Revelation

Volume Two—Chapter Nine REVELATION

#What Is Revelation?

Reveal is a word of Latin origin. The word is formed from the prefix re- which denotes action in a backward or direction (recede, return, revert) and the noun velum, which is “a covering.” Thus, reveal literally means “to uncover.”

Revelation is vertical communication from the spiritual to the mortal realm. It is the making known of the mind and will of God to mortals—the communication of God’s infinite knowledge to the mind and heart of man. The “heart” is a common metaphorical representation for man’s repository of spiritual understanding. It is the inner, the real spiritual part of man. Another important form of revelation is God’s injecting his power and influences into man’s circumstances and events.

Ultimately, God is the source and determiner of all aspects of revelation. Revelation is given and received only under his terms. He completely controls when, to whom, and in what form revelation is given. Referring to his own interaction and communication with man, and referring to himself in the third person, the Lord said: “And it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will” (D&C 88:68). While man may never be certain of all the whats, whys, whens, and ifs of revelation, we have the Lord’s assurance, reiterated in the Doctrine and Covenants, that revelation will be proffered when “it is wisdom in me.” He sets the conditions. We must learn to trust his wisdom and timing.

#The Spectrum of Revelatory Experiences

We have already determined that all revelation is “mediate.” It passes from God to man only through an intermediary, the Spirit of God. We have also previously discussed the various roles and titles of the Holy Ghost. In each of these unique roles or responsibilities, we perceive a separate purpose his revelations serve in the lives of

all humankind. One further way to categorize revelatory experiences is on the basis of their directness, their overtness:

1. Feelings, thoughts, or words communicated to the heart and mind (D&C 8:2- 3). At one end of the spectrum, and in its most familiar form, revelation comes when we have been prayerfully seeking an answer to a question. Eventually, and in his own time, the Lord provides the desired revelation. He answers our prayer. The answer may come as mental enlightenment or as positive or negative feelings or thoughts about proposed courses of action. Elder Boyd K. Packer observed, “Inspiration comes more as a feeling than as a sound” (“Prayers and Answers,” Ensign, November 1979, 19-20).

Revelation might also come in the form of words in our mind. Elder Gerald N. Lund described an experience of a young woman of his acquaintance frustrated by a situation at home:

My husband was in graduate school full time, and with me being a stay-at-home mom, our finances were pretty tight. The washing machine had gone out, and we didn’t have money to call a repairman. I had asked my husband to fix it, but he was under a tight deadline to complete a project and said I would have to wait until the weekend—four more days! As my laundry stacked up, I felt more and more frustration and despair. Finally one morning I folded my arms on top of my washing machine, bowed my head, and said a simple prayer. “Heavenly Father, I am overwhelmed by laundry. I can’t afford to hire a repairman and my husband is unavailable. If it is thy will, couldst thou help me to know how to fix my washer?”

I lifted my head and felt prompted to open the washing machine. I then lifted off the top (I hadn’t even known it came off). I looked down at all those parts, and my eyes focused on one particular part. I felt this was the part with the problem. I lifted it out and took it to a parts store. I placed it on the counter and said to the man, “I don’t know what it’s called. I don’t even know what it does. But I need a new one of these.” He brought me the part, which cost about $4. I returned home, put it in place, and my washer worked great. You wouldn’t think a broken washer would be that important to the Lord, but he knew it was important to me, and so he blessed me with the inspiration to know how to fix it (Hearing the Voice of the Lord, 56).

If we consider the process of revelation from the perspective of the light of Christ, it is the conveying of a modicum of Christ’s light from the person of Christ to the heart and mind of man, so that it is truly perceived by him. We may then say that by the process of revelation, man is enlightened (Alma 24:30; 32:28, 34; D&C 76:10;

Ephesians 1:18) or illuminated.

Revelations may occur in the form of dreams. Elder James E. Talmage observed that revelations may come, “through the dreams of sleep or in waking visions of the mind” (Articles of Faith, 229).

