During Sacrament meetings on the first Sunday of the month, it’s common to hear travel accounts, less significant details, and repetitive testimonials, all of which are relatively harmless. However, several times a year, the congregation may encounter a fellow ward member sharing unverifiable spiritual experiences, aiming to strengthen the faith of the attendees. Occasionally, these narratives offer insights that may resonate with believers, serving as personal evidence to reinforce their convictions. However, these unconfirmed miracles can sometimes erect mental and emotional barriers among ward members, potentially leading to profound disappointment if found to be untrue.

Addressing the comparisons made between Jacob’s son Joseph and Jesus Christ, Adam Clarke cautions against calculating personal interpretations as miraculous and highlights the destructive consequences it may entail:

 “I am astonished to find comparatively grave and judicious men trifling in this way, and forcing the features of truth into the most distorted anamorphosis, so that even her friends blush to acknowledge her. This is not a light matter; we should beware how we attribute designs to God that he never had, and employ the Holy Spirit in forming trifling and unimportant similitudes. Of plain, direct truth we shall find as much in the sacred writings as we can receive and comprehend; let us not therefore hew out ourselves broken cisterns that can hold no water. Interpretations of this kind only tend to render the sacred writings uncertain; to expose to ridicule all the solemn types and figures which it really contains; and to furnish pretexts to infidels and irreligious people to scoff at all spirituality, and lead them to reject the word of God entirely, as incapable of being interpreted on any fixed or rational plan. The mischief done by this system is really incalculable.”

Adam Clarke – The Holy Bible, Commentary and Critical Notes – Volume 1 (New York, NY: G. Lane & P.P. Sanford, 1843 edition), 230.