Miracles 07: Rules of Revelation

So I will still contend that one of the greatest miracles of all is the miracle of receiving revelation. The miracle of being guided. The miracle of a finite person in mortality, exercising agency that needs to learn to grow that agency, balancing that with the omnipotence and the omniscience of God. If you think about that, that is an odd little combination, right? The crossroads between our agency and his omniscience are freedom to choose and need to learn to choose for ourselves and his omnipotent power. Which part is mine and which part is his? I cannot navigate this world without his help. And yet I don't want to be a robot that simply follows orders and doesn't learn to think for myself. All of those and all of those challenges result in this miracle of being led from on high. The miracle of revelation, the miracle of guidance, the miracle of divine direction. Which we talked about last, I wanted to show you all the different ways that he speaks. And I hope you've had a marvelous week, recognizing that sometimes it's not his direction I need, but his presence. And he speaks to my heart. Numerous times this week, I didn't need direction. I just needed him. And that's revelation. One of the marvelous, one of the miracles of life is that a divine being in heaven comes down and wraps his arms around us. His presence, revelations to his are heart. But repeatedly this week, I needed direction. I needed an insight. I needed help. And so we receive revelations to our mind. All of those are marvelous. Now the only, it has been our tradition when we have talked about miracles of Jesus to talk about the blessing of the miracle, the miracle of multiplication, the miracle of so many different miracles that we've looked at. But then the ask, there is always something left for us to do to qualify for the miracle. It wouldn't be a miracle if it happened to everybody and happened all the time. Therefore, there has to be some level of qualification. So we've been focusing on the ask. If I want the miracle of multiplication, I have to offer him all that I have. So we only mentioned one last week. And I felt like that's not sufficient. And in my experience, one of the most confusing things in life is learning to understand his voice. Learning how to receive revelation. And part of the reason for that is number one, we can be misled. There is an enemy who can mimic revelation to the point where we can be deceived. How many people did something awful claiming to be led by God? Well, guess what? He would never have led them to do something awful. So we can be deceived. And let's be honest, let's all be humble enough to say, yes, I can fall pray to false impressions. Sometimes I want revelation so badly, I become vulnerable to false impressions. A second warning is that the emotional side of us and the spiritual side of us are so closely related that we can mistake a spiritual impression and an emotional impression for a spiritual one. I notice that happens a lot. Call it hormonal revelation or whatever. Sometimes it's simply an emotion that is confused to be the spirit. It's to drive me crazy when I don't mean to pick on girls camp, but girls would come back from girls camp saying it was so spiritual I cried the whole time. And I often wondered was it spiritual or was it emotional? Because those aren't necessarily the same. And do you know the difference between an emotional experience and a spiritual experience? So I wanted to talk about recognizing how true revelation comes. But today let's talk about the rules. What are the rules of revelation? What are the asks? What are the conditions of qualifying for the miracle? And I think sometimes we, sometimes we mess up the rules of revelation, which is often the source of our frustration. So let's turn to the scriptures once again. We'll do what we've done and turn to the scriptures and ask what are the rules of revelation. We're going to start in the book of Mormon. Then we'll turn to the doctrine of Kevin. I want to turn to a fascinating little insight when Mormon handed over the record to his son, Moroni. So he's written the book of Lehigh, Mosiah, Alma, Helaman, 4th Nephi, 4th Nephi, and Mormon. Mormon hands it over to Moroni. And Moroni's first impression was, I don't have a whole lot to write. I remind you that Mormon, and Moroni, takes over in Mormon chapter 8. I hate it when it does this. Sorry. There we go. Moroni takes over, I'm Moroni, I do finish the record of my father. And I have, what does he say? What does he think? I don't have much to add. But the Lord did. What was missing from the book? Think, first Nephi, well, it was Lehigh, not the small plates. Mosiah, Alma, Helaman, 3rd Nephi, all of that's wonderful. But what seems to be missing in all of that? How to receive revelation? There's just not a whole lot in Mosiah through 4th Nephi on how to receive revelation. So the Lord says, I know, and we're going to fix what does, I mean, Moroni didn't think he was going to add much. And what does he add? Ether. Relax your eyes a little bit. And what is the story of Ether? What is the story of the brother of Jared? Another anomaly, okay? How many kings are there among the Jaredites? There's 15 chapters in Ether. And if we evenly distributed them over the kings, each king should just get how much? Well, we're to the 6th chapter of Ether out of 15, and we're still talking about whom? The brother of Jared. So the addition wasn't the whole book of Ether. I love the rest of the book, and it's wonderful. But the addition was the story of the