On Prayer and Personal Revelation

I'm baaack! I was gone for a period of time because I just started my second year of medical school at LECOM, and it took a while for me to get back in the swing of things. I'm about to start my 5th week of classes with my 4th Digestive exam on Tuesday, so things have been quite hectic. The beauty of not studying on Sundays, and keeping the Sabbath day holy, among other things, is that I have the time to catch up with my family, friends, and blog. Hence why I am able to blog tonight.

I decided to catch up tonight with the missionaries who are serving where I am from (New Hampshire), and they suggested that I blog on prayer and personal revelation. Here goes!

Prior to joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I understood that I needed to pray, but I never really knew why. I mean, I wanted to have a personal relationship with Christ and God, but they were some unattainable Beings for which I could not really speak to, in my mind at least. When I first started investigating the Church, my good friend Rob gave me a copy of the Book of Mormon and told me to read and pray about it every day. Now, the reading part I was definitely used to. I have read the Bible through cover to cover countless times. However, praying every day was very new and foreign to me.

I remember reading a passage of the Book of Mormon, thinking about it, and then straight up asking God about it. I was just amazed at how well the Bible and the Book of Mormon meshed together. I would look up the footnotes for the various passages, and they continued to clarify and strengthen my understanding of the Restored Gospel. I was praying daily, sometimes even twice a day. I only wanted to join this church if I really knew it was true. If I didn't know, then there was no point for me to go through the challenges that would lay ahead. When I would pray to God, I would ask Him to give me a clear answer about what I should do. I prayed this way for weeks.

When I was writing an email to my parents about me joining the church, one of the missionaries who was helping me suggested that I say the next line of, "I know that the Book of Mormon is true". Prior to that, I hadn't really known. But when he said those words, and then I contemplated it for myself, I knew at that moment that this was my answer to my prayers. It wasn't anything spectacular or awe-inspiring like how God talked to prophets in days of old. It was a clarity of mind, a peace, and understanding. It was the Holy Spirit testifying to me the truthfulness of these things.

From then on, I have continued to pray daily, and many times a day. I have received answers to my prayers as well. For example, I would consider doing one thing, and then after thinking through it, if I got peace and calmness, I would precede. If, on the other hand, I got this really bad feeling, a sense of warning and foreboding, I would stop going down that path. Some clear examples of this are me praying that my relationship with my parents would improve, and it really has. We get along so much better now than we did previously. I've prayed for help with school, guidance about things I struggle with, and a myriad of other topics. Whenever I turn to God in prayer, I know that I can be completely open and honest with Him, and that He will answer me. He will let me know of the answer like the way that He presented Himself to the Prophet Elijah by the still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-13).

There are many different ways that Heavenly Father communicates with his children:
Job 33:15-16 through dreams and visions
Matthew 3:17 speaking from heaven as a voice
John 16:13 we will be guided by the Spirit to all truth and will show us the things to come
2 Nephi 32:3 angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost, speaking the words of Christ
Enos 1:10 hear a voice in his mind, directing him to do something
Helaman 5:30 by a small voice that did pierce them to their soul
D&C 1:38 the Word of God is spoken through prophets
D&C 8:2-3 be told in mind and heart by the Holy Spirit
Moses 1:2 speaking to God face-to-face

A great quote from Spencer W. Kimball, "Let us seek to read and understand and apply the principles and inspired counsel found within the scriptures. If we do so, we shall discover that our personal acts of righteousness will also bring personal revelation or inspiration when needed in our own lives."

To be able to receive personal revelation, or a direct answer to a question, we do need to be living a certain way. First, we need to be following the commandments. We need to be doing what is right, reading Scriptures and praying. We need to ask, seek, and knock (Matthew 7:7-8). We need to be spiritually clean before God by repenting of our sins frequently. And just like Alma says in Alma 5:46, "Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me." Alma fasted and prayed to know about the truthfulness of the Church, and God manifested it to him, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

A couple more helpful words of wisdom from Jesus Christ spoken through the Prophet Joseph Smith: Doctrine and Covenants 8:2-3, "Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground." Doctrine and Covenants 9:8, "But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right."

I would like to close by bearing my testimony. I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers. I know that I can talk to Him about anything, ask His advice, tell Him about my day, and forgive me of my sins. I know that through the restored Priesthood, I have the gift of the Holy Ghost which helps manifest to me the truthfulness of the Gospel, and what paths I should take. I know that the Holy Spirit will always testify of truth, and that through the Holy Ghost, God answers my prayers. I know that we can receive personal revelation to our prayers, if we ask, think through answers, and wait for a confirmation. I say these things in the name of my most perfect Savior, the only Begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ. Amen.