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com

#1 Continuous revelation from God to his Saints 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 Without revelation, all would be guesswork, darkness, and confusion. (Bible Dictionary,
762)

#2 Elder Dallin H. Oaks: I can identify eight different purposes served by communication from God. My purpose in suggesting this classification is to persuade each of you to search your own experience and to conclude that you have already received revelations and that you can receive more revelations because communication from God to men and women is a reality.
(Revelation, New Era, September 1982)

wisely proposed that each of us consider the matter prayerfully for a week and discuss it further in our next meeting. Almost perfunctorily I prayed about the subject and immediately received a strong impression that I was wrong, that I was standing in the way of the Lords will, and that I should remove myself from opposition to it. My reasons to the contrary turned out to be shortsighted, and I was soon grateful to have been restrained from relying on them. (Ibid.) #5 [As president of BYU, Dallin Oaks was to sign a certain agreement.] But as I went to sign the document, I was filled with such negative thoughts and forebodings that I put it to one side and asked for the entire matter to be reviewed again. It was, and within a few days additional facts came to light which showed that the proposed course of action would have caused the University serious problems in the future. (Ibid.) #6 As a young girl, my grandmother was tending some children who were playing in a dry riverbed near their home in Castle Dale, Utah. Suddenly she heard a voice that called her by name and directed her to get the children out of the riverbed and up on the bank. It was a clear day and there was no sign of rain. She saw no reason to heed the voice and continued to play. The voice spoke to her again, urgently. This time she heeded the warning. Quickly gathering the children, she made a run for the bank. Just as they

#3 Lifted up from a depression, from a sense of foreboding or inadequacy, or just from a plateau of spiritual mediocrity. Because it raises our spirits and helps us resist evil and seek good, I believe that the feeling of uplift that is communicated by reading the scriptures or by enjoying wholesome music, art, or literature is a distinct purpose of revelation. (Ibid.) #4 I was called as a counselor in a stake presidency in Chicago. In one of our first stake presidency meetings our stake president made a proposal that our new stake center be built in a particular location. I immediately saw four or five good reasons why that was the wrong location. When asked for my counsel, I opposed the proposal, giving each of those reasons. The stake president

reached it, an enormous wall of water, originating with a cloudburst in the mountains many miles away, swept down the canyon and roared across where the children had played. (Ibid.)

why the use of seer stones/interpreters (as with the Book of Mormon) was not continued: While this thought passed through the speaker's mind, Joseph, as if he read his #7 For nine years Professor Marvin Hill and thoughts, looked up and explained that I had worked on the book Carthage Conspir- the Lord gave him the Urim and Thummim when he was inexperienced in the acy, which concerns the 1845 court trial of the murderers of Joseph Smith Finally, the Spirit of inspiration. But now he had advanced so far that he understood the opbook was completed, and within a few weeks the final manuscript would be sent to erations of that Spirit and did not need the publisher. As I sat in my office at BYU the assistance of that instrument.
one Saturday afternoon, I felt impelled to go through the pile of unexamined books and pamphlets accumulated on the table behind my desk. At the very bottom of a pile of 50 or 60 publications, I found a [document that prompted Elder oaks to go to the Church Historians office for the actual author of the minutes.] This discovery saved us from a grievous error in the identification of one of our major sources and also permitted us to enrich the contents of our book significantly. The impression I received that day in my office is a cherished example of the way the Lord will help us in our righteous professional pursuits when we qualify for the impressions of his Spirit. #8 Elder L. Lionel Kendrick, of the Seventy: Receiving personal revelation is not a passive process. As we seek such revelations, we must prepare for these sacred experiences. President Spencer W. Kimball told us that God reveals himself to [people] who are prepared for such manifestations. (Personal Revelation, Ensign, September 1999) #9 Orson Pratt, who watched the New

Richard L. Anderson, "The Mature Joseph Smith and Treasure

mark that Joseph Smith made to me upwards of forty years ago. Said he, Elder Taylor, you have been baptized, you have had hands laid upon your head for the reception of the Holy Ghost, and you have been ordained to the holy priesthood. Now, if you will continue to follow the leadings of that spirit, it will always lead you right. Sometimes it might be contrary to your judgment; never mind that, follow its dictates; and if you be true to its whisperings it will in time become in you a principle of revelation so that you will know all things. (John Taylor, Deseret News: SemiWeekly, Jan. 15, 1878, p. 1.)

