Is revelation from the Lord or Satan or me?


Sunday21
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How do you know if revelation is from the Lord or from another source? I have read the Lund book Hearing the voice of the Lord many times. I have listened to the talk above by Boyd k packer. I have prayed many many times. I just seem to get nowhere on this. I have been deceived in revelation many times. Boyd k packer said that one cannot force revelation and that if you do, you may be deceived. This may be my problem. Sheri Dew has said that she trained herself to receive revelation. Does she describe her approach in any of her books? Can anyone recommend a book or a talk? Does anyone have a method that has worked for them. Has anyone heard a talk that was helpful?

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Now isn't this the question of all questions and wouldn't it be wonderful if there were a bullet point power point that highlighted point A, B, C, D... to a more sure word of prophecy; unfortunately, we do not, and probably with good reason.  When I ponder this question, a question we have all asked ourselves (or at least anyone who desires to know God) these are some of the points I ponder (as I have experienced success, and failure).

 

1) Pure intelligence entering the heart and mind will lead the sons and daughters toward God, all that is good.  Pure intelligence will lead a person to forsake sin, overcome weakness, be more obedient, and serve his fellow humans.  This scripture found in Abraham is my starting point:

 

"And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge..."

 

To know God's voice is a process (grace upon grace) of obedience, receive more knowledge, pursue obedience further, and in turn receive more knowledge.  What then are we willing to give up to know God?  Our wealth, our friends, all our sins?

 

2) What if pure intelligence flowed through my heart and mind, and it was not from God, but through my own thoughts and those thoughts were good?  Rejoice!  All things which are good cometh from God.  Our objective is to become like God, and as we become like God our mind will then pursue good experiences on its own accord.  How wonderful that is!  If good, and even through our own heart and mind, as Spencer W. Kimball said, "Just do it."  This is not something that specifies we do not know God, but actually highlights that we are becoming like God, or as the scripture specifies we should all be anxiously engaged, not compelled, to do good things of our own free will, our own volition.  

 

3) Satan?  How often do we as LDS fall victim to the adversary's temptings?  Sadly, probably more often than we should; however, as we look back to option #1 (grace for grace), are we willing to repent the moment we recognize we are in error?  A thought from the adversary will always pit our will against God's.  He will always seek to inspire us to be selfish, self-centered, lovers of self, and seekers of pleasure.  

 

4) Be patient with oneself, and the process of learning.  Growth by the spirit cannot be forced.  It will come, as Crypto specified not by our will, not by any of our wishing, but will come in the due time of the Lord.  Thus the scripture, wait patiently upon the Lord to reveal his arm.

 

In some circumstances, I have come to know when the Lord is teaching me.  In other circumstances, I appear to fail miserably.  

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Ummm. What do you mean?

What I mean is that, no matter how much I may want revelation, it comes from the lord when the lord see's wisdom in sending guidance. When I personally humble myself, I become more receptive to revelation (and I suspect the Lord is more receptive in giving revelation)

Sometimes the lord also see's fit to let us struggle, and through the furnace of adversity refine us.

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A couple thoughts.  If you are receiving revelation, it is helpful to have some knowledge on the particular subject.  When I say knowledge, become familiar with the writings of the apostles and prophets, past and present.  Doing this will help you to determine if the "revelation" you are receiving is your own ideas, Satan's or genuinely from the Lord.  Read the scriptures and compare what you have received to them and then research what you think you know with what has been written by apostles and prophets. 

 

Three years ago, I had to completely change much of what I thought was "true" because I found out I had been deceived by inherited lies and false traditions passed on from member to member.  That was a pretty big shock to me and I'm still finding things I believe that need to become more in line with the revealed word.  I strongly recommend you read an editorial from the Times and Seasons written by Joseph Smith called, "Try the Spirits."  it is all about false spirits and how the LDS are deceived by them. http://emp.byui.edu/marrottr/TryTheSpirits.pdf

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I’d like to tell three stories.

STORY #1:

A stake president once gave a metaphor explaining how to tell if it is true inspiration or just your own emotions getting in the way or the devil.

A fisherman will watch the float to determine if the line is being nibbled on.  But fish are sly.  They try little nibbles first before biting.  So, there are little bobs from the float.  An experienced fisherman can tell when it is a fish nibbling at the hook or when it is just the waves on the water.  He can then pull the line to hook the fish.

A novice fisherman will tend to pull the line every time he sees any motion at all.  This makes is much more work than a leisurely day of fishing is supposed to be.  But if he pays attention to the subtle differences that can’t really be described with words, he will eventually learn the differences.

The prophet is such a master fisherman that the mistakes he makes between the waves vs. the real nibbles are few and far between.  And the mistakes tend to be small, since he also has a wealth of other knowledge to prevent major error.  And it tends to be that only those at a prophet’s level will get a wholesale swallow by a big fish that is absolutely unmistakable.

Bottom line: It takes experience and lots of practice and effort.

STORY #2:

My brother-in-law decided that on his mission he would just do whatever he thought he was receiving from the Spirit.  There was only a minor filter (don’t do something he knows he’s commanded to NOT do, don’t break the law, etc.).  As he did them, he’d pay special attention to exactly how he felt and what was the result.

As he did so he became more aware of the differences in feelings that came from those promptings that produced good results and those that produced bad results.  Many were neutral, so what do you do?  Eventually he got to where he felt he had a good handle on it.

STORY #3:

My son (the one on this forum) had once said that he believed he had never felt the Spirit.  This obviously disturbed me.  As I prayed I realized that he must have felt the Spirit many times, but just didn’t recognize it.  So, it is my job as a parent to help him recognize it.

