On September 11, 2001, I had just entered my classroom in the Taylor building when I noticed the television was on and turned to a news channel. Everyone in the room was watching intently as the morning events of 9/11 unfolded in New York City and Washington D.C. We all sat in stunned silence as we watched what would turn out to be the biggest news story of our young adult lives. Most who watched the events of that day remember exactly where they were and what they were doing at that moment. The same could be true for anyone who has experienced any life-altering event. In many cases, the life-altering events we experience are not being broadcast to the world, and very few people know about our personal challenges.
On 9/11, no one knew about the many different emotions I was experiencing as I walked across campus to class. I had recently returned from my mission, Ricks College was now BYU-Idaho, my declared major was no longer going to be offered, and I had just been dumped by my girlfriend. In that moment, I wasn’t sure how I would sort through my own challenges, which were now being compounded by the fear of the day’s events.
For weeks, I had been anxiously waiting to hear from President Bednar—now Elder Bednar—to see if he would say anything that could help me. Fortunately, devotional proceeded as planned and the devotional talk that day proved to be another life-altering moment. It was so impactful that I still remember where I was sitting in the Hart gymnasium as President Bednar taught about the Lord’s pattern for receiving revelation in our lives. Up until that moment, I had the same misunderstanding about receiving revelation that President Bednar addressed in his talk when he said:
We tend to believe the Lord will give us a big answer quickly and all at one time.[1]
In that moment, I felt foolish for the negative thoughts I had had on my mission when I would pray and ask the Lord why He wasn’t giving me clear direction while I was trying to do His work. I would often find myself feeling disappointed and second guessing my ability to receive revelation if it didn’t come “as a big answer quickly and all at one time.”[2] President Bednar went on to explain the Lord’s common pattern in which we receive revelation using 2 Nephi 28:30:
For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.[3]
I had read this scripture several times during my mission, but somehow I had not understood its meaning. In that moment, I had several memories come to mind as the Spirit helped me recognize moments in my life when I had received revelation “line upon line, precept upon precept.”[4] The guilt and frustration I felt turned to gratitude and excitement as I listened to the rest of the talk and wrote down my impressions.
Over the years, I have returned to this talk and the last few chapters of 2 Nephi over and over as I have searched for guiding principles in receiving revelation during many difficult challenges. I often re-read and ponder the quotes and scriptures I have highlighted and ask myself if I am doing the basic steps outlined. Here is an example of a quote from Elder Bednar’s 2001 devotional talk and the question I would ask after reading it.
This ongoing cycle of gaining spiritual knowledge ultimately produces a precious and delicious fruit, but that fruit cannot and does not grow from a blossom to its ripened state overnight. Furthermore, such fruit cannot grow in barren soil. Obedience to God's commandments and our personal integrity and adherence to commitments such as the honor and dress codes at BYU-Idaho provide the needed nutrients for fertile spiritual soil. It should be obvious to all of us that evil influences such as filthy language, immodest clothing and appearance, and pornography are bitter poisons that kill the soil and halt the spiritually subtle process of receiving help from heaven “. . . line upon line, precept upon precept.”
Am I—or are you—striving to live your life in a way that allows the Holy Ghost to be present in your life?
In his last general conference address, Elder Richard G. Scott suggested several simple tools to help us overcome our spiritual challenges as we exercise faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I will only mention the first two. Elder Scott stated:
The first tool is prayer. Choose to converse with your Father in Heaven often. Make time every day to share your thoughts and feelings with Him. Tell Him everything that concerns you. He is interested in the most important as well as the most mundane facets of your life. Share with Him your full range of feelings and experiences. Because He respects your agency, Father in Heaven will never force you to pray to Him. But as you exercise that agency and include Him in every aspect of your daily life, your heart will begin to fill with peace, buoyant peace. That peace will focus an eternal light on your struggles. It will help you to manage those challenges from an eternal perspective.[5]
Am I—or are you—praying?
