Revelation

Revelation is communication from God to His children.

This guidance comes through various channels according to

the needs and circumstances of individuals, families, and the

Church as a whole.

When the Lord reveals His will to the Church, He speaks

through His prophet. The scriptures contain many such revelations—

the word of the Lord through ancient and latter-day

prophets. Today the Lord continues to guide the Church by

revealing His will to His chosen servants.

Prophets are not the only people who can receive revelation.

According to your faithfulness, you can receive revelation

to help you with your specific needs, responsibilities, and

questions and to help you strengthen your testimony.

Preparing to Receive Revelation through the Holy Ghost

The scriptures tell of different types of revelation, such as

visions, dreams, and visitations by angels. Through such

channels, the Lord has restored His gospel in the latter days

and revealed truths concerning such doctrines as premortal

existence, the redemption of the dead, and the three kingdoms

of glory. However, most revelations to leaders and

members of the Church come through the whisperings of the

Holy Ghost.

Quiet spiritual promptings may not seem as spectacular

as visions or angelic visitations, but they are more powerful

and lasting and life changing. The witness of the Holy Ghost

makes an impression on the soul that is more significant than

anything you can see or hear. Through such revelations, you

will receive lasting strength to stay true to the gospel and

help others do the same.

The following counsel will help you prepare to receive

promptings from the Holy Ghost:

Pray for guidance. The Lord said, “Ask, and it shall be

given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be

opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and

he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall

be opened” (Matthew 7:7–8). In order to find and receive,

you must seek and ask. If you do not knock—praying to your

Heavenly Father for guidance—the door of revelation will

not be opened to you. But if you approach your Father in

humble prayer, you can eventually “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).

Be reverent. Reverence is profound respect and love.

When you are reverent and peaceful, you invite revelation.

Even when everything around you is in commotion, you can

have a reverent attitude and be prepared to receive guidance

from the Lord.

Be humble. Humility is closely related to reverence. When

you are humble, you recognize your dependence on the

Lord. The prophet Mormon taught, “Because of meekness

and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy

Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love”

(Moroni 8:26).

Keep the commandments. When you keep the commandments,

you are prepared to receive, recognize, and follow the

promptings of the Holy Ghost. The Lord promised, “Unto

him that keepeth my commandments I will give the mysteries

of my kingdom, and the same shall be in him a well of living

water, springing up unto everlasting life” (D&C 63:23).

Partake of the sacrament worthily. The sacramental prayers

teach how to receive the constant companionship of the Holy

Spirit. When you partake of the sacrament, you witness to

God that you are willing to take upon yourself the name of

His Son and that you will always remember Him and keep

His commandments. Heavenly Father promises that when

you keep these covenants, you will always have the Spirit to

be with you. (See D&C 20:77, 79.)

Study the scriptures every day. As you diligently study the

scriptures, you learn from the examples of men and women

whose lives have been blessed as they have followed the

Lord’s revealed will. You also become more receptive to the

Holy Ghost in your own life. As you read and ponder, you

may receive revelation about how a certain scripture passage

applies to you or about anything else the Lord desires to communicate

to you. Because scripture reading can help you

receive personal revelation, you should study the scriptures

every day.

Take time to ponder. When you take time to ponder the

truths of the gospel, you open your mind and heart to the

guiding influence of the Holy Ghost (see 1 Nephi 11:1; D&C

76:19; 138:1–11). Pondering takes your thoughts from the

trivial things of the world and brings you closer to the Spirit.

When seeking specific guidance, study the matter out in your

mind. At times the Lord’s communication will come only

after you have studied a matter out in your own mind. The

Lord explained this process to Oliver Cowdery, who served

as Joseph Smith’s scribe for much of the translation of the

Book of Mormon. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the

Lord spoke to Oliver Cowdery, explaining why Oliver had not

been able to translate the Book of Mormon even though he

had been given the gift to translate: “Behold, you have not

understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto

you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But,

behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your

mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I

will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore,

you shall feel that it is right” (D&C 9:7–8).

Patiently seek God’s will. God reveals Himself “in his own

time, and in his own way, and according to his own will” (see

D&C 88:63–68). Revelation will probably come to you “line

upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little”

(2 Nephi 28:30; see also Isaiah 28:10; D&C 98:12). Do not

try to force spiritual things. Revelation does not come that

way. Be patient and trust in the Lord’s timing.

Recognizing the Promptings of the Holy Ghost

Amid the many noises and messengers in the world

today, you must learn to recognize the whisperings of the

Holy Ghost. Following are some of the principal ways the

Holy Ghost communicates with us:

He speaks to the mind and heart in a still, small voice. The

Lord taught: “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” (D&C 8:2–3). Sometimes the Holy Ghost will help

you understand a gospel truth or give you a prompting that

“seems to occupy [your] mind, and press itself upon [your]

feelings” (D&C 128:1). Although such revelation can have a

powerful effect on you, it almost always comes quietly, as a

“still small voice” (see 1 Kings 19:9–12; Helaman 5:30; D&C

85:6).

He prompts us through our feelings. Although we often

describe communication from the Spirit as a voice, that voice

is one that we feel more than we hear. And while we speak of

“listening” to the whisperings of the Holy Ghost, we often

describe a spiritual prompting by saying, “I had a feeling . . .”

The Lord’s counsel to Oliver Cowdery in section 9 of the

Doctrine and Covenants, which is discussed on page 143,

teaches this principle. However, this counsel is sometimes

misunderstood. Upon reading that passage, some members

of the Church become confused, fearing that they have never

received a prompting from the Holy Ghost because they have

never felt a burning in their bosom. Note the Lord’s final

words in Doctrine and Covenants 9:8: “Therefore, you shall

feel that it is right.” The burning described in this scripture

passage signifies a feeling of comfort and serenity, not necessarily

a sensation of heat. As you continue to seek and follow

the Lord’s will in your life, you will come to recognize how

the Holy Ghost influences you personally.

He brings peace. The Holy Ghost is often called the

Comforter (see John 14:26; D&C 39:6). As He reveals the will

of the Lord to you, He will “speak peace to your mind” (D&C

6:23). The peace He gives cannot be counterfeited by worldly

influences or false teachings. It is the peace the Savior promised

when He assured His disciples that He would send the

Comforter: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto

you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your

heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” ( John 14:27).

Additional references: Amos 3:7; Matthew 16:13–18; 1 Corinthians

2:9–14; 12:3; Revelation 19:10; Alma 5:43–48; 17:2–3; D&C 76:5–10;

121:26–33; Articles of Faith 1:7, 9

See also Faith; Holy Ghost; Prayer; Reverence; Scriptures; Spiritual Gifts