He went on a youth trip to Nauvoo with the stake.  When I picked him up, I saw a light in his eyes and an excitement I’d never seen.  I asked him about what he saw and did.  I asked him how he felt.  It was good.  I described a few things about that feeling – how much of it was emotional, physical, and spiritual.  I then pointed out to him, “That spiritual aspect that you’re feeling is the Spirit.”

During one family home evening we focused on feeling the Spirit.  It was really difficult to get the young ones to settle down.  So our conversation extended to past their bedtime.  But I stayed up with my two oldest.  I began feeling the Spirit very strongly as we spoke.  I told them that I was then feeling the Spirit.  It was certainly in the room.  My son said, “Dad, I think I feel it too.”  I counseled him to remember that feeling.

Sometimes you need someone to give you some salt and say, ”This is what salt tastes like.”  They just need to put it on their tongue.

Edited by Guest
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I am beginning to see that the Spirit is not something that you can use on a regular basis to make decisions. You can try to use for major perhaps once yearly decisions.

I disagree.  As you get better (with practice) at recognizing the Spirit, it will be easier to receive guidance more often - and to know when it's OK to just do what you know is right.

 

If I can make a suggestion: start your prayer with your testimony, then ask what you should pray for.  Pray with the intent to say and do what the Lord wants.  (This doesn't mean to stop praying for the thing you're concerned about, but to do that separately, another time, or after you're done with the first part - unless the Spirit is telling you not to pray for that right now...)

 

In my experience, testimony is a quick way to invite the Spirit.  And for me, the strongest and most certain answer to prayer came from a prayer that started this way.

 

I've also found that reading my scriptures for an extended time (like 30 minutes or so) before prayer helps open my mind, and change my priorities...

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Sunday21,

 

I'm reading Ether 3 right now, and verse 11 teaches a very important point.  It's after the brother of Jared see's the Lord's finger...

 

"And the Lord said unto him: Believest thou the words which I shall speak?"

 

Note the future tense there.  I think this is the meaning of "real intent" and one of the keys to receiving revelation - we believe in the answer before we know what it is.  A real trial of faith.

 

FWIW.

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Sunday21,

 

I'm reading Ether 3 right now, and verse 11 teaches a very important point.  It's after the brother of Jared see's the Lord's finger...

 

"And the Lord said unto him: Believest thou the words which I shall speak?"

 

Note the future tense there.  I think this is the meaning of "real intent" and one of the keys to receiving revelation - we believe in the answer before we know what it is.  A real trial of faith.

 

FWIW.

 

Real intent is doing the right thing for the right reason.

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[quot.. the more willing we are to give up our own will, the more direction we will be given.

Dear changed, can you explain this? In what way would someone give up their own will?

Example: I want to stay home and read a book (this statement is never false).  The Lord wants me to go help clean the church / attend the Saturday night session of Stake Conference / visit someone in need / etc.  I should give up my will, and do as the Lord wills.  If I refuse, I won't receive revelation such as who "someone in need" is.  Or, by extension, by choosing not to do things I know I ought to do, I'm telling the Spirit not to bother with me, and will feel the Spirit's inspiration less and less.

 

President Monson has talked about acting on promptings immediately - this is another example.  A prompting is the Lord telling you his will.  Putting off action until a more convenient time, or because you simply don't want to act, tells the Spirit not to bother you (and the Spirit complies quickly with your wish not to be bothered).  On the other hand, acting promptly on a prompting (hee hee) invites the Spirit to remain with you and guide you.

 

So, giving up your own will comes in many forms:

  • Obedience to commandments you know about (Sunday School answers)
  • Serving well in a calling / office of the priesthood
  • Heeding the promptings you do receive
  • Serving others (Charity)
  • Striving to learn what the Lord's will is (and having a willingness to obey once you learn, otherwise you'll never learn, or you'll learn to your condemnation)
  • etc. All the above could be expanded

....eventually, doing the Lord's will becomes your will (in bits and pieces as you learn to enjoy what the Lord wants you to do).

 

For me, this quote from "Reflections on a Consecrated Life", Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2010 General Conference, says it all:

 

Elder B. H. Roberts once expressed the process in these words: “The man who so walks in the light and wisdom and power of God, will at the last, by the very force of association, make the light and wisdom and power of God his own—weaving those bright rays into a chain divine, linking himself forever to God and God to him. This [is] the sum of Messiah’s mystic words, ‘Thou, Father, in me, and I in thee’—beyond this human greatness cannot achieve.”

 

Walking "in the light and wisdom and power of God" is the same as doing the Lord's will.

Edited by zil
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Just as a thought experiment - If the spirit asked you right now to give up all of your earthly possessions, and give it all to the poor, would you be able to do it?

 

If it were just me -- my children were grown and independent, my wife was otherwise taken care of -- and if I were reasonably confident that it was the Spirit prompting me, I honestly believe I would do it without too much trouble. But wife and children make it a much dicier proposition for me, and would probably require that I be absolutely convinced it was guidance of the Spirit before doing so.

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If it were just me -- my children were grown and independent, my wife was otherwise taken care of -- and if I were reasonably confident that it was the Spirit prompting me, I honestly believe I would do it without too much trouble. But wife and children make it a much dicier proposition for me, and would probably require that I be absolutely convinced it was guidance of the Spirit before doing so.

Another thought experiment: If you're endowed, you've pretty much already agreed to give up all you have for the blessing of others.  I submit that providing for your family is part of that (you could choose not to provide for your family and wouldn't be the first to make that choice).

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