Personal Revelation


Revelation for the Chruch, Revelation for Our Lives, April 2018 Pres. Russell M. Nelson


"... President Lorenzo Snow, “This is the grand privilege of every Latter-day Saint … that it is our right to have the manifestations of the Spirit every day of our lives.”4

One of the things the Spirit has repeatedly impressed upon my mind since my new calling as President of the Church is how willing the Lord is to reveal His mind and will. The privilege of receiving revelation is one of the greatest gifts of God to His children.

Through the manifestations of the Holy Ghost, the Lord will assist us in all our righteous pursuits.

As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, I prayed daily for revelation and gave thanks to the Lord every time He spoke to my heart and mind.

Imagine the miracle of it! Whatever our Church calling, we can pray to our Heavenly Father and receive guidance and direction, be warned about dangers and distractions, and be enabled to accomplish things we simply could not do on our own. If we will truly receive the Holy Ghost and learn to discern and understand His promptings, we will be guided in matters large and small.

good inspiration is based upon good information,

I testify that the Lord instructed me to select President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring to serve as my counselors in the First Presidency.

I testify that the Lord inspired the call of Elder Gerrit W. Gong and Elder Ulisses Soares to be ordained as His Apostles.

discern the Lord’s will for His Church.

taught, “By union of feeling we obtain power with God.”7 No member of the First Presidency or Quorum of the Twelve would ever leave decisions for the Lord’s Church to his own best judgment!

that the heavens are open and that God speaks to His children.

Follow the example of the Prophet Joseph. 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.”9

Does God really want to speak to you? Yes! “As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course … as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints.”10

Through personal revelation, you can receive your own witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and that this is the Lord’s Church. Regardless of what others may say or do, no one can ever take away a witness borne to your heart and mind about what is true.

I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation, for the Lord has promised that “if thou shalt [seek], thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.”12

Oh, there is so much more that your Father in Heaven wants you to know. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, “To those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, it is clear that the Father and the Son are giving away the secrets of the universe!”13

Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon,14 and regular time committed to temple and family history work.

But I promise that as you continue to be obedient, expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord’s timetable, you will be given the knowledge and understanding you seek. Every blessing the Lord has for you—even miracles—will follow. That is what personal revelation will do for you.

If we are to have any hope of sifting through the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men that attack truth, we must learn to receive revelation.

Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.

My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation. Let this Easter Sunday be a defining moment in your life. Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly.

The most important truth the Holy Ghost will ever witness to you is that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He lives! He is our Advocate with the Father, our Exemplar, and our Redeemer.

REVELATION: Stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive it more frequently and clearly


  • It is our “grand privilege” and “right” to have the manifestations of the Spirit EVERY DAY What are the manifestations of the Spirit?the "mystery" revealed of the Lord being manifest to you (1 Nephi 10) enjoy the words of eternal life in this world (Moses 6) to be born again to speak by the power of the Holy Ghost the gift of prophecy wisdom and understanding, knowledge word of wisdom, faith, heaking, working of miracles, discerning of spirits 

    cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover;

  • The Lord is willing to reveal His mind and will

  • It is one of God’s greatest gifts

  • To:

    • Receive guidance on matters large and small

    • Direction

    • Warning of dangers and distractions

    • To accomplish things you can’t do on your own

    • Receive comfort

    • Receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that we may know the mysteries and peaceable things which bring joy and life eternal.

    • Sift through the myriad of voices and philosophies of men

    • To survive spiritually you need His constant influence.

    • Receive a witness 

      • the Book of Mormon is the word of God

      • Joseph Smith is a prophet

      • This is the Lord’s Church

      • Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God

  • Is better than your own “best judgment”

  • Seek it daily and you will ‘grow into the principle of revelation’

  • God promises to “pour down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints

HOW TO RECEIVE

  • Engage in righteous pursuits

  • Pray daily for revelation

  • Give thanks when it comes

  • Gather good information

  • “By union of feeling we obtain power from God”

  • Go regularly to a quiet place

  • Humble yourself before God

  • Pour out your heart

  • Do the spiritual work required

  • Pray about:

    • Concerns

    • Fears

    • Weaknesses

    • Longings of your heart

  • Listen

  • Write the thoughts that come to your mind

  • Record your feelings

  • Follow through with actions you are prompted to take

  • Increase personal purity

  • Exact obedience

  • Earnestly seek

  • Daily feast on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon

  • Engage in regular committed time in the temple and family history work

  • Be obedient

  • Express gratitude for every blessing

  • Patiently honor the Lord’s timetable


HOW IT COMES

  • Through the manifestations of the Holy Ghost

  • To your heart and your mind

  • Through discernment

  • Understand promptings

  • As instruction

  • As inspiration

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