John Taylor, while serving as President of the Quorum of the Twelve, reported: I well remember a re-

Testament revision

(JST)

and wondered

From: The Lost Books of the Bible, 1926

Taken from the Pseudepigrapha, published in 1911

2 Hermas 9:1-11

Remove from thee all doubting; And question nothing at all, When thou asketh anything of the Lord; Saying within thyself: how shall I be able to ask anything of the Lord and receive it, Seeing I have so greatly sinned against him? Do not think thus, but turn unto the Lord with all thy heart, And ask of him without doubting Wherefore purify thy heart from all the vices of this present world; And thou shalt receive whatsoever good things thou shalt ask, And nothing shall be wanting unto thee of all thy petitions; If thou shalt ask of the Lord without doubting But they that are not such, shall obtain none of those things which they ask, For they that are full of faith ask all things with confidence and receive from the Lord Because they ask without doubting Wherefore, purify thy heart from doubting, and put on faith, and trust in God, and thou shalt receive all that thou shalt ask. But if thou shouldest chance to ask somewhat and not (immediately) receive it, Yet do not therefore doubt, because thou hast not presently received the petition of thy soul But do not leave off to ask, and then thou shalt receive. Else if thou shalt cease to ask, thou must complain of thyself, and not of God, That he has not given unto thee what thou didst desire. Consider therefore this doubting, how cruel and pernicious it is; And how it utterly roots out many from the faith, who were very faithful and firm. For this doubting is the daughter of the devil, And deals very wickedly with the servants of God. Despise it, therefore, and thou shalt rule over it on every occasion. Put on a firm and powerful faith; For faith promises all things and perfects all things, But doubting will not believe that it shall obtain anything, by all that it can do. Faith cometh from above, from God; and hath great power. But doubting is an earthly spirit, and procedeth from the devil, And has no strength. Do thou therefore keep the virtue of faith, And depart from doubting, in which is no virtue, And thou shalt live unto God.

OUTLINE: D&C LESSON 5 On the board: Personal Revelation Light & Knowledge (HUMILITY) (STUDY SCRIPTURES) (PRAYER) (OBEDIENCE) (REPENTANCE) (FAITH) (Belief & Works) Darkness & Confusion

Why do we need it? How do we prepare to receive it? How do we recognize it?

Word Cards: Above words in parentheses, and: Testify, Prophecy, Comfort, Uplift, Inform, Restrain, Confirm, Impel _____________________________________________________________________ Our lesson, both this week and next week, are about personal revelationa broad topic. This week our focus will be on why we need it and how to prepare to receive it. Next week well discuss how to recognize it as inspiration from the Spirit. So lets begin with why we need personal revelation. The Bible Dictionary has this to say: Quotation #1 Look at that middle sentence: The principle of gaining knowledge by revelation the principle of salvation. ~Why do they use the instead of a principle of salvation? ~What does it mean to be saved? (Read D&C 6:13, exaltation) ~And what does revelation have to do with doing good and holding out faithful to the end? (Its how we know what is good, and it is how Heavenly Father strengthens and comforts us, which enables us to endure hard things) And that last sentence if I had to choose three words to describe the world today, I think those three, guesswork, darkness and confusion, would work well! Take, for instance, something as basic as how we should eat to maintain a healthy body. People swear by Atkins, others by vegetarianism. Some say grain-free, low-fat, healthy fats, butter, no butter, eggs, no eggs, juicing, raw, we could go on and on and on! Talk about guesswork, darkness, and confusion! No wonder theres so much confusion

about the nature of God or even if He exists, what is right and wrong, etc We need revelation as much today as ever! Elder Dallin H. Oaks has a very logical, organized way of expressing himself. Heres what he has to say about revelation: Quotation #2

