Can I really trust personal revelation?
Oliver Cowdery once said:
"Man may deceive his fellow-men, deception may follow deception, and the children of the wicked one may have power to seduce the foolish and untaught, till naught but fiction feeds the many, and the fruit of falsehood carries in its current the giddy to the grave; but one touch with the finger of his love, yes, one ray of glory from the upper world, or one word from the mouth of the Savior, from the bosom of eternity, strikes it all into insignificance."
Jesus himself said of the Holy Ghost that it would guide us into all truth. Interestingly, Jesus also says that the Holy Ghost does not speak for himself but what he hears from the Lord:
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak... -John 16
Everything in politics, ideology, science, archaeology, and even history is constantly shifting. Not a week goes by without hearing of a new disaster or discovery that changes how we now view the world. Nothing is static or stable for very long. Nothing lasts for any significant amount of time - including human life. The only stable thing we have in this entire universe is God, His plan and His revealed truth. That He will reveal truth to us on and individual basis through the Holy Ghost is incredible to me - especially considering the vast number of creations for which He is responsible. In the scriptures, we learn that God has created innumerable inhabited worlds:
"For behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them" (Moses 1:35).
I really like this scripture. We learn that God has essentially created an infinite number of worlds and children (both in the distant past and presently). Yet, He still calls them His own, and He knows them.
Enoch realized this truth and expressed it beautifully when speaking to the Lord:
"And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations; and thy curtains are stretched out still; and yet thou art there, and thy bosom is there; and also thou art just; thou art merciful and kind forever" (Moses 7:30).
God clearly loves each of His children individually and perfectly. He wants us to succeed, and He wants us to know eternal truth in this unstable and shifting world. However, He knows that men inspired by evil will try to thwart us in our quest for eternal life. Fortunately, He provides us with true stability.
"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall" (Helaman 5:12).
"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive" (Ephesians 4:12).
"In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation" (D&C 89:4).
"Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord... Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is (Jeremiah 17:5,7).
If you were to ask me the source I would go to in order to know if something of spiritual significance is true, I would say God - every time. He is who I trust more than anyone else. Other evidences can serve to strengthen existing conviction, but none of them have the power to lastingly change a human heart.
As a member of the Church you've had moments in your life when you knew for certain that you were feeling the Holy Ghost's influence. At certain times, you've had peaceful, sanctifying, sacred experiences when you knew that the Holy Ghost was giving his sacred approval. Sometimes these experiences may have been all-encompassingly powerful. Many times, the witness of the Holy Ghost is less dramatic, but still very real and recognizable as such. Whatever the case, the feelings of the Spirit always bring tranquility and clarity amid the confusion propagated by men with biases, grudges and agendas.
During these moments of inspiration, the Holy Ghost may have witnessing to you that what you were witnessing, hearing, reading or saying was true. He may have been telling you that your offering has been accepted and your sins forgiven. Or, He may have just been letting you know that your Heavenly Father and His Son live, love you and care about your eternal well-being. As the third member of the Godhead, the Holy Ghost plays an absolutely critical role in the Eternal Father's plan. His importance should not be ignored or diminished. To do so is to fall into a snare laid by the enemy of your soul.
However, if you are a normal human being like me, then you have probably also experienced times in your life when the Holy Ghost's influence was not as easily perceptible; and when it was felt, it was felt less strongly. We all go through ups and downs in our spiritual progression. They help us to recognize the difference between bitter and sweet - which encourages us to "refuse the evil and, choose the good" (Isaiah 7:15). Thankfully, the Atonement of Jesus Christ brings us back to the presence of the Spirit whenever we may fall. "As oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were forgiven" (Moroni 6:8). Put in more personal terms: As often as you repent and seek forgiveness, with real intent, you will be forgiven. What encouraging doctrine!
So, yes, ups and downs are normal - and helpful if we change and learn from them.
However, there is a pernicious lie circulating among Church critics within and without the Church. This lie is probably the single most foul lie the adversary uses against those who are going through a faith crisis. It is that an individual cannot trust the spiritual witnesses that they've received. He tells them that those sweet, peaceful, sacred experiences that they have had were nothing more than the imaginary products of wishful thinking. There aren't many more more lies that I've heard in my life that have felt more wrong than this one. It feels wrong because it is wrong. We should remember that the adversary is "the father of all lies" who teaches us that we "must not pray". (See 2 Nephi 2:18; 32:8).
Yet, I've heard critics of the Church use this argument over and over again. Why? It's because we, as a people, place such a huge emphasis on receiving personal revelation to verify the truth - much more than any other church/religion out there. You don't hear adherents to other religions saying, "I know that this church (or religion, or book of scripture) is God's one true church because I have prayed about it and the Holy Ghost has revealed the truth of it to me." You just don't hear it - regardless of what critics say.
It's ironic. We are often labeled as sheepish followers of a tyrannical, patriarchal hierarchy. But, at the same time, our "hierarchy" is consistently and frequently urging us not to simply believe in the restoration or Jesus Christ just because of what others say but to gain our own spiritual witness of the truth through sacred communion with the Holy Ghost.
Let's be honest. Perhaps the greatest ability one can gain during his or her mortal experience is the ability to invite, listen to, and respond to the Holy Spirit.
