Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into our Lives - President Russell M. Nelson’s Challenge

Related Posts:
Promises of Daily Reading the Book of Mormon as Given by Prophets and Apostles in General Conference

Recently the Prophets and Apostles Have Emphasized that We Should Study “The Living Christ.”

Back in January, President Nelson challenged the young adults to learn more about the Savior by reading the scriptures which refer to Jesus Christ as found in the Topical Guide. So, I bought a new set of paperback scriptures and I started President Nelson’s challenge for myself. I plan to put a small check mark next to each scripture in Jesus Christ as found in the Topical Guide. I feel like I learn more while studying scriptural topics if I color-code the verses I study. Here is what I hope to learn as I read:

Jesus Christ in the Scriptures

·         Attributes of Christ

o   Faith, Hope, Charity, Virtue, Knowledge, Patience, Humility, Diligence, Obedience, Leadership & Teaching, Discernment

·         The Strengthening aspect of Jesus’ Atonement (Grace)

·         The Redeeming aspect of Jesus’ Atonement

·         Christ’s doctrines, laws, and parables

·         The Life of the Savior

·         Symbolism & Prophecies, His Mission, Creator, Antemortal

·         Christ’s Second Coming

·         Divine Sonship, power & authority, titles of Jesus Christ

·         Rejecting the Savior

·         How we can draw the power of Jesus Christ into our lives .

 (1)  We begin by learning about Him.

 (2)  We choose to have faith in Him and follow Him.

 (3)  We make sacred covenants and keep those covenants with precision.

 (4)  We reach up to Him in faith.

Update: After President Nelson's April General Conference talk, I also wanted to mark in my scriptures the four keys of drawing the power of Jesus Christ into my life, as taught by President Nelson. I have learned for myself over the years that President Benson's promise is true: “There is a power in the Book [of Mormon] which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book.” So my gospel study time begins each day with at least 10 minutes in the Book of Mormon, and then I move to other scriptures or study topics. 

To accommodate this 10 minutes in the Book of Mormon, I began reading in First Nephi and I am marking each of the colored topics listed above, including the four keys to drawing the power of Jesus Christ into my life. This takes more pondering to consider if a verse fits those four keys.

President Russell M. Nelson, "Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives Today," April 2017

 I would like to speak about how we can draw into our lives the power of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.

(1)    We begin by learning about Him. 

a.      The more we know about the Savior’s ministry and mission7—the more we understand His doctrine8 and what He did for us—the more we know that He can provide the power that we need for our lives.

b.      Earlier this year, I asked the young adults of the Church to consecrate a portion of their time each week to study everything Jesus said and did as recorded in the standard works.9 I invited them to let the scriptural citations about Jesus Christ in the Topical Guide become their personal core curriculum. 

c.       I read and underlined every verse cited about Jesus Christ, as listed under the main heading and the 57 subtitles in the Topical Guide. When I finished that exciting exercise, my wife asked me what impact it had on me. I told her, “I am a different man!”

d.      It is doctrinally incomplete to speak of the Lord’s atoning sacrifice by shortcut phrases, such as “the Atonement” or “the enabling power of the Atonement” or “applying the Atonement” or “being strengthened by the Atonement.” The Savior’s atoning sacrifice—the central act of all human history—is best understood and appreciated when we expressly and clearly connect it to Him.

(2)    We choose to have faith in Him and follow Him.

a.      As we invest time in learning about the Savior and His atoning sacrifice, we are drawn to participate in another key element to accessing His power: we choose to have faith in Him and follow Him.

b.      True disciples of Jesus Christ are willing to stand out, speak up, and be different from the people of the world.

c.       They are undaunted, devoted, and courageous.

d.      There is nothing easy or automatic about becoming such powerful disciples. Our focus must be riveted on the Savior and His gospel.

e.      It is mentally rigorous to strive to look unto Him in every thought.15 But when we do, our doubts and fears flee.16

f.        Faith in Jesus Christ propels us to do things we otherwise would not do. Faith that motivates us to action gives us more access to His power.

(3)    Make sacred covenants and keep those covenants with precision. 

a.      Our covenants bind us to Him and give us godly power.

b.      Covenant-keeping men and women seek for ways to keep themselves unspotted from the world so there will be nothing blocking their access to the Savior’s power. 

