“I urge you to stretch beyond your current
spiritual ability to receive personal revelation, for the Lord has promised
that “if thou shalt [seek], thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation,
knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable
things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.”12
Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives
In coming days, it will
not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing,
comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.
What a glorious
privilege it has been to celebrate Easter with you on this Sunday of general
conference! Nothing could be more fitting than to commemorate the most
important event that ever occurred on this earth by worshipping the most
important being who ever walked this earth. In this, The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints, we worship Him who commenced His infinite Atonement in
the Garden of Gethsemane. He was willing to suffer for the sins and weaknesses
of each of us, which suffering caused Him “to bleed at every pore.”1 He was crucified
on Calvary’s cross2 and rose the
third day as the first resurrected being of our Heavenly Father’s children. I
love Him and testify that He lives! It is He who leads and guides His Church.
Without our
Redeemer’s infinite Atonement, not one of us would have hope of ever returning
to our Heavenly Father. Without His Resurrection, death would be the end. Our
Savior’s Atonement made eternal life a possibility and immortality a reality
for all.
It is because of
His transcendent mission and the peace He grants His followers that my wife,
Wendy, and I felt comfort late on January 2, 2018, when we were awakened by
a phone call telling us that President Thomas S. Monson had stepped through the
veil.
How we miss President Monson! We honor his life and his legacy.
A spiritual giant, he left an indelible imprint upon all who knew him and upon
the Church that he loved.
On Sunday,
January 14, 2018, in the upper room of the Salt Lake Temple, the First
Presidency was reorganized in the simple yet sacred pattern established by the
Lord. Then, at yesterday morning’s solemn assembly, members of the Church
throughout the world raised their hands to confirm the earlier action taken by
the Apostles. I am humbly grateful for your sustaining support.
I am also
grateful for those upon whose shoulders I stand. It has been my privilege to
serve in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for 34 years and to know personally
10 of the 16 previous Presidents of the Church. I learned much from each of
them.
I also owe much
to my forebears. All eight of my great-grandparents were converts to the Church
in Europe. Each of these stalwart souls sacrificed everything to come to Zion.
During subsequent generations, however, not all my ancestors remained so
committed. As a result, I was not raised in a gospel-centered home.
I adored my parents. They meant the world to me and taught me
crucial lessons. I cannot thank them enough for the happy homelife they created
for me and my siblings. And yet, even as a boy, I knew I was missing something.
One day I jumped on the streetcar and went to an LDS bookstore to find a book
about the Church. I loved learning about the gospel.
As I came to understand
the Word of Wisdom, I wanted my parents to live that law. So, one day when I
was very young, I went to our basement and smashed on the concrete floor every
bottle of liquor! I expected my father to punish me, but he never said a word.
As I matured and
began to understand the magnificence of Heavenly Father’s plan, I often said to
myself, “I don’t want one more Christmas present! I just want to be sealed to
my parents.” That longed-for event did not happen until my parents were past
80, and then it did happen. I cannot fully express the joy that I felt that day,3 and each day I feel
that joy of their sealing and my being sealed to them.
In 1945, while I was in medical school, I married Dantzel White
in the Salt Lake Temple. She and I were blessed with nine splendid daughters
and one precious son. Today our ever-growing family is one of the greatest joys
of my life.
In 2005, after nearly 60 years of marriage, my dear Dantzel was
unexpectedly called home. For a season, my grief was almost immobilizing. But
the message of Easter and the promise of resurrection sustained me.
Then the Lord brought Wendy Watson to my side. We were sealed in
the Salt Lake Temple on April 6, 2006. How I love her! She is an extraordinary
woman—a great blessing to me, to our family, and to the entire Church.
Each of these
blessings has come as a result of seeking and heeding the promptings of the
Holy Ghost. Said President Lorenzo Snow, “This is the grand privilege of every
Latter-day Saint … that it is our right to have the manifestations of the
Spirit every day of our lives.”4
One of the
things the Spirit has repeatedly impressed upon my mind since my new calling as
President of the Church is how willing the Lord is to reveal His mind and will.
The privilege of receiving revelation is one of the greatest gifts of God to
His children.
Through the
manifestations of the Holy Ghost, the Lord will assist us in all our righteous
pursuits. I remember in an operating room, I have stood over a patient—unsure
how to perform an unprecedented procedure—and experienced the Holy Ghost
diagramming the technique in my mind.5
To strengthen my
proposal to Wendy, I said to her, “I know about revelation and how to receive
it.” To her credit—and, as I have come to learn, typical of her—she had already
sought and received her own revelation about us, which gave her the courage to
say yes.
As a member of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, I prayed daily for revelation and gave
thanks to the Lord every time He spoke to my heart and mind.
Imagine the
miracle of it! Whatever our Church calling, we can pray to our Heavenly Father
and receive guidance and direction, be warned about dangers and distractions,
and be enabled to accomplish things we simply could not do on our own. If we
will truly receive the Holy Ghost and learn to discern and understand His
promptings, we will be guided in matters large and small.
