The greatest trouble I have seen with myself and others lies in understanding how to hear the voice of the Lord, how to get an answer from Him. How to distinguish between the voices we hear. This was my trouble for years as I searched for Him.

His voice is definitely a still small voice. It steals into you and back out almost imperceptibly.1 If it is neglected, it is easy to completely forget about it, and then wonder if you ever really heard that voice at all. This is intentional on God's part. This is part of the plan for us in mortality to choose2 without compulsion.3 This ought to inform us how we should teach and receive from one another.

God quotes scriptures. Angels teach quoting scripture. The Lord taught Joseph using an amalgamation of scriptures from various sources. When Moroni taught Joseph, he used scriptures, but altered it slightly as he needed.

If the Lord taught in these more personal ways and found the scriptures sufficient to use, then:

  1. We should be thoroughly familiar with the scriptures if we expect to gain light and knowledge from a divine being. The more familiar we are with them, the better we are able to be taught and understand heavenly truths.
  2. We should be thoroughly familiar with the scriptures if we expect to hear or understand how to recognize the Holy Spirit. If God in-person uses the scriptures he's authorized to be written as a framework for teaching you truths, then it ought not be a surprise, when you are learning, that scriptures come to your mind and enlighten you.
  3. When scriptures come to your mind, it can be out of fear or anger in defending a position. I would not rely on this as "light and truth" because the spirit of contention is of the devil.4 If you, in the excitement of your soul are learning new things and seeking God in fear and trembling, knowing your worthless5 position before God, looking for and proving true messengers by the Holy Ghost, then rely on that.
  4. The Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence.6 We may have an emotional response, but the emotion is not light and truth. This is a key to distinguish true and false messages.7 False messages can deceive using stories that evoke an emotional response, but light and truth are not imparted.

If you have a correct understanding of the nature, character and personality of God, which Joseph says enables us to have faith,8 then you know that you have immediate access to the divine. The trouble lies in both seeking it and understanding it. The Father, when speaking to the Nephites, had to repeat himself three times before the clutter was cleared enough to pierce them to the center.9 As you ponder and ask questions, answers often come immediately—as you are in the thought of asking.10

Consider this example:

"After two hours of raising questions and considering answers alone in the barracks, I reached this final question:

"'But how do know there even is a God? After all, there may not even be a God, and life may not have any real meaning.' In response
to which came this final thought:

"Who do you think you have been talking with these last two hours?

"It was that last thought which alarmed me. Had I really been in a conversation with God? The thoughts had come more quickly and easily than I'd experienced before, and came with a quiet feeling of certitude and calm. Perhaps this was what it meant to talk with God. Perhaps I had an answer. Perhaps this was the stuff from which faith flows. If so, then I must then have a testimony, for I had an answer from God. The answer was so subtle, however, that it was nothing more than a still, small feeling. Was that really how God answered prayer?" (The Second Comforter, Chapter 4, p. 62-63)

This morning I said a prayer. It was quiet in the house, most were still sleeping so there was no chatter. I asked the Lord to forgive me for my sins and clear away the garbage which hinders me from Him. I asked that I might hear his voice through prayer the way the scriptures have become a Urim and Thummim to me. I gathered my boys to begin our personal morning gospel study, and I started with a prayer. As I prayed, these ideas, or this intelligence flowed into my mind and instead of reading, I came to write down what I was given to understand and rejoiced that I had been given as I asked.

I've said this before. This blog is not intended for me to teach whoever is reading. The blog is for our family to write down our thoughts as we desire. The teachings I write here are not from me to you, they are from me, to me; or from me to my family.11 They are for me to remember. I receive the things I need to know. I am trying to repent, and gain entry into the Kingdom of God. The reason these things are repeated so often, is because I need them so often. This tells me that the Lord is patient and long-suffering. That he leads us gently as fast as we are willing to go and overcome. If what I receive by the Spirit of Truth speaks to you, that is if you receive it by the Spirit of Truth, then let us rejoice together.12 However you alone must be responsible for determining that.13

If you heed that voice, it will "stack" as my son TRB described it. Ideas will stack on top of each-other. Intelligence will flow into you, and at times the flood gates will be so open, that I have had to actually shield my eyes from reading another scripture, lest I learn more before I was able to write what came before. I don't know if this was wisdom in me, I think it was not.