2. Hearing spoken word(s). Less commonly, in response to our pleadings, the petitioner may be blessed to hear a word or phrase that answers his question. An audible voice might occasionally occur as a preemptive, unsolicited warning. President Harold B. Lee related the following experience:

I think maybe I was around ten or eleven years of age. I was with my father out on a farm away from our home, trying to spend the day busying myself until my father was ready to go home. Over the fence from our place were some tumbledown sheds that would attract a curious boy, and I was adventurous. I started to climb through the fence, and I heard a voice as clearly as you are hearing mine, calling me by name and saying, “Don’t go over there!” I turned to look at my father to see if he were talking to me, but he was way up at the other end of the field. There was no person in sight. I realized then, as a child, that there were persons beyond my sight, for I had definitely heard a voice (Stand Ye in Holy Places, 139).

3. Overt physical manifestations. An unusual instance of revelation is reported in Daniel 5. During a great feast given for a thousand of his lords by the Babylonian king Belshazzar, he desecrated the “golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem” (verse 2). The king, his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank wine from these vessels to their pagan gods. In the midst of this debauchery, Belshazzar was horrified to see God’s hand write a message on the wall. After Belshazzar’s wise men failed to shed light on the meaning of the message, Daniel was summoned to interpret the message of doom to Babylon and Belshazzar. The king was slain later that night.

Though we should not expect the Lord to provide personal revelation for us as “writing on a wall,” he does have that capability. One of the most remarkable examples of dramatic and direct revelation in this earth’s history is Joseph and Oliver’s translation

of the Book of Mormon in the spring of 1829.

4. Interventional revelation. When the Lord chooses to use his influence to intervene in the lives of man to provide blessings of any sort, we may regard that intervention as a form of revelation. Examples include the Lord’s honoring a priesthood blessing, such as a blessing of healing. Or, the Lord may bring to pass the content of blessings such as father’s blessings or patriarchal blessings.

For a more complete discussion of the various forms of interventional revelation and intervention, see “His Titles” in chapter 5, The Holy Ghost.

5. Open vision of God or angels. At the extreme other end of the spectrum lie those rare instances wherein the Lord or an angel appears to a mortal in open vision and vocally instructs, warns, teaches, or uplifts and inspires. Usually this revelation pertains to the Lord’s people and the recipient is a prophet of God. We have several scriptural accounts of God speaking to man face to face (Genesis 32:24-30; Exodus 33:9-11; Deuteronomy 5:4; 34:10; Moses 1:2; JS-H 1:13-20). Several characters in scripture have been privileged to speak directly to angels (for example Acts 1:11).

This type of revelation is generally used by the Lord to communicate particularly important matters. However, a vastly important personal revelation, even to a prophet of God, may also be communicated by subtle promptings.

#Is Revelation Essential?

The Lord obviously feels the necessity of communicating with his people on earth. When they are righteous, he inevitably provides them revelation. President Spencer W. Kimball taught:

The Almighty is with this people. We shall have all the revelations that we shall need if we will do our duty and keep the commandments of God. . . . Remember: If there be eyes to see, there will be visions to inspire. If there be ears to hear, there will be revelations to experience. If there be hearts which can understand, know this: that the exalting truths of Christ’s gospel will no longer be hidden and mysterious, and all earnest seekers may know God and his program (CR, October 1966, 26).

In the opening lines of Lord’s preface to the Doctrine and Covenants, he said: “Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the voice of him who dwells on high . . . listen together. For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men” (D&C 1:1-2).

Revelation is an absolute necessity if a man is to grow spiritually. Spiritual growth—the revelation of increments of God’s attributes to man—cannot occur without personal revelation. This is another example of “interventional revelation” discussed above. If you have made any progress in spiritual growth, you have received revelation. No man can be exalted or saved in any degree of glory without receiving revelation.4

The function of the Lord’s earthly kingdom requires that his administrators

receive revelation. It is impossible to minister in the Church without revelation.

