In my last year of Veterinary School I spent a month up in Snohomish, Washington and the Snohomish Veterinary Hospital on an externship. I arrived one very rainy day after fighting with the failing alternator in my car the whole way from Portland. It was pouring and I could tell the battery wasn’t charging by the fact that the windshield wipers were slowing down. I would have to get out of the car at nearly each underpass and bang on the alternator with the heel of my shoe to get it to work again. Then off I would go. I think I prayed and pounded my way there because that newly rebuilt alternator never worked again.
I arrived at about noon and my first assignment was to go out with one of the young large animal vets to a dairy farm that was now an island due to the heavy rains and the flooding of the Skykomish and Snohomish rivers. We drove as close to the farm as we could and then we had to wade up to our waist with gear out to a high point in the road were the farmer picked us up in his row boat. We rowed the half mile to the farm – found the cow with the twisted stomach (displace abomasums), performed the surgery to correct the problem, and headed out to face the row back to the truck. By this time the water was even higher and the wind had picked up, blowing the water into white caps and in the wrong directions. We looked at each other and just shook our heads. Then we saw, mounted on the railing of the upper deck of the farmer’s home, something that caught our eye. It was a small outboard motor. We asked him if it worked and he said yes. Then the obvious question – why don’t you mount it on your boat? That he did and we were whisked over the white caps without a care.
Today, that little outboard motor represents the revelations and inspirations the Lord is willing to give all of us if we will but remember to ask, listen and respond.
The Bible dictionary says this about revelation:
Divine revelation is one of the grandest concepts and principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for without it, man could not know of the things of God and could not be saved with any degree of salvation in the eternities. Continuous revelation from God to his saints, through the Holy Ghost or by other means, such as vision, dreams, or visitations, makes possible daily guidance along true paths and leads the faithful soul to complete and eternal salvation in the celestial kingdom. The principle of gaining knowledge by revelation is the principle of salvation
“The Holy Ghost is a revelator,” said Joseph Smith, and “no man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations” (HC 6: 58). Without revelation, all would be guesswork, darkness, and confusion.
In our recent conference we heard no less than 4 discourses on this very subject.
President Packer taught:
- God would not leave us on this earth without a personal power to communicate with Him – ie personal power of protection
- Agency plays a large part in our ability to receive or not receive revelation
- Consistent, meaningful prayer plows the ground and makes it fertile for the seed of inspiration
- We will usually feel the words of inspiration rather than hear with our ears, and see with spiritual rather than physical eyes.
- Revelation is no respecter of persons – it comes to young and old, male and female
- We can pray for the ability to learn to receive and follow revelation in our own lives
Elder Nelson taught:
- To access information one must
o have firm faith, deep desire, and a real intent to follow the directions given
o Ponder and study
o Know and obey relevant teachings of the Lord
o Head the counsel of prophets
o Develop hope, charity, and love along with our faith
o Become disciplined in discipleship so that our eye is single to the glory of God
- Personal revelation can be honed to become spiritual discernment – the ability to see things not visible and yet as they really are, to feel things not tangible
- Revelation often comes is increment
Sister Matsumori reminded us that:
- Recognizing the whisperings of the spirit requires that we let virtue garnish our thoughts unceasingly
- Revelation and light seem to be companions
- Scripture study along with our prayer invites the spirit into our homes and our lives
- In order to know God and His personal messages for us we must be still – taking time each day to ponder and meditate away from distractions.
- Well prepared, humble gospel teachers can help facilitate and augment the Spiritual manifestations of their class members.
Elder Scott bore a powerful personal witness that:
- Personal revelation is absolutely essential to navigate through this life and to return to our Father in Heaven
- Essential personal growth comes from our struggle to learn how to be lead by the spirit
- As we gain experience and success in following spiritual promptings our confidence in the impressions we feel will become more certain than our dependence on what we see and hear.
- We must take those first promptings seriously, and by writing them down and praying about them so we can gain further light and knowledge concerning Gods will and plan for us.
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- Personal spirituality leads to the inspiration to know, as well as the power, or capacity to do
- Strong emotion and sin block revelation
- Addictions are potent toxins to spiritual vitality – they are among satan’s most powerful arsenal
- Pornography is one of the most damning influences on earth
o overpoweringly addictive
o it is a manifestation of unbridled selfishness – both of which offend the spirit of the Lord
o to fall prey to it is to surrender completely to the adversary and to sever the lines of spiritual transmission
- be patient as you perfect your ability to be led by the spirit – it will take a lifetime .
In summary, in order to improve our ability to receive revelation we must be:
Seeking for Christ like attributes
Adhering to the principles of spirituality
Gain understanding regarding nature and method by which God imparts his wisdom
Realize that our free agency either helps or hinders our ability to receive heavenly light
I would like to focus the rest of my remarks on the concept of “Line upon Line” revelation.
