This book is amazing and I will be bribing all of my children to read it when they are older! It is for anyone that has ever wondered why God hasn't answered their prayers, anyone who claims that they have never felt the Spirit or for anyone who cares about how to know truth or about their own eternal progression.
I found it in a box of Kyle's stuff and am so happy that I did. (Thank you Melanie for giving it to him!)
"One of the paramount purposes of this mortal existence is to lean how to receive, recognize and then respond to the voice of the Lord. Part of that challenge lies in distinguishing His voice from all other voices, including our own emotions . . . Gratefully the Lord has told us what His voice is like, how the Holy Spirit works with us, principles to guide and direct us in this challenging quest and most of all He has given us the gift of the Holy Ghost to help us."
This book explains what revelation is, the role of the Holy Ghost in receiving revelation, how the Spirit speaks to us (by a still, small voice that whispers to our minds (through thoughts) and in our hearts (through feelings)), how to recognize it when it does and how the Lord will confirm that revelation comes from Him.
Most importantly, he reminds us that the Lord determines ALL aspects of revelation. That means that He
decides to whom it is given, when it is given, what is given and how it
is given. Are we truly willing to accept His will?
This book also explains how to judge between true and counterfeit revelation.
1. True revelation will edify. Meaning it will lead us to do good and to strive to be more like the Father and the Son. Or it will bring light and truth, enlightenment and understanding to our minds and hearts.
2. True revelation must be consistent with the position and responsibilities of the person who receives it.
3. True revelation must be consistent with the principles of the gospel as revealed in the scriptures and the teachings of the prophets. True revelation will always be in harmony with what the gospel already teaches and keep with the nature of God, including the order He has established in the Church.
"How many of you … are seeking for these gifts that God has promised to bestow? How many of you, when you bow before your Heavenly Father in your family circle or in your secret places, contend for these gifts to be bestowed upon you? How many of you ask the Father, in the name of Jesus, to manifest Himself to you through these powers and these gifts? Or do you go along day by day, like a door turning on its hinges, without having any feeling upon the subject, without exercising any faith whatever, content to be baptized and be members of the Church and to rest there, thinking that your salvation is secure because you have done this? I say to you, in the name of the Lord, as one of His servants, that you have need to REPENT of this, You have need to repent of your hardness of hear, of your indifference, and of your carelessness. There is not that diligence, there is not that faith, there is not the seeking for the power of God that there should be among a people who have received the precious promises we have."-GEORGE Q. CANNON
We are taught to become spiritually self reliant, meaning that we should not wait for God to command us in ALL things. Some things do not matter to him because some things don't affect our spirituality or eternity. God trusts us to make a lot of our own decisions and sometimes either of the options we are considering would be acceptable to Him.
However, the same way that some people can be "too spiritual" others can be "too spiritually self reliant" and I think I fall on that end of the spectrum, but have been called to repentance by this book! I have been guilty of indifference, contentment and not doing enough to exercise my faith, it's just there.
I should know so much more about recognizing and following spiritual promptings, but instead these are my confessions: A lot of times I have a hard time knowing what to pray for. I feel like God knows what I need and His will is going to be done either way and I'm willing to accept whatever it may be. Prayers aren't for God though, they are for us and I need to remember that. I need to exercise my faith. The only way we can learn is by FAITH. (We must desire- seek- believe- DO- Receive). Lately I read my scriptures way more than I say formal, personal prayers. When I do pray, I pray for other people, all of the time. But when it comes to me I'm not sure what to ask for. Luckily I don't have many needs. I am beyond blessed and am beyond grateful for those blessing from my Heavenly Father, but then I feel like I am saying the same prayers every day. There are always ways I can be better though. I need to be asking the right questions because there are gifts God has for us if we will but seek them out and show that we want to be a part of His work. I need to better recognize His hand in my life. The less direct forms of revelation are coming to us every day.
"Do we turn away the still, small voice? Do we do things that offend the Holy Ghost? Do we allow influences into our homes that drive the Spirit from our homes? The type of entertainment that we permit into our home will certainly have an impact on the power of the Holy Ghost." -JOSEPH B. WIRTHLIN
I know we need to influence of the Spirit in our lives. There is too much evil out in the world to even suggest we could make it to eternity without the guidance of Heavenly Father's Spirit. Heavenly Father loves us so much to allow us to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost to be our constant companion. I want to do everything I can to keep him as close to me as possible!
