Stupor of Thought

by Weston Palmer

When we talk about receiving answers to prayers, we often reference Doctrine and Covenants 9:8 which says “your bosom shall burn within you” when something is true or right. This “burning in our bosom” is often felt and described differently by different people. However, we often stop at verse 8. I would like to share an experience where the “stupor of thought” described in the next verse (vs 9), was just as real, just as powerful, and just as much of an answer as a “burning in your bosom”.

We were living in Renton and I was working in Auburn. I had been with Boeing for over a year when the whole organization was moved to Lynwood. Thankfully, we were in a position to buy a house after only a couple months of commuting. I enjoyed the process of looking at houses and imagined having a place of our own.

After looking at a number of houses, we found one we really liked. That evening we talked about all the pros and cons associated with this particular house. We even called our realtor to ask some additional questions about the house and learn more about the process of making an offer. We were excited! The search was over and we were going to move on to the next stage of our life. However, with a decision this monumental, we wanted to be sure we were making the right decision. The only way to be sure we were making the right decision was to pray and ask our Heavenly Father.

So we prayed about the house.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure how the answer would come or what it would feel like, but I definitely was not prepared for the answer I received. I received a “stupor of thought”. All the excitement we had felt was gone. The shift was so pronounced and so quick, there was no denying we had received an answer to not buy the house. That was all we needed to know. I called our agent and told her we were no longer interested.

We eventually found another house we liked. Once again we prayed, this time knowing the Lord would answer our prayer. This time, however, after our prayer was over, our excitement remained. Contrasting how we felt each time after we prayed, allowed us to move forward with full confidence that the Lord approved of our decision.