Synonym for: Inspiration
As we navigate this difficult and often confusing mortal life, we need God’s guidance and comfort. Because He is the Father of our spirits and loves us with an eternal love, He wants to communicate with us and provide the help we need. This communication is called revelation.
God communicates with His children both collectively and individually. When He gives commandments or guidance applicable to the whole world, He speaks through His mouthpiece on earth: the prophet. The scriptures are filled with teachings given through God’s prophets throughout history that can be used in our day to provide guidance and direction. The scriptures are filled with revelation given through God’s prophets, and though each revelation has specific relevance for the time period in which it was received, many are still relevant in our day. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that “God is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (1 Nephi 10:18), and that just as He spoke through prophets in days of old, God has called prophets and apostles today. He declares that whether His words are given “by mine own voice, or by the voice of my servants, it is the same” (D&C 1:38). We are promised that the Holy Ghost will give us each our own witness of the divine calling of the prophet and other Church leaders.
However, the prophets are not our only channel of revelation. For our personal and unique challenges—making important decisions or coping with trials, for example—we need personal revelation. This revelation comes in many forms, including inspired thoughts, feelings of comfort and assurance, or words from the scriptures or prophets that stick out to us in answer to our prayers.
We can receive guidance for our own lives as well as to help our families and those who have been placed in our stewardship. Seeking and recognizing personal revelation can be difficult, requiring patience, sincerity, humility, and a willingness to act on the answers we receive. However, the Lord promises that “whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you” (Moroni 7:26). These devotional addresses echo that promise. They help us to understand the nature and process of revelation, both prophetic and personal, and to apply such revelation to our lives so that we can be blessed by it.