(4)    Reach up to Him in faith. 

a.      Such reaching requires diligent, focused effort.

b.      Many of us have cried out from the depths of our hearts a variation of this woman’s words: “If I could spiritually stretch enough to draw the Savior’s power into my life, I would know how to handle my heart-wrenching situation. I would know what to do. And I would have the power to do it.”

c.       When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours.

d.      When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do.21

e.      When you spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before, then His power will flow into you.

f.        And then you will understand the deep meaning of words we sing in the hymn “The Spirit of God”:

The Lord is extending the Saints’ understanding. …

The knowledge and power of God are expanding;

The veil o’er the earth is beginning to burst.

President Russell M. Nelson’s Challenge from the 2017 Devotional for Young Adults

·         Study everything Jesus said and did as recorded in the Old Testament.

·         Study His laws as recorded in the New Testament.

·         Study His doctrine as recorded in the Book of Mormon.

·         Study His words as recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants.

From LDS.org Blog:   President Russell M. Nelson’s Challenge to Study About the Savior

I promised those listening that if they would proceed to learn all they can about Jesus Christ, their love for Him and for God’s laws would grow beyond what they could currently imagine.

On December 1, 2016, I obtained a new set of scriptures and proceeded to begin the same assignment that I would later extend to young adults in January. When I finished the assignment six weeks later, I had looked up and marked more than 2,200 citations from the four books of scripture.

As I mentioned at the devotional, in a coming day, you will present yourself before the Savior. You will be overwhelmed to the point of tears to be in His holy presence. You will thank Him for strengthening you to do the impossible, for turning your weaknesses into strengths, and for making it possible for you to live with Him and your family forever. His identity, His Atonement, and His attributes will become personal and real to you.

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

Personal Revelation: The Lord Wants Us to Act - One Reason We May Not Get Answers to Prayers

I have a couple of questions I feel like I have been praying about for the past 3 or 4 years. I try to be sincere in my prayers and listen intently, and I have fasted and prayed and attended the temple about them throughout this time. I have tried to study about receiving revelation during my gospel study time in hopes of understanding what I am doing wrong. 

I have studied both of the talks listed below before, but finally this month I am beginning to understand that these quotes might apply to my situation. The main principle is that the Lord is teaching us to act on our own and not be commanded in all things. He trusts us to make choices. Here are the key points from the talks below that are helping me understand how the Lord is working in this instance of my life:

• Elder Bednar: In many of the uncertainties and challenges we encounter in our lives, God requires us to do our best, to act and not be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:26), and to trust in Him. 
• Elder Bednar: We frequently may press forward hoping and praying—but without absolute assurance—that we are acting in accordance with God’s will. 
• Elder Scott: For us to grow, we need to trust our ability to make correct decisions. We need to do what we feel is right. In time, He will answer. 
• Elder Scott: That confirmation generally comes through packets of help found along the way. We discover them by being spiritually sensitive. 
• Elder Scott: We are expected to assume accountability by acting on a decision that is consistent with His teachings without prior confirmation. We are not to sit passively waiting or to murmur because the Lord has not spoken. We are to act.
• Elder Scott: 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.

I have had the "packets of help" along the way and other small confirmations, even though I was hoping for a more definitive answer from the Lord, like a stronger prompting or feeling. I have also felt peace.

Elder Richard G. Scott, “Learning to Recognize Answers to Prayers,” Gen. Conf. Oct. 89

When we explain a problem and a proposed solution, sometimes He answers yes, sometimes no. Often He withholds an answer, not for lack of concern, but because He loves us—perfectly. He wants us to apply truths He has given us. For us to grow, we need to trust our ability to make correct decisions. We need to do what we feel is right. In time, He will answer. He will not fail us.

Oliver did not recognize the evidence of answers to prayers already given by the Lord. To open his, and our, eyes, this revelation was given through Joseph Smith:

“Blessed art thou for what thou hast done; for thou hast inquired of me, and behold, as often as thou hast inquired thou hast received instruction of my Spirit. If it had not been so, thou wouldst not have come to the place where thou art at this time.

“Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten thy mind; and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been enlightened by the Spirit of truth.” (D&C 6:14–15; italics added.)

If you feel that God has not answered your prayers, ponder these scriptures—then carefully look for evidence in your own life of His having already answered you.

