Principles of Seeking Personal Revelation

1. Right Reason: JS-H 1:10

“One of the Apostles said to me years ago, ‘Brother Woodruff, I have prayed for a long time for the Lord to send me the administration of an angel. I have had a great desire for this, but I have never had my prayers answered.’ I said to him that if he were to pray a thousand years to the God of Israel for that gift, it would not be granted, unless the Lord had a motive in sending an angel to him. I told him that the Lord never did nor never will send an angel to anybody merely to gratify the desire of the individual to see an angel. If the Lord sends an angel to anyone, He sends him to perform a work that cannot be performed only by the administration of an angel.” (Wilford Woodruff, Collected Discourses 5:233, October 19, 1896, Weber Stake Conference)

2. Scripture Study: JS-H 1:11

3. Get the Spirit: JS-H 1:12-13; D&C 8:2

“The Spirit of Revelation is in connection with these blessings. A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; (i.e.) those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus.” (Joseph Smith, Teachings, p. 151)

4. Agency: JS-H 1:14-15; D&C 9:8-9

“If I do not know the will of my Father, and what He requires of me in a certain transaction, if I ask Him to give me wisdom concerning any requirement in life, or in regard to my own course, or that of my friends, my family, my children, or those that I preside over, and get no answer from Him, and then do the very best that my judgment will teach me, He is bound to own and honor that transaction, and He will do so to all intents and purposes” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 3:205).

5. Heed and Diligence: JS-H 1:16

“I could explain a hundred fold more than I ever have the glories of the kingdoms manifested to me in the vision, were I permitted, and were the people prepared to receive them.” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church 5:402)

Note how heed and diligence is emphasized by the Lord in the following revelations:

• For he will give unto the faithful line upon line, precept upon precept; and I will try you and prove you herewith. (D&C 98:12; emphasis added)
• If thou shalt ask, 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. (D&C 42:61; emphasis added)
• And they shall also be crowned with blessings from above, yea, and with commandments not a few, and with revelations in their time—the that are faithful and diligent before me. (D&C 59:4; emphasis added)
• That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day. (D&C 50:24; emphasis added)

After quoting the above verses, Elder Bednar taught: “Brothers and sisters, if you and I would distinguish our personal emotions from the impressions placed in our hearts and minds by the Holy Ghost, then we must desire and seek, ask and discern, hear and obey, and then again desire and seek and ask and discern and hear and obey. Our faith and diligence and obedience are ongoing invitations for additional spiritual knowledge and insight. Faith leads to obedience which yields wisdom and an even greater desire for added light and truth.

“The process of discerning between our will and God's will becomes less and less of a concern as time goes by and as we strive to rid ourselves of worldliness—and thereby cultivate the spirit of revelation in our lives. That is, as we mature spiritually, we begin to develop sound judgment, a refined and educated conscience, and a heart and mind filled with wisdom. It is not just that we have grown older, nor have we simply become smarter and had more experiences on which to draw, as important as those experiences are. Rather, the Holy Ghost has over time been expanding our intellect, forming our feelings, sharpening and elevating our perspective, such that we increasingly think and feel and act as the Lord would under similar circumstances. In short, we have made steady progress in obtaining ‘the mind of Christ’ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

“This ongoing cycle of gaining spiritual knowledge ultimately produces a precious and delicious fruit, but that fruit cannot and does not grow from a blossom to its ripened state overnight. Furthermore, such fruit cannot grow in barren soil. Obedience to God's commandments and our personal integrity and adherence to commitments such as the honor and dress codes at BYU-Idaho provide the needed nutrients for fertile spiritual soil. It should be obvious to all of us that evil influences such as filthy language, immodest clothing and appearance, and pornography are bitter poisons that kill the soil and halt the spiritually subtle process of receiving help from heaven ‘. . . line upon line, precept upon precept . . . .’ There can be no shortcut around the law of the harvest; truly, we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7).” (David Bednar, “…Line Upon Line, Precept Upon Precept…” 2 Nephi 28:30, BYU-I Devotional, September 11, 2001.)

6. Line Upon Line: JS-H 1:16

“I have learned that strong, impressive spiritual experiences do not come to us very frequently.” (Boyd K. Packer, That All May be Edified, 337.)

7. The Right Time: JS-H 1:17; D&C 46:9

8. Priesthood Channels: JS-H 1:17

“I will inform you that 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; therefore you will see the impropriety of giving heed to them; but if any person have a vision or a visitation from a heavenly messenger, it must be for his own benefit and instruction; for the fundamental principles, government, and doctrine of the Church are vested in the keys of the kingdom.” (Joseph Smith, Teachings, p. 21)

“The spirit of revelation belongs to the priesthood” (Wilford Woodruff, Collected Discourses, April 8, 1894)

9. Sacred Silence: JS-H 1:20

“Let us be faithful and silent, brethren, and if God gives you a manifestation, keep it to yourselves” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church 2:309).

Bruce R. McConkie taught, “The Lord doesn’t reveal himself to blabbermouths.” (Joseph Fielding McConkie, The Bruce R. McConkie Story: Reflections of a Son, 278.)

10. Revelation Begets Revelation: JS-H 1:29-30