Weekly question: On recognizing the Spirit

Women Seeking Christ — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 07:28:59 +0000

Revelation is a key principle in the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Revelation, communication from heaven, comes both at a general level and a personal level. Truths about the plan of salvation, about the nature and teachings of God, and about the mission of the Savior, Jesus Christ, come through prophets who are called of God and have been given the authority to speak in His name for the sake of all of God’s children.

Personal revelation is also essential to our sojourn on earth. Personal revelation exists to provide

…a confirmation in the hearts of the believers that…revelation to the prophets is true. It also consists of individual guidance for every person who seeks for it and follows the prescribed course of faith, repentance, and obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. (From the entry on revelation in the Bible Dictionary.)

An important part of our journey on earth is to learn how to communicate with God through prayer and through seeking personal revelation. One of the key ways that we can receive personal revelation is through the Holy Ghost, sometimes called the Spirit.

The Holy Ghost speaks to our hearts and minds. Learning to recognize the Spirit’s voice is an individual process and experience, but sometimes it helps to hear how others experience and recognize the Spirit. We invite you to share how you can tell when God is communicating with you.

One thing to note is that there is no one way that people experience the Spirit. For some, direction from heaven comes in the form of peace and other simple but pure, light-filled feelings. Some feel a physical sensation of burning in their hearts. Sometimes, revelation comes in the form of mental clarity and ideas. Sometimes, it’s simply a feeling that things are falling into place.

Many times, over a lifetime, a person will have experienced personal revelation in various ways. Often, there is a combination of thoughts and feelings that help one recognize the reality of revelation.

Learning to recognize the Spirit is something that can take time, patience, and experience. It certainly takes faith and obedience and diligence. It’s a wonderful thing to know that we, as children of God, can receive personal guidance and comfort and help through the gift of personal revelation.

**Please note: The answers in “Ask a Mormon Woman” and reflect the thoughts, perspectives, and experiences of individuals. Although here at Mormon Women, we strive to have our content consistent with the Church’s doctrine and teachings, we do not speak officially for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. For official information about or from the Church, please visit www.mormon.org or www.lds.org.

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Do you have a question you would like to submit? Simply include a comment below, or send an email at gmail with the username ‘mormonwoman’

To hear several members’ experiences with the search for truth and finding answers to life’s questions, see this page at mormon.org.

For more about this topic, see the following articles:

Robert D. Hales, “Personal Revelation: The Teachings and Examples of the Prophets,” Liahona, Nov 2007, 86–89

James E. Faust, “Communion with the Holy Spirit,” Liahona, Mar 2002, 3

L. Lionel Kendrick, “Personal Revelation,” Ensign, Sep 1999, 7

Gerald N. Lund, “Is It Revelation?,” New Era, Jul 2004, 44

Visiting Teaching Message: “Receiving Personal Revelation,” Liahona, Sep 2000, 25

Search for more articles at lds.org – suggested topics include: revelation, personal revelation, answer to prayer, divine guidance, Holy Ghost, pure intelligence….

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Weekly question: On recognizing the Spirit