Jaredites coming to America. I think that's astounding. The Lord says, I'm not done. We've got to include one more major piece into the Book of Mormon, and that is how to receive revelation. I'm astounded that what Moroni adds is the how to receive revelation piece. So turn with me to the book of Ether, look at it with a new set of eyes, and say, this is, we cannot pass the Book of Mormon over to the gentiles until we add this piece. Let's go to chapter 1, and the whole idea here is, let's talk about how to be guided to your promised land through the wilderness and across the ocean. Do you see the symbolism here? The guiding of the Jaredites to America is like you and I traveling through mortality. And so how do we learn to receive revelation? Now rule number one, let's just see if we can lay out a couple lessons that the Lord mentions in terms of revelation. There are three layers to this journey. We've got to get from the Tower of Babel. So wherever Babel was, we've got to get into the Valley of Nimrod, from the Valley of Nimrod through the wilderness and to the edge of the water, to the beach, and then we've got to cross the ocean. So three major legs. So from Babel to Nimrod, Nimrod to the beach from the beach to America. Now I'm going to make some assumptions that they had traveled many times from Babel to Nimrod. It seems to have been a well-known path. So the Lord simply says, "Go and I will meet you there." You have all the tools you need, you have all the instructions. I have already done all that you need. I have given you all the information that you need to get to Nimrod. He doesn't seem to be going with them. I will meet you there. You're on your own. You get yourself there. Now that's fascinating when you contrast that with the next leg. Leg number one, you've got to go on your own. This is all you. Get yourself to Nimrod. Then leg number two, tell me about leg number two. They're going into a quarter where never had man been. Then it came to pass as the Lord did go before them and did talk with them. He gave them directions. He did to travel in the wilderness and they did build barges. They did cross many waters. Now notice the difference. Leg number one, go and I'll meet you there. Leg number two, they were being directed continually by the end of the Lord. That's a little confusing, right? Why the difference? Why is he so part of their life in leg number two and absent in leg number one? Why does he say go and I'll meet you there. You're on your own. Yet for leg number two, he holds their hand. Any thoughts? We've got to clearly understand why is the Lord being so directive in one situation and so silent in another. Because you and I are going to have those directive periods and silent periods and we need to understand the difference. Lindsay, any thoughts? First one, like you said, it was by man's like travels by man. And then the second one, it was unknown by man's. I didn't know that too. And I think there's not so much the unknown. What word seems to be, it's not necessarily here, but what seems to be the real issue here? It's not so much that they were unknown. Is it just seems to be very, very dangerous, right? They're going into a place where man has never been. No one has ever been through this. So the danger, the unknown, the darkness is very high. Revelation, rule of Revelation number one. Okay? Rule number one is when there is high danger. There is very specific help. When there is low danger, we are often on our own. Now that doesn't mean we're alone. He's there. He's watching. He's aware. Now I think to make sure we get the point, he's going to repeat this. He's going to do this again. Remember how the Lord emphasizes by repetition. So leg number one, go to Nimrod, seems to have been a well-known, well-established, safe path, you're on your own. I'll meet you there. Leg number two is through the wilderness. They're going into the wilderness where man has never been. It's new, it's dangerous. The darkness and the peril are high and he continually guides them by the hand of the Lord. Okay, let's watch him repeat that. Watch for the emphasis as if to say, you've got to understand the difference here. So they get to the beach and what do they do? They get to the beach. They get out of the wilderness. They're no longer in the dangerous part, still a little unknown, but clearly not as dangerous as the wilderness. They are on the beach and tell me what they do. They sit there for four years. Is the Lord pleased? Tell me what they did wrong. Tell me what they did, what's the mistake we often make? We are in one mode and expecting the revelation of the other mode. They've just come out of the wilderness where they were, wilderness revelation is constant and he's talking to you all the time and you better watch out and he's almost talking more than you expect him to. Wilderness revelation is high help. And now that they're on the beach do they need that help? And yet what's their expectation? They got so used to and so comfortable with all the help they were being given in the wilderness that as soon as they got out of the wilderness they waited. They wasted four years. They could have been in the Promised Land four years earlier. And forgive me if I'm a little intense, but how much time are you wasting? Sitting on the beach waiting for revelation, you think you're in one of these and you're actually in the other. You're starting to say I can see the rule here. Now watch him repeat this. I want to make sure you understand this. So after they sat on the beach for four years he says we got to