How to Recognize the Holy Ghost and Personal Revelation - Different Ways Revelation Comes

I.       GENERAL STATEMENTS ABOUT THE HOLY GHOST

1.  The spirit of God speaking to the spirit of man has power to impart truth with greater effect and understanding than by personal contact even with Heavenly Beings. Through the Holy Ghost the truth is woven into the very fibers and sinews of the body so that it cannot be forgotten.  Joseph F. Smith Inst. Oct. 1935

2.      Men ought—above all things in this world—to seek for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. There is no price too high, no struggle too severe, no sacrifice too great, if out of it all we enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p. 253

3.      President Boyd K. Packer has counseled us that often when we receive guidance from the Holy Ghost, we get directions without explanation.  Neal A. Maxwell, The Promise of Discipleship, p. 99

4. God does not have to justify all his ways for the puny mind of man. If a man gets in tune with the Lord, he will know that God's course of action is right, even though he may not know all the reasons why. Pres. Benson 10-1967

5.      There is no doubt, if a person lives according to the revelations given to God’s people, he may have the Spirit of the Lord to signify to him His will, and to guide and to direct him in the discharge of his duties, in his temporal as well as his spiritual exercises.  I am satisfied, however, that in this respect, we live far beneath our privileges. Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, p. 32

6.      There are two parts to your nature—your temporal body born of mortal parents, and your immortal spirit within. You are a son or daughter of God.  Physically you can see with eyes and hear with ears and touch and feel and learn. Through your intellect, you learn most of what you know about the world in which we live. But if you learn by reason only, you will never understand the Spirit and how it works—regardless of how much you learn about other things.  Your spirit learns in a different way than does your intellect. Boyd K. Packer, “Personal Revelation” Ensign, Nov 1994

7.  On one occasion in a meeting I heard President Marion G. Romney say, "I always know when I am speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost because I always learn something from what I've said. Boyd K. Packer, Teach Ye Diligently, p.357
8. Rather than take notes, pay attention to the impressions you receive as we consider a most sacred topic. If all that you know after tonight is what you hear, then you will have missed the meaning of this discussion. Boyd K Packer – CES Devotional, Nov. 6, 2011
9. "The best counsel for us to give young people is that they can arrive back to Heavenly Father only as they are guided and corrected by the Spirit of God. So if we are wise, we will encourage, praise, and exemplify everything which invites the companionship of the Holy Ghost." Henry B. Eyring, "Help Them on Their Way Home," Ensign, May 2010, 25
10.  “We should study things out in our minds, using the reasoning powers our Creator has placed within us. Then we should pray for guidance and act upon it if we receive it. If we do not receive guidance, we should act upon our best judgment.”  Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall,” Ensign, Oct. 1994

11.  Baptism by immersion symbolizes the death and burial of the man of sin; and the coming forth out of the water, the resurrection to a newness of spiritual life. After baptism, hands are laid upon the head of the baptized believer, and he is blessed to receive the Holy Ghost. Thus does the one baptized receive the promise or gift of the Holy Ghost, or the privilege of being brought back into the presence of one of the Godhead; by obedience and through his faithfulness, one so blessed might receive the guidance and direction of the Holy Ghost in his daily walks and talks, even as Adam walked and talked in the Garden of Eden with God, his Heavenly Father. To receive such guidance and such direction from the Holy Ghost is to be spiritually reborn.  Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, Chapter 4 

II.    DIFFERENT METHODS THE SPIRIT COMMUNICATES

A. THOUGHTS

1.  A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; that is, those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning [to recognize] the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus." TPJS, p. 151

2. "When there comes to you things that your mind does not know, when you have a sudden thought that comes to your mind, if you will learn to give heed to these things that come from the Lord, you will learn to walk by the spirit of revelation" (Harold B. Lee, in Conference Report, Mexico City Area Conference 1972, p. 49).

B. A FEELING OF LIGHT or DARK:

1)      The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Truth. You feel peace, hope, and joy when it speaks to your heart and mind that something is true. Almost always I have also felt a sensation of light. Any feeling I may have had of darkness is dispelled. And the desire to do right grows.  Gifts of the Spirit for Hard Times, Elder Henry B. Eyring CES Fireside 9/10/2006
2) It can come as positive or negative feelings about how to act.  Dallin H. Oaks

2)      As the elevator doors quietly opened, there stood President Joseph Fielding Smith. There was a moment of surprise in seeing him, since his office is on a lower floor. As I saw him framed in the doorway, there fell upon me a powerful witness—there stands the prophet of God. That sweet voice of Spirit that is akin to light, that has something to do with pure intelligence, affirmed to me that this was the prophet of God. Elder Boyd K. Packer Gen Con April 1971

C. IN YOUR MIND & HEART:

1) “In that revelation the Lord defined revelation: I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. [I love the combination there of both mind and heart. God will teach us in a reasonable way and in a revelatory way--mind and heart combined, by the Holy Ghost.]   Jeffrey R. Holland "Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence" BYU, 2 March 1999