Historical Christianity teaches that God spoke to men anciently, and the era of revelation has now passed. Today, orthodox Christians claim, God speaks only through the Bible. This is false doctrine. President Spencer W. Kimball taught: “Continuous revelation is . . . the very lifeblood of the gospel of the living Lord and Savior” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 443). It is imperative that each man seeks for personal revelation in appropriate ways.

Most of us have received communication from God. Revelation may shed light on major or minor secular and spiritual issues. President Lorenzo Snow declared it is “the grand privilege of every Latter-day Saint . . . to have the manifestations of the Spirit every day of our lives” (CR, April 1899, 52).

#The Need for Order in Revelation

The Lord’s earthly kingdom is a house of order. His servants are commanded to “act in the office in which [they are] appointed” (D&C 107:99-100). This principle applies to revelation. Only the President of the Church receives revelation to guide the entire Church. Only the stake president receives revelation to guide the stake. The person who receives revelation for the ward is the bishop. Fathers receive it for their responsibilities; mothers for theirs. Leaders and servants in the kingdom receive revelation for their own areas of responsibility. Individuals receive revelation to guide their own lives.

Sometimes one person purports to receive revelation for another outside his or her own area of responsibility. For example, a church member may claim to have revelation to guide the entire Church. A person who announces such “revelations” is often identified in the Church as someone who attempts to “steady the ark of God” (this ark is the ark of the covenant—see the Old Testament story of Uzzah in 2 Samuel 6:6- 7) or as an “ark steadier” (see also D&C 85:8). Another person may claim to have a revelation to guide another person over whom he or she has no presiding authority. You can be sure that such “revelations” are not from the Lord. It is possible Satan is the source of some of these spurious revelations, though imagination or wishful thinking are more likely sources.

Some of us have heard of cases where a young man told a young woman she should marry him because he had received a revelation that she was to be his eternal companion. The young man has no presiding authority over any young woman. The man can receive revelation to guide his own actions. He cannot properly receive revelation to direct hers. She is outside his jurisdiction. If the young man’s revelation were valid, it would be confirmed directly to the woman if she sought to know. In the meantime, she is under no obligation to heed it. She should seek her own guidance and make up her own mind.

#Revelation or Personal Intuition?

Is it always possible to recognize the difference between the Lord’s revelations and our own intuitive feelings? Brother Gerald Lund wrote of a pertinent, personal experience of a friend:

When I was serving as a bishop some years ago, a colleague and I were talking about giving priesthood blessings and the importance of staying in tune. He then shared an experience he had had when he was a young bishop. He said he had received a call in the middle of the night to go to the hospital. A woman in the ward had collapsed into unconsciousness as she was preparing for bed. Now she lay in a coma. The desperate husband asked the bishop to come and help administer to her. When the bishop arrived, the man was so distraught he asked the bishop to give the blessing. “It was a deeply emotional moment,” my friend said. “This couple had five children still in the home. The doctors weren’t yet sure what was wrong, but her vital signs were dropping steadily. As I began the blessing, suddenly I had this overwhelming feeling of peace and light come over me. I stopped for a moment and looked into my heart. Was this really from the Lord or just me, I wondered. I had never experienced anything so powerful before, and I decided the feeling was truly from the Lord.”

Relieved to have such clear direction, he proceeded with the blessing. “I promised her that she would be healed, that she would be raised from the bed of her afflictions, that she would have the privilege of raising her children to adulthood in this life.” The former bishop stopped, searching my face. “It was a wonderful experience. I wept for joy. The husband did as well.” Then, in a very soft voice, he concluded. “But I had been home for only a few hours when the husband called to tell me that his wife had passed away without regaining consciousness” (Hearing the Voice of the Lord, 8).