start building barges and they start building these barges and they're tight like a dish. Now what's the problem with a barge that's tight like a dish? Oh Lord, in them there is no light. In them we have no light and in them we have no air. Now don't say yes. Are those of equal danger? Are they close? Not even close. Which one of these is the air situation? If they don't solve the air problem what happens? They die. If they don't solve the light problem what happens? They go to the American the darkness. Will they survive? Yes. So which one is air? This is air. High danger. If you don't figure this out you die. I have to help you. And what is the rule in air situations? You can expect significant help from heaven. High danger. High intense help from God. Now this is the light situation. The sun's not going to harm them. So tell me how the Lord handles the air situation. This is unlike he, this is not normal. This is not normal for the Lord but tell me what he does. Thou shalt make a hole in the top and also the bottom. And when you need air, unstop the hole. Anyone see something? wrong about that. Now let me just point this out. Why in the world do I need a hole in the bottom of my vault? I would see now they didn't know that did they. You and I know that. Did they know that they needed a hole in the bottom of the vault? And yet the instruction has come. Do you see my point here? In an air situation where the danger is high sometimes what do we get? Instruction that we do not understand. May I just raise an alert if you are getting instruction that you don't understand? It may very well be that you are in a very very dangerous situation. And he is giving you very specific now. You have your agency right? They don't have to drill a hole in the bottom of the vault. Doesn't make any sense to me. I'm not going to do it. I'm only going to drill a hole in the top because air will be at the top. Water will be at the bottom. I don't need a hole. I'm not following the instructions. You have your agency. Now what happens the first time the boat flips over? I'm dead. And that's not on God. That's on me because he gave very specific instructions that I didn't follow because I didn't see the danger. You don't often know the danger you're in. But one of the ways you can tell you are in a high danger situation is how loud the voice is. He is going to speak very very clearly, very distinctly. And yes, it may include things that don't make sense. I was teaching at the University of Utah Institute. I had a wonderful music student. She absolutely loved the program at the U. She was flourishing and out of the blue came a very strong impression to transfer schools. She didn't like it. She didn't understand it. And at first she didn't want to follow it. But she heard the voice enough that it was pretty clear that it was coming from God. Why in the world would he ask me to transfer schools when I'm everything's going so well here? Well, what might very well be the reason? You are in high danger. A very high danger situation for your salvation. You don't see it. But he does. Get out of this school and get to that one. Do you see air? What is the frustration in an air situation? I don't like it. I don't want to hear this. I don't understand why. It makes no sense why I need a hole in the bottom of my boat. The frustration in an air situation is I am getting signals that I don't like. I don't understand. I don't want to follow. Well, guess what? You're in danger and you better listen. Let me give you an illustration. I have a sweet little granddaughter. She's now eight. When she was two or three, she loved I live near a park and she'd come over and she'd want to go to the park and I would take her to the park and in order to get to the park we have to cross a busy street. Now tell me what I do to a two-year-old little girl when we cross a busy street. How tightly do I just put my finger out and let her grab my finger as we walk across the busy street? Now tell me what little girls do when adult grabs their hand tightly. Tell me what little girls often do. I don't like this. Grandpa, why are you holding my hand so tightly and she pulls back? Do I let go when she pulls back? And the more I don't let go tell me what's happening in her heart. She's growing more and more anxious and more and more concerned because this seems to be a very uncomfortable situation. Why am I holding on so tightly? Because the danger is high. She doesn't know it. She doesn't see the danger but I do. I have watched a lot of people pull back in high danger situations when the instructions are very very very specific but can be uncomfortable and hard. You are in danger and you need to listen but you will always have your agency. Do you see air? Do you see the rules for air? Now contrast that. Tell me what happens when we get to the edge of the park. Do I hold her hand as tightly as I did crossing the road while we're walking through the park and to the swing? I don't. I let go. I let go. Now here's where you get a whole different uncomfortable. The brother of Jared just got some very very specific instructions on how to solve the air problem and when he comes back and says Lord there's no light. We'll now suffer that we cross the great dark, the great water and darkness and the Lord simply says what? What is the brother of Jared expecting at this point? Do you want us to cross the water and the darkness? What is the brother of Jared expecting? I expect you to tell me what to do. Now how many times have you been in the light situation and you're saying Lord I expect