To help each of us recognize answers given, the Lord said: “If you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things.

“Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter?” (D&C 6:22–23; italics added).

When He withholds an answer, it is to have us grow through faith in Him, obedience to His commandments, and a willingness to act on truth. We are expected to assume accountability by acting on a decision that is consistent with His teachings without prior confirmation. We are not to sit passively waiting or to murmur because the Lord has not spoken. We are to act.

Most often what we have chosen to do is right. He 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.

Elder David A. Bednar, “The Spirit of Revelation,” Apr. 2011 Gen. Conf.

Another common experience with light helps us learn an additional truth about the “line upon line, precept upon precept” pattern of revelation. Sometimes the sun rises on a morning that is cloudy or foggy. Because of the overcast conditions, perceiving the light is more difficult, and identifying the precise moment when the sun rises over the horizon is not possible. But on such a morning we nonetheless have sufficient light to recognize a new day and to conduct our affairs.

In many of the uncertainties and challenges we encounter in our lives, God requires us to do our best, to act and not be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:26), and to trust in Him. We may not see angels, hear heavenly voices, or receive overwhelming spiritual impressions. We frequently may press forward hoping and praying—but without absolute assurance—that we are acting in accordance with God’s will. But as we honor our covenants and keep the commandments, as we strive ever more consistently to do good and to become better, we can walk with the confidence that God will guide our steps. And we can speak with the assurance that God will inspire our utterances. This is in part the meaning of the scripture that declares, “Then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God” (D&C 121:45).

As you appropriately seek for and apply unto the spirit of revelation, I promise you will “walk in the light of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:5; 2 Nephi 12:5). Sometimes the spirit of revelation will operate immediately and intensely, other times subtly and gradually, and often so delicately you may not even consciously recognize it. But regardless of the pattern whereby this blessing is received, the light it provides will illuminate and enlarge your soul, enlighten your understanding (see Alma 5:7; 32:28), and direct and protect you and your family.

Elder Robert D. Hales, "Personal Revelation," Oct. 2007

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. As a General Authority, I was assigned to help reorganize a stake presidency under the direction of Elder Ezra Taft Benson. After praying, interviewing, studying, and praying again, Elder Benson asked if I knew who the new president would be. I said I had not received that inspiration yet. He looked at me for a long time and replied he hadn’t either. However, we were inspired to ask three worthy priesthood holders to speak in the Saturday evening session of conference. Moments after the third speaker began, the Spirit prompted me that he should be the new stake president. I looked over at President Benson and saw tears streaming down his face. Revelation had been given to both of us—but only by continuing to seek our Heavenly Father’s will as we moved forward in faith.

By design, most miracles are spiritual demonstrations of God’s power—tender mercies gently bestowed through impressions, ideas, feelings of assurance, solutions to problems, strength to meet challenges, and comfort to bear disappointments and sorrow.

Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 43

“If I ask him to give me wisdom concerning any requirement in life, or in regard to my own course, or that of my friends, my family, my children, or those that I preside over, and get no answer from him, and then do the very best that my judgment will teach me, he is bound to own and honor that transaction, and he will do so to all intents and purposes.”  

John Groberg, “What Is Your Mission?” in Speeches of the Year, 1979

“In the past I have tried to figure out whether I should go into business or into teaching or into the arts or whatever. As I have begun to proceed along one path, having more or less gathered what facts I could, I have found that if that decision was wrong or was taking me down the wrong path—not necessarily an evil one, but one that was not right for me—without fail, the Lord has always let me know just this emphatically: ‘That is wrong; do not go that way. That is not for you!’

“On the other hand, there may have been two or three ways that I could have gone, any one of which would have been right and would have been in the general area providing the experience and means whereby I could fulfill the mission that the Lord had in mind for me. Because he knows we need the growth, he generally does not point and say, ‘Open that door and go twelve yards in that direction; then turn right and go two miles …’. But if it is wrong, he will let us know—we will feel it for sure. I am positive of that. So rather than saying, ‘I will not move until I have this burning in my heart,’ let us turn it around and say, ‘I will move unless I feel it is wrong; and if it is wrong, then I will not do it.’ By eliminating all of these wrong courses, very quickly you will find yourself going in the direction that you ought to be going, and then you can receive the assurance: ‘Yes, I am going in the right direction. I am doing what my Father in Heaven wants me to do because I am not doing the things he does not want me to do.’ And you can know that for sure. That is part of the growth process and part of accomplishing what our Father in Heaven has in mind for us” 

Spiritual Family Rituals

Guest Blogger: Josh Stoddard

I wanted to talk a little about how important a family can be to developing spiritual attributes. I know that many people have complicated family situations and that the types of families vary widely; however, I know that for me personally many of the spiritual habits that I currently have are largely due to my family. These are the spiritual habits that lead to my testimony and currently are helping me in my conversion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They have eternally impacted me for the better.

