PERSONAL REVELATION

"The Lord’s purposes are often accomplished as we pay heed to the guidance of the Spirit. I believe that the more we act upon the inspiration and impressions which come to us, the more the Lord will entrust to us His errands." ~President Thomas S. Monson, "Consider the Blessings", Ensign, November 2012

"Sometimes the Lord reveals truth to you when you are not actively seeking it, such as when you are in danger and do not know it. However, the Lord will not force you to learn. You must exercise your agency to authorize the Spirit to teach you. As you make this practice in your life, you will be more perceptive to the feelings that come with spiritual guidance." ~ Elder Richard G. Scott, "To Acquire Spiritual Guidance", Ensign, November 2009

"Revelation comes on the Lord’s timetable, which often means we must move forward in faith, even though we haven’t received all the answers we desire." ~Elder Robert D. Hales, "Personal Revelation", October 2007 General Conference

"We each have moments of spiritual power, moments of inspiration and revelation. We must sink them deep into the chambers of our souls. As we do, we prepare our spiritual home storage for moments of personal difficulty." ~Elder Neil L. Andersen, "You Know Enough", General Conference, Oct 2008

"In our learning, let us not neglect the fountain of revelation. The scriptures and the words of modern-day apostles and prophets are the sources of wisdom, divine knowledge, and personal revelation to help us find answers to all the challenges in life. Let us learn of Christ; let us seek out that knowledge which leads to peace and truth." ~President F. Uchtdorf, "Learn!", General Conference, October 2009

"The spirit of revelation is available to every person who receives by proper priesthood authority the saving ordinances of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost—and who is acting in faith to fulfill the priesthood injunction to “receive the Holy Ghost.” This blessing is not restricted to the presiding authorities of the Church; rather, it belongs to and should be operative in the life of every man, woman, and child who reaches the age of accountability and enters into sacred covenants. Sincere desire and worthiness invite the spirit of revelation into our lives." ~Elder David A. Bednar, The Spirit of Revelation, General Conference, April 2011

"The Lord reveals His will through dreams and visions, visitations, through angels, through His own voice, and through the voice of His servants. “Whether by mine own voice,” He said, “or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.” The Lord’s house is a house of order. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “it is contrary to the economy of God for any member of the Church, or any one [else], to receive instruction for those in authority, higher than themselves.” "You may receive revelation individually, as a parent for your family, or for those for whom you are responsible as a leader or teacher, having been properly called and set apart." ~Boyd K. Packer, Personal Revelation: The Gift,the Test, and the Promise, General Conference, Oct 1994


"We do not always receive inspiration or revelation when we request it. Sometimes we are delayed in the receipt of revelation, and sometimes we are left to our own judgment. We cannot force spiritual things. It must be so. Our life’s purpose to obtain experience and to develop faith would be frustrated if our Heavenly Father directed us in every act, even in every important act. We must make decisions and experience the consequences in order to develop self-reliance and faith. Even in decisions we think very important, we sometimes receive no answer to our prayers. This does not mean that our prayers have not been heard. It means only that we have prayed about a decision that, for one reason or another, we should make without guidance by revelation. Perhaps we have asked for guidance in choosing between alternatives that are equally acceptable or equally unacceptable. Similarly, the Spirit of the Lord is not likely to give us revelations on matters that are trivial. If a matter appears of little or no consequence, we should proceed on the basis of our own judgment. If the choice is important for reasons unknown to us, the Lord will intervene and give us guidance. Where we are living in tune with the Spirit and seeking its guidance, we can be sure that we will receive the guidance we need to attain our goal. The Lord will not leave us unassisted when a choice is important to our eternal welfare." ~Elder Dalin H. Oaks, Eight Ways God C Speak to You, BYU Devotional, Sep 1981

"Impressions of the Spirit can come in response to urgent prayer or unsolicited when needed. Sometimes the Lord reveals truth to you when you are not actively seeking it, such as when you are in danger and do not know it. However, the Lord will not force you to learn. You must exercise your agency to authorize the Spirit to teach you. As you make this a practice in your life, you will be more perceptive to the feelings that come with spiritual guidance. Then, when that guidance comes, sometimes when you least expect it, you will recognize it more easily." ~Elder Richard G. Scott, To Acquire Spiritual Guidance, Ensign, Nov 2009)


"Personal revelation is the way we know for ourselves the most important truths of our existence: the living reality of God, our Eternal Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ; the truthfulness of the restored gospel; and God’s purpose and direction for us." "Personal revelation is the way Heavenly Father helps us know Him and His Son, learn and live the gospel, endure to the end in righteousness, and qualify for eternal life—to return back into Their presence." ~Robert D. Hales, Personal Revelation: The Teachings and Examples of the Prophets, General Conference, Oct 2007

 CAPSTONE:

 The thought of God leaving us alone on this earth seems appalling to me. Because I am a parent, I know what it is like to have my children live far away from me. If I couldn't contact them through a phone call, email or letters, it would almost be unbearable. These important quotes from our modern day prophets reassure us that Heavenly Father communicates with us through personal revelation. He reveals to us on His timetable not ours. He comes to us through dreams or visions and speaks to us through prophets. We must be living in a righteous way so that the Holy Ghost can whisper to us the will of our Heavenly Father. Elder Scott teaches that "..the Lord will not force you to learn." He goes on to tell us that we must use our agency to authorize the Spirit to teach us. As we learn to recognize this spiritual guidance, we will probably be surprised at how often it can come to us. I believe in personal revelation and I pray that I can be ready to listen and obey when I receive it.