2) “An impression to the mind is very specific.  Detailed words can be heard or felt and written as though the instruction were being dictated.  A communication to the heart is a more general impression.  The Lord often begins by giving impressions.  Where there is a recognition of their importance and they are obeyed, one gains more capacity to receive more detailed instruction to the mind.  An impression to the heart, if followed, is fortified by a more specific instruction to the mind.”     --Richard G. Scott, BYU Symposium 1998

3) The Savior defines two separate ways: "I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost." Answers to the mind and heart are messages from the Holy Ghost to our spirits. For me, response to the mind is very specific, like dictated words, while response to the heart is generalized, like a feeling to pray more.” Elder Richard G. Scott “Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer” Ensign, May 2007

D.    FEELINGS or FEELING OF PEACE: 

1). It is not unusual for one to have received the gift and not really know it.

I fear this supernal gift is being obscured by programs and activities and schedules and so many meetings. There are so many places to go, so many things to do in this noisy world. We can be too busy to pay attention to the promptings of the Spirit. The voice of the Spirit is a still, small voice—a voice that is felt rather than heard. It is a spiritual voice that comes into the mind as a thought put into your heart. Boyd K. Packer, Apr. 2000

2) “The Spirit does not get our attention by shouting or shaking us with a heavy hand. Rather it whispers.  It caresses so gently, that if we are preoccupied, we may not feel it at all.” Boyd K. Packer, Candle of the Lord, Ensign. Jan. 83

2) “That voice of inspiration is so quiet and still that it can be explained away.  It is easy to be disobedient to that voice.  It often takes great courage to follow it.  But to Latter-day Saints it is a clear signal.”  Boyd K Packer Let Not Your Heart be Troubled, p. 232

3) “Answers from the Lord come quietly—ever so quietly. In fact, few hear his answers audibly with their ears. We must be listening so carefully or we will never recognize them. Most answers from the Lord are felt in our heart as a warm comfortable expression, or they may come as thoughts to our mind. They come to those who are prepared and who are patient” H. Burke Peterson, Ens. Jan 1974

4) " You must study it out in your mind; then . . . ask me if it be right, and if it is right . . . your bosom shall burn . . . ; therefore, you shall feel that it is right."  Then the answer comes as a feeling with an accompanying conviction. Oliver Cowdery was taught another way in which positive answers come: "Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter?"¹² The feeling of peace is the most common confirming witness that I personally experience. When I have been very concerned about an important matter, struggling to resolve it without success, I continued those efforts in faith. Later, an all-pervading peace has come, settling my concerns, as He has promised.  Elder Richard G. Scott “Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer” Ensign, May 2007

5) “When confronted with a problem I prayerfully weigh in my mind alternative solutions and come to a conclusion as to which of them is best. Then in prayer I submit to the Lord my problem, tell him I desire to make the right choice, what is, in my judgment, the right course. Then I ask him if I have made the right decision to give me the burning in my bosom that He promised Oliver Cowdery. When enlightenment and peace come into my mind, I know the Lord is saying yes. If I have a ‘stupor of thought,’ I know he is saying no, and I try again, following the same procedure.  I repeat: I know when and how the Lord answers my prayers by the way I feel” Marion G. Romney, New Era, Oct. 1975, 34–35
6) It is so simple and so precise that we often pass it by, thinking that it is just our own idea or a passing thought, not revelation.  Joseph B. Wirthlin, Finding Peace in our Lives, 174

7) For many it is hard to accept as revelation those numerous ones in Moses' time, in Joseph's time, and in our own year--those revelations which come to prophets as deep, unassailable impressions settling down on the prophet's mind and heart as dew from heaven or as the dawn dissipates the darkness of night.  Expecting the spectacular, one may not be fully alerted to the constant flow of revealed communication. Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign, May 1977

8) “Most often what we have chosen to do is right.  He [Heavenly Father] will confirm the correctness of our choices His way.  That confirmation generally comes through packets of help found along the way.  We discover them by being spiritually sensitive.  They are like notes from a loving Father as evidence of His approval.  If, in trust, we begin something which is not right, He will let us know before we have gone too far.  We sense that help by recognizing troubled or uneasy feelings.” Richard G. Scott, Nov. 89

9) “One of the most challenging things that General Authorities are asked to do is to choose a new stake presidency.  The series of interviews with the priesthood leadership of the stake allows the potential candidates to “pass before” the presiding authorities.  As they do so, thoughts and feelings begin to come to them.  Rarely are these thoughts and feelings dramatic or remarkable.  They are almost always very gentle and very subtle, almost like a whisper.  Sometimes they come when the person first enters the room.  A very quiet feeling comes that he could be the one.  Other times it is something the person say that triggers a feeling of rightness.  Occasionally, feelings may come from simply hearing the name of a person the authorities have not yet met.  It is no more than a fleeting feeling that this name could be significant.  Later, when that person comes in, they have a feeling of peace about him. When the interviews have been completed, the two authorities close the door and spend time together reviewing their experience.  They look inward, reviewing the feelings they have had or thoughts that have come to them. Eventually the two brethren come to a consensus.  At that point they pray.  When the prayers are finished, they briefly sit, quietly looking inward, searching their heart and listening for that still small voice of confirmation.  It has been a little surprising to me how often the Lord sends what I call a “confirmation” or a “second witness”.  Gerald N. Lund, Hearing the Voice of the Lord, 54-58 

