This has been an interesting subject to study this past week. I have always been interested in the process of seeking personal revelation. As a youth I was taught to listen to what the pastor taught, and to think about it, but never to question it or to seek for my own answers. We were even discouraged from reading the Bible as that may lead us to ask questions that they didn’t want to answer. Asking God yourself was completely out of the question. They had trained the pastors in the way they wanted them to teach and asking for yourself might lead to something contrary to their teachings. So when I joined the church, and found out that not only was I supposed to read the scriptures by myself, I was supposed to ask God what they meant. That was probably harder for me to understand and accept than the fact that Joseph Smith, a 14 year old boy, had done just that. In the ensuing 35 years, I have learned to treasure and rely on this wonderful principle of the gospel.
As I was reading the sections involved with revelation, I realized that I have a lot of notes and underlining in these sections. I wanted to see if I could find a fresh perspective, so I read them again from an unmarked book. It worked for me-here’s what I saw:
“A great and marvelous work is about to come forth unto the children of men.
Behold, I am God; give heed unto my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore give heed unto my words.
Behold, the field is white already to harvest; therefore, whoso desireth to reap, let him thrust in his sickle with his might, and reap while the day lasts, that he may treasure up for his soul everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God.
Yea, whosoever will thuist in his sickle and reap, the same is called of God.” D&C 6:1-4
Section 6 teaches us all the tools we need in order to prepare to receive revelation. We need to: ask, knock, keep the commandments, seek for wisdom, do good, desire, you get the idea, there are many. In section 8 we are told that He will tell us in our mind and our hearts by the Holy Ghost what we are seeking. Section 9 He tells us he will answer us with a burning in our bosom or the stupor of thought.
How do these fit in with the scriptures above? If you can disengage your thinking for a moment that these are a reference to missionary work. In section 4 they clearly have that reference and we always associate those words with missionary work.
The world has just passed though an apostacy, with no clear communication from God through a prophet. There has been no priesthood authority on the earth, and people have learned to rely on “pastors” to tell them what they should know. In answer to a young mans prayer all the keys of priesthood authority have been restored, and it is time for the general population to begin to ask themselves and become more self-reliant, if you would, in their religious pursuits. We have a prophet to guide us and lead us in general, but there are many areas that are left for us to find our own way. Now, read those verses again, thinking about seeking your own personal revelations.
The great and marvelous work—many good and righteous people will now be seeking to find meaning and purpose in their lives by reading scriptures, listening to the prophet and seeking to know the truth through prayer, study ect. When they learn it, they will share it.
Give heed to my word…powerful, sharp—the Lord doesn’t take revelation lightly. Once we ask and are given answers, we are expected to act on that knowledge. Nothing condemns a man quicker that not doing what he knows to be right and true.
Field is white already to harvest…whoso desireth to reap…thrust in his sickle—there has been a dearth of communication for far too long and He is waiting and ready to share, and teach, and uplift us if we will but ask. Revelation doesn’t usually come without a lot of work on our part.
That he may treasure up for his soul everlasting salvation—nothing brings us closer to Him than when we seek His council and advice. It is through the process of humbling ourselves, and seeking His will in our lives that we stumble upon the real jewels of salvation.
What a blessing to live in a time of great turmoil and turbulence! It draws us closer to the Savior, and by so doing brings us more peace and comfort to know of his plan. We are not left to find our way alone, as so many of our ‘brothers and sisters’ think that we are. We have a living prophet to lead us and guide us, council us and prompt us. And on top of that, we are entitled, and expected to find out for ourselves just what exactly He has in mind for our personal mission here on earth. We have been given all the tools to find that out for ourselves, and by so doing, we will find ourselves eternally blessed
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What a fabulous perspective! I love when someone brings a new interpretation of scripture to light; to me it illustrates that His word is indeed quick (living) and powerful and has so much depth that just one reading is never enough!
It’s interesting because I’ve been reading section 11 in preparation for next week’s lesson; Section 11 begins the exact same way. Clearly these words are words that we need to understand and believe.
I don’t have much to add to your interpretation but I did note that in 11 He reiterates the phrase “keep my commandments and build my kingdom) four times. I think this is a key to personal revelation; it’s thrusting in our sickle to receive – we need to be obedient and living what we know to receive more and to have our faith confirmed.
By: mice152 on February 4, 2009
at 10:27 pm
Just dropping by.Btw, you website have great content!
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By: Kayley on March 3, 2009
at 1:36 pm