Patterns of personal revelation may be experienced throughout one’s life. Each person’s quest for more personal revelation, and the manner in which they receive it, is uniquely individual.

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Patterns of Personal Revelation

Personal revelation comes in many forms. Elder David A. Bednar, an apostle for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, calls these forms of personal revelation ‘patterns’. He shares three patterns of personal revelation that may appear in one’s life:

First: A Sudden Light in the Darkness

“Revelation is communication from God to His children here upon the earth. Sometimes those messages come quickly and rather dramatically. I’ve compared that to a light being turned on in a dark room, where very suddenly the darkness is expelled and you can see everything in the room quite clearly and brilliantly. I would suggest that that pattern of receiving messages from God is more rare than common.”

Second: A Light on the Horizon

“A second pattern is when the light comes gradually, much like the rising of the sun. You can discern the increase of light on the horizon but never all at once. This pattern of revelation, I would suggest, is more common than rare.”

Third: A Foggy Day

“Sometimes receiving inspiration is like a foggy day. There’s enough light that you can tell it’s not darkness anymore. It’s not night. But it’s not brilliantly illuminated. You can see just enough to take a few steps ahead into the cloudiness. I don’t know about other people, but it occurs that way for me all the time. There’s enough to just take a few steps. And then the light continues to help me see just far enough ahead that I can continue to press forward.”

The Spirit of Revelation

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The Gift of the Holy Ghost

As do many others, I have spent my life pursuing more personal revelation. At the age of eight, I was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I also received, by confirmation, the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

I was taught that the Holy Ghost is like a still, small voice. This voice would help me make good choices throughout my life if I listened to its guidance and act accordingly. The thought of having this extra protection thrilled me to no end. However, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect moving forward.

A Hard Lesson Learned

Not long after my baptism and confirmation, I was at home and headed to bed for the evening. At the time, I shared a room with my four-year-old sister. Entering the bedroom, I found my sister sound asleep. It was odd, I remember thinking, how close she was lying to the edge of the bed. I knew there was a chance she could roll off the bed and onto the floor. Yet, when I felt an impression to scoot her back onto the bed, I ignored it.

Moments later, after changing into my pajamas, I felt another distinct impression to move my sister back onto the bed.

Again, I ignored the feeling.

I simply turned the light off, climbed into bed, and fell asleep.

A Rude Awakening

Several hours later, I was awakened suddenly by the sound of crying.

Groggily, I rolled out of bed, turned on the light, and discovered my sister sitting on the floor, crying softly. To my great shock, she was covered in blood. Without delay, I rushed to get my parents from their bedroom.

After a quick observation, my parents realized that a dresser drawer next to the bed had been open. My sister, still sleeping, slipped from her side of the bed, hitting her head on the corner of the drawer as she fell. This lead to a large gash and an extraordinary amount of blood loss.

I felt horrible that dark and frightening night. I knew that if I had listened to the prompting I had felt from the Spirit, my sister would not have fallen from the bed and gotten hurt.

After a quick trip to the emergency room, a butterfly bandage, and many hugs, my sister’s ordeal came to an end. Yet, somehow, I knew that experience would forever be engrained in my memory.

Good Intentions

The night of my sister’s accident was the first time I recall hearing the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. I determined, then and there, to do my best to always heed its promptings.

And I really had the intention of doing so.

Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out to be so easy.

A Quest to Receive More Personal Revelation

For the next few decades I had the same struggle many people have, wondering: “Is this the Spirit talking to me, or is it just me having these thoughts?”

Then, about 20 years ago, I noticed a dramatic shift in the personal revelation I was receiving—it was suddenly more clear, and came with more frequency.

I’ve always attributed that welcome increase in personal revelation to the decisions I was making at that time in my life.

• Spending more time developing my testimony by praying and reading the Word of God daily, paying an honest tithe, ministering to others and worshiping with others weekly at church
• Intently striving to feel the Spirit at all times by eliminating anything in my life that didn’t invite the Spirit (i.e. books, music, movies, and other forms of media and entertainment)
• Focusing my time on the things that matter most, namely, God, family, connecting with others, and lifelong educational pursuits

At All Times and in All Places

As I’ve put forth effort over the years to keep the Spirit in my life, at all times and in all places, the communication I’ve received from the Spirit has become more refined. Today, I rarely find myself wondering: “Is this the Spirit talking to me, or is it just me having these thoughts?“

The Spirit is revealing itself in my life as never before. It comes often as a foggy day, sometimes as a light on the horizon, and occasionally as a sudden light in the darkness:

A foggy day pattern is experienced when I feel impressed to visit a friend and don’t understand why, or as I struggle to fully understand the scriptures.

A light on the horizon pattern appears when making big decisions, like where to live, what career path to follow, and whom to marry.

The sudden light in the darkness experiences are, of course, the most dramatic and memorable. These are the sacred times when the mind and heart are instantly illuminated with light and truth, peace and divine protection.

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The Blessings of Personal Revelation

This personal revelation, or, as I like to call it, “pure knowledge being poured down from heaven”, has saved me time and time again over the years, in ways too personal to share in great detail here. Personal revelation is truly my greatest possession.

When our Prophet Russell M. Nelson says, “It has never been more imperative to know how the Spirit speaks to you than right now“, I believe him.

Striving to live so that one can feel the Spirit at all times and in all places is counter cultural in every possible way. But for those who have the desire, put forth the effort, and sacrifice to receive and refine personal revelation in their lives, the results are always worth it.

In the Book of Mormon we read:

“Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.” (Moroni 10:32-33)

The most profound blessings of personal revelation include:

• peace and spiritual protection in this life
• a genuine relationship with God, our Father, and His son, Jesus Christ
• sanctification
• receiving a remission of sins
• becoming holy and without spot
• returning to the presence of our loving Heavenly Father

A Lifelong Pursuit Due to Bumps in the Road

Refining the personal revelation one receives is a lifelong pursuit. While at work not long ago, I received several small impressions, and I ignored every one of them.

Though fairly inconsequential in nature, like “Wait to email this information because you will have more to send in an hour or so“, I was incredibly disappointed with myself for the rest of the day.

Why?

Because I knew if I didn’t heed the small promptings, I would stop receiving the big ones.

I recommitted, then and there, to strive always to heed every prompting I receive.

The process of receiving personal revelation is never perfect; personal revelation is achieved through trial and error, and only with the help of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Everyone has their own learning curve and bumps in the road that are unique to them.

Conclusion: The Law of the Harvest

One lesson has blessed me more than any other in my lifelong quest for more personal revelation. The lesson is this:

the more one is willing to sacrifice to receive personal revelation, the more personal revelation one will receive.

It’s the Law of the Harvest.

“Whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7) 

In what ways have you come to recognize the voice of the Spirit in your life?

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