Personal Revelation

• 1 Nephi 2:16

Nephi prays and receives a confirmation of his father's calling.

• 1 Nephi 1:18-24

Nephi prays for his brothers and the Lord answers.

• 1 Nephi 4:6,10-13

Nephi guided by the spirit, "not knowing beforehand the things which [he] should do".

He is commanded to kill Laban.

• Joseph Smith - History 8-13

How Joseph Smith came to understand that he needed personal revelation.

• D&C 6:5,14-15,22-24

The Lord on Oliver Cowdery's personal revelations.

• D&C 8:2-3

"I will tell you in your mind and in your heart."

• D&C 9:7-9

Practical instruction on personal revelation.

• Christopher Bergland, "Daydreaming: Not All Mind Wandering Fuels Creative Thinking", Psychology Today, 30 Mar 2016

"Insight problem solving occurs when, after working on a problem for awhile and maybe feeling stuck, a solution unexpectedly emerges into consciousness in an ‘Aha!’ moment. This happens because our mind restructures, reframes the initial representation of a problem and that allows us to see it under a new light and solve it."

• D&C 28:4-6

4) And if thou art led at any time by the Comforter to speak or teach, or at all times by the way of commandment unto the church, thou mayest do it.

5) But thou shalt not write by way of commandment, but by wisdom;

6) And thou shalt not command him who is at thy head, and at the head of the church;

• D&C 42:61

Lord's promise to reveal mysteries and peaceable things.

• D&C 88:63-64

"Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you."

• D&C 138:1-11

Example of how the scriptures can lead to personal revelation.

• Numbers 11:29

And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!

• Joseph Smith, "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith", p. 324

Reading of the experiences and revelations of others is not enough to understand our relation to God.

• Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, Nov. 1991, p. 23

"No one of us can survive in the world of today ... without personal inspiration."

• Dallin H. Oaks, "Scripture Reading and Revelation", Ensign, Jan. 1995, p. 8

Scriptures can be like an Urim and Thummim to us.

• Boyd K. Packer, "Personal Revelation: The Gift, the Test, and the Promise", Ensign, Nov. 1994, subheading "Temptation"

"There can be counterfeit revelations..."

• Pres. Thomas S. Monson, "Examples of Great Teachers", Ensign, June 2007, p. 106, subheading "Everyone Has a Story"

Tells a good story about how a father received revelation which enabled him to send his daughter on a mission.

• Elder Henry B. Eyring, "Gifts of the Spirit for Hard Times", Ensign, June 2007

Practical advice on being prepared to receive personal revelation.

Daily revelation is possible.

• Elder L. Tom Perry, "We Believe All That God Has Revealed", Ensign, Nov. 2003

Some comments on what the term "revelation" means.

"We all have the right to petition the Lord and receive inspiration through His Spirit within the realm of our own stewardship."

"However, we cannot receive revelation for someone else’s stewardship."

• Elder Richard G. Scott, "Learning to Recognize Answers to Prayer", Ensign, Nov. 1989

"Don’t worry about your clumsily expressed feelings. Just talk to your Father. He hears every prayer and answers it in His way."

"When He answers yes, it is to give us confidence.

When He answers no, it is to prevent error.

When He withholds an answer, it is to have us grow through faith in Him, obedience to His commandments, and a willingness to act on truth."

• Cecil O. Samuelson Jr., “‘I Will Not Leave You Comfortless’,” Ensign, Oct 2007, 46–50

Discusses the importance of personal revelation.

"Discusses how to qualify to receive personal revelation.

Discusses how to discern the source of revelation.

• "Spiritual Promptings", Ensign, September 2008, pp. 18-22

Various personal experiences shared by members regarding personal revelation.

• Joshua J. Perkey, "Finding My Faith", Ensign, October 2008

A member retells his conversion experience, with some particularly good detail regarding his learning about personal revelation through experience.

• John Hilton III, “Have Ye Inquired of the Lord?,” Ensign, Oct 2008, 38–39

• "Book of Mormon Student Manual: Religion 121-122", p. 16, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2009

Some people have incorrectly felt that the Spirit of the Lord has prompted them to do something contrary to what the Lord has already commanded, such as was the case with Nephi. Today we need not worry that the Lord might prompt us to do something that runs contrary to current commandments. President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) has taught us who the Lord will give such promptings to: “When there is to be anything different from that which the Lord has told us already, He will reveal it to His prophet and no one else” (Stand Ye in Holy Places [1974], 159).

• Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 191 (Cited here)

"The best way to obtain truth and wisdom is not to ask it from books, but to go to God in prayer, and obtain divine teaching"

Notes

TODO: Find context for Harold B. Lee quote. This seems to contradict what has been said elsewhere, if taken as presented.

Cross-References

• Dreams
• Holy Ghost
• Moroni's Promise
• Mysteries
• Prayer
• Prophets
• Revelation
• Scriptures
• Testimony
• Visions