When I recently
faced the daunting task of choosing two counselors, I wondered how I could
possibly choose just two from twelve men whom I love and respect.
Because I know
that good inspiration is based upon good information, I prayerfully met
one-on-one with each Apostle.6 I then
sequestered myself in a private room in the temple and sought the Lord’s will.
I testify that the Lord instructed me to select President Dallin H. Oaks
and President Henry B. Eyring to serve as my counselors in the First
Presidency.
In like manner,
I testify that the Lord inspired the call of Elder Gerrit W. Gong and Elder
Ulisses Soares to be ordained as His Apostles. I and we welcome them to this
unique brotherhood of service.
When we convene
as a Council of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, our meeting
rooms become rooms of revelation. The Spirit is palpably present. As we wrestle
with complex matters, a thrilling process unfolds as each Apostle freely
expresses his thoughts and point of view. Though we may differ in our initial
perspectives, the love we feel for each other is constant. Our unity helps us
to discern the Lord’s will for His Church.
In our meetings,
the majority never rules! We listen prayerfully to one another and talk with
each other until we are united. Then when we have reached complete accord, the
unifying influence of the Holy Ghost is spine-tingling! We experience what the
Prophet Joseph Smith knew when he taught, “By union of feeling we obtain power
with God.”7 No member of the
First Presidency or Quorum of the Twelve would ever leave decisions for the
Lord’s Church to his own best judgment!
Brothers and
sisters, how can we become the men and women—the Christlike servants—the Lord
needs us to be? How can we find answers to questions that perplex us? If Joseph
Smith’s transcendent experience in the Sacred Grove teaches us anything, it is
that the heavens are open and that God speaks to His children.
The Prophet
Joseph Smith set a pattern for us to follow in resolving our questions. Drawn
to the promise of James that if we lack wisdom we may ask of God,8 the boy Joseph
took his question directly to Heavenly Father. He sought personal revelation,
and his seeking opened this last dispensation.
In like manner,
what will your seeking open for you? What wisdom do you lack? What do you feel
an urgent need to know or understand? Follow the example of the Prophet Joseph.
Find a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour
out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for
comfort.
Pray in the name
of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very
longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your
mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are
prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month,
year after year, you will “grow into the principle of revelation.”9
Does God really want to
speak to you? Yes! “As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the
Missouri river in its decreed course … as to hinder the Almighty from pouring
down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints.”10
You don’t have
to wonder about what is true.11 You do not have
to wonder whom you can safely trust. Through personal revelation, you can
receive your own witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that
Joseph Smith is a prophet, and that this is the Lord’s Church. Regardless of
what others may say or do, no one can ever take away a witness borne to your
heart and mind about what is true.
I urge you to
stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation,
for the Lord has promised that “if thou shalt [seek], thou shalt receive
revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the
mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth
life eternal.”12
Oh, there is so
much more that your Father in Heaven wants you to know. As Elder Neal A.
Maxwell taught, “To those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, it is clear
that the Father and the Son are giving away the secrets of the universe!”13
Nothing opens
the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience,
earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon,14 and regular
time committed to temple and family history work.
To be sure,
there may be times when you feel as though the heavens are closed. But I
promise that as you continue to be obedient, expressing gratitude for every
blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord’s timetable,
you will be given the knowledge and understanding you seek. Every blessing the
Lord has for you—even miracles—will follow. That is what personal revelation
will do for you.
I am optimistic
about the future. It will be filled with opportunities for each of us to
progress, contribute, and take the gospel to every corner of the earth. But I
am also not naive about the days ahead. We live in a world that is complex and
increasingly contentious. The constant availability of social media and a
24-hour news cycle bombard us with relentless messages. If we are to have any
hope of sifting through the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men that
attack truth, we must learn to receive revelation.
Our Savior and
Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now
and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father
and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But
in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the
guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.
My beloved
brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to
receive revelation. Let this Easter Sunday be a defining moment in your life.
Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost
and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly.
With Moroni, I exhort
you on this Easter Sabbath to “come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good
gift,”15 beginning with
the gift of the Holy Ghost, which gift can and will change your life.
We are followers
of Jesus Christ. The most important truth the Holy Ghost will ever witness to
you is that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the
living God. He lives! He is our Advocate with the Father, our Exemplar, and our
Redeemer. On this Easter Sunday, we commemorate His atoning sacrifice, His
literal Resurrection, and His divinity.
This is His
Church, restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I so testify, with my
expression of love for each of you, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
“Revelation”
(that
thou mayest know)
cji
4/17/18
Revelation
is alive and available
in spite
of what the worldly say
(all say
without revelation there
is no
Church on this earth*)
read and
understand all truth
history
is there to study fully
each via
prayer can know all
righteousness
– obedience
that
thou mayest know truth
how long
to shelter oneself
justifying
the worldly alone
giving
up your birthright
I weep
for each and all
some in
joy other in pain!
*(Since
200AD all various church
leaders over
and over repeated
even up
to today – there is no
certitude
therefore no true Church)
Copyright © 2018 – cji
