Was I visited by Satan?

I had stayed up late working on some things. When I went to bed, I could not sleep. I tossed and turned for some time. It seemed like one of those nights when I wasn’t sure if I would ever fully fall asleep. At some point in the middle of the night, I had a dream.

I was riding my mountain bike. It was awesome. I was riding fast up and down jumps, accelerating quickly, flying between houses as the ground changed. I remember at one point feeling the motion of a jump and riding it out on the other side. It felt good. I loved it.

I was going to ride up through Highland to the highway that goes from Thanksgiving Point to Alpine. As I started to traverse that way, I found myself on a rugged mountain. It got so rough I had to get off my bike and hike. I’m not sure why I was headed that way, but I continued forward. I ended up on a rocky ridge where there was a divide in the rocks — kind of an arch with a narrow walkway.

I traveled between them and started to notice things like shoes and sleeping bags, then a bunch of people. It was a little strange. It felt like they were all camped there. Nobody really greeted me or said hi, but I thought I would be OK there. It didn’t bother me. It felt kind of like a mix between a hippie camp, a guru camp, and a revival or festival.

We were on the side of a hill and I made my way down to a narrow spot where a few people were standing. I had to squeeze in, and there was clearly not enough room for all of us to stand, but I was determined to stay. The dirt began to break away. I knew I had to turn back, because I was going to fall — and it wasn’t a huge fall — but I didn’t want to fall nonetheless. I felt I could get hurt. As the hill broke away, I jumped and landed on a flat section. When I turned and looked up to where I had jumped from, I could see that the dirt and that little cavern had been formed.

Something strange caught my eye. I reached in and started to pull something out that was lodged in the dirt. It was a large crystal, maybe the size of a golf ball. I looked deeper into the hole and could see there was a hoard of crystals. They were big and small, but beautiful and crystal clear. I gathered a bunch and put them in my pocket. I remember thinking, Who could I share these with? I wanted some for my family and friends. But I also wanted to take more than that with me.

When I went to leave, somehow I was inside a building and I could not find my shoes. Most people had left. It was a strange place — half house, half factory, half cavern. Some guys said they would help me. At the same time, I knew I wanted to gather a few more crystals. At that point I thought taking more crystals would be stealing, since the area now seemed to belong to someone. I wasn’t sure I would get more. But I was still more concerned about finding my shoes. I crawled over and around some equipment and pipes. The guys were talking about something that had happened. Something didn’t feel right about them. I felt like they were looking for the crystals as well — possibly to steal them.

We came to a door that looked makeshift, made out of plywood. Somehow I knew my shoes were in there. I said, I need to go in there — my shoes are in there. The men I was with said no, you can’t. I said it one more time: I need to go in. When the door opened, a guy said he needed me to come in. Only me.

He seemed to know me, but it was dark and I could not see his face. He seemed like a shadow standing in the shadows. As I walked in, it was a grand room. It was still dark. I never saw my guide’s face; it was too dark. I had a premonition my shoes were in the far-right corner and I started to make my way to them. I remember saying, There they are.

Next thing I knew I could hear somebody say my name and I saw somebody running toward me from the left. I guess I could not see them because it was dark. I saw a type of pedestal or platform they were on; they jumped off and ran toward me. All I could see was their shadow running. Again, I could not see their features. The room was dark. They seemed to know me and like me. Who or what were they? Yet I didn’t exactly feel scared.

Next, someone else popped up to the left, along the left-side wall. This person screamed with glee as though they knew and liked me too.

At this point I started seeing flashes of light bursting everywhere like splotches of white paint — not sunlight. I started hearing music, but it sounded like cheap stock commercial music you could buy on the Internet. It had a chanting feel to it. It reminded me of a hippie drum circle.

Then on the far back wall I saw a picture of Nicole and me with our family pop up like a display. More flashes of light, and the music swelled. The flashes of light increased until they filled my complete vision.

Though the light was not spectacular or glorious, it was powerful. It seemed to overtake my senses. The combination of the light and the trance-like music started to overwhelm me. It was pretty spectacular. I sat with my mouth open in awe. I felt myself close my eyes, tilt my head back, and let the feeling overtake my whole body.

At this point I woke up.

When I came to my senses, I immediately asked myself whether that experience was from God or Satan. I can tell you this: I immediately declared it to be from Satan. I started to do my own analysis.

I have had enough experiences in my life where I have felt and seen the glory of God.

• Other dreams I have had have been full of glorious light — not white paint.
• Other dreams had grandeur; this felt like cheap community theater.
• The characters were all dark; I didn’t see one face. In other dreams I could see faces, make out genders, see expressions and actions.
• I know that Satan knows me. I know that God knows me.
• Why did my shoes just appear off and unable to be found? If I were in a holy sanctuary before God, I would have been asked to remove my shoes.
• When I was called as a missionary, my dream had people singing a familiar, glorious song. This was like a hypnotic trance, yet powerful.

I felt like Moses seeing the glory. I’ve seen God’s glory and its true power. Why was so much of this dream dark? Why were so many things hidden from my view?

Moses 1:10-22

10 And it came to pass that it was for the space of many hours before Moses did again receive his natural strength like unto man; and he said unto himself: Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed.

11 But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him.

12 And it came to pass that when Moses had said these words, behold, Satan came tempting him, saying: Moses, son of man, worship me.

13 And it came to pass that Moses looked upon Satan and said: Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is thy glory, that I should worship thee?

14 For behold, I could not look upon God, except his glory should come upon me, and I were transfigured before him. But I can look upon thee in the natural man. Is it not so, surely?

15 Blessed be the name of my God, for his Spirit hath not altogether withdrawn from me, or else where is thy glory, for it is darkness unto me? And I can judge between thee and God; for God said unto me: Worship God, for him only shalt thou serve.

16 Get thee hence, Satan; deceive me not; for God said unto me: Thou art after the similitude of mine Only Begotten.

17 And he also gave me commandments when he called unto me out of the burning bush, saying: Call upon God in the name of mine Only Begotten, and worship me.

18 And again Moses said: I will not cease to call upon God, I have other things to inquire of him: for his glory has been upon me, wherefore I can judge between him and thee. Depart hence, Satan.

19 And now, when Moses had said these words, Satan cried with a loud voice, and ranted upon the earth, and commanded, saying: I am the Only Begotten, worship me.

20 And it came to pass that Moses began to fear exceedingly; and as he began to fear, he saw the bitterness of hell. Nevertheless, calling upon God, he received strength, and he commanded, saying: Depart from me, Satan, for this one God only will I worship, which is the God of glory.

21 And now Satan began to tremble, and the earth shook; and Moses received strength, and called upon God, saying: In the name of the Only Begotten, depart hence, Satan.

22 And it came to pass that Satan cried with a loud voice, with weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth; and he departed hence, even from the presence of Moses, that he beheld him not.