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Next month I have to give a talk on personal revelation and I have been giving it a lot of thought. You guys and gals have given me so many good ideas and view points that I want to ask your help again. Here are just a few thoughts I have had so far:
Most personal revelation that I think I receive comes in the form in helping others. I really don’t know it it is intuition or the HC but I seem to show up at friends houses or call them or invite them to dinner just when they need it. I kind of think that is just part of being a friend.
At church or concerning church I have felt the spirit whisper truths to me in the past. Some of those truths I now think are wrong (many might be of the social nature, like race, gay issues, women issues or even following the leaders no matter what) and I think this truth is now being reveled to me. How do I know which was right.
I felt guilt and shame for making my little factory workers work overtimes and now in the grand scheme of things that seems like a nothing issue. Other so called commandments just seems like more of a control issue than what’s really important God and I now feel inspired to think that way. I know cwald drinks beer and if he told me that he had a personal revelation saying it’s okay then I tend to believe that but I don’t believe that Warren Jeffs received personal revelation to do the things he does.
We have all heard stories about guys being inspired or received personal revelation on who they should marry and the girls don’t get the same feelings and tells the guy to find a different source because she not buying it.
I guess my question for now is how can we really trust the source of our personal revelation? How can we confirm what has already been confirmed to us?
I welcome any other thoughts.
I just wanted to share this quote which I use as the base of how and act in the absence of revelation:
Quote: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 (DBY, 43).
I take this to mean that as I seek for revelation and don’t get answers, I am to do what I believe to be right. Combine this with D&C 8:2 about the Spirit speaking peace to your heart and mind (which in vs 3 is called the spirit of revelation) and I feel that I am justified in A)Claiming revelation when i feel good about something and my mind agrees, and
acting without guilt on an issue where God has not seen fit to give me revelation despite my seeking it. :angel: Personal revelation about relationships has a tendency to go awry. Ask yourself perhaps what the fruit of the revelation is, that’s usually a good guide.
We don’t have to blindly accept what leaders tell us. We are entitled to our own personal confirmation (revelation). Revelation comes to people in conjunction with their spheres of stewardship and authority, and no revelation to one person that includes another person overrides revelation to that other person for himself or herself and the more direct stewardship and authority. The more “removed” the revelation, the more general and less individual it is, the more it is subject to confirmation by revelation at the more local source. Thus, my Bishop has every right to receive revelation for my ward, but his revelation is subject to my revelation for myself and my and my wife’s revelation for our family. If there is a conflict at those two levels, my and my wife’s revelation is primary; our Bishop’s is secondary.
If the level of revelation is equal (the Q12 or my marriage, for example), no one person’s revelation trumps someone else’s at that level. No apostle’s revelation can speak for the quorum as a whole, and no spouse’s revelation can speak for the couple as two-made-one.
Elder Uchtdorf’s recent CES fireside might be useful: https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/archive/ces-devotionals/2013/01?lang=eng I especially liked:
https://www.lds.org/bc/content/ldsorg/seminary-institute/CES%20Broadcast/Mar-2012/meme-jan-2013.jpeg Mackay11, that is a great talk and I am sure I can use it in my preparation. Thanks to all for your input. I would still like to know if you guy think that personal revelation concerning commandments as outlines by the doctrines of the church can supersede revelation by has they have been handed down. If I have a personal revelation to marry a second wife, or one that says it’s ok to divorce my wife a marry a man, or join al queda would I be alright in Gods eyes. The terrorists might have personal revelation to do what they do and will they be justified. I’m not asking this as part of my talk but I am trying to figure out how all of this works Such a person might or might not be OK in God’s eyes, since He is the only one (outside that person) who can see and judge the heart, but such a person certainly won’t be OK (and shouldn’t be) in the eyes of the Church. I would agree that God supports and accepts people along the path that will help them fulfill their potential. That may be away from church sometimes. But I’m not sure that’s sacrament meeting appropriate…
Very early on in my faith crisis after a day of fasting and sincere prayer, I awoke at 3am with an extremely powerful feeling that personal revelation overwrites everything be it prophetic council or scripture and the only thing that should be relied upon is the Holy Ghost. This totally confused me. I spent days wondering if it was a message from God, satan or my unconscious trying to justify not wanting to follow the council of the prophet.
Now It makes perfect sense. Why should I rely on what others are telling me God wants me to do when God can tell me directly. We are all individuals living very different lives if makes sense that at times we need our own individual personal revelation.
littlelostsheep wrote:Very early on in my faith crisis after a day of fasting and sincere prayer, I awoke at 3am with an extremely powerful feeling that personal revelation overwrites everything be it prophetic council or scripture and the only thing that should be relied upon is the Holy Ghost.
This totally confused me. I spent days wondering if it was a message from God, satan or my unconscious trying to justify not wanting to follow the council of the prophet.
Now It makes perfect sense. Why should I rely on what others are telling me God wants me to do when God can tell me directly. We are all individuals living very different lives if makes sense that at times we need our own individual personal revelation.
I am writing this at 2:29 in the am and I’m thinking the same thing. I can hardly sleep the last several months because of all these type of thoughts. I appreciate all your thoughts and ideas. I think it’s time to refill my ambien. I’m really getting tired but just can’t seem to get any sleep.
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