"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 vol 3)

If we follow, it leads us, according to our individual needs and circumstances into light. If we follow, what follows is the course that will lead to great peace, greater faith, joy and excitement in life, greater abundance in all things. If we find reasons not to listen to that voice, we "kick against the pricks",1 or we fight against the way that leads us in our everyday mundane actions into making them non-mundane, even if these actions are about the way to structure a meeting at work, or the right food to choose given your current bodily circumstances. We are free to ignore this voice that motivates and prompts to do good, but us, in our separated-from-God circumstance tell ourselves things like "that doesn't make sense" or "I'm busy with this work thing and it's really important." If we don't obey that voice, our work becomes drudgery because we are fighting against what is "right" or what would be best for us to do. What we find however, is that when we obey the voice right away, and come back to the "thing at work that was so important" we find we come back with greater faith, joy and excitement which results in greater abundance2 in life and trust in God that "I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."3

Notes

  1. "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37)

    "And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:5-6)

    "That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man. Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God." (D&C 121:37-38)

  2. "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it." (King Benjamin, Mosiah 2:41)
     
  3. Jeremiah 29:11

 

See Also

Article: The Voice of God