How, then, can we be sure? How do we recognize the Spirit’s influence? How can we distinguish it from our own self-generated feelings, worries, or concerns? Elder Boyd K. Packer spoke to this dilemma: “The still, small voice [is] difficult to describe to one who has never experienced it and is almost unnecessary to describe to one who has” (The Holy Temple, 107). The situation is analogous to trying to pick the face of a dear friend out of a crowd. We will readily recognize our friend on seeing him or her. Yet, if we were to try to enable another person to find our friend by providing him with a detailed description, it would be most difficult, if not impossible. Elder Packer has likened this problem to trying to explain to another the taste of salt by describing the taste (Memorable Stories and Parables by Boyd K. Packer, 57-59). In the majority of cases, if we pay close attention, the Lord will not only give the revelation, but he will help us to know it is from him.

Returning to our story of the young bishop who blessed the woman in a coma, Elder Lund continued:

As he shared that with me many years [after the event], he was still agonizing over it. When I asked what conclusions he had come to about the experience, his answer was a wonderful lesson about how we can let our own emotions get in the way. He said: I know without question that the feelings I had were from the Lord. But in my great desire to bless this woman and her family I put my own interpretation on what I was feeling. Now I understand that the Lord was saying to me, “It’s all right. I am here. I will bless her. I am going to call her home, but this is my will. Be at peace, and let the family be at peace.” But I wanted so badly to intervene and stop this husband’s suffering that I assumed the Lord was saying, “I am going to heal her, so you can make . . . promises about [her] staying longer in mortality.”

Then came a wonderful reminder for all of us. He said, “I have never again given a blessing without being very conscious that I must speak for the Lord and not just express my own desires” (Hearing the Voice of the Lord, 258).

#Some Revelation Is Received Incrementally

The Lord is inclined to teach us spiritual truths gradually “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little” (2 Nephi 28:30; D&C 128:121). We receive spiritual truths by revelation, hence some revelation is received incrementally. This is true also of our spiritual growth.

If we are to continue to be taught incrementally by the Lord, we must receive, accept, and put to good use the revelation given. Then we are likely to receive more.

#Spiritual Self-Reliance

The careful student of the gospel perceives two lines of scriptural counsel relative to expectations of personal revelation. Each is epitomized by a particular scripture:

1. Proverbs 3:5-6 teaches: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” In all matters of our lives we are commanded to acknowledge the Lord and then wait upon him for direction in all things.

2. D&C 58:26-29, on the other hand, counsels:

It is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. . . . But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned.

This passage suggests the need for self-reliance and a willingness to strike out on our own. We should not expect the Lord to lead us by personal revelation every step of the way and in all matters of our lives.

Let us look a bit more carefully at each of these lines of thought.

Look to the Lord (trust in and wait upon him) in all things. The Lord has clearly counseled us to come unto him and rely on his wisdom, counsel, and direction. Alma counseled his son Helaman:

Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day (Alma 37:37).

President James E. Faust taught: “Members of the Church know that the promptings of the Spirit may be received upon all facets of life, including daily, ongoing decisions” (Bell, James P., and James E. Faust. In the Strength of the Lord, 407). President Harold B. Lee said in general conference: “In secular as well as spiritual affairs, saints may receive divine guidance and revelation affecting themselves” (CR, April 1970, 55).

It has occurred to many of us that we would be “more spiritual,” “more religious,” and “more righteous” if we were sufficiently “in tune with the Spirit” to be able to subject every detail of our lives to the Lord’s approval.

The danger here is that the individual may hesitate to act until he feels clearly prompted by the Lord. He may wait on the Lord in all things, even trivial ones. He may pray about issues in which the Lord may have no preference. Hence, he will frequently plead for guidance and be disappointed.

Be self-reliant. Many of us are acquainted with that dear brother or sister in the ward who is known for being the epitome of spirituality. He or she does nothing without asking for and receiving personal revelation. Elder Gerald Lund provided some examples of teachings he received during his childhood that he now regards as inappropriate (Hearing the Voice of the Lord, 180):

 One of my teachers taught us that if we are living worthily, we can receive clear direction for every question of life. . . .