In my family, we would have to wake up every morning at 6:20, even in the summer, in order to read family scriptures and do family prayer. Although many times I was not very excited to wake up early and I was having more dreams than learning experiences, I came to understand the importance of scripture reading. After many years of doing this, I personally decided to start waking up at 5:50 so I could read the scriptures 30 minutes on my own before I went and read with my family. This is just a small example of how spiritual habits that my mother and father started have continued on into the lives of all their children. There are many more besides reading scriptures such as prayer, regular church attendance and service to others.

I really do love the commandment that the Lord gives in 3 Nephi 18:21 when he says “Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed.” I have seen how this promise is true. I have seen my parents, siblings and I all get blessed because of our family prayers. I firmly believe that the prophets of the Book of Mormon followed this council and helped create spiritual habits in their families which affected the lives of their children.

            I also just love how these spiritual habits that we create in the family transcend generations! I really look forward to the day when I can wake up my own kids and read the scriptures with them. Even though there will surely be times when they are cranky and do not get much out of it, just as there was in my own family, I hope that they too can understand the importance of these spiritual habits. I pray that one day I will be able to experience the joy that John refers to when he says “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”

How to Receive More Personal Revelation - Record Promptings

As a parent and an individual, I realize on a daily basis that life goes better if I can hear the promptings Heavenly Father is trying to help me with. I have gathered and studied conference talks on how to improve personal revelation and one of the suggestions that I have tried to implement is recording the promptings/feelings I get. One of the lessons I have learned the hard way is that it is much easier to record the prompting accurately if I record it right when I feel it, otherwise the memory of the details dims.

The first talk I studied that taught me to record promptings was back in 1998 when Elder Richard G. Scott gave the talk, "Helping Others to Be Spiritually Led." He goes into great detail with specific suggestions, so I included more of his talk down below after the main quotes.

1)     “It is through the repeated process of feeling impressions, recording them and obeying them, that one learns to depend on direction of the Spirit.  We often leave the most precious personal direction of the Spirit unheard because we do not record and respond to the first promptings that come to us when the Lord chooses to direct us, or when impressions come in response to urgent prayer. 

After each powerful impression was recorded, I pondered it, seeking to confirm that I had accurately expressed the feelings I had received. I then prayed, expressing to the Lord what I thought I had been taught by the Spirit. Feelings of peace confirmed the appropriateness of what I had recorded.  --Richard G. Scott, Helping Others to Be Spiritually Led 

2)     “Write down impressions or thoughts that you feel came from God. … Think carefully about whether the truth you received requires action. It is by obedience to commandments that we qualify for further revelation of truth and light” --Elder Henry B. Eyring “A Life Founded in Light and Truth,” Ensign, July 2001

3)     I see you sometimes reading a few verses, stopping to ponder them, carefully reading the verses again, and as you think about what they mean, praying for understanding, asking questions in your mind, waiting for spiritual impressions, and writing down the impressions and insights that come so you can remember and learn more. --Elder D. Todd Christofferson, 2004 “When Thou Art Converted”

4)    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.” I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?” As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.

More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew. I became ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I felt more gratitude for the softening and refining that come because of the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. And I grew more confident that the Holy Ghost can bring all things to our remembrance—even things we did not notice or pay attention to when they happened.

--Pres. Henry B. Eyring, 2007 “O Remember, Remember”

Find a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort. Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart.

And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the principle of revelation.”  -Pres. Nelson

President Russell M. Nelson, “True Millennials: Do the Impossible,”

Great power lies in learning who you really are. Ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, how He feels about you and your mission here on earth. If you ask with real intent, over time the Spirit will whisper the life-changing truth to you. Record those impressions and review them often, and follow through with exactness. 

Elder David A Bednar, “Receiving, Recognizing, and Responding to the Promptings ofthe Holy Ghost,” 1999

Have you ever received and recognized a prompting from the Holy Ghost, and then decided to respond to it "later"? And then when later arrived, you found that you could not remember the prompting. I have learned that acting upon promptings quickly greatly increases our capacity to receive and recognize the influence of the Holy Ghost. I have also learned that properly recording spiritual impressions demonstrates to the Savior how much I treasure His direction. The simple practice of writing down spiritual thoughts and feelings greatly enhances the likelihood of receiving and recognizing additional promptings from the Holy Ghost.

Other Excerpts: Richard G. Scott, Helping Others to Be Spiritually Led

The Savior said, “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost” (D&C 8:2; italics added). I would explain to the students that 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. …

… Let’s discuss different ways of learning from the scriptures.

You’ve had the experience of when something urgent is needed to be resolved, you pray, you ponder, you pray more, you formulate commitments and decisions, you present them to the Lord, you pray more and get feelings of guidance from Him. 

One way is to read, ponder, and pray about the meaning of specific verses. Another is to analyze and unite related scriptures. Then on a separate sheet of paper, prepare a statement of principle that embodies the truths contained in those scriptures. When these two things are carefully and consistently done, then you can be instructed through inspiration as you search the scriptures. …

The Lord chose that moment to answer my pleadings. I began to receive distinct direction regarding how to help the leaders and members overcome false traditions. There were other impressions intended for me personally. As each impression came, I faithfully recorded it. I was given precious truths that were greatly needed to be a more effective servant of the Lord.

While the details of the communication are sacred, like a patriarchal blessing—for the benefit of the recipient—I will share some of the insight gained and the unfolding of other truths that occurred that day. It is an example of the inspired direction from the Lord through the Holy Ghost that anyone can receive when the doctrines we have discussed are conscientiously applied.

The specific counsel began with this statement: “You are to continue to build the Church on a foundation of true principles, but with increased expression of love and appreciation you have been blessed to understand and feel for the great Lamanite people.” There followed specific directions, instructions, and conditioned promises that have altered the course of my life.

I began to write the instructions given directly to my mind. Some of the paragraphs begin with phrases such as these: “Teach and testify to instruct, edify, and lead others to full obedience, not to demonstrate anything of self. All who are puffed up shall be cut off.”

Another entry reads, “You are nothing in and of yourself, Richard.” That was followed by some specific counsel on how to become more effective as an instrument of the Lord. Then later a section begins, “Through qualification by obedience, self-restraint, and the power of faith.” That phrase is followed by further promises conditioned upon those requisites.

In this experience there came such an outpouring of personal impressions that I felt inappropriate to record in the midst of a Sunday School class. In a more private location I continued to write the feelings that flooded into my mind, as accurately as possible. After each powerful impression was recorded, I pondered it, seeking to confirm that I had accurately expressed the feelings I had received. I then prayed, expressing to the Lord what I thought I had been taught by the Spirit. Feelings of peace confirmed the appropriateness of what I had recorded.

I was impressed to ask if there were more I should receive. There came further impressions and the process was repeated until I received some of the most precious, specific direction that anyone could ever hope to obtain in this life.

This is not an isolated experience. I know that sincere, righteous individuals who follow the principles we have discussed will enjoy such direction from the Lord. Please help your students to understand these principles and to receive confirmation from your own testimony of the reality of spiritual direction that will encourage them to seek such guidance. Prayerfully help them understand that such guidance is as real as are the five physical senses.

Personal Revelation: General Comments about the Gift of 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, "The Instructor," 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.   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

5.   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

6.   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

7.   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

8.   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

9.   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

10. Elder Orson Pratt (1811–81) of the Quorum of theTwelve Apostles taught that “whenever the Holy Ghost takes up its residence in a person, it not only cleanses, sanctifies, and purifies him, in proportion as he yields himself to its influence, but also imparts to him some gift, intended for the benefit of himself and others. … These spiritual gifts are distributed among the members of the Church, according to their faithfulness, circumstances, natural abilities, duties, and callings; that the whole may be properly instructed, confirmed, perfected, and saved.”

10. Find a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort. Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart.

And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the principle of revelation.”  -Pres. Nelson