you to tell me what to do and he says this is on you. This is not my decision. This is yours. I don't want it. I know you don't but you need this one. What do you want me to do for the light problem? I'll be with you. I'll help you. You ask but you need to make some decisions. Now this is where they sat on the beach for four years. And luckily I think the brother of Jared learned and so he makes a decision to gather out the stones and take them up. But notice the Lord said this is on you. Tell me what's the discomfort in the light situation. The discomfort in an air situation is I don't like the message that's coming but a message is clearly coming. What's the discomfort in a light situation? I'm not getting any message. Think back over your life and think how many times have you expected revelation and not received it. I expected an answer and I didn't get one. Almost to the point where people blame God or they think they're doing something wrong. How many of you feel like you have failed when you're not getting revelation? You get frustrated and angry that you're not receiving revelation. Well guess why? You need to understand the rule. You are out of danger and you need to make this decision. Now there's a confidence that needs to come because I am out of danger. I cannot mess this up and ruin my salvation. So both choices or all choices could be legitimate and I am capable of making this decision. Now let me give you an example. How about coming out of high school and going to college? For how many people is that an air situation? Where the Lord says you've got to go to that school? Sometimes it is. For me it was. For me college was an air situation and I didn't want to go to that school. I didn't plan on going to that school. I had no I had earlier had no desire to go to that school and the Lord made it very clear that is the school you're going to go to. I had planned on going to three other schools, mainly that one. And he said, "No, took it away. That is the one." I didn't even thought about that. That is the one. Now, tell me why. Why so specific? The danger was high. Now, why would going to that school instead of that school be such a dangerous situation? I didn't meet my wife at that school. I found this career at that school. It was not available at that one. When I was eighteen, I didn't know that. I didn't even know what I wanted to do. But the Lord knew. And He knew that the career I was going to spend my life in. That would mean everything to me was not at that school. He had to get me to that one. And I didn't like it. I did not like the message. I did not want to drill a hole in the bottom of my boat. But the rule I could see there is danger here. I didn't know what it was. At eighteen, I didn't know what it was. But I have to go to that school. Now, for how many people coming out of college was school a light situation. And they kept asking Heavenly Father, "Where do I go to?" And He says nothing. He said nothing. It's time to decide. I don't know what to do." And He said nothing. Let me give you a little bit more complicated one. I was teaching seminary at a high school. And there was a girl who was graduating just as her dad was called as a mission president to Japan. She's eighteen and her parents are moving to Japan. Now, does she stay in the United States and start her education alone without parents? She's an eighteen year old girl without parents. Or does she go to Japan? And no way she's going to start her education in Japan. She doesn't speak Japanese, but she'd be with her family. What do you do? That seems like a pretty intense decision, right? Stay in the United States without my mom and dad when I'm eighteen and start my education or move to Japan where I don't even speak the language and try and start my education, but at least be with my family. You would think something that intense Heavenly Father would have something to say, right? And He said nothing. She prayed and prayed and prayed and He said nothing. One day, She came to see me and she said, "I guess I just don't understand how revelation works." When I smiled and patted her on the head, "What do you think I told her?" Sweetheart, you are in a light situation and you are expecting revelation as if you were in, "How could this be a light situation?" Both are fine. Neither will harm you. You choose. She couldn't believe that this was her choice, but that's why revelation wasn't coming. This is a light situation and both are fine. One is not going to harm you. Your salvation is not at stake. There's no right and wrong here. There's just you choose, so go ahead and choose. See, the problem with the air is we want Him to decide. The problem with the light is we want to decide. And that I have found is often the root of our revelation problems is we misunderstand the situation we're in. If He is not speaking, if messages are not coming, may I suggest that you look strongly at the possibility that you are in a light situation and you need to get yourself to Nimrod. However you do it, it's fine. Well, does He want me to rent a car or does He want me to go by boat or does He want me to want you to decide? The danger is low. Does He want me to go to Japan or does He want me to stand you? You decide. Understand that I am in a light situation. Revelation is not coming. It doesn't mean He doesn't love me. It means He trusts me. And I am capable of making this decision. Own it and step up and make a decision. On other situations, when He says in the middle of your music career, the middle of your music degree, when you're flourishing, change