How can you tell when God is speaking to you?
It can be hard to distinguish His voice from the thoughts and feelings in your mind and heart, let alone from the many voices in our noisy world.
In May 1831, Joseph Smith received two revelations about recognizing truth. To Leman Copley, he provided clarification on some doctrines taught by his prior religious community. He was called to go back to his former coreligionists, “that he may reason with them” (Doctrine and Covenants 49:4).
Then, the Lord provided instruction to the entire church, using similar language: “Let us reason together,” He said, “even as a man reasoneth one with another” (Doctrine and Covenants 50:10-11). He explained that the Spirit of truth edified us and brings joy. He explained that His Spirit brings light, and that when we receive the light, we invite more of it.
His instruction is reminiscent of Mormon’s simple testimony that “ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night” (Moroni 7:15).
Here are some other lessons I’ve learned by studying these revelations:
Outline
- v. 1-4 – Parley, Sidney, and Leman called to preach to the Shakers
- v. 5-8 – The Savior will come; no one knows when
- v. 9-14 – The first principles and ordinances of the gospel
- v. 15-17 – Marriage ordained of God
- v. 18-21 – Stewardship over animals
- v. 22-28 – Nature of the Second Coming
- 1-9 – Problem statement: false spirits and deceivers in the world
- 10-23 – Teach and learn by the Spirit
- 24-25 – That which is of God is light
- 26-36 – God will give you power to overcome evil spirits
- 37-46 – Instructions to specific people. “Fear not, little children, for you are mine.”
Key Themes
- God’s light chases darkness away, so instead of trying to remove darkness, we should invite His light into our lives.
- Marriage is ordained of God, and He wants to help us build strong and happy relationships.
- God edifies us—He makes us stronger, wiser, and more capable.
- When we receive knowledge willingly and apply it faithfully, God entrusts us with more knowledge.
Book of Mormon Connections
- Nephi explained that the words of Isaiah “are plain unto all those who are filled with the spirit of prophecy” (2 Nephi 25:4). The Lord explained through Joseph Smith that gospel learning requires an inspired teacher and an inspired student. (See Doctrine and Covenants 50:17-22.)
Applications
- Seek to understand eternal truth. God will help you cut through the confusion in the world and see more clearly.
- Be watchful and intentional in your discipleship, avoiding carelessness or casualness.
- Recognize that we are “little children”—that we still have a lot to learn.
- Be an active and engaged listener. Recognize that you must do your part to understand what others are teaching you.
A difficult lesson. Thank you for simplifying and summarising it.
Thanks for the comment! I’m glad you enjoyed the post.