Week 7

I must admit that sometimes during class i feel like I am rambling on and on but yet at the same time I feel like the things that I am "rambling" on about I am led to talk about.. today I went into class and began speaking about things that I hadn't thought about before. Today was an extension of last week's lesson regarding revelation. Last week was about the importance of revelation and what we need to do to receive it. this week was about how to recognize it when we receive it. That is probably one of the hardest things about revelation. To recieve it we have to be worthy to receive it but also we have to be willing to receive the Lord's answer and not necessarily the answer we are looking for. Often times we think we are ready to receive specific answers but the Lord knows otherwise. He will give us the answer we are seeking but he will give it a little bit at a time...sometimes he wants to see really how strong our testimony is. We may be seeking answers to questions that we really need to prove ourselves with first. Are we being righteous and diligent now only to fall away when the Lord doesn't give us what we want, when we want it? Are we going to lose faith or become stronger by humbling ourselves and asking what the Lord wants instead of what we want. Its funny how we tend to do what the Lord asks of us if and only if he blesses us with good things but we also have to remember that trials and the answer "no" or waiting to give us answers is a blessing, too. If he gives us answers and knowledge that we are not ready for and then we choose to not accept his answers than we are accountable for that knowledge and we will be judged based on it. We also sometimes have to prove ourselves worthy.. we must be patient and this means learning what patience is and staying righteous, growing in our testimonies and becoming closer to the Lord while we are waiting for our answers line upon line. We can't just give up when we are tired of waiting. We must study, ponder, meditate and pray--looking for bits of our answers along the way. We must develop characteristics that bring us closer to the Lord and help us to build up the kingdom of god- beginning with ourselves. I can't say the process any better than what it says in the manual and so i cam copying and pasting the list. I will put my comments under each of the steps...just to remind myself of where I need improving.



a. Be patient and continue to wait faithfully on the Lord (D&C 98:2). He will answer in His time. Exercising patience helps us grow spiritually and develop attributes of godliness... even prophets must exercise patience as they seek divine guidance.

I spoke last week that we all can become like the prophets of old and today- if we choose to put time and effort into it. How are we using our time- are we filling our time with things of god and righteousness or could we stand improvement. I know I could definitely make a more concerted effort in this area.


b. Increase our efforts to be in tune spiritually so we can receive and recognize the whisperings of the Spirit.

so often we surround ourselves with so much noise, movies, music, friends, negativity- our own thoughts. Are we making time to read scriptures, say prayers, think about those things that build us up and bring us closer to our Savior. do we take even 15 minutes a day of quiet solitude to think without distraction. this is so important because if it is too "noisy" we won't hear the promptings of the spirit.


c. Increase our efforts to study and pray, recognizing that we may not have done this as long, as faithfully, or as honestly as we should.

I believe this goes hand in hand with the one up above. we can always be doing better in areas of spirituality. if we aren't reading our scriptures at all, start with one verse in the morning and then throughout the day ponder on that scripture and ask what it has to do with you. If we aren't praying faithfully every day and night make an effort to do so. when we are attending church are we going just to socialize or are we listening for inspiration and motivation. there are always areas we could stand to improve upon. all efforts will be recognized by the Lord and will make us worthy of revelation as well as help us to recognize when we are receiving revelation.



d. Be more faithful in obeying the commandments (Isaiah 59:2).

Again this goes along with the above and when we are doing the above this will fall into place because we will want to be doing this.


e. Set the matter aside for a while. Flashes of inspiration often come when we least expect them, while our minds are no longer consumed by the matter.

Boy, I can testify to this. It goes along with being patient and it goes along with trusting that the Lord will give us answers when he knows we are ready. So often, as i said before, we want our answers now and when we don't get it on our time we obsess about it and begin to lose faith that the answer is ever going to come. But when we stay faithful and continue doing those things that the Lord has asked of us then we can know that when we ask, he will answer, there then is no reason to obsess because the answer will come when we are ready.


f. Recognize that we may be seeking counsel on matters that we should determine for ourselves, using our best judgment based on study and reason. In these cases the Lord may leave us to decide on our own (for examples, see D&C 58:25–28; 60:5; 61:22; 62:5). The Lord often allows us to make our own decisions in righteousness.


g. Evaluate whether we may have received an answer already but have not accepted it because it was not what we hoped for or expected. If we insist on what we want, we may close off the Spirit’s communication with us.

so often we want everything to be quick and easy but when we don't put time and effort into it then when we receive the knowledge we are seeking we tend to cast it aside. As with anything that we put time and effort into it it becomes more valuable and we are less likely to cast it aside. Sometimes the answer is no, sometimes the answer is not what we were expecting but always the answer will be what the Lord knows it right for you as an individual.

Faith is not easy but when we use it we will be strengthened and blessed in so many ways we are unaware of.

when we follow the process and make ourselves open to hearing the "still small voice" we can't go wrong. In the world today we are told so often we can do it by ourselves, that we don't need anyone or anything else but I know through my own experiences this is true but it also something that i have to continue to develop and understand. when it comes to things of the gospel they must be understood by our spirits and the only way to do that is to make ourselves worthy of the spirit that can testify to us of ALL truth- as long as we are seeking it and open to making the changes necessary for the spirit to be present.

i love this gospel and while it does not always seem easy to make choices that keep us on the strait and narrow; it is far easier in the long run and as we do so our roots will become more grounded and when the storms come it will be harder for us to be uprooted.