E.     BURNING IN THE BOSOM:

1)    “What does a “burning in the bosom” mean? Does it need to be a feeling of caloric heat, like the burning produced by combustion? If that is the meaning, I have never had a burning in the bosom. Surely, the word “burning” in this scripture signifies a feeling of comfort and serenity. That is the witness many receive. That is the way revelation works.”  Dallin H. Oaks, “Teaching and Learning by the Spirit”, Ens. Mar. 97

2)      “But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right” (D&C 9:7–8; emphasis added).

3)      “This may be one of the most important and most misunderstood teachings in all the Doctrine and Covenants. The teachings of the Spirit often come as feelings. That fact is of the utmost importance, yet some misunderstand what it means. I know of persons who think they have never had a witness from the Holy Ghost because they have never felt their bosom “burn within” them. The burning of the bosom, I suggest, is not a feeling of caloric heat like combustion but a feeling of peace and warmth and serenity and goodness.” –Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “In His Own Time, In His Own Way.”

2) “His word will come into my mind through my thoughts, accompanied by a feeling in the region of my bosom. It is a feeling which cannot be described, but the nearest word we have is “burn” or “burning.” Accompanying this always is a feeling of peace.” S. Dilworth Young, “The Still Small Voice,” Ensign, May 1976

3) “But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.” This burning in the bosom is not purely a physical sensation. It is more like a warm light shining within your being.  Describing the promptings from the Holy Ghost to one who has not had them is very difficult. Such promptings are personal and strictly private! Boyd K. Packer, “Personal Revelation” Ensign, Nov 1994

F.     VOICE IN YOUR MIND

Just as I got to the door, I heard in my mind—not in my own voice—these words: “I’m not giving you these experiences for yourself. Write them down.” --Pres. Henry B. Eyring, 2007 “O Remember, Remember”

Now I know, my brothers and sisters and friends, and bear witness to the fact that revelation from the Lord comes through the spoken word, by personal visitation, by messengers from the Lord, through dreams, and by way of visions, and by the voice of the Lord coming into one’s mind. Most often, however, revelation comes to us by means of the still, small voice. Marion G. Romney, “Prayer and Revelation,” Ensign, May 1978, 48

https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-harold-b-lee/chapter-6?lang=eng 

Another way by which we receive revelation was spoken of by the prophet Enos. He pens this very significant statement in his record in the Book of Mormon: “And while I was thus struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mind. …” [Enos 1:10.]

In other words, sometimes we hear the voice of the Lord coming into our minds, and when it comes, the impressions are just as strong as though He were sounding a trumpet in our ear. …

In a story in the Book of Mormon, Nephi upbraids his brothers, calling them to repentance, and gives voice to the same thought when he says: “… and he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words. …” (1 Nephi 17:45.)

Thus the Lord, by revelation, brings thoughts into our minds as though a voice were speaking.

G.    STUPOR OF THOUGHT

Answers to the mind and heart are messages from the Holy Ghost to our spirits. For me, response to the mind is very specific, like dictated words, while response to the heart is generalized, like a feeling to pray more.¹⁰   Then the Lord clarifies, "But if [what you propose] be not right you . . . shall have a stupor of thought."¹¹ That, for me, is an unsettling, discomforting feeling.  Elder Richard G. Scott “Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer” Ensign, May 2007

H.    LINE UPON LINE – Incremental

“Put difficult questions in the back of your minds and go about your lives. Ponder and pray quietly and persistently about them. The answer may not come as a lightning bolt. It may come as a little inspiration here and a little there, ‘line upon line, precept upon precept’ (D&C 98:12). Some answers will come from reading the scriptures, some from hearing speakers. And, occasionally, when it is important, some will come by very direct and powerful inspiration” Elder Boyd K. Packer “Prayers and Answers,” Ensign, Nov. 1979

 “Many of us typically assume we will receive an answer or a prompting to our earnest prayers and pleadings. And we also frequently expect that such an answer or a prompting will come immediately and all at once. Thus, we tend to believe the Lord will give us A BIG ANSWER QUICKLY AND ALL AT ONE TIME. However, the pattern repeatedly described in the scriptures suggests we receive ‘line upon line, precept upon precept,’ or in other words, many small answers over a period of time. Recognizing and understanding this pattern is an important key to obtaining inspiration and help from the Holy Ghost.”  Elder David A. Bednar, “Line upon Line, Precept upon Precept,” New Era, Sept. 2010