 One way to know if something is from the Lord is after you finish praying, pause for a moment. The first thought that comes into your mind will be from the Lord.

When I teach my class, I don’t prepare anything in advance. We have prayer; 

then we sit and wait for the Spirit to show us what we should learn that day.

 I have decided that when it comes to important questions or issues in my life, I will never take even an initial step until I receive a clear answer from God.

In scripture, the Lord has promised to come to our aid when we are teaching gospel principles, but he has never implied it was easy to qualify for that help. He said: “Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man” (D&C 84:85). Certainly “treasuring up continually” is a challenging process requiring diligent and committed hard work.

Diligently studying the scriptures is requisite for some types of personal revelation. Elder Dallin H Oaks referred to the scriptures as our own “Urim and Thummim” in assisting us to receive personal revelation (“Scripture Reading and Revelation,” 8). Elder Bruce R. McConkie said, “I sometimes think that one of the best kept secrets of the kingdom is that the scriptures open the door to the receipt of revelation” (Doctrines of the Restoration, 243). A perquisite, or extra benefit, of regular scripture study is becoming aware that the answers to many of our questions have already been given in our scriptures.

There are some individuals who require constant heavenly reassurance, and they seek it in the form of constant revelation. In his book The Lord’s Way, Elder Dallin H. Oaks commented on this type of person:

No answer is likely to come to a person who seeks guidance in choosing between two alternatives that are equally acceptable to the Lord. Thus, there are times when we can serve productively in two different fields of labor. Either answer is right. Similarly, the Spirit of the Lord is not likely to give us revelations on matters that are trivial. I once heard a young woman in a testimony meeting praise the spirituality of her husband, indicating that he submitted every question to the Lord. She told how he accompanied her shopping and would not even choose between different brands of canned vegetables without making his selection a matter of prayer. I think that is improper. I believe the Lord expects us to make the most of our decisions by using the intelligence and experience he has given us (37-38).

Elder Oaks also wrote:

[An individual may have] a strong desire to be led by the Spirit of the Lord, but . . . unwisely extends that desire to the point of wanting to be led in all things. . . . Persons who try to shift all decision making to the Lord and plead for revelation in every choice will soon find circumstances in which they pray for guidance and don’t receive it. For example, this is likely to occur in those numerous circumstances in which the choices are trivial or either choice is acceptable (“Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall,” Ensign, October 1994, 13-14).

Elder Oaks further counseled:

Revelations from God—the teachings and directions of the Spirit—

are not constant. We believe in continuing revelation, not continuous revelation. We are often left to work out problems without the dictation or specific direction of the Spirit. That is part of the experience we must have in mortality (“Teaching and Learning by the Spirit,” Ensign, March 1997, 14).

The apostle Paul encouraged independent individual effort when he wrote: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). Elder Boyd K. Packer counseled:

Spiritual independence and self-reliance is a sustaining power in the Church. If we rob the members of that, how can they get revelation for themselves? How will they know there is a prophet of God? How can they get answers to prayers? How can they know for sure for themselves? (“Solving Emotional Problems in the Lord’s Own Way,” Ensign, May 1978, 91).

While serving as scribe for Joseph in his translation of the Book of Mormon, Oliver Cowdery decided he would like to try his hand at translating. He was given permission. After a moment of fleeting success, he soon failed in his attempt. The Lord obviously regarded this as a teaching moment for Oliver and for the rest of us, and he counseled: “You have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me” (D&C 9:7). We must conclude that we seldom encounter a “free lunch” as we seek to qualify ourselves to receive revelation.

