When we talk about revelation from God, our minds oftentimes zip straight to scriptural examples of revelation from God (that makes sense). Moses speaking to the burning bush. Alma the younger talking to angels. Joseph Smith’s first vision. The Liahona. The brother of Jared speaking with the Lord. Lehi’s dream. These larger-than-life forms of revelation are truly spectacular, but they’re the exception, not the rule.
If the scripture instructing that “by small and simple things are great things brought to pass” is accurate, then we should be on the lookout for small and simple forms of daily revelation. And it is happening. They may not be huge supernatural manifestations, but here are 10 thoughts you probably get pretty often that are probably from the Spirit of the Lord:
1. “I should eat healthier”
2. “I should do the dishes”
3. “I’m probably driving too fast, I should slow down”
4. “I should exercise more”
5. “Dang it, I forgot to read my scriptures again”
6. “That’s enough video-gaming for the day”
7. “I should tell my spouse I love him/her”
8. “I need to do better at keeping the Sabbath day holy”
9. “I spend too much time on my phone”
10. “I need to get to bed earlier” / “Stop sleeping in so late”
Just because it’s something as practical as cleaning your room doesn’t mean it’s not a revelation from the Spirit. In fact, Elder Larry R. Lawrence of the Quorum of the Seventy said this back in his 2015 General Conference address:
Years ago I read in a Church magazine the story of a girl who was living away from home and going to college. She was behind in her classes, her social life was not what she had hoped for, and she was generally unhappy. Finally one day she fell to her knees and cried out, ‘What can I do to improve my life?’ The Holy Ghost whispered, ‘Get up and clean your room.’ This prompting came as a complete surprise, but it was just the start she needed. After taking time to organize and put things in order, she felt the Spirit fill her room and lift her heart.
The Holy Ghost doesn’t tell us to improve everything at once. If He did, we would become discouraged and give up. The Spirit works with us at our own speed, one step at a time, or as the Lord has taught, ‘line upon line, precept upon precept, … and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, … for unto him that receiveth I will give more.’6 For example, if the Holy Ghost has been prompting you to say ‘thank you’ more often, and you respond to that prompting, then He may feel it’s time for you to move on to something more challenging—like learning to say, ‘I’m sorry; that was my fault.’
Let’s all be on the lookout to these small and simple revelations. If the scripture is correct, we can expect them to make “great things” come to pass in our lives.
What other practical thoughts do you get that are actually revelations? Let us know in the comments.
Related: 4 Subtle Physical Factors Affecting Your Ability to Receive Revelation
