Revelation or Review

The quotes in yesterday's video came from a talk called Waiting on the Road to Damascus. In this talk, President Uchtdorf talk about how some people may be waiting for some glorious manifestation of the truthfulness of the gospel before they act on the principles that the gospel teaches. President Uchtdorf reminds us that testimonies often come little-by-little, and they come while we act upon the truths that have been shared with us. He advises us to listen for and heed the promptings of the Spirit, teaching "If we ignore or block out the promptings of the Spirit for whatever reason, they become less noticeable until we cannot hear them at all." He also talks about serving others, and finally, sharing our beliefs with others.

It strikes me as odd how much of the  gospel is subtle. Inspiration comes through a still, small voice, not a loud, clear one. Prayers are more often answered through the service of other than through miracles. And when we ask questions in prayer, God shows us the answer in something we read in the scriptures or hear at church, rather than just telling us Himself. Sometimes God is so subtle that even those who want to follow Him have no idea what He wants them to do. "The promptings of the Spirit... become less noticeable until we cannot hear them at all."

Yet, God doesn't want any of us to be hopelessly lost. He wants all of us to return to Him. That must mean that He wants all of us to know how to return to Him. If we don't know the way, we can't follow it. Then again, maybe God already gives us all the help we need. He's given each of us the Light of Christ, which is like a conscience in that it helps us recognize right from wrong. He gave us scriptures; almost everyone has access to the Bible. For the next step on the journey to return, He counts on members of His church to share the gospel, so everyone can have a chance to be baptized and follow the path to Eternal Life.

Maybe we members of the church, wondering exactly what God would like us to do, already know enough. We all know the Seminary answers for increasing our testimony and feeling the Spirit more: read your scriptures, say your prayers, go to church, etc. Are we doing all that, or is there more we can do?

And God has given us plenty of other guidelines, too. For example, let's say that there's a member of our circle (a family member, a friend, a coworker, whatever) who's doing things we know they shouldn't do, and it's keeping them from being happy. We want to help them, but is it really our place to say anything? And if we do say something, what should we say? This sounds like a job for direct revelation, but is it? What teachings have we already heard that may apply here?

We've heard that everyone has their own stewardship, that people can receive heavenly guidance for themselves and the people under them, but for no one else. Then, we've also heard that "it becometh every man that hath been warned to warn his neighbor." The Savior has taught that we should be meek and mild, but we've also heard that reproof, when necessary should be given with sharpness, showing an increase of love afterward. So what, exactly, should we say? At times, saints are called upon to simply open their mouths and say whatever the Spirit inspires, yet at other times, preparation is wise.

We've been given so much guidance, and some of it seems to contradict the other guidance we've been given. I think the principle that's most applicable to getting answers to questions and concerns is to study it out in our minds, to try to find an answer that God may have already given you, to decide on a course of action, and then to ask God for confirmation. If He says Yes, follow your plan. If He says No, revise your plan and ask again. If He says nothing, it may be that our idea is good enough and God wants us to go forward and have faith in ourselves.

God has given us a lot of guidance, yet we always seem to need more. We are daily faced with challenges and decisions that maybe no one has ever faced before, and maybe we do need new revelation to know how to handle the situations we're facing. Then again, maybe we don't. Maybe we've already received enough guidance that the answers to whatever problems we're facing now are in there somewhere. We just have to review what we've learned and find the message that applies.

I'll admit, it seems a lot easier and more reliable to get direct, specific, personal revelation, but God didn't mean for life to be easy. This is meant to be a learning experience, and if the teacher is always whispering answers into the student's ear, the student isn't going to learn anything. God gave us the textbooks, and He gives lectures every once in a while, but when the tests of life come, the Teacher often say nothing, but by His silence, says "Show me what you've learned."