William E. Berrett wrote of those who seem to want to credit everything in their lives to the Spirit:

Those who pray that the Spirit might give them immediate guidance in every little thing throw themselves open to false spirits that seem ever ready to answer our pleas and confuse us. . . . The people I have found most confused in this Church are those who seek personal revelations on everything. They want the personal assurance from the Spirit from daylight to dark on everything they do. I say they are the most confused people I know because it appears sometimes that the answer comes from the wrong source. . . . There are great dangers associated with those who profess a constant outpouring of the spirit of revelation. Frequently, those so professing place themselves above the need to listen to the counsel and direction of their priesthood leaders. Often they are above correction. It is natural for those who suppose they are having regular conversations with angels and diverse exalted beings to be a little bemused at the counsel of bishops and stake presidents. With but a bit of polish, such an attitude ripens into the cultist’s mentality in which one is above the law of both church and state (William E Berrett, as quoted in Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet, The Holy Ghost, 29-31).

The Lord encourages us, and even commands us, to seek revelation from him. He said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8). But asking alone is often not enough. It is instructive to review the various verbs the Lord uses in encouraging us to ask for revelation. They include seek, knock (Matthew 7:7), meditate, give thyself wholly (1 Timothy 4:15), hearken (1 Nephi 15:24), feast (2 Nephi 32:3), search . . . diligently (3 Nephi 23:1) search the scriptures (John 5:39), treasure up (D&C 84:85), ask in faith (D&C 8:1), and study it out in your mind (D&C 9:7-8). These verbs are action verbs, not passive ones. Verbal action simply does not suffice.

The Lord will commonly deny us the blessing of revelation until after we have done our home work. He desires that we exert effort and use our minds as we seek both secular and spiritual truths. A friend and former institute director, Reed C. Durham, taught me that the Lord does not usually provide revelation “in a shaft of blue light” (personal communication). The Lord expects us to seek for answers through study, reason, and logic.

The solution. So, how should we conclude? Does the Lord want us to be selfreliant or completely dependent upon him? The Lord clearly expects each of us to be spiritually self-reliant. We should always plead with the Lord for help, fasting when appropriate, with any problem we deem worthy. Then get up and get to work in solving the problem.

Don’t forget to allow time to ponder your course of action. This is the setting in which the Lord will be most apt to reach you—as we await his “marching orders.”

It is possible to keep ourselves too busy, even to the point of distracting us from receiving divine revelation. Elder Harold B. Lee wrote of an anecdote he heard during a meeting of the Twelve:

A son of Bishop Wells was killed in Emigration Canyon on a railroad track. Brother John Wells was a great detail man and prepared many of the reports we are following up now. His boy was run over by a freight train. Sister Wells was inconsolable. She mourned during the three days prior to the funeral, received no comfort at the funeral, and was in a rather serious state of mind.

One day soon after the funeral services while she was lying on her bed relaxed, still mourning, she said her son appeared to her and said, “Mother, do not mourn, do not cry. I am all right.” He told her that she did not understand how the accident happened and explained that he had given the signal to the engineer to move on, and then made the usual effort to catch the railing on the freight train; but as he attempted to do so his foot caught on a root and he failed to catch the handrail, and his body fell under the train. It was clearly an accident.

Now, listen. He said that as soon as he realized that he was in another environment he tried to see his father, but couldn’t reach him. His father was so busy with the duties in his office he could not respond to his call. Therefore he had come to his mother. He said to her, “You tell Father that all is well with me, and I want you not to mourn anymore” (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, 414-15, emphasis in the original).

One can only imagine Bishop Wells’ response when he learned he had been unreachable by his son because he was so busy. We are reminded of the Lord’s counsel to “Be still and know that I am God” (D&C 101:16; Psalm 46:10). In addition to becoming self-reliant, we must also not forget to take time to listen for the still small voice.

Don’t be disillusioned if you do not seem to receive heavenly guidance for your pleas or answers to your questions. You must move forward on your own.