"How many of you … are seeking for these gifts that God has promised to bestow? How many of you, when you bow before your Heavenly Father in your family circle or in your secret places, contend for these gifts to be bestowed upon you? How many of you ask the Father, in the name of Jesus, to manifest Himself to you through these powers and these gifts? Or do you go along day by day, like a door turning on its hinges, without having any feeling upon the subject, without exercising any faith whatever, content to be baptized and be members of the Church and to rest there, thinking that your salvation is secure because you have done this? I say to you, in the name of the Lord, as one of His servants, that you have need to REPENT of this, You have need to repent of your hardness of hear, of your indifference, and of your carelessness. There is not that diligence, there is not that faith, there is not the seeking for the power of God that there should be among a people who have received the precious promises we have."-GEORGE Q. CANNON
We are taught to become spiritually self reliant, meaning that we should not wait for God to command us in ALL things. Some things do not matter to him because some things don't affect our spirituality or eternity. God trusts us to make a lot of our own decisions and sometimes either of the options we are considering would be acceptable to Him.
However, the same way that some people can be "too spiritual" others can be "too spiritually self reliant" and I think I fall on that end of the spectrum, but have been called to repentance by this book! I have been guilty of indifference, contentment and not doing enough to exercise my faith, it's just there.
I should know so much more about recognizing and following spiritual promptings, but instead these are my confessions: A lot of times I have a hard time knowing what to pray for. I feel like God knows what I need and His will is going to be done either way and I'm willing to accept whatever it may be. Prayers aren't for God though, they are for us and I need to remember that. I need to exercise my faith. The only way we can learn is by FAITH. (We must desire- seek- believe- DO- Receive). Lately I read my scriptures way more than I say formal, personal prayers. When I do pray, I pray for other people, all of the time. But when it comes to me I'm not sure what to ask for. Luckily I don't have many needs. I am beyond blessed and am beyond grateful for those blessing from my Heavenly Father, but then I feel like I am saying the same prayers every day. There are always ways I can be better though. I need to be asking the right questions because there are gifts God has for us if we will but seek them out and show that we want to be a part of His work. I need to better recognize His hand in my life. The less direct forms of revelation are coming to us every day.
"Do we turn away the still, small voice? Do we do things that offend the Holy Ghost? Do we allow influences into our homes that drive the Spirit from our homes? The type of entertainment that we permit into our home will certainly have an impact on the power of the Holy Ghost." -JOSEPH B. WIRTHLIN
I know we need to influence of the Spirit in our lives. There is too much evil out in the world to even suggest we could make it to eternity without the guidance of Heavenly Father's Spirit. Heavenly Father loves us so much to allow us to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost to be our constant companion. I want to do everything I can to keep him as close to me as possible!
"With any major decision there are cautions and considerations to make, but once there has been illumination, bear the temptation to retreat from a good thing, if it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is RIGHT NOW. Don't give up when the pressure mounts." -JEFFREY R. HOLLAND
Trust the answers you've received- doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.
Trust the answers you've received- doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.
"It is not . . . enough for us to be convinced by the gospel; we much act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something . . . The final judgement is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts- what we have done. It is an acknowledgement of the final effect of our acts and thoughts- what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become." -DALLIN H. OAKS
LOVE this last quote! Doesn't matter how many times we mess up, as long as we learn from it and let those mistakes better our character then we are going to make it.
Heavenly Father's plan for our happiness is so perfect!
I don’t understand what you mean when you say some people are too spiritual and others are too spiritually self reliant. The way I see it, there are some people who are spiritually self reliant, and there are others who are spiritually church reliant. Some people look to be commanded in all things and constantly seek reassurance from leaders, and other people are confident in their ability to receive their own answers and are unafraid to question the status quo. Both of these types can be spiritual, and I would argue that the self reliant are even more spiritual than the church reliant.
ReplyDeleteI value that quote from elder holland, but I also think there is a flip side to that coin. We need to be willing to give up old beliefs when we are faced with new revelation. We need to seek constant progress and always be looking for ways to improve. Holding on to old beliefs because they’re cozy is a great way to be a slothful servant and to halt all progression. Just because something was right at one time in your life doesn’t mean it will be good forever. milk is good for babies, but if that’s all I tried to eat now I’d become malnourished and stop growing.
He talks about people that try to be too spiritual in the book. Those that won't eat cereal until they get confirmation from the Lord about which kind to eat or teachers that won't teach their lesson until the Spirit tells them what to teach. And Eldar Holland's quote is talking more about the answer of knowing if the church is true. Once you get an answer you can know the church is true and remember that answer your whole life.
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