2 Nephi 28:30 reads:
For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon aprecept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn bwisdom; for unto him that creceiveth I will give dmore; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.
Have you ever made a decision, that felt right and in accordance with the will of God, only to find that you decision now has you seemingly circling in murky waters above the drain of despair?
Have you ever wondered how the members of the Martin & Willey Handcart Companies felt when they were chewing boiled leather in freezing weather when their only goal had been to obey the call to gather?
Have you ever wondered how Abraham could continue to perfectly obey the revelations and commands of God when they seemed so starkly contradictory in the case of Isaac?
In D&C 98: 12 The Lord states his purpose with more clarity:
12 “For he will agive unto the faithful line upon line, precept upon precept;” and then it says “and I will btry you and prove you herewith.”
According to Elder Gerald N. Lund,
“This impact of agency on achievement is especially true in our quest for revelation. As the Lord reveals Himself and His will to us, one concept or one principle at a time, we have to choose wither to accept it or not. If we reject or ignore even small increments of light and truth, the process of receiving further light and knowledge is hindered.”
We must remember that our loving Father in Heaven is not so interested in our immediate relief and success as he is in our eternal salvation and progression. With that in mind we begin to understand the importance of developing patience as we listen, feel, understand, and respond to His subtle promptings.
We see a common revelatory pattern over and over again in the scriptures and in our lives. First the Lord gives spiritual nudges which may seem like whims or passing thoughts or ideas. These subtle directive whispers come without explanations or reasons, usually just pointing us in a given direction. They often come in sequences or increments. Then, our agency comes into play. We may dismiss the promptings as whimsical, or impractical, or even silly, especially if they are inconvenient. We may reject them outright due to prejudice, rebellion, hatred, or fear. Or, we may follow in faith. If we choose the later we must expect our faith to be tested and be willing to wait upon the Lord for a confirmation that He is indeed the author of the nudge. In God’s wisdom and timing some sort of confirmation always comes, and it is usually as we look back on the sum total of the nudges that we see His wisdom, His Grace, His Power, and His love in such personal ways.
A perfect example of this process is found in first Nephi. God used the Liahona as a tool to give incremental information to Lehi and his family in the wilderness – only changing and expanding as they gave heed.
In Nephi’s attempt to obtain the Brass Plates this process is no less evident. I paraphrase Elder Gerald Lund from his book “Hearing the Voice of the Lord”.
Increment 1 - Lehi had a dream in which he was told to send his sons back for the plates. (direction without explanation)
They use agency and decide to go.
Their first attempt to get the plates was led by the faithless older brothers and when it failed, in Laman and Lemuel’s eyes, that proved that this wasn’t going to work.
2nd increment -- Nephi gets the idea to go and get their riches to trade for the plates. Attempt number 2 fails miserably, almost at the expense of their lives– not by any fault of Nephi but because of Laban’s agency.
It is amazing that Nephi, despite his sibling’s abuse, maintained his composure sufficient to listen to promptings. Laman and Lemuel have become hardened, bitter, prejudiced, and angry. They are now past feeling; completely ruled by carnal emotion.
3rd increment – Nephi decides to go back to the city, and without a plan.
The Scripture says that Nephi was now “led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which he should do. Nevertheless, he went forth.” (1 Nephi 4:6-7) He didn’t know what was going to happen when he moved deeper into the city, but he knew he must move. He followed each increment of revelation, as it came in rapid succession to Laban, to the treasury, and out of the city with the plates in hand, right up until he seized Zoram and persuaded him to choose freedom and life.
Later we discover that this experience gave Nephi the courage and faith he would need when he was instructed to build a ship and was given direction “from time to time” on how to do it, instead of all at once.
This pattern of revelation, so merciful in it’s design, allows us to wrap our minds around difficult tasks one small bit by one small bit until we are strong and able to bear and “submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon us.”
Most revelation is sought after because of trial or tribulation.
Just before that turn of the century I was persuaded by a friend and class mate to join forces and purchase a small veterinary clinic in Hazeldale, Washington. Our plan was to revive it, find a promising young veterinarian to run and then sell it to him or her. We learned several difficult lessons over the course of the next few years. One being – bad reputations are hard to overcome, especially in a professional setting, and another was that no one wants to captain a sinking ship. As time passed, my partner excluded himself for health reasons and I was left alone with this ball and chain. I would leave my practice in Tigard at 11:45 every day, go to Hazeldale and spend 3 hours working there and then return by 3:30 to finish my work until 6. It was not fun and I was very oppressed by it.
