Seeking the Gift of Personal
Revelation
LILI ANDERSON, LCSW, PH.D.
BYU OPAC CONFERENCE
13 MARCH 2009
“…seek ye earnestly the best
gifts” (D&C 46:8).
WE WILL REVIEW:
--WHY we MUST learn the language of the
Spirit in order to live safely and peacefully in the
latter days.
--KEYS
to receiving, recognizing, and
understanding personal revelation
Robert D. Hales
While we are commanded not to
seek after
signs, we are commanded to “seek …
earnestly the best gifts” (D&C 46:8).
These gifts include the Holy Ghost and personal
revelation.
“Personal Revelation: The Teachings and Examples of the Prophets,” Liahona, Nov 2007,
86–89.
Personal
Revelation--
 Distinguishes us as members of
the Kingdom of God.
James E. Faust
Of an interview in 1839 between the
Prophet Joseph Smith and Martin Van Buren,
who was then president of the United States, the following was
recorded:
“In our interview with the President, he interrogated us
wherein we differed in our religion from the other religions
of the day.
Brother Joseph said we differed in mode of baptism, and
the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. We
considered that all other considerations were
contained in the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
(History of the Church, 4:42, emphasis added)
Joseph Smith said:
“No man can receive the
Holy Ghost without receiving
revelations. The Holy Ghost
is a revelator.”
(History of the Church, 6:58)
Personal
Revelation--
 Distinguishes us as members of
the Kingdom of God.
 Makes it possible for us to
progress from terrestrial to
celestial life.
2 Nephi 32:1, 3, 5-6
…I suppose that ye ponder somewhat in your hearts
concerning that which ye should do after ye have entered in by
the way.
…feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of
Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.
…if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it
will show unto you all things what ye should do.
Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more
doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in
the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the
flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe
to do.
Personal
Revelation--
 Distinguishes us as members of
the Kingdom of God.
 Makes it possible for us to
progress from terrestrial to
celestial life.
 Is the “oil in the lamps.”
D&C 45:56-57
Painting by William Blake
And at that day, when I
shall come in my glory, shall
the parable be fulfilled which I
spake concerning the ten
virgins.
For they that are wise and
have received the truth, and
have taken the Holy Spirit for their
guide, and have not been
deceived—verily I say unto
you, they shall not be hewn
down and cast into the fire, but
shall abide the day.
Personal
Revelation--
 Distinguishes us as members of
the Kingdom of God.
 Makes it possible for us to
progress from terrestrial to
celestial life.
 Is the “oil in the lamps.”
 Helps us feel God’s love and
mercy for us.
Keys to
Revelation
 Ask
Boyd K. Packer
“Reverence Invites Revelation,” Ensign, Nov 1991, 21
(emphasis added)
No message appears in scripture more times, in
more ways than, “Ask, and ye shall receive.”
Keys to
Revelation
 Ask
 Prepare to Receive
Boyd K. Packer
The world grows increasingly noisy.
This trend to more noise, more excitement,
more
contention, less restraint,
less dignity, less formality
is not coincidental
nor innocent nor harmless.
The first order issued by a commander mounting a military
invasion is the jamming of the channels of communication of
those he intends to conquer.
Irreverence suits the purposes of the adversary by obstructing
the delicate channels of revelation in both mind and spirit.
“Reverence Invites Revelation,” Ensign, Nov 1991, 21
Time to Commune
 When?
 Early Morning, if possible—
 How Long?
 At least half an hour—
 Where?
 A Private Place—
What Do I Do?
 Start with Praise.
 Give Thanks.
 Ask Forgiveness.
 Pray for others.
 Read Scriptures.
 Pray for Personal Needs.
 Listen.
 Keep a Journal.
I have got so much to do
today that I need to spend
another hour on my knees
praying.
Martin Luther
Keys to
Revelation
 Ask
 Prepare to Receive
 Yield to the Will of God
D&C 22:4
…seek not to counsel your God.
Keys to
Revelation
 Ask
 Prepare to Receive
 Yield to the Will of God
 Respect Stewardship Keys
“It is contrary to
the economy of God for any
member of the Church, or any
one, to receive instruction for
those in authority, higher
than themselves.”
Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph
Fielding Smith (1976), 21.
Keys to
Revelation
 Ask
 Prepare to Receive
 Yield to the Will of God
 Respect Stewardship Keys
 Learn how God communicates
with His children
Harold B. Lee
If we will live worthy, then the
Lord will guide us—
by a personal appearance,
or by His actual voice,
or by His voice coming into our mind,
or by impressions upon our heart and
our soul.
Stand Ye in Holy Places, 138–42, 144–45
Elder Dallin H. Oaks
“Teaching and Learning by the Spirit,” Ensign, Mar. 1997, 14).