From this week’s discussion board, Ethan Miller shared a similar thought about having an eternal perspective. He said, “With ‘line upon line, precept upon precept,’ I started to understand a lot of things. I started to spiritually mature. I chose to have an eternal perspective from that time forth and let the Lord guide me through a hard time in my life, and I saw myself grow from that experience.” Thank you, Ethan, for sharing your experience with us. Like Ethan, I know heart-felt, consistent prayer can bring peace and eternal focus to your life.
The next tool Elder Scott suggested was:
Study the word of God in the scriptures and the words of the living prophets. . . . To know what the voice of the Divine sounds and feels like, read His words, study the scriptures, and ponder them. . . . Don’t yield to Satan’s lie that you don’t have time to study the scriptures. Choose to take time to study them. Feasting on the word of God each day is more important than sleep, school, work, television shows, video games, or social media. You may need to reorganize your priorities to provide time for the study of the word of God. If so, do it![6]
Am I—or are you—spending time in the scriptures?
Without a few basic steps to get us started on our revelation journey, we may find ourselves in an endless cycle of doubt and frustration, lacking the eternal perspective mentioned by Elder Scott.
On September 11, 2001, why did I feel so guilty for what I thought was my inability to receive revelation during my mission? Why was I feeling so stressed over the revelation I desired to receive about what my new major should be? Over the years as I have reflected on the why, I have noticed an additional principle to receiving revelation that came to me slowly over time and in very subtle ways. This pattern first stood out to me as I was re-reading President Bednar’s devotional talk and spent time studying the ending chapters of 2 Nephi. In 2 Nephi 31, Nephi is getting ready to end his ministry. Of everything he taught to that point, he ended by teaching what he called in verse 2 “the doctrine of Christ.”[7] As we go through the next few verses, I would invite you to pay close attention and mark some of the steps that, combined, are “the doctrine of Christ.”
In verse 7–8, it explains the first step of this doctrine: despite the Savior being holy—or without sin—He witnessed to the Father that He would be obedient to His commandments and was baptized. Continuing in verse 8, after He was baptized, it teaches the next step of His doctrine: the Savior received the Holy Ghost.[8]
In verse 12, Nephi hears the voice of the Savior testify of these same steps:
He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.[9]
The part of that scripture that stood out to me is where it says “like unto me,” referring to the Savior receiving the Holy Ghost. Why did the Savior need to be given the Holy Ghost? Does that mean the Savior relied on the gift and power of the Holy Ghost to fulfill His ministry and receive revelation?
In verse 13, the Savior then continues explaining the last step of His doctrine:
Then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.[10]
In verse 14, He refers to it as “speaking with a new tongue, yea even with the tongue of angels.”[11] It isn’t enough for us to just be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost; the Savior has an expectation that we will use the gift of the Holy Ghost to do something. In verse 21, it explains:
This is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.[12]
In verse 21 where the Lord refers to “man” being saved, He isn’t just talking about us individually. He really means “Man,” as in “my children.” In Moses 1:39, the Lord teaches Moses His purpose:
For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.[13]
Eternal life for all His children! I believe we often make the mistake of viewing revelation through a selfish lens when—in reality—revelation given from the Lord is for the benefit of all His children. This type of revelation often comes in the form of spiritual gifts being used to provide charitable acts of service to others. In 2 Nephi 32: 5, Nephi clarified this teaching more clearly to his brethren when he said:
For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.[14]
Therefore, we see that speaking with a new tongue can mean many different things. In some cases, we might bear testimony or speak truth. In other cases, we might receive some important spiritual insight from our scripture study. Please take time to ponder how revelation helps benefit and lift others around you.
I had pondered over these verses for years before I had an experience that helped broaden my understanding of the doctrine of Christ and what it meant to speak with the tongue of angels. In October 2016, my 6-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer. While the news was devastating, we always felt optimistic that he would receive the treatment needed to get better. We had no idea how challenging the next 3 ½ years would be for him and our family.
We spent countless hours traveling back and forth to Primary Children’s Hospital for doctors’ appointments and extended hospital stays. My wife and I spent many sleepless nights lying awake staring out the window, and—if we were lucky—we got one of the rooms where we could see the Salt Lake Temple. During those moments, being able to see the temple was a good reminder of where we could turn for comfort and support. Night after night, I poured over the scriptures, pondering them, and asking the Lord all the really difficult questions I had been nervous to ask, thinking I would come across as doubting or less faithful. For example, why were some healed and others were not? Why were some healed quickly in miraculous ways while others suffered for years before they got better? Did the prayers or priesthood blessings I offered for my son make any kind of difference in his treatment?
