a New Zealand Māori Latter-day Saint who didn't realize until adulthood that others didn't grow up hearing about ancestors' dreams and visions at the dinner table. In this interview, she shares a lifetime of spiritual manifestations — from seeing a girl beyond the veil at age four in the Cook Islands, to her father-in-law appearing in a dream to approve her marriage (saying "Look after my boy" — the exact phrase her husband confirme...

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Can little children really see the spirit world? In this episode of Thinning of the Veil, two Latter-day Saint (LDS) viewers share sacred experiences of loved ones drawing near from the other side of the veil. Elaine Peterson tells how, after her 14-year-old daughter Charity died of ALS, her three-year-old son Josh saw angels around her, said goodbye to a departed grandparent, saw his sister sitting on the stairs, and even saw the Savior in their home — a witness that the veil is not completely closed to little children. Brent Edwards shares a li...

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What does Elijah's showdown with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel have to do with temple work and baptism for the dead? In this doctrinal Thinning of the Veil episode, host Tia Smith walks through 1 Kings 18 and shows how, thousands of years ago, Elijah laid out a pattern that echoes almost detail-for-detail in Latter-day Saint (LDS) temples today. As the prophet promised to return and restore the sealing power, Elijah's life was meant to foreshadow the gathering of Israel in the last days — and Tia traces that pattern through the sacred setting of...

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Did the signers of the Declaration of Independence really appear to a prophet and ask for their temple work to be done? In this Thinning of the Veil episode, host Tia Smith tells the remarkable account of Wilford Woodruff in the St. George Temple in 1877 — where, he testified, the spirits of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and other eminent men and women came to him over two days and two nights and asked why their ordinances had not yet been performed. Tia sets the stage with Brigham Young's stirring plea at th...

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What if someone on the other side of the veil is waiting for you to notice them?
In this episode, Tia sits down with Ricelli Mordecai, who shares the remarkable story of a dream that changed everything — her best friend, who had passed away, appeared to her asking for her temple work to be done. What happened after Ricelli chose to act on that dream is nothing short of a miracle, and a powerful reminder that those who have passed are still watching over — and waiting on — us.
This conversation is also a...

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We are living in a world where there is a constant stream of negativity and chaos. Anxiety is the new normal for most. There are a myriad of treatments and opinions about how anxiety should be treated. There is help in the Gathering of Israel that goes unnoticed by most. Jordan Liston testifies that as he gathers Israel and seeks to help those on the other side of the veil through prayer, he has found that his anxiety has lessened and is more manageable as the veil parts in behalf of his ancestors.  T...

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 In this Gathering Academy episode, Colette testifies of a recent Thinning of the Veil experience as this ancestor was found in a most surprising way. She also covers the new QR code feature on FamilySearch that can make lost usernames and passwords a thing of the past. Do you a have GEDCOM file? FamilySearch has made it easier than ever to transfer that information into the Tree System. Colette wraps up with some easy tips to make your family history more enjoyable.

YouTube:  Miracles, Missteps, and Missing Branches Video: https://youtu.be...

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Solomon's temple was truly a sight to behold. For the children of Israel who lived during that time it became a permanent house of worship that reminded them that the divine presence was ever near. The symbols that were purposefully carved into the building itself can teach us about the Savior, Jesus Christ, and our role as Gatherers in the last days.  Even the most hidden symbols of Solomon's Temple point to the glorious fulfilling of the Abrahamic Covenant in our day in latter day temples. What can we learn about ourselves in t...

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Are you overwhelmed with a box full of family history information that needs to be put in FamilySearch? Are you confused on the new policies about temple reservations on Family Search? In this episode, Colette, addresses these specific concerns and teaches easier ways to stay on top of overwhelming piles of treasured information and how to navigate the changing policies of reserving temple names. 

YouTube: Temple Ready: FamilySearch, Reservations, and Policies Explained Video: https://youtu.be/RYmCVPnBzT4

FamilySearch: https://www.familysearch.org/

YouTube Thinning of the Veil C...

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Jared White understands the plight of those who are in prison on the other side of the veil. He himself, has experienced what must be similar feelings to those ancestors who want to be freed from their own personal darkness. During his years in prison, he learned  that God was always near and that the Savior was walking him through the lessons that needed to be learned. Through the grace of the Savior and many ministering angels on this side of the veil, he was able to finally experience the joys of freedom. T...

