Introduction
Show a radio to the class but do not turn it on. Why can’t we hear what is being broadcast?
Turn on the radio but do not tune it to a station. What must we do before we can hear a radio station clearly? How can listening to the Holy Ghost be compared to finding a radio station? (Making the effort to seek the Holy Ghost’s guidance may be compared to turning on the radio. Doing what is necessary to receive the whisperings of the Holy Ghost may be compared to tuning the radio to a station or repairing the radio if necessary.)
How does the Holy Ghost communicate with us?
He tells us in our hearts and minds
Read D&C 8:2.
- What is that like for you?
- How meaningful is this type of communication, and how much faith can we have in it?
Now read verse 3. It sounds like the Lord is telling us that this is the method He used to tell Moses to escape from the advancing Egyptian army by parting the Red Sea and walking through on dry ground. “Telling in our hearts and minds” can include items of tremendous significance!
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve taught: “Visions do happen. Voices are heard from beyond the veil. I know this. But these experiences are exceptional. … Most of the revelation that comes to leaders and members of the Church comes by the still, small voice or by a feeling rather than by a vision or a voice that speaks specific words we can hear. I testify to the reality of that kind of revelation, which I have come to know as a familiar, even daily, experience to guide me in the work of the Lord” (“Teaching and Learning by the Spirit,” Ensign, Mar. 1997, 14).
In the same article, Elder Oaks said, “Not understanding these principles of revelation, some people postpone acknowledging their testimony until they have experienced a miraculous event. They fail to realize that with most people … gaining a testimony is not an event but a process” (Ensign, Mar. 1997, 11–12, 14).
He enlightens our minds
Read D&C 11:13-14. In what ways does the Spirit enlighten our minds?
Share the following experience that happened to me this week: In our family scripture study, I had a new insight while reading Ether 5:2-4. I asked my children to name the three witnesses, and they did – David Whitmer, Oliver Cowdery, and Martin Harris. Then my mind was enlightened and I realized that there are three more witnesses named in verse 4: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost also bear record of the truth of this record.
In a related idea, the Holy Ghost also brings peace to our minds (see D&C 6:22-23).
Invite class members to share times when they have felt enlightened by the Holy Ghost.
He brings a “burning in the bosom”
Read D&C 9:7-8 and the following quotes:
President Boyd K. Packer explained: “This burning in the bosom is not purely a physical sensation. It is more like a warm light shining within your being” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1994, 77; or Ensign, Nov. 1994, 60).
Elder Dallin H. Oaks said: “I have met persons who told me they have never had a witness from the Holy Ghost because they have never felt their bosom ‘burn within’ them. What does a ‘burning in the bosom’ mean? Does it need to be a feeling of caloric heat, like the burning produced by combustion? If that is the meaning, I have never had a burning in the bosom. Surely, the word ‘burning’ in this scripture signifies a feeling of comfort and serenity” (Ensign, Mar. 1997, 13).
He reveals things “line upon line, precept upon precept”
Read D&C 98:12.
Explain that we usually receive revelation in accordance with our preparation to receive it. As we become more prepared, more is revealed to us. Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve taught:
“When we seek inspiration to help make decisions, the Lord gives gentle promptings. These require us to think, to exercise faith, to work, to struggle at times, and to act. Seldom does the whole answer to a decisively important matter or complex problem come all at once. More often, it comes a piece at a time, without the end in sight” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1989, 40; or Ensign, Nov. 1989, 32).
Invite class members to share experiences of how they have received divine guidance line upon line, or step by step.
Cautions about personal revelation
Submitting our will to God’s
Read D&C 109:44. How can we mean it when we pray for God’s will to be done when we have a strong desire for a particular outcome? How can we recognize and accept God’s answer when it is not what we want?
Revelation comes in the Lord’s time and way
Read D&C 88:68. Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught:
“The Lord will speak to us through the Spirit in his own time and in his own way. Many people do not understand this principle. They believe that when they are ready and when it suits their convenience, they can call upon the Lord and he will immediately respond, even in the precise way they have prescribed. Revelation does not come that way. …
“The principle stated in [D&C 88:68] applies to every communication from our Heavenly Father: ‘It shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.’ We cannot force spiritual things” (Ensign, Mar. 1997, 10–11).
We receive revelation according to our responsibilities
Read D&C 28:2, 6-7. We usually interpret this to mean that only the Prophet receives revelation for the entire Church, only the Bishop receives revelation for the ward, etc. And that is absolutely correct. But might it not also mean that as a father in my home, I have a responsibility to seek and receive revelation for my family? If I am waiting for someone else to receive revelation that is within my stewardship, am I not neglecting my responsibilities?
Discerning whether revelation has come from God
Read D&C 11:12.
The First Presidency said: “When … inspiration conveys something out of harmony with the accepted revelations of the Church or contrary to the decisions of its constituted authorities, Latter-day Saints may know that it is not of God, no matter how plausible it may appear. … Anything at discord with that which comes from God through the head of the Church is not to be received as authoritative or reliable” (in James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6 vols. [1965–75], 4:285).
When revelation does not seem to come
Elder Boyd K. Packer counseled:
“Sometimes you may struggle with a problem and not get an answer. What could be wrong? It may be that you are not doing anything wrong. It may be that you have not done the right things long enough. Remember, you cannot force spiritual things. Sometimes we are confused simply because we won’t take no for an answer. …
“Put difficult questions in the back of your minds and go about your lives. Ponder and pray quietly and persistently about them.
“The answer may not come as a lightning bolt. It may come as a little inspiration here and a little there, ‘line upon line, precept upon precept’ (D&C 98:12).
“Some answers will come from reading the scriptures, some from hearing speakers. And, occasionally, when it is important, some will come by very direct and powerful inspiration. The promptings will be clear and unmistakable” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1979, 29–30; or Ensign, Nov. 1979, 21).
Conclusion
Emphasize that each of us has the privilege and responsibility to become fluent in the language of the Spirit.
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