Id like to see if we as a class can come up with Elder Oaks eight purposes of revelation. ~Any ideas? Testify Can anyone share how this type of revelation has helped them to do good an endure? Prophecy When my son Bengt was 2 years old he contracted a severe case of bronchitis. The doctors said the damage would be permanent, but he received a blessing that he would recover completely, and he did. The blessing went on to talk about his lifes mission. It was a specific prophecy which I look forward to witnessing some day! Comfort Would anyone like to share how the Spirit has comforted them? Uplift Elder Oaks said this with regards to uplift: Quotation #3 Inform Help finding something weve lost, help with problems at home, work, in our calling or genealogical research, etc Restrain- ...the Spirit stoppeth mine utterance (2 Ne. 32:7) Quotations #4 & #5 Confirm D&C 9:7-9 Impel Revelation comes when it is not sought Quotations #6 & #7 That last line, ...when we qualify for the impressions of his Spirit. leads us to the question of how to prepare to receive revelation. Quotation #8 Lets use Oliver Cowdery as our example here. Turn with me to D&C 6. In the early 1800s, it was common in New York for school teachers to board in the homes of their students. This is why 22 year old Oliver Cowdery, a school teacher, came to board in Joseph Smith Sr.s homehe taught Josephs younger brothers and sisters in school! Of course, he learned of Joseph and the gold plates. As he put it, The subject seems working in my very bones, and I cannot for a moment, get it out of my mind. (Smith, History of Joseph Smith, 139) Oliver eventually saw in vision the Lord and the plates, even before meeting Joseph! (Jessee, Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, 8) On April 2, 1829, Joseph asked the Lord to send him a scribe. Three days later Oliver arrived, and two

days later they began to translate. 3 ~Did Oliver desire more than to act as scribe? (yes, he wanted to translate) In response to this and other desires Oliver kept secret, Section 6 was revealed to Joseph through the Urim and Thumim. D&C 6:25, 28 So Oliver was given the gift to translate...or was he? Go back to verse 25. ~What is the conditional phrase? (...if you desire of me) Soon after this Oliver informed Joseph that he did desire it, and that he was now ready to make the attempt. So Joseph asked the Lord how they should proceed, and Section 8 was revealed. D&C 8:2-3 Verse 4: Therefore this is thy gift. ~What is Olivers gift? (revelation) D&C 8:9-11 Notice Oliver is told to do something three times ~What was Oliver told to do? (ask) ~Did Oliver ask to translate? (yes) ~But he was told to do more than just ask. Look at verse 10. What must he exercise in addition to asking? (faith) ~What are the two components of faith? (belief and workswe cant just ask Heavenly Father, we must then also work for what weve asked. Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said that he has often heard President Gordon B. Hinckley say, I dont know how to get anything done except getting on my knees and pleading for help and then getting on my feet and going to work. (in Conference Report, Oct. 1997, 18; or Ensign, Nov. 1997, 16) ~Did Oliver work? What happened when he attempted to translate? (He started out well enough, but he wasnt able to continue. It reminds me of Peters experience with walking on water. He started out well, but then he began to doubt and fear.) And this was Olivers experience with the gift of translation: D&C 9:1, 5-12 1 Was translating harder than Oliver realized? Remember, Oliver came on the scene at the point where Joseph was translating so fast that Oliver hardly had time to dip his pen in the ink! Joseph made it look easy. But Oliver hadnt seen the months and years Joseph spent learning to translate, to receive revelation, and to use the Urim and Thumim. Incidentally, Joseph grew in his ability to receive revelation, and we must do the same: Quotation #9 8 What specifically is this talking about? (how to translate)

12 Joseph had paid the price, worked hard, and depended on the Lords help to develop his gift.

~What do you think Oliver learned from this experience? (humility, appreciation for Josephs gifts and calling, that revelation is work and not to be taken lightly, that doubt and fear are not compatible with personal revelation) We will finish how to prepare to receive revelation and begin how to recognize it next week. May I end with a thought by President John Taylor? In it he explains how to grow in our ability to receive revelation:

John Taylor, while serving as President of the Quorum of the Twelve, reported: I well

remember a remark that Joseph Smith made to me upwards of forty years ago. Said he, Elder Taylor, you have been baptized, you have had hands laid upon your head for the reception of the Holy Ghost, and you have been ordained to the holy priesthood. Now, if you will continue to follow the leadings of that spirit, it will always lead you right. Sometimes it might be contrary to your judgment; never mind that, follow its dictates; and if you be true to its whisperings it will in time become in you a principle of revelation so that you will know all things. John Taylor, Deseret News: Semi-Weekly, Jan. 15,
1878, p. 1.

That we may overcome our fears and follow the Spirit is my prayer...