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Can a child receive revelation on behalf of an ancestor? In this episode, host Tia Smith sits down with Brian — who has worked at FamilySearch for six years — and his two sons, 14-year-old Seth and 8-year-old Dallas, to hear how their whole family began praying for the names of ancestors waiting for their temple work, and actually receiving them.

Brian shares how, after years of searching the "old-fashioned" way, he was prompted to a lost ancestor by a quiet voice one morning — "don't forget my brother Samuel" — and how following that impressi...

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When trying to locate more information and details in genealogical research there are often underused tools available. In this episode Colette walks you through her process of locating the harder to find information using tools that many do not know about. In her Swedish line she demonstrates the benefits of using community history books and teaches ways to research more effectively in FamilySearch. And now that Ancestry has a new AI tool available, the common headaches and frustration of doing family history work become things of the past.

YouTube: Community History...

Brian Hall has always felt a pull to help his ancestors and has involved his children in the process as well.  Brian and his wife began with teaching them how to index and other family history related activities. When Brian realized that he could pray to know who needs help on the other side of the veil, he decided to give it a try. After having his own thinning of the veil experience on behalf of an ancestor on the the other side of the veil, he knew he needed to teach his children to do the same. His t...

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What do all the symbols on Latter-day Saint temples actually mean — the sunstones, moonstones, star stones, the six towers, and the angel Moroni? In this Thinning of the Veil teaching episode, host Tia Smith reads and reflects on Richard O. Cowan's article "Latter-day Saint (LDS) Temples as Symbols," tracing how temple buildings themselves teach the plan of salvation. From the reversible pulpits of the Kirtland Temple that taught the order of the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthood, to the Nauvoo font resting on twelve oxen, to the richly symbolic exterior of the Salt Lake Te...

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In this episode Colette discusses her latest trip to the Allen County Library where she had some breakthrough miracles in finding lost ancestors. She discusses why sources are important and gives a hint of what's new on Ancestry. All of these new technologies have relevance when participating in family history research, and makes the work of the Gathering a little more easier and doable.

YouTube: Why Sources Matter and What's New on Ancestry Video: https://youtu.be/xAD5YcPUi7s

FamilySearch: https://www.familysearch.org/

Newspaperfinder.com...

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What does the temple baptistry actually symbolize — the 12 oxen, the font, the water, even the reeds? In this deep-doctrine Thinning of the Veil episode, host Tia Smith shows that the baptistry, often treated as the "vanilla" part of the temple, is layered with Latter-day Saint (LDS) symbolism that points to Jesus Christ and the gathering of Israel. She teaches that the baptismal font is a similitude of the grave, placed on the lowest level of the temple, and that going into and out of the water mirrors the death, burial, and resurrection of Ch...

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Two different experiences, two different sides of the world, and yet, both were born to rescue those on the other side of the veil. Dennis Umukoro is a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, from Delta Nigeria, and has had many revelatory experiences that have led him to saving many of his own ancestors. Debra Bowen a member of the Church in the United States, also had promptings,  in different ways then Dennis, but no less effective in saving her family on the other side of the veil. B...

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Brad Wilcox, in this video from BYU Education, 2021, describes the roles of the Tribes of Israel in preparation for the return of Jesus Christ. He teaches that no matter what tribe you are blessed to be from in your patriarchal blessing , each has a special role to play. Brother Wilcox also teaches about what it means to have a birthright and the responsibilities that come from that inherited role. In the latter days the House of Israel stands as messengers of the covenant, inviting all to come and partake of the good news...

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Newspaper Finder is a new, free website that has major and minor newspapers that spans many different countries. Colette explains how to use this brand new genealogical tool, that may help to discover possible lost information about ancestors. Newspapers often contain details that can't be found anywhere else. Genealogists could be closer than ever to making that one breakthrough that opens up piles of data on long lost relatives.

YouTube: Digitized Newspapers Video: https://youtu.be/rRTWmWYJYr8

FamilySearch: https://www.familysearch.org/

Newspaperfinder.com: https://newspaperfinder.com/<...

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The Mexico City temple dedication was special as it was the first one dedicated in Mexico. President Spencer W. Kimball testified about a house of the Lord coming to the people of Mexico long before it was ever planned or built. In a dedicatory session, Gordon B. Hinckley, commented that there were many from other side of the veil present and that one of them was "Father Lehi". This among many other miraculous experiences, marked the dedication of the Mexico City temple as one that would never be forgotten.