schools, go to that school. No. That makes no sense. May I suggest you are in danger? You may not see it, but you are in danger and you need to follow. Now, going back to last week, you need to make sure that you are receiving revelation. This is not a counterfeit message. But when He is speaking, emphatically, that means you are in a dangerous situation. And you need to get out. You see the lesson from the Gerardites? It's a marvelous lesson on Revelation. Understand that He doesn't guide us in the light, the way He guides us in the air. And don't wait four years on the beach. It means you're in a light situation and you need to start deciding for yourself. But when you're in that air situation, you need to listen because the danger is high. Sweetheart, grandpa is not letting go. You don't understand how dangerous this moment is, but I do trust me and let me grip tightly. Did you hear what I said to you? Change schools. And she did. And it didn't take long before she figured out why. It took me years to figure out why I had to be at that school. Sometimes the answers come clearly. Sometimes the answers don't come. But I testify that God speaks very, very loudly in air situations and not at all or very, very limitately in light situations. And it depends on the danger that you're in. Learn to recognize which situation you're in. Any thoughts? Let me give you an example of one that I've seen bring a lot of confusion. Having another baby. When is it time? Now odds are which one is these? It's usually this. Guess what? It's not his decision. It's yours. But are there circumstances in which he is saying there is danger coming? And if you're going to have a child, you've got to have it now. Yes. Okay. How about your release society president and your calling a counselor? What does this one look like? Call her. What? No. That would never work. Call her. Lord, that makes no sense to me. I don't understand. I don't like it. She's not the right one. Call her. For some reason, someone's salvation is at stake or in danger. And you need to call her. Lord, I need a counselor. Who should I call? Lord, you're not telling me who to call. That's right. I need a name. Then the frustration, I guess I just don't get revelation. No, that's not the answer. What's the answer? You got wonderful women in your ward. Call any one of them. They're fantastic. You can do this. Make a good decision. No one's salvation is at danger. Do your best. I trust you. And call someone. See the difference? When it's dangerous, agency aside, you need help. When it's not, you need to exercise your agency. And he's going to let you choose. Now, those are the major ones. I think there are some wonderful, smaller lessons that you'll find on revelation. Can I give you one? What is the Lord answer the brother of Jared's prayer? Look at the last verse of chapter 1. What is the answer, his prayer? Because this long time, have you cried unto me? Some prayers require a long time of asking. Doesn't mean he doesn't love us. I wonder if part of that is, I really want to know how important this is for you. Quick story. If you ever watch children watch television commercials, especially at Christmas time, and what do they say with every toy that comes on, or with every magazine that they get? I want that. I want that. If you bought them everything they said they wanted, how would that play out? Have you learned that when children say they want something, they really don't necessarily want it? They won't be in a few minutes or a few years. I have learned when my child shall, I had a daughter, my oldest, she's now 33, but when she was 14, she wanted a turtle. Now, turtles are not easy to keep, and I did not want a turtle, because I knew that they were a mess, but she wanted a turtle. And she said that all the time, Dad, I want a turtle. All the time, Dad, I want a turtle. Can I get a turtle? You're driving around. Sometimes she saw a lawn, oh, it's a turtle. I want a turtle. She said that repeatedly. So finally, I said, look, Ashley, if you really want a turtle, I need you to write a report on how to take care of a turtle. I figured that when she studied how to take care of a turtle, she'd say no way, right? I want to report. I want a couple pages at least on how to take care of a turtle. I came home the next day, and sitting on my desk in my office was a four-page paper with pictures and everything on how to take care of a turtle. Now, what do you think we did that night? We bought her a turtle, because why? I knew this girl wanted a turtle, and would pay the price to take care of it. Sometimes, this long time have you cried unto me, and here's your blessing. I need you to learn some things about you, and so I'm going to hold back. There are some blessings that come after a long time. You'll find other wonderful blessings. There are so many rules of revelation, but I'll leave them to you. I testify to you that there is almost always a price to be paid. The price to be paid here is lesson and follow. The price to be paid here is move forward and decide. Sometimes we fail to pay the price for this situation we're in. I bear you my testimony that the wiser you become to understanding that the rules of revelation depend on the circumstances you find yourself in. The more you will activate, the more you will pay the price for the revelation. One of the greatest miracles of all is the miracle of your agency and his omniscience coming together. May we recognize revelation as a miracle and appreciate it as such as my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ.