Revelation — Five points of emphasis by Elder David A. Bednar
Elder David A. Bednar emphasized the following point regarding true revelation from above.
- Not knowing beforehand — Revelation often comes at unexpected times in unexpected ways, with unexpected guidance (1 Nephi 4:6, D&C 121:45)
- Repetition — The Lord often uses repetition to emphasize important spiritual points (2 Nephi 28:30 and Moroni’s multiple visits to Joseph Smith)
- Revelation is often a conclusion, not an explanation — The Lord often gives us guidance without detailed explanations, expecting strict obedience to the counsel received (2 Nephi 28:30)
- Revelation is based on the Lord’s timing — Timing in arrival of the inspiration or the fulfillment of the promise (D&C 88:58)
- Always keep spiritual confidences — The sacred should remain sacred
- Elder Bednar also shared some wonderful insight regarding ‘living in revelation daily’ and ‘having the companionship of the Holy Ghost’. It appeared in LDS Living in August of 2022. Elder Bednar states: “I have always found it strange that we talk about the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, and yet we seem to have limited recognition that it is real. We say it, but do we believe it? We are mortals, we make mistakes, so I am not talking about every nanosecond of every moment of every minute of every day, but as long as we are doing our best and pressing forward on the covenant path, and repenting as we go, then indeed, we are influenced by the Hoy Ghost all of the time. I think we fundamentally divert ourselves by wondering, ‘Well, is that me? Or is that the Holy Ghost speaking?” The more time we spend worrying about that question, the more we get in our own way in recognizing the blessing of having the companionship of the Holy Ghost. I love the 80th section of the Doctrine and Covenants. It is a mission call to a man by the name of Stephen Burnett. And the Lord says, ‘Go to the north or to the south, go to the east or to the west, it mattereth not unto me.’ Now, some might read these verses and say, ‘Well, the Lord doesn’t care.’ That is not what He said. What the Lord knows is that He is going to get Stephen Burnett to wherever he is supposed to be. What Stephen Burnett has to do is move his feet. So it is not that the Lord didn’t care; it is that Stephen isn’t in charge. He’s going to be where he needs to be. He will be influenced, guided, and directed. Sometimes we have expectations, and if a blessing or answer doesn’t’ come when we want , the way we want, we think that the Lord didn’t hear us. We have to be careful not to charge God foolishly. We don’t frequently get big, fast answers. They are not typically dramatic. They come line upon line, precept upon percept, here a little and there a little. And we have to wait on the Lord and not impose deadlines on Him. But if we just follow the path and believe – not just say, not just accept, but believe ‘I can have the companionship of the Holy Ghost’, then the most fascinating line in section 80 is when it says he ‘cannot go amiss’. You will never be led astray. It does not mean everything goes the way you think it should or the way you want. But you will never go amiss because we are constantly being guided. Nephi went to Jerusalem three times to get the brass plates, right? Was he messed up the first time” I do not think so. He didn’t succeed the second time. Only the third time did he go the Lord’s way, not knowing beforehand the things that he should do. Why do we miss the lesson in that story” Nephi, who we all look to as the ultimate example of faithfulness, had no idea how that was going to work. He just went forward to Jerusalem. That is what it takes for us. You just go, and you begin to recognize the Lord’s hand getting you to the places where you need to be.”
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