Let's be honest again. Perhaps the greatest thing that Satan can do to distract you from achieving your full potential is to dull your sensitivity to the Holy Ghost's influence either via sin - or by making you believe that what you are feeling and have felt is an imaginary neurological anomaly.
Jesus Christ warned against denying the Holy Ghost in the latter days. He said, "Deny not the spirit of revelation, nor the spirit of prophecy, for wo unto him that denieth these things" (D&C 11:25).
Warnings from The Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon gives several warnings and prophesies for those who neglect or belittle the role of the Holy Ghost:
The Nephite members of the Church in the Book of Mormon experienced first hand the consequences of denying revelation through the Holy Ghost: "Now this great loss of the Nephites, and the great slaughter which was among them, would not have happened had it not been for their wickedness and their abomination which was among them; yea, and it was among those also who professed to belong to the church of God. And it was because of the pride of their hearts... making a mock of that which was sacred, denying the spirit of prophecy and of revelation... therefore they did not prosper, but were afflicted and smitten, and driven before the Lamanites, until they had lost possession of almost all their lands" (Helaman 4:11-13).
"And they shall contend one with another... and they shall teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance" (2 Nephi 28:4)
"Behold, will ye reject these words? Will ye reject the words of the prophets; and will ye reject all the words which have been spoken concerning Christ, after so many have spoken concerning him; and deny the good word of Christ, and the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and quench the Holy Spirit, and make a mock of the great plan of redemption, which hath been laid for you?" (Jacob 6:8).
"And now, my beloved brethren, I desire that ye should... contend no more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you the name of Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you" (Alma 34:37-38).
"Yea, wo unto him that shall deny the revelations of the Lord, and that shall say the Lord no longer worketh by revelation, or by prophecy, or by gifts, or by tongues, or by healings, or by the power of the Holy Ghost! Yea, and wo unto him that shall say at that day, to get gain, that there can be no miracle wrought by Jesus Christ; for he that doeth this shall become like unto the son of perdition, for whom there was no mercy, according to the word of Christ!" (3 Nephi 29:6).
"They are also seeking to put down all power and authority which cometh from God; and they are denying the Holy Ghost. And after rejecting so great a knowledge, my son, they must perish soon, unto the fulfilling of the prophecies which were spoken by the prophets, as well as the words of our Savior himself" (Moroni 8:28).
"And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever" (Moroni 10:7).
I hope that you and I can take whatever measures necessary to humble ourselves and believe the words of God and His prophets concerning the third member of the Godhead and the essential role that he plays in revealing "the truth of all things" (Moroni 10:5).
***
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened" (Matt 7:7-8).
Also, this talk is awesome and says things way better than I ever could. It's by Pres. Uchtdorf in Oct. 2014 General Conference.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/receiving-a-testimony-of-light-and-truth?lang=eng&query=truth+will+stand
The Nephite members of the Church in the Book of Mormon experienced first hand the consequences of denying revelation through the Holy Ghost: "Now this great loss of the Nephites, and the great slaughter which was among them, would not have happened had it not been for their wickedness and their abomination which was among them; yea, and it was among those also who professed to belong to the church of God. And it was because of the pride of their hearts... making a mock of that which was sacred, denying the spirit of prophecy and of revelation... therefore they did not prosper, but were afflicted and smitten, and driven before the Lamanites, until they had lost possession of almost all their lands" (Helaman 4:11-13).
"And they shall contend one with another... and they shall teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance" (2 Nephi 28:4)
"Behold, will ye reject these words? Will ye reject the words of the prophets; and will ye reject all the words which have been spoken concerning Christ, after so many have spoken concerning him; and deny the good word of Christ, and the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and quench the Holy Spirit, and make a mock of the great plan of redemption, which hath been laid for you?" (Jacob 6:8).
"And now, my beloved brethren, I desire that ye should... contend no more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you the name of Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you" (Alma 34:37-38).
"Yea, wo unto him that shall deny the revelations of the Lord, and that shall say the Lord no longer worketh by revelation, or by prophecy, or by gifts, or by tongues, or by healings, or by the power of the Holy Ghost! Yea, and wo unto him that shall say at that day, to get gain, that there can be no miracle wrought by Jesus Christ; for he that doeth this shall become like unto the son of perdition, for whom there was no mercy, according to the word of Christ!" (3 Nephi 29:6).
"They are also seeking to put down all power and authority which cometh from God; and they are denying the Holy Ghost. And after rejecting so great a knowledge, my son, they must perish soon, unto the fulfilling of the prophecies which were spoken by the prophets, as well as the words of our Savior himself" (Moroni 8:28).
"And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever" (Moroni 10:7).
I hope that you and I can take whatever measures necessary to humble ourselves and believe the words of God and His prophets concerning the third member of the Godhead and the essential role that he plays in revealing "the truth of all things" (Moroni 10:5).
***
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened" (Matt 7:7-8).
Also, this talk is awesome and says things way better than I ever could. It's by Pres. Uchtdorf in Oct. 2014 General Conference.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/receiving-a-testimony-of-light-and-truth?lang=eng&query=truth+will+stand