Toward the end of his treatment, we ended up in the hospital one last time. During this stay, I was very frustrated over what I felt was a mismanagement of his treatment plan that had now caused him an unnecessary prolonged stay in the hospital. To make matters worse, we were only a few days away from celebrating his 10th birthday.
During this stay, there was no view of the temple and night after night, I lay awake staring at the top of a dreary parking garage. Because of my feelings of frustration, I did not feel like praying or reading the scriptures and there was nothing on the top of that parking garage that reminded me of where to turn for help in my time of need. The night before his birthday, I finally gave in and poured my heart out to the Lord. I prayed alone several times and with my son several times. We asked the Lord to help heal my son so the doctors would feel comfortable sending him home tomorrow for his birthday.
Morning came, doctors were making their rounds, and I felt certain they would send us home. Surely if anyone deserved to go home and celebrate their birthday, it was my son. You can probably guess what happened. The doctors said they wanted to keep him one additional night for observation. My son burst into tears and pulled the blankets over his head, and I—not knowing how to console him—decided I would be better off having my parents sit with him while I took a shower and got some rest.
The previous feelings of frustration, anger, and entitlement were gone; instead, I felt humbled as I perceived that this was the Lord’s will. This change in attitude set the stage for me to witness the outpouring of revelation in my son’s life. As I was resting, I had a few distinct thoughts come to mind. If your son is getting better, why does it matter if he goes home today or tomorrow? Be patient and let me show you the bigger picture. As I went back to my son’s room, I saw revelation in action as doctors, nurses, and hospital administrators were bringing in gifts and singing happy birthday. They were all overjoyed as they provided that special experience for my son. This was a life-altering event I will never forget. In that moment, I had another clear impression come into my mind. How could a doctor or nurse use their spiritual gift of healing if no one needed to be healed? How could a hospital administrator, whose spiritual gift is providing comfort, use their gift if they couldn’t plan a surprise birthday party for someone in need?
Later that night when I came back from getting dinner, my son was sitting on the couch with a nurse talking about Nintendo Switch games like they were new best friends. My son looked up at me as I entered the room and said, “Can you believe we have the same birthday? I’m going to try and make tonight really fun for her.” The nurse later shared that she had originally been disappointed about working that night because it was going to be the first time she would celebrate her birthday with her new husband. She was devastated when she got the call to come in because other nurses had called in sick. I truly believe it was no coincidence that a nurse from a different department would randomly be assigned to care for my son that night as they comforted each other on one another’s birthdays. This is the doctrine of Christ in action.
Over the course of several days and many years later, I have come to realize through line upon line, precept upon precept experiences that when we use our spiritual gifts to bless the lives of others, we are receiving revelation from the Holy Ghost to act. This is the doctrine of Christ that helps the Lord accomplish His work, which is the salvation of all His children.
My hope today is that you will have a desire to use the doctrine of Christ to bless the lives of those around you. I know if you do this you will experience many life-altering events in your own life and will provide life-altering events for others. This has been especially true in my children’s lives as I have watched others use their spiritual gifts and revelation to bless them. These acts of kindness and charity have given me true peace and eternal perspective during many tumultuous years, and I am sure they will sustain me through many more. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] David A. Bednar, “Line upon Line, Precept Upon Precept,” BYU-I Devotional, Sep. 11, 2001.
[2] Ibid.
[3] 2 Nephi 28:30.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Richard G. Scott, “Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority,” Ensign, Nov. 2014.
[6] Ibid.
[7] 2 Nephi 31:2.
[8] See 2 Nephi 31:7–8.
[9] 2 Nephi 31:12.
[10] 2 Nephi 31:13.
[11] 2 Nephi 31:14.
[12] 2 Nephi 31:21.
[13] Moses 1:39.
[14] 2 Nephi 32:5.