Larry W. Tippetts from his book ‘Receiving Personal Revelation’ shared:
From My Journal—Scripture Study
“When I started my scripture study this morning I was doing so out of obedience to a spiritual exercise I committed to follow. I was not being strengthened in my reading (for that was all I was doing—reading). Then the words started to penetrate into my heart. I thought again of the meaning of the rod of iron in Lehi’s dream, and was struck anew with the power of the metaphor. An iron rod to grasp and hold tightly would be a godsend to a person navigating a precarious trail. How is it that we miss the point? How can we take the scriptures so lightly? (September 8, 2008)
The standards works and the teachings of the living prophets make up the institutional revelation of our Church—revelation to everyone. In addition to those, there are also high quality reading materials of all kinds—literature, poetry, biography, good fiction—available to help us stay steadfast on our mortal journey. There is great value in reading widely and deeply, for reading can open our minds and hearts to new possibilities or remind us of truths that have been pushed to the fringes of our consciousness. (See Doctrine and Covenants 88:77-80). Then, building on the truth and light that reading has awakened, we turn to the Lord with hope for even greater light as He teaches us individually that which can only be understood by the power of the Spirit. Such edifying study can become a doorway for personal revelation.
From My Journal—How Study Can Lift our Souls
“I have demonstrated to myself once again the value of reading as a means to expand my vision and enlarge my memory. I was feeling a bit low about the illnesses and financial problems facing some of our children. I had 30 minutes of quiet, so picked up Elder Maxwell’s book Sermons Not Spoken and read a chapter. Although the theme of the chapter was not directly related to my current concerns, one sentence stood out as a needed reminder of a principle I have to keep relearning. ‘By contrast, the faithful, who are intellectually honest but are confronted with new and present challenges, sing of the Lord, “We have proved Him in days that are passed.”‘ (59)
“I have, indeed, proved Him in days that are past. Nearly every challenge has eventually resolved itself in my life. Every discouraging day has passed away. Nearly every sickness has ended. Every financial shortfall has been addressed. That being the case, I have no need to become overly anxious about the future. All things will work together for our good as I continue to trust in God.” (June 24,2009)
I love to study the scriptures. I have come to believe that as we study the scriptures slowly and sincerely while praying for the Spirit’s assistance, we will experience the following:
- Feel closer to God the Father, the Savior, and the Holly Spirit
- Receive personal revelation more frequently—especially revelation of love, peace and reassurance that all will be well.
- Experience greater faith and hope
- Feel more love towards others
- Feel happier and experience more joy and peace
- Become more humble and teachable
- Have a greater desire to be a better person (improve, repent, grow)
- Experience the mighty change of heart (Mosiah 5:2)
- Begin to sense that the scriptures are “written in you heart” (Mosiah 13:11; see also Jeremiah 31:33)
The most important secret to thoroughly enjoying scripture, personal prayer and journal writing is experiencing the fruits.
As you commit yourself to follow through with real intent, you will begin to have experiences wherein God communicates with you in direct and encouraging ways. You will begin to look forward to scripture reading and other spiritual exercises, knowing that they bring the Spirit of the Lord into your life. Prerequisite to these kinds of experiences is a sincere desire to allow God to be at the core of your life. Not everyone is sure that they want that, for the life of a true follower of Jesus Christ can be demanding at times, yet so very rewarding! ~Larry W. Tippetts Receiving Personal Revelation (American Fork, Utah: Covenant Communications, 2017), 96-98