Search the scriptures. Let that light grow brighter in you until the perfect day.14

 

Notes

1. "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." (John 3:8)

"[U]ntil finally all enmity, malice and hatred, and past differences, misunderstandings and mismanagements are slain victorious at the feet of hope; and when the heart is sufficiently contrite, then the voice of inspiration steals along and whispers--" (Joseph Smith, TPJS Section 3, p. 134)

2. See article: The Telestial Glory of D&C 76 regarding bearing the glory of God in the flesh.

3. See D&C 121:34-46.

See article: God is Love

4. "For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away." (3 Nephi 11:29-30)

5. See Mosiah 4:2, 11

6. "This first Comforter or Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence. It is more powerful in expanding the mind, enlightening the understanding, and storing the intellect with present knowledge..." (Joseph Smith, HC 3:25, p. 380)

"THE SPIRIT OF REVELATION is in connection with these blessings. A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; (i. e.) those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus." (Joseph Smith, HC 3:25, p. 381)

7. Joseph spent the bulk of his last days on earth teaching how to distinguish between true and false spirits.

8. "Let us here observe, that three things are necessary, in order that any rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation.

"First, The idea that he actually exists.

"Secondly, A correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes.

"Thirdly, An actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing, is according to his will. For without an acquaintance with these three important facts, the faith of every rational being must be imperfect and unproductive; but with this understanding, it can become perfect and fruitful, abounding in righteousness unto the praise and glory of God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Joseph Smith, Lectures on Faith, Third Lecture. Emphasis in original)

9. "And now it came to pass that there were a great multitude gathered together, of the people of Nephi, round about the temple which was in the land Bountiful; and they were marveling and wondering one with another, and were showing one to another the great and marvelous change which had taken place. And they were also conversing about this Jesus Christ, of whom the sign had been given concerning his death. And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn. And it came to pass that again they heard the voice, and they understood it not. And again the third time they did hear the voice, and did open their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sound thereof; and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came. And behold, the third time they did understand the voice which they heard; and it said unto them: Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him." (3 Nephi 11:1-7)

10. "Be not ye therefore like unto them, for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him." (3 Nephi, 13:8, Matthew 6:8)

11. My role as a male is to preserve knowledge, true doctrine and authoritative ordinances. I have a long way to go, but I have a beginning.

12. "Let us reason even as a man reasoneth one with another face to face. Now, when a man reasoneth he is understood of man, because he reasoneth as a man; even so will I, the Lord, reason with you that you may understand. Wherefore, I the Lord ask you this question—unto what were ye ordained? To preach my gospel by the Spirit, even the Comforter which was sent forth to teach the truth. And then received ye spirits which ye could not understand, and received them to be of God; and in this are ye justified? Behold ye shall answer this question yourselves; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto you; he that is weak among you hereafter shall be made strong. Verily I say unto you, he that is ordained of me and sent forth to preach the word of truth by the Comforter, in the Spirit of truth, doth he preach it by the Spirit of truth or some other way? And if it be by some other way it is not of God. And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of truth or some other way? If it be some other way it is not of God. Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know, that he that receiveth the word by the Spirit of truth receiveth it as it is preached by the Spirit of truth? Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together. And that which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness. That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day. And again, verily I say unto you, and I say it that you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you;" (D&C 50:11-25)

13. "Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost." (2 Nephi 28:31)

14. "That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." (D&C 50:24)

 

See Also

Article: The Scriptures

Article: Why Questions