Gerald N. Lund [Lund - Hearing the Voice of the Lord

Section I

What Is Revelation?

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 (Spencer W. Kimball, Conference Report, October 1966, 26).

Chapter 1

The Voice of the Lord

"The voice of the Lord is unto all men" (D&C 1:2).

Unto All Men

The opening lines of the Doctrine and Covenants begin with a commandment and then a declaration, both of which refer to the voice of the Lord:

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 1:12).

In that one simple yet stunning statement, the Lord sets forth one of the defining characteristics of His relationship with mankind. God speaks to men!

It is a theme oft repeated in the Doctrine and Covenants. Here is but a brief sampling:

"The voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear" (D&C 1:11).
"Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Lord, your God, and your Redeemer, whose word is quick and powerful" (D&C 27:1).
"Mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts" (D&C 29:7).
"I [will] gather mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, even as many as will believe in me, and hearken unto my voice" (D&C 33:6).
"And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father" (D&C 84:47).
"And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me" (D&C 84:52).

The Voice of the Shepherd

During His mortal ministry, the Savior likened Himself unto a shepherd who cared for His sheep. This was more than just a passing metaphor. He explored the imagery in some depth.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.... I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.... My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me (John 10:15, 14, 27).

Even today in the Holy Land, it is a common sight to see a shepherd leading a flock of sheep across a hillside or through a narrow valley. Unlike in other areas of the world, shepherds in the Middle East do not drive vast flocks of sheep with horses and dogs. The typical flock is small, numbering in the dozens more than the thousands. The shepherd is usually found at their head leading them, rather than behind driving them.

The following description from a Christian minister who spent many years in the Holy Land helps us better appreciate the richness of the Savior's parable of the Good Shepherd:

[The shepherd] depends upon the sheep to follow, and they in turn expect him never to leave them. They run after him if he appears to be escaping from them, and are terrified when he is out of sight, or any stranger appears instead of him. He calls to them from time to time to let them know that he is at hand. The sheep listen and continue grazing, but if any one else tries to produce the same peculiar cries and guttural sounds, they look around with a startled air and begin to scatter....

As he is always with them, and so deeply interested in them, the shepherd comes to know his sheep very intimately. Many of them have pet names.... One day a missionary, meeting a shepherd on one of the wildest parts of Lebanon, asked him various questions about his sheep, and among others if he counted them every night. On answering that he did not, he was asked how he knew if they were all there or not. His reply was, "Master, if you were to put a cloth over my eyes, and bring me any sheep and only let me put my hands on its face, I could tell in a moment if it was mine or not."

So Many Voices

The Apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthians, said, "There are... so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification" (1 Corinthians 14:10). In modern English, signification suggests "significance," "a distinct sound," or "having meaning."

President James E. Faust of the First Presidency explained why we must learn to distinguish the voice of the Lord from all other voices:

The Spirit's voice is ever present, but it is calm.... The adversary tries to smother this voice with a multitude of loud, persistent, persuasive, and appealing voices:
Murmuring voices that conjure up perceived injustices.
Whining voices that abhor challenge and work.
Seductive voices offering sensual enticements.
Soothing voices that lull us into carnal security.
Intellectual voices that profess sophistication and superiority.
Proud voices that rely on the arm of flesh.
Flattering voices that puff us up with pride.
Cynical voices that destroy hope.
Entertaining voices that promote pleasure seeking.
Commercial voices that tempt us to "spend money for that which is of no worth," and/or "labor for that which cannot satisfy" (2 Nephi 9:51).

So how can we know which voice is the Lord's? How do we come to recognize the voice of the Shepherd? We know that the Lord will never lead us astray or give us untruth, but how can we learn to distinguish His voice from the banging clamor all around us?

So Many Questions

It is abundantly clear that God has promised to speak to His children. He has given the faithful the promise "that they may always have his Spirit to be with them" (D&C 20:77). That seems like such a simple and straightforward concept. And yet even those who have spent a lifetime in the Church sometimes wrestle with questions about personal revelation. Almost always the questions boil down to one issue: How do I know for sure when it is the Lord speaking to me?

Clearly it is not enough just to receive revelation, we must also learn to recognize it, so we can then respond to it.

Here is a sampling of real-life examples that illustrate the uncertainty, and sometimes the downright confusion, that we have about the voice of the Lord.

"I Think I Left the Stove On." Many families have had an experience similar to this. It's vacation time and the family is ready to leave. The children have all been sent to the bathroom one last time; the luggage is stowed in the car; the house is carefully secured. But then, just a few miles from home, someoneoften the mothergets this worried look and says, "I think I left the stove on (or the oven or the iron)." There is a short debate, but the risks are too great and so they return home. Sometimes they find that the stove was indeed left on, and a serious tragedy has been averted. But just as often, when the mother comes back out, she reports that all was well. Then, looking a bit sheepish, she admits that not only was the stove off, but now she remembers checking it a couple of times earlier in the day.