David A. Bednar - The Spirit of Revelation

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2021 David A. Bednar

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Bednar, David A., author.

Title: The spirit of revelation / David A. Bednar.

Description: Salt Lake City, Utah : Deseret Book, [2021] | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints writes about the principles of revelation and gives personal examples of those principles in actionProvided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2021013196 | ISBN 9781629729480 (hardback) | eISBN 978-1-64933-088-8 (eBook)

Subjects: LCSH: RevelationThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. | RevelationMormon Church. | MormonsSpiritual life.

Classification: LCC BX8643.R4 B43 2021 | DDC 231.7/4dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021013196

Printed in the United States of America

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Contents

Introduction

F or some time, I have felt a desire to write a book about the spirit of revelation. Changes in how we minister to one another in the Church, how we learn, teach, and worship in our homes and families, and how we increase our own level of gospel understanding have all underscored our need to be guided by the Spirit every day. Truly, we need to Hear Him! (Joseph SmithHistory 1:17).

Revelation is communication from God to His children on the earth and one of the great blessings associated with the gift and constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, The Holy Ghost is a revelator, and no man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations ( Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 132).

The spirit of revelation is available to every person who receives by proper priesthood authority the saving ordinances of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghostand who is acting in faith to fulfill the priesthood injunction to receive the Holy Ghost. This blessing is not restricted to the presiding authorities of the Church; rather, it belongs to and should be operative in the life of every man, woman, and child who reaches the age of accountability and enters into sacred covenants. Sincere desire and worthiness invite the spirit of revelation into our lives.

We gain some insight into the importance of understanding the spirit of revelation from an incident recorded by Brigham Young. Several years after the Prophet Joseph Smith was martyred, he appeared to President Young and shared this timeless counsel:

Tell the people to be humble and faithful, and be sure to keep the Spirit of the Lord and it will lead them right. Be careful and not turn away the still voice; it will teach [them] what to do and where to go; it will yield the fruits of the kingdom. Tell the brethren to keep their hearts open to conviction, so that when the Holy Ghost comes to them, their hearts will be ready to receive it. They can tell the Spirit of the Lord from all other spirits; it will whisper peace and joy to their souls; it will take malice, hatred, strife, and all evil from their hearts; and their whole desire will be to do good, bring forth righteousness and build up the kingdom of God. Tell the brethren if they will follow the Spirit of the Lord, they will go right ( Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 2 vols., ed. Elden Jay Watson, 2:52930 [23 Feb. 1847]).

Of all the truths the Prophet Joseph might have taught Brigham Young on that sacred occasion, he emphasized the importance of obtaining and keeping the Spirit of the Lord. Consider the extraordinary promises he mentioned regarding the Spirit:

It will teach [them] what to do and where to go.

It will yield the fruits of the kingdom.

It will whisper peace and joy to their souls.

It will take malice, hatred, strife, and all evil from their hearts.

They will go right.

These are blessings we would all wish to claim. But the task of writing a book on the subject has proven more difficult than I imaginedprimarily because a book is linear by its very nature, but revelation is not. The principles that govern revelation do not fall neatly into a sequence or pattern of do this, and that will happen. I cannot give readers a checklist of the ten basic steps to receiving personal revelation or any other kind of formula to follow.

In the Doctrine and Covenants, we find a significant key to understanding the spiritual gift of revelation and the process whereby this gift typically operates: Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation (Doctrine and Covenants 8:23).

These verses teach us that revelation from our Father, in its most familiar form, comes by the power of the Holy Ghost as thoughts to our minds and feelings to our hearts. But because the Holy Ghost typically uses our minds and our hearts to convey spiritual messages, it can sometimes be difficult to discern the difference between our own thoughts and feelings and those communicated from our Heavenly Father.

In the world today, many deceptive and counterfeit tones imitate the true sound and standard of the Spirit. For example, I wonder if we sometimes too easily mistake personal sentiment and spiritual sensationalism for the promptings of the Holy Ghost. If we are not careful and discerning, we may mistakenly follow a false impression that can lead us astray. As the Prophet Joseph Smith taught, Nothing is a greater injury to the children of men than to be under the influence of a false spirit, when they think they have the Spirit of God ( Times and Seasons, April 1, 1842, 744. In Joseph Smith Papers, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/times-and-seasons-1-april-1842/10).

The scriptures tell us, Apply thine heart to understanding (Proverbs 2:2). This verse is interesting because typically we think of understanding things cognitively and rationally with our minds. But, as what we know in our mind is confirmed as true in our heart by the witness of the Holy Ghost, then we are blessed with understanding. Thus, understanding is a revealed conclusion and a spiritual gift.

When we read in the Doctrine and Covenants that parents in Zion have a responsibility to teach their children to understand (see Doctrine and Covenants 68:25), many people may conclude, Well, I have to help them get the gospel into their heads. But that is only a part of the requirement.