The Prophet Joseph Smith taught of the rigorous adherence to the literal meaning of biblical text. “What is the rule of interpretation?” he asked. “Just no interpretation at all.” It should be “understood precisely as it reads.” -----Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith compiled by Joseph F Smith, p.161
So if we apply how Joseph showed us to read the scriptures we will adhere to the literal meaning of the scriptures and apply them to our lives.
In Numbers 11 we read about 70 elders who were blessed to receive revelation and speak as inspired by the Holy Ghost. Joshua suggested to Moses that he stop two of the elders from prophesying. But Moses rebuked him by saying…would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!” (Numbers 11:29)
When reading the scriptures we might note that Prophets with a capital P are different to prophets with a lower case p. Moses taught us that the Lord wants us all to be prophets with a small p or to have the spirit of Prophecy.
Alma met up with the sons of Mosiah after 14 years…
Alma 17:2-3
Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.
3 But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God.
To have the spirit of prophecy and spirit of revelation we need to
1.Wax strong in the knowledge of truth (this includes building our knowledge on a pyramid of truth taken from those with Priesthood keys and authority to speak for God)
2.Have a sound understanding from searching the scriptures diligently so that we know the word of God (this includes not listening to keyless individuals who make up their own interpretations of the scriptures)
3. Much prayer and fasting
The spirit of prophecy is to have a testimony of Jesus, but is it as simple or enough to love Him and believe that He died for us, or is it more than that?
Elder Christofferson recently shared its to have a testimony of Jesus “ in the fullest sense” (April 2024)
We can go to Joseph Smith to understand what the “fullest sense” means. He taught that to really know Him means to correctly know His character, perfections and attributes which includes the understanding that
God cannot lie; He is a God of truth
God cannot change; He is the same yesterday, today and forever
He is no respecter of persons; whatever He does for one He will do for all
Abraham 3
17 ...there is nothing that the Lord thy God shall take in his heart to do but what he will do it.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie:
“To know God in that full sense which will enable us to gain eternal salvation means that we ...must ‘be like him.’ (1 John 3:2.)
“But before we can become like him, we must obey those laws that will enable us to acquire the character, perfections, and attributes that he possesses.
“And before we can obey these laws, we must learn what they are (Bruce R. McConkie in CR, Apr. 1966, p. 79.) For more on progressing to God click here
The scriptures are replete with examples of people understanding these principles. Sometimes the promises or prophecies of the Lord don't come when we expect, but they will come. Now don't get this confused with promised blessings that can be revoked to