Visions do happen. Voices are
heard
from beyond the veil.
I know this. But these experiences are exceptional. …
Most of the revelation that comes to leaders and members of
the Church comes by the still, small voice or by a feeling
rather than by a vision or a voice that speaks specific
words we can hear.
Keys to
Revelation
 Ask
 Prepare to Receive
 Yield to the Will of God
 Respect Stewardship Keys
 Learn how God communicates
with His children
 Understand how the Holy Ghost
communicates with us
How does the Holy Ghost
Communicate with Us?
He uses a still, small voice to communicate to our minds
and hearts. D&C 8:2–3; 85:6
He enlightens our minds. D&C 6:15; D&C 11:13-14
He brings peace to our minds. D&C 6:22-23
He may cause a burning in the bosom. D&C 9:7-8
Elder Dallin H. Oaks
“Teaching and Learning by the Spirit,” Ensign, Mar. 1997, 14).
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.
Truly, the still, small voice is just that, “still” and “small.”
Elder Boyd K. Packer
That All May Be Edified [1982], 335.
These delicate, refined
spiritual
communications are
not seen with our eyes nor heard with our
ears. And even though it is described as a
voice, it is a voice that one feels more than one
hears.
The Prophet Joseph Smith
taught that revelation may
come as “sudden strokes of ideas” that flow
into our minds as “pure intelligence.”
Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 151.
Keys to
Revelation
 Ask
 Prepare to Receive
 Yield to the Will of God
 Respect Stewardship Keys
 Learn how God communicates
with His children
 Understand how the Holy Ghost
communicates with us
 Rely on “Two Witnesses”
Two Witnesses
 “…I will tell you in your mind and in your heart….” (D&C 8:2)
 What is in my heart?
 “…[God] granteth unto men according to their desire.” (Alma 29:4)
 “…many revelations daily….” (Helaman 11:23)
 Fasting
 What is in my mind?
 Give the Lord something to work with

Read, Study, Memorize, Ponder
President Spencer W. Kimball
when it
and
am far,
“I find that when I get casual in my
relationships with divinity and
seems that no divine ear is listening
no divine voice is speaking, that I
far away. If I immerse myself in the
scriptures the distance narrows and the spirituality
returns.”
(“What I Hope You Will Teach My Grandchildren and All Others of the Youth
of Zion,” address to Seminary and Institute personnel, Brigham Young
University, 11 July 1966, p. 6.)
Two Witnesses
 “…I will tell you in your mind and in your heart….” (D&C 8:2)
 What is in my heart?
 “…[God] granteth unto men according to their desire.” (Alma 29:4)
 “…many revelations daily….” (Helaman 11:23)
 Fasting
 What is in my mind?
 Give the Lord something to work with

Read, Study, Memorize, Ponder
 Which speaks most loudly to me? Mind or Heart?
 Section 50
Revelation is Conditional
But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all
these commandments;
And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul
abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my
commandments, but that ye break my covenant:
I will break the pride of your power; and I will
make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:
(Leviticus 26:14-15, 19, emphasis added)
L. Tom Perry
“We Believe All That God Has Revealed,” Liahona, Nov ‘03,
85–88, emphasis added
A person who petitions the Lord for
guidance
must be worthy to receive it.
His life
must be in harmony and in
keeping with the
standards the Lord has prescribed for His
children. His life must be in good standing before
God and His people. It must be in harmony with the
teachings of the scriptures, the prophets, and the
order of the Church.
It isn’t the Lord who withholds
himself from us. It is we who
withhold ourselves from him
because of our failure to keep
his commandments.
Harold B. Lee
October Conference, 1966
 Don’t overdo it.
A Few More
Thoughts
on
Revelation--
Bruce R. McConkie
…we’re faced with two propositions.
One is that we ought to be guided by
the spirit of inspiration, the spirit of revelation. The
other is that we’re here under a direction to use our
agency, to determine what we ought to do on our
own; and we need to strike a fine balance between these
two….
“Agency or Inspiration?,” New Era, Jan 1975, 38 (emphasis added).
Bruce R. McConkie
Well, maybe it will be a little shock to you,
but never in my life did I ever ask the Lord
whom I ought to marry. … I went out and found the girl I
wanted; she suited me; I evaluated and weighed the
proposition, and it just seemed a hundred percent to me
as though this ought to be.
“Agency or Inspiration?,” New Era, Jan 1975, 38.
William E. Berrett
Administrator of Seminaries and Institutes
of Religion for The Church, quoted by Dallin Oaks
“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.
(quoted in The Holy Ghost, 29–30, emphasis added).
 Don’t overdo it.
