Scripture Study Increases Revelation

Shortly after President Nelson was called to be the President of the Church, he gave a talk entitled "Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives" in which he talked about the importance of learning how to receive revelation "if we are to have any hope of sifting through the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men that attack truth". In this same address he said "my beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation." This is a plea he repeated two years later in his April 2020 talk entitled "Hear Him". Our prophet is pleading with us to do the work necessary to receive revelation because he knows that "in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost."

As I studied lesson material for D&C 1 this week, one of the podcasts I was listening to was giving an overview of the Doctrine and Covenants and mentioned that if you look at the time frame in which most of the revelations Joseph Smith received, it corresponds with the time frame in which Joseph Smith was also translating the Book of Mormon and Bible (April 1829-July 1833). The take-away lesson we can learn from that example is that when we deeply immerse ourselves in the study of the scriptures our capacity to receive revelation will increase. This is something we've been taught a lot about recently, but I thought it was neat to see a connection of how this really worked in the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith. For me, this example really reinforces the need to include daily scripture study in my life if I want to qualify for personal revelation.

We also know that in order to receive revelation, scripture study has to be coupled with other important practices. Pres. Nelson has taught "nothing open the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting of the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and regular time committed to temple and family history work... Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your fears, your weaknesses-yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take." (Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives)

As we start this New Year and think about setting goals, focusing on one of these areas will help us better answer the plea of our prophet to increase our spiritual capacity to Hear Him. And as D&C 1:38 tells us, whether we hear instruction from the voice of the Lord or from the voice of his servants, it is the same.

President Nelson leaves us with a promise as we heed his prophetic counsel. The promise is this... "that as you continue to be obedient, expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord's timetable, you will be given the knowledge and understanding you seek. Every blessing the Lord has for you-even miracles-will follow. That is what personal revelation will do for you." (Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives)

*Another great article on this topic, written by Pres. Nelson, is in the January 2021 Liahona Magazine "Grow into the Principle of Revelation"