YouTube Father...

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There have been many prophecies, in all books of scriptures, that say in the last days that Zion would be gathered. The tribe of Joseph, which includes both of his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh are to play a pivotal roll in the preparations leading up to the establishment of Zion. Each of these tribes have their individual responsibilities and strengths. However, when working with each other for the salvation of the rest of the "family", the House of Israel, miracles of untold proportions have, do, and will occur. Ephraim and Manasseh are brothers...

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Matthew Cowley was an apostle of the Lord and champion of Native peoples the world over. He lived and served within many native communities. In this conference talk, given in Oct. 1947, he references the building of bridges. His life of service was devoted to building connections between all the sons and daughters of God, and this he did very well. However, he encourages in this talk to look even beyond this mortal existence to build bridges with our ancestors on the other side of the veil. He testifies that this takes place in...

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 The "old" way that family history is being done is drastically changing. New technologies are paving the way to finding our ancestors more quickly and efficiently. FamilySearch and My Heritage have integrated in some aspects to make the finding of records and adding sources quick and painless between the to platforms. My Heritage also has a new tool called Scribe Ai. Now instead of one linear way of reading the information on a single record, Scribe Ai will now give a fuller picture of the record including information of the towns listed, practices o...

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Before the early 1880's the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was not known among the Maori tribes of New Zealand. As God does in any age however, He prepares the way before the messengers of the Lord. Matakite are visionaries or seers within each Maori tribe. The Lord sent prophecies to some of these religious men and women to prepare the Maori people to receive the gospel when it began to be preached among them. One of this matakites was Paora Te Potangaroa. He was well loved and respected amongst...

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How does ancient Māori culture point to the temple and the gathering of Israel? In this remarkable Thinning of the Veil episode, host Tia Smith welcomes her friend John, an eighth-generation Māori Latter-day Saint (LDS) from New Zealand, for a "hui" — a coming together of Ephraim and Manasseh to testify. John shares the spiritual gifts that have run through his family and people: a grandfather who was visited before a loved one passed, temple experiences where he felt there was "no veil at all," and tender moments of seeing ancestors gathered arou...

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What happens to our children who die — and can we feel them again? In this tender Thinning of the Veil episode, host Tia Smith sits down with her friend Janet, a Latter-day Saint (LDS) mother who shares the story of her son Derek, born with disabilities, and the heartbreaking journey of placing him in a group home and later losing him. Janet testifies of the "angels, mortal and immortal" who carried her through her darkest seasons — a friend who arrived at her door at the exact moment she needed rescue, priesthood blessings that brou...

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 Colette, is live from a Swedish archive! In this episode Colette illustrates how she was led to certain books within the archive. When she opened one of those particular books, she knew why she felt drawn to them. Many members of this particular family were not in FamilySearch. She walks you through the step-by-step process of finding these missing family members in these genealogical books to making them temple ready. While most of us do not have access to archives, we do have access to a new tool available in FamilySearch called Quicklinks. C...

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What does it really mean that the grace of Jesus Christ is "sufficient"? In this Thinning of the Veil episode, host Tia Smith opens up about perfectionism, feeling unqualified, and the online backlash and dark seasons she has weathered while being asked to testify — then shares one of the talks that has strengthened her most: Brad Wilcox's beloved Latter-day Saint (LDS) devotional "His Grace Is Sufficient" (Brigham Young University, 2011). Wilcox teaches that grace is not about Jesus making up the difference between our efforts and perfection — it's about Christ making all the difference, fill...

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How do we find the Savior in our darkest seasons — through depression, grief, and the loss of someone we love? In this tender Thinning of the Veil episode, host Tia Smith sits down with Sister Reyna I. Aburto, former Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency and author of Reaching for the Savior, for an honest, hope-filled conversation about mental health, grief, and healing through Jesus Christ. Reyna speaks openly about losing her father to suicide, losing her brother in a childhood earthquake, and the long journey of grief — and shares the imag...

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Does God really speak to children — and to ordinary mothers in the middle of everyday life? In this Mother's Day episode, host Tia Smith welcomes her friend Whitney and Whitney's 12-year-old son, Oliver, to share how learning to hear the Lord transformed their family, and how even a child can receive the names of ancestors waiting for their temple work.

Oliver describes the moment it happened: riding home from basketball practice, listening to the podcast, he asked his mom if he could receive names too — and minutes later a name came clea...