Spiritual Manifestations in the Life of a Kiwi | Dreams, Visions & Temple Service — Kerstin Ngatuakana (LDS)

Send us Fan MailWhat if thinning of the veil experiences weren't unusual — but a normal part of how you grew up? Kerstin Ngatuakana  is a New Zealand Māori Latter-day Saint who didn't realize until adulthood that others didn't grow up hearing about ancestors' dreams and visions at the dinner table. In this interview, she shares a lifetime of spiritual manifestations — from seeing a girl beyond the veil at age four in the Cook Islands, to her father-in-law appearing in a dream to approve her marriage (saying "Look after my boy" — the exact phrase her husband confirmed he used), to her grandfather appearing to her in the celestial room of the Hamilton Temple and asking her to seal him to her grandmother. Kirsten testifies of the unique spiritual gifts of Polynesian people, whose cultural traditions of ancestral connection prepared them to embrace the gospel from the earliest missionaries: "When missionaries came, the Māori were already having visions and dreams. They were ready." Her temple service journey deepened when the Lord told her, "There is so much more I need to teach you" — leading her from family history research into daily service in the temple, where she witnesses miracles: a mother finally choosing to be sealed to the husband she once hated, for the sake of their son; families surprised with sealings they didn't know were possible; and the day she was asked to stand as proxy mother for nine men doing sealings — the very day her own heart was heavy over her sons' mission visas — and heard mothers on the other side of the veil, and saw them with their sons. She also shares a powerful revelatory name experience: after praying for weeks, the name "Annabelle" came in the night. Line upon line, the last name followed — Brown. On FamilySearch, she found Bessie Annabelle Brown, born in Los Angeles, related to her family, with no ordinance work done. At the completion of Bessie's endowment, Kirsten heard clearly: "Thank you, thank you, thank you.""I didn't realize others didn't have it until later. For us, this was normal. Dreams, visions — this was how we grew up." — Kirsten NgatuakanaQ: Do Polynesian Latter-day Saints have special spiritual gifts?A: Kirsten testifies that in Polynesian culture, dreams, visions, and ancestral connection are a normal part of life — not extraordinary. "I didn't realize others didn't have it until later." Her mother, a convert at 18, grew up hearing her own mother (not a member of the Church) speak of dreams and visions. When early missionaries came to New Zealand, many Māori people were already having visions that prepared them for the gospel — including seeing people who would "eat with you in your homes" and "raise their arms to the square."Q: Can I receive an ancestor's name through prayer and revelation?A: Yes — Kirsten prayed for weeks for a name after hearing about the practice on this podcast. In the night, the name "Annabelle" came to her, with a specific spelling. Weeks later, the last name "Brown" came clearly. She found Bessie Annabelle Brown on FamilySearch — a relative with no temple work done. At the completion of the endowment, Kirsten heard: "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She later connected with a researcher in Colorado working the same line, and testified to him about receiving the name in a dream — something he had never heard of.Q: Can deceased loved ones appear in dreams to confirm family decisions?A: Kirsten shares two experiences: her husband's deceased father appeared in his mother's dream to confirm their marriage — after her husband had specifically prayed for it. And her grandfather appeared to her in the celestial room of the Hamilton Temple and asked her to seal him to her grandmother — work Kirsten's mother had not yet arranged. Both prompted immediate action and brought peace.Q: How does temple service change your relationship with the Savior?A: Kirsten testifies that daily temple service has deepened her love for Christ by teaching her about Him through the people she serves. On a day her heart was heavy over her own sons, she was asked to stand as proxy mother for nine men doing sealings — and saw the mothers on the other side of the veil with their sons. "Who cares about some stupid visa? This is eternal, significant stuff." She adds: "A friend said to me, 'It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.' She goes, 'That's because you go to the temple every day.'"📚 SOURCES REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODEElder Richard G. Scott on claiming "both parts of the blessing"Elder Anderson on the law of witnesses (BYU-Idaho)Elder Renlund on sealing and healing power▶️ WATCH & LISTEN🎬 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thinningoftheveil🌐 Website: https://www.thinningoftheveil.com🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinning-of-the-veil/id1753511394🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6jWCfMHkZXwnSwy2b98J4M🎵 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a0a45561-d4c2-46d3-af8d-a1e967a21a25📖 BOOKPatterns of Revelation — Spiritual Foundations for Hearing God's Voice: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BW36MG9B📱 CONNECTInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinning.of.the.veilFacebook Group (Gathering of the Gatherers): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1429562078443774Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thinningoftheveil💛 SUPPORT THE SHOWVenmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/thinningoftheveilPayPal: https://paypal.me/thinningoftheveil✉️ Have you had a thinning of the veil experience? 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