Burning in the bosom and spirit of contention

I am posting my response to a comment from a post on the blog Mormon Coffee. I am posting it here because my comment exceeds their word count limit (probably a good hint that I should be more brief, huh?)

falcon wrote:

To "my total amazement, given all the information available to the contrary, Mormons still cling to that special feeling that only comes from God that confirms that what is false is true. I don’t get it!"

I think it boils down to two "feelings."

One, the burning in the bosom (D&C 9: 8) that a Mormon interprets as the Holy Ghost testifying of truth.

Two, the "spirit of contention" (3 Ne. 11: 29) that a Mormon will say exists when someone questions the church.

After being born again, I have a new insight on these feelings.

First, let me say that for a Mormon or a traditional Christian, learning to heed the Spirit is essential in our walk with God. But as a born-again Christian, I have also come to rely on the objective and reasonable measure of the Bible to test the spirits (1 Jn. 4: 1) that I feel/felt.

In hindsight, I can see where I have let my heart deceive me (Deut. 11: 16).

For example, one night after I had been born again, I was emotional while watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. (Come on. Admit it. You tear up, too.) And I realized that this emotional response was the same response I got when a testimony-building experience occurred in my life. My heart got the best of me in both cases.

As for the spirit of contention, I compare it to the feeling I get when I am in trouble. I think about being caught for speeding, the time I was caught shoplifting when I was 12 or losing my temper and cussing out someone who did not deserve it. (These are things that have drastically curtailed since finding grace—but that is for another post).

The terrible gut feeling is the same kind of reaction I used to get when reading material critical to the church. It is the same panic; the same sense of desperation. How Mormons react to this varies.

It was after I was on the debate team in high school, that I was able to suppress that feeling. I started having the apologists response to my gut--which was to find any plausible argument that would make it go away.

For most Mormons I know, arguing it away will not work and only makes it worse. So, they resort to bearing their testimony. And the more fervent they speak it, the more they hope it will dissolve the argument and eliminate the bad feelings.

Of course, there are some Mormons who don’t try either of those remedies. They will feed off the argument and become hostile. Nothing to be gained by engaging them.