Mormon Priest endorses Transcendental Meditation
by Global Good News staff writer

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4 May 2009

In March 2009, Marc Stephens, a Mormon High Priest of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Utah, wrote a letter endorsing the practice of Transcendental Meditation, in which he describes spiritual growth resulting from regular practice.

In his letter to Mormons and all people of faith, he said that he 'grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At the age of fifteen, I temporarily left because I had questions that were not answered, and I was told to just have faith. I was unsatisfied.'

After he had been practising Transcendental Meditation (TM) for years and with personal advice from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, he returned to the Mormon Church at the age of thirty-two. With the regular practice of TM, he experienced spiritual growth that gave him 'a new appreciation of the Gospel and the scriptures'. In his letter, he says, 'I remember reading the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 88: 6-13, and I exclaimed to my wife, 'My gosh, do they know what they have?'

Marc Stephens quoted the founder of the Mormon Church, Joseph Smith: ' ''The mind or the intelligence which man possesses is co-equal with God himself.'' TM provides the direct experience of our inner divine nature, light and truth, the field of pure intelligence,' Mr Stephens says in his letter. 'This state of pure intelligence or consciousness is what some contemporary brain research scientists have called the Fourth State of Consciousness. It is called a fourth state because it is distinct from the common waking, dreaming, and sleeping states of consciousness in terms of brain wave measurements and many other physiological measures.'

His letter continues, 'In the last 38 years, hundreds of scientific studies have documented the health benefits, increased creativity, intelligence, and harmonious relationships that result from the experience of this field of unbounded pure Being, the pure intelligence within each of us.

'President Hinckley said continually, ''The essence of Divinity is within us,'' (October, 1993 General Conference) and he has encouraged every member of our faith to ''Rise to the divinity within [us]'' (October, 2002 General Conference). . . .

'It is important to emphasize that the practice of TM does not require any change in one's religious beliefs or practices; it simply enables one to directly experience the eternal non-changing reality and fully live and appreciate your religion. As President Lee stated in 1973 after investigating TM, ''I believe that if the members of the Church practiced TM, they would be able to live their religion.''

'The Articles of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints end with this statement: ''If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.''

'Consider carefully this statement by President David O. Mckay who emphasized the meaning of true religion at the General Conference of the Priesthood Session in April of 1967: ''It has been said that 'consciousness of God is the highest achievement in human experience and is the supreme goal of human life. This is true religion. It is a mental, spiritual experience of the highest order.' ''

'TM is simply a tool to provide the direct experience of 'the consciousness of God,' that pure field of intelligence, the divinity within, to perceive and comprehend greater light and truth, to grow in consciousness and understanding and realize your full potential, the fullness of life.

'Sincerely,

'Marc Stephens
Member, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
High Priest of the Melchizedek Priesthood
Salt Lake City, Utah'

© Copyright 2009 Global Good News^®

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