"I saw a pillar of light, exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me, I saw two personages whose brightness and glory defy all description standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said, pointing to the other, 'This is my beloved son. Hear him.'"
Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ. Cornelius was visited by an angel. The Brother of Jared, in the Book of Mormon, saw the figure of Christ 2000 years before he was born.
Miraculous events occasionally come as answers to prayers. The problem with these miracles, is those who haven't run into one, begin expecting one. We feel like we're good enough and that we deserve some sort of divine revelation or celestial visitation. However, those who call that revelation and expect an angelic encounter as an answer to prayer don't understand what revelation is.
Revelation is so simple! It's so simple, many people struggle differing between their own thoughts. That's because the Holy Ghost, the revealer of heavenly truths, speaks to our mind and our heart in a way that we'll understand, and whose voice do we understand better than our own? For me, this is exactly how I get answers to many of my prayers. Often, it's just a feeling. As the 7th of 8 children, I am picked on more than almost any of my other siblings. As a child, their ridicule got to me very easily. I would get angry and vow never to talk to them again. At one get-together, I got exceptionally irritated and escaped to my bedroom. While there, I was urged to pray. So, I knelt at my bed heated over the events leading up to my relocation. With all the anger contained in my body, I opened my prayer by addressing my God in heaven and explaining my frustration at my siblings. Because of my humility in kneeling and seeking his help, as I explained my situation, an overwhelming rush of comfort flooded my insides. The hostile anger stored inside me immediately turned to friendly warmth, and tears flowed from my eyes like a dam bursting. God had heard my prayer, and the Holy Ghost filled my room. I learned that night that anger was not a desirable emotion, and that my Heavenly Father loved me, and he loved my siblings, despite their less than Christlike example.
I've experienced the Holy Ghost speak to me as I received inspiration while reading the scriptures. Almost daily, as a missionary, I would have a thought come to my mind about a scripture I was reading. I knew that these ideas were not my own. So, when I would think of something, I'd write it down. And, many times, I'd start writing about it in my journal. But, while writing a simple thought down, I found myself writing more and more until I had a full, in-depth explanation of the impression I had. My study journal is full of little inspirations I received during my study that came as simple thoughts that I heard as my own voice.
The Holy Ghost is also often a voice of warning or chastisement. Similar to the voice that inspired me, I heard the Holy Ghost use sarcasm to push me to do what's right. One morning, on my mission, I got out of the shower, looked in the mirror, and thought, "I don't really need to shave today..." even though missionaries are encouraged to shave daily. Well, immediately after I thought that, a voice of warning came to my mind and said, "I don't really need to bless you today." I picked up my razor and immediately shaved. God knows how we will react and will instruct the Holy Ghost to communicate with us in the most effective way.
Visions will come to some. Angels will visit others. I have experienced neither, yet I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is his church that teaches his pure doctrine today. My youth has limited the depth of my experience, but from what I have, I know that through Christ's gospel is the only way to receive lasting and powerful joy.
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