John Taylor quoted the prophet Joseph Smith as having said of the saints, “I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves” (Millennial Star 13 [November 15, 1851]: 339). President Ezra Taft Benson wrote:

Usually the Lord gives us the overall objectives to be accomplished and some guidelines to follow, but he expects us to work out most of the details and methods. The methods and procedures are usually developed through study and prayer and by living so that we can obtain and follow the promptings of the Spirit. Less spiritually advanced people, such as those in the days of Moses, had to be commanded in many things. Today those who are spiritually alert look at the objectives, check the guidelines laid down by the Lord and his prophets, and then prayerfully act—without having to be commanded “in all things.” This attitude prepares men for godhood (God, Family, Country: Our Three Great Loyalties, 381-82).

#The Sometimes “Wintry” Doctrine of Trusting in the Lord

You may sometimes embark on a course of action you feel sure corresponds to righteous and wholesome principles—those you’re sure the Lord would have you follow. Yet, you don’t receive any confirmation that your course is the correct one. He doesn’t seem to respond to your pleas for approval and affirmation. And the course continues to be difficult for you. You may wonder why he won’t ease your burden or at least provide you some measure of comfort and reassurance.

By the spirit of the principle of deliberate “broken heart and contrite spirit” you must persist in righteous actions in spite of seeming to be left on your own. Sometimes he requires us to persist in doggedly, unquestioningly, and unconditionally obeying true principles even in the face of hardship. We should always maintain a reluctance to “hold the Lord’s feet to the fire.” That is, we should hesitate to make demands of him that he seems reluctant to grant. Our obedience to his commands and righteous principles should be unconditional and persistent.6

By our consistent obedience, we will eventually begin to acquire the perquisite revealed gift of spiritual character—revealed spiritual strength or courage. That is, we will become willing and better able to do the truly difficult thing because it is the right thing.

We must learn to accept our “lot” in life. In secular vernacular, we must “play the cards we are dealt.” We know full well we will not be spared adversities during this mortal trial. We must regard them as opportunities for us to grow spiritually.

We must surely trust in the Lord. We know we will ultimately receive our reward, though it will be according to his wisdom and his schedule and not according to ours. We must also trust that he will not try us beyond our ability to endure: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

#Trifle Not with Sacred Things (D&C 6:12)

Receiving revelation from God is a sacred experience. The information, feelings, and manifestations are also sacred. The sensitive, wise person is careful with his own revelatory experiences. Whether or not they are shared; what is shared; how they are shared; and with whom they are shared are all important questions. One must be careful not to “cast . . . pearls before swine” (Matthew 7:6; D&C 41:6). Revelations can be misused. Rather than leading to personal edification or guidance in one’s stewardship, they may be touted for personal aggrandizement. One may speak of them to be seen (or heard) of men. Any sharing of sacred experiences ought to be done only under the direction of the Spirit of God (D&C 63:64).

#Counterfeit Revelations

While it is true that on rare occasion Satan makes himself known directly to man as when he appeared to Moses in vision (Moses 1) or when he attacked the young Joseph Smith in the grove prior to Joseph’s First Vision. Generally, his interactions with man are more subtle, occurring in the form of evil promptings—counterfeit revelations.

It is difficult to know Satan’s exact role in producing and delivering “counterfeit revelations” to the heart and mind of man. It seems likely Satan’s most important influences lie in his interactions with a man’s own natural self. Does he really have the ability to generate “de novo” an evil revelation and bring it to the attention of a man quite apart from the man’s own evil potentials and inclinations? Or, is it more likely he is able to enhance, enable, and render more persuasive the influences and messages that originate in the evil side of man—his natural self—and the man then, in effect, delivers these revelations to himself?

It would seem the individual diligently striving for righteousness is relatively safe from Satan’s “revelations.” I believe Satan’s “revelations” are generally received by individuals who are fighting a losing battle to overcome their natural tendencies. Mostly, his “revelations” are simply his attempts to enhance man’s own sinful, natural tendencies.7

To the individual already caught in sin, Satan whispers his “revelations” in the form of either reassurances that “everything is okay” or in the form of guilt-producing condemnations that cause the individual to feel dirty, unclean, unworthy, unsalvageable, and beyond redemption. These messages, too, likely have their basic origins in the natural-self of man, and are only brought to the surface of consciousness by Satan.

