Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, (see a previous post, ‘The Spirit of Revelation‘) : Now continuing
In the Doctrine and Covenants, we find a significant key to understanding the spiritual gift of revelation and the process by which the gift typically operates: “Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. Now this is the spirit of revelation” (Doctrine and Covenants 8:2-3).
These verses teach us that revelation from the Father, in its most familiar form, comes from the power of the Holy Ghost as thoughts to our minds and feelings to our hearts. But because the Holy Ghost typically uses our minds and our hearts to convey spiritual messages, it can sometimes be difficult to discern the difference between our own thoughts and feelings and those communicated from our Heavenly Father.
In the world today, many deceptive and counterfeit tones imitate the true sound and standard of the Spirit. For example, I wonder if we sometimes too easily mistake personal sentiment and spiritual sensationalism for the promptings of the Holy Ghost. If we are not careful and discerning, we may mistakenly follow a false perception that can lead us astray. As the Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “Nothing is a greater injury to the children of men than to be under the influence of a false spirit, when they think they have the Spirit of God. (Times and Seasons, April 1, 1842, 744.(see Joseph Smith Papers) The Scriptures tell us, “Apply thine heart to understanding” (Proverbs 2:2). This verse is interesting because typically we think of understanding things cognitively and rationally with our minds. But, as what we know in our mind is confirmed as true in our heart by the witness of the Holy Ghost, then we are blessed with understanding. Thus, understanding is a revealed conclusion and a spiritual gift.
When we read in the Doctrine and Covenants that parents in Zion have a responsibility to teach their children to understand (see Doctrine and Covenants 68:25), many people may conclude, “Well, I have to help them ‘get the gospel into their heads.'” But that is only a part of the requirement.
You and I, as a speaker or teacher, can play an important role in helping a hearer or student to “understand.” Of greatest importance, however, is the willingness of the learner to soften his or her heart so that the Holy Ghost can bear witness of what has been taught. We need to teach, testify, and talk about the gospel in our homes in ways that invite the Holy Ghost to confirm the truthfulness of the things that are said and seen. Pressing forward with faith on the journey from the mind to the heart by the power of the Holy Ghost is the beginning of understanding.
People may experience the patterns of coming to “understand” in their minds and hearts in different sequences. Sometimes the mind takes the lead and the heart follows; sometimes the heart takes the lead and the head follows. And sometimes the mind and heart act in distinctive and iterative ways. Ultimately, however, a person can end up at the desired spiritual destination—and the mind and heart are aligned. The safeguard that helps prevent deception and misinterpretation is that true understanding requires both.
The roles of both mind and heart in personal revelation are crucial and no simple formulas or recommended action steps can guide us through this rigorous spiritual process. Indeed, this book (Elder Bednar’s book, “The Spirit of Revelation”) is not an attempt to define how revelation works. Rather it is a witness and a testimony that revelation does work—and in a multitude and variety of ways. ~Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: The Spirit of Revelation (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2021), 3-5 (continued. . . The Spirit of Revelation III)