A Few More
Thoughts
on
Revelation--
 “Stop me, if I’m making a mistake.”
 If we truly seek His will, the Lord is on our side.
 Keep peddling
 “Move forward in Faith.”
 Don’t overdo it.
A Few More
Thoughts
on
Revelation--
 “Stop me, if I’m making a mistake.”
 If we truly seek His will, the Lord is on our side.
 Keep peddling
 “Move forward in Faith.”
 Righteous Stewards and the Patriarchal
Order
 Don’t overdo it.
A Few More
Thoughts
on
Revelation--
 “Stop me, if I’m making a mistake.”
 If we truly seek His will, the Lord is on our side.
 Keep peddling
 “Move forward in Faith.”
 Righteous Stewards and the Patriarchal
Order
 You can’t stop God from blessing you if
you deserve it.
D&C 121:33
How long can
rolling waters remain impure?
What power shall stay the
heavens? As well might man
stretch forth his puny arm to
stop the Missouri river in its
decreed course, or to turn it up
stream, as to hinder the
Almighty from pouring down
knowledge from heaven upon
the heads of the Latter-day
Saints.
 Don’t overdo it.
A Few More
Thoughts
on
Revelation--
 “Stop me, if I’m making a mistake.”
 If we truly seek His will, the Lord is on our side.
 Keep peddling
 “Move forward in Faith.”
 Righteous Stewards and the Patriarchal
Order
 You can’t stop God from blessing you if you
deserve it.
 Recognize God’s kindness and patience
with us.
 Don’t overdo it.
A Few More
Thoughts
on
Revelation--
 “Stop me, if I’m making a mistake.”
 If we truly seek His will, the Lord is on our side.
 Keep peddling
 “Move forward in Faith.”
 Righteous Stewards and the Patriarchal
Order
 You can’t stop God from blessing you if you
deserve it.
 Recognize God’s kindness and patience with
us.
 Remember
President [David O.] McKay taught us this
in the
temple one day. … “I want to tell you one
thing:
When the Lord tells you what to do,
you’ve
got to have the courage to do it or you
had better not ask him again.” I’ve learned that
lesson, too.… it takes a lot of courage to act
when directed as an answer to prayers.
Harold B. Lee
Qualities of Leadership, address to the Latter-day Saint
Student Association convention, Aug. 1970, 5.
 Don’t overdo it.
A Few More
Thoughts
on
Revelation--
 “Stop me, if I’m making a mistake.”
 If we truly seek His will, the Lord is on our side.
 Keep peddling
 “Move forward in Faith.”
 Righteous Stewards and the Patriarchal




Order
You can’t stop God from blessing you if you
deserve it.
Recognize God’s kindness and patience with
us.
Remember
Yield to God’s Will and Timing.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks
Ensign, Mar. 1997, 10–11.
The Lord will speak to us through
the Spirit in his own time and in his
own way. Many people …believe
that when they are ready and when it suits their
convenience, they can call upon the Lord and he will
immediately respond…. Revelation does not come that
way.…
‘It shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and
according to his own will’ (D&C 88:68). We cannot force
spiritual things.
…they that wait upon
the Lord shall renew
their strength; they
shall mount up with
wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be
weary; and they shall walk,
and not faint.
Isaiah 40: 31
 Don’t overdo it.
A Few More
Thoughts
on
Revelation--
 “Stop me, if I’m making a mistake.”
 If we truly seek His will, the Lord is on our side.
 Keep peddling
 “Move forward in Faith.”
 Righteous Stewards and the Patriarchal





Order
You can’t stop God from blessing you if you
deserve it.
Recognize God’s kindness and patience with
us.
Remember
Yield to God’s Will and Timing.
Trust in God’s Love.
Be still, and know that
I am God.
Psalms 46:10
Joseph Smith and
the Doctrine and Covenants
as a Manual on Revelation
SECTIONS OF THE D&C
I MADE THIS MY RULE:
When God commands, do it. (HC 2:170)
G o d h at h n o t
revealed anything to
Joseph, but what he
w i l l ma k e k n o w n
u n t o t h e Tw e l v e , a n d
even the least Saint
may know all things
a s f a s t a s h e i s ab l e
t o b e a r t h e m… .
(TPJS, p. 149)
I know not by what methods rare,
But this I know, God answers prayers.
I know that He has given His Word,
Which tells me prayer is always heard,
And will be answered, soon or late,
And so I pray and calmly wait.
I know not if the blessing sought
Will come in just the way I thought;
But leave my prayers with Him alone,
Whose will is wiser than my own,
Assured that He will grant my quest,
Or send some answer far more blest.
~Hickok~
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God,
that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
James 1:5