There is nothing unnatural, unpleasing, unbecoming, undignified, irreverent, or unwholesome in the manifestations of the Spirit of God. The prophet Mormon taught how we might know whether or not a revelation is from God:

But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God. But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him (Moroni 7:13, 17).

The purpose of any revelation is to bring us closer to God and help us be more like him. Any revelation that does not accomplish these purposes is not of God.

#Why Does He Not Answer My Prayer?

The Lord hears every prayer offered in righteousness. But sometimes he doesn’t seem to answer. Why? I will suggest a few reasons that might serve as a “checklist” for why our prayers don’t seem to be answered:

1. He may choose not to answer. This mortal existence is intended to be a test and a tutoring experience. While he may not orchestrate most adversities, he may choose to allow us to deal with them on our own. He wants us to use our own judgment and resources (D&C 58:26-29).

2. He may eventually answer on his own time schedule and not on ours.

3. He may choose to withhold an answer (1) because the matter is trivial, (2) he has no preference as to the outcome of our dilemma, or (3) because the pleas or questions in our prayer are inappropriate.

4. We may be in need of repentance before the Lord can respond to our pleas. Most commonly our sin is contention or some other aspect of pride.8

A familiar anecdote that occurred during the translation of the Book of Mormon was related by David Whitmer:

One morning when [Joseph] was getting ready to continue the translation, something went wrong about the house and he was put out about it. Something that Emma, his wife, had done. Oliver and I went upstairs and Joseph came up soon after to continue the translation but he could not do anything. He could not translate a single syllable. He went downstairs, out into the orchard, and made supplication to the Lord; was gone about an hour—came back to the house, and asked Emma’s forgiveness and then came upstairs where we were and then the translation went on all right. He could do nothing save he was humble and faithful (CHC, 1:131).

5. He may have answered or he may be in the process of answering, and we are not aware of it. We may be preoccupied or distracted and fail to recognize the Lord’s answer.

6. He may want us to persist longer in our prayers.

7. He may wish us to add fasting to our prayer. During the Savior’s earthly ministry, a father brought a child to him who was having seizures. The father begged the Savior to heal his son, saying he had taken him to the disciples, but they had been unable to heal him. Jesus blessed the child and immediately the boy was healed. Afterward, the disciples, troubled by their inability to heal the child, asked Jesus, “Why could not we cast him out?” The Savior suggested they had insufficient faith. He also commented, “This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” (see Matthew 17:14-21). Apparently there are situations where prayer alone is not sufficient. Fasting adds a needed element of spiritual power to the prayer.

For a discussion of the various titles, or roles, of the Holy Ghost, see chapter 5, The Holy Ghost.

2 See a discussion of the light of Christ in volume 1, chapter 15, The Concept of Light.

For an account of this apparently unprecedented event, see Appendix A, The Process of Translating the Book of Mormon.

4 For a discussion of spiritual growth and vital role revelation plays in that process see volume 1, chapters 7, Spiritual Growth—Gifts of the Spirit, and 8, The Blessings of Spiritual Gifts.

5 For a discussion of the revelatory aspect of the priesthood of God, see chapter 12, Priesthood.

6 For a more complete discussion of this concept, see “Broken Heart and Contrite Spirit,” volume 1, chapter 6, The Gospel and the Two Natures of Man.

For further discussion of the natural self and Satan’s interactions with this “evil” side of man, see volume 1, chapter 5, The “Natural Self” and “Spiritual Self,” chapter 6, The Gospel and the Two Natures of Man, and chapter 16, The Role of Satan.

See a discussion of pride in “The Universal Sin,” volume 1, chapter 6, The Gospel and the Two Natures of Man.