I was teaching Gospel Doctrine at the time and we were studying the Book of Mormon. My daily study of this most precious book brought me so much peace and solace. I spent nearly an hour every day reading and re-reading the assigned passages until they were a part of my thoughts and a part of me. Then and only then did the Lord lose my mind and my tongue so that I could teach and lead the class with a freedom that I have rarely felt in my life. Sometimes I felt inspiration to speak and expound, sometimes I felt prompted to ask a question and let the spirit guide the conversation. Sometimes I was prompted to identify the spirit and testify that we as a class had just been the recipients of revelation through the divine influence of the Holy Ghost.
Each day as I traveled from one clinic to the other I learned to pray and drive at the same time. As I struggled in my prayers the Lord taught me line upon line. He helped me understand what I should be praying for.
A peace and acceptance gradually fell on me as I tried to understand the purpose of my trial. One day as I was driving and praying I realized that I was having the very same experience as the people of Alma found in Mosiah 24 when they were being oppressed by the wicked priest of King Noah. It says that the Lord knew their thoughts and heard their silent prayers. And then it says that “the voice of the Lord came to them”. There is no indication that in came in audible form and the impression is that just as God discerned the desires of their hearts, so they discerned His love, power, and goodness in the following words:
“Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.
14 And I will also ease the aburdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as bwitnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their cafflictions.
I truly felt the peace amidst my affliction. I was stronger and more able to bear the burden, and even happy to do it, until the Lord felt I had learned what it was He wanted me to learn. More importantly, my relationship with God had grown tremendously. I knew without doubt that He knew and loved me, that He had a plan for me, that He was trying, teaching, and tempering me so I could learn, just a little more, how to be like Him.
That experience opened the eyes of my understanding and has blessed my life in many, many ways. I bare you my personal witness that God does, indeed visit his people in their afflictions.
Revelation on-the-fly
Revelation is more likely to come when we are willing to get up and move our feet. As the song says, “The Lord (truly) has no use for the drone”. He expects us to pray and then go--- pray and go to work, pray and then perform, pray and then serve. It is as if our action is the primer that starts the engine of inspiration.
I love the story told by President Packer of the “little girls who was upset with her brother, who built a trap to catch sparrows.
Unable to get help, she said to herself, “Well, I’ll pray about it.”
After her prayer, the little girl told her mother, “I know he is not going to catch any sparrows in his trap because I prayed about it. I’m positive he won’t catch any sparrows!”
Her mother said, “How can you be so sure?”
She said, “After I prayed about it, I went out and kicked that old trap all to pieces!”
About 8 years ago I was in my 3rd stint as Elders Quorum President, and I was hoping that this time I would get it right. I struggled with the concept of magnifying my calling. I did ok in the basic execution of quorum meeting, home teaching route organization, moving them in and moving them out. But what I really wanted was to be able to hear the whisperings of the Holy Spirit guiding me to exercise my keys to bring God’s sons and daughters to Him. I was praying for guidance but nothing really came. Then, one day, in frustration, I just got in my truck and went driving through the ward, praying and mustering courage as I went. I found myself in front of the home of a newer family in the ward. We had not seen them come out to church. I had visited once before just after they moved in, and I knew the brother to be a return missionary and well schooled in the gospel. I wondered why he was not bringing his family to church. I stopped the truck and waited for a whispering. I felt a peace come over me -- followed immediately by fear. As I walked up to the door my heart was racing. I didn’t know what I was going to say or how I would be received. I didn’t know if I had the compassion or verbal skills to communicate lovingly and effectively with my brother. I knew that since I was on the Lords errand I needed His guidance, and yet my faith in my own ability to hear and perform His will was waning.
But I moved my feet up the walkway and raised my wavering fist and knocked on the door. When he answered I saw a look pass across his countenance that was not in the least encouraging. But I dug deep into my pitiful pocket-full of courage and asked if I could talk with him. As luck, or providence, would have it, we were alone and could speak frankly. I asked him why he wasn’t coming to church. He rolled out some likely excuses; working two jobs, kids are sick, he and his wife only had Sundays together due to their work schedule, and besides he read the Book of Mormon all the time, and he knew the church was true, and he was praying, etc, etc. I listened and prayed to know what to say. He was so sure of himself and so persuasive in his self defense. Then the thought came to me to ask him about his kids --what was his relationship like with them. He began to rave about them and his love and joy from them. Then it came to me to ask how, then, could he bear the thought of not being with them forever. This caught him off guard. At that same moment I had a glimpse of discernment, and I told him that his testimony was set on the foundations laid in his youth and by the example of his parents. He may be on a vacation from the church right now and may choose to come back at any time, but his children had no such luxury. They were missing out on the very foundation that his teetering testimony rested on. There was an abrupt change in his countenance. The spirit was strong and he could feel it. A morsel of humility let light pear through the clouds of self deception and he could see it – he could lose them -- and he admitted as much. After offering some inspired council, I prayed with him and left. He was at church the next Sunday with his family. He and his family became fully active, qualified for a temple recommends, and he contributed his amazing musical talents and building skills to the quorum and ward.
Faith in Gods Power gives us Power to Obey God
My Father in Law, Quinn Arave, served a building mission for the church in the 60’s. A seasoned church builder; he was schooled in listening to and following the still small voice amid the rumble and clatter of construction. His divine tutoring came incrementally and over a period of time he honed and perfected his listening ear. The principle of pray and go to work is illustrated in the following true story.
The Miracle Pour—Recollection of Stephen Arave
I know that the Lord does indeed perform miracles in the construction of his temples and other places of worship. I personally witnessed the following event. It took place in Tacoma Washington in the summer of 1963.
In the construction of the chapels of the day there was a particular event that had to be accomplished in a very particular way. Many weeks went into the planning and execution of that event. Most people who enter one of our chapels are unaware of all the things going on beneath their feet. There are tunnels that carry air to the equipment that heats and cools so wonderfully. There are chaises that carry electrical conduit and plumbing. And there is massive reinforcement steel within the concrete itself. That floor is poured six inches thick and it is poured and finished precisely flat. Not just close to flat----flat. Upon this floor will be built the walls of cinder block, the floor finish, the platform, the pews and all must be perfect.
*On this particular building a day had been chosen far in advance to place this concrete, a monolithic pour, meaning “all in one piece”. Dad had spent days getting everything ready and training his crew for the task at hand. Special tools had been constructed, and inspected by him. Forms were braced and inspected by him. He had done everything humanly possible to insure a perfect job. On the day of the pour we arrived at the jobsite earlier than usual. As always, dad led the work missionaries and the other workers,. . . (my brother) Spencer and myself in prayer. He asked that we would be successful in our efforts, that we would be safe and that the weather would cooperate. The skies didn’t look good for this kind of a pour. Even a light rain would ruin the finish and could very likely result in the need to break up the concrete and start over. I remember several men telling dad “you should cancel for today, it’s not worth the risk.” Dads reply was that the Lord would be the one making that decision, not he. As the hour drew closer the sky got darker and darker. Being a cautious man, dad called us into the job shack again to pray for the weather we needed. Again, there were murmurs and again dad made it clear that as far as he was concerned it was the Lord’s work and he was set apart to perform the labor. If the Lord wanted to cancel this day it was up to Him, but that he hadn’t any reason to believe He had. Even the concrete company called to confirm we were going forward.
The trucks began arriving, one after another, carefully timed to keep the concrete coming as it was needed and not before. The clouds grew darker, the wind began to blow and rain was visibly coming our way. Still we worked on, shoveling, raking, screeding the top of the new floor, edging the perimeter, pulling and tugging the concrete into place. I saw dad look up at the weather many times, and I could see he was concerned. He watched every operation and shouted orders and corrections as we worked like our lives depended on it.
I saw dad leave his position and go into the job shack alone. I thought I knew why. When he came back out after several minutes he was changed. He was confident, sure that all was well. By now the rain was a downpour, literally right across the street from us. The wall of rain moved onto the jobsite, across the parking lot and began to pass by the chapel floor. It went down both sides of that slab, and when it reached the end of the slab, that ground too became soaked. Water was standing all around us in pools and puddles. Not one drop of water fell on that wet concrete. A silence fell on the work site, and men became conscious that something miraculous had just happened. Actually, I misspoke; some water did fall on the floor that day. It was tears of joy and they fell from several eyes including my own.
After that storm passed, the clouds went away and the sun came out, providing perfect weather for the rest of the work. The parking lot stayed wet for several days, but the Lord’s floor was safe and will serve well until it is no longer needed.
You might ask why the Lord did it this way. Why not just blow the clouds away? The answer is in Stephen’s closing remarks:
This is a true story that I personally witnessed as a young man and it is one of the reasons I could never doubt the power of prayer or of the priesthood I saw at work that day. I know that He can calm a stormy sea, tell the wind to be still and protect a chapel floor for His purpose.
Stephen learned that day that God is powerful, but, just as importantly, he learned that hearing and following promptings from God often takes a great deal of courage and faith.
We must remember that our thoughts are not Gods thoughts and His ways are not our ways.
We must learn that He gives us line upon line, nudge by nudge, bit by bit according to our willingness to hear and respond.
We must understand that He has all knowledge and all power, and that He loves us perfectly.
Then, if we are pure and clean through the Atonement of our Savior, we can trust with surety that God will direct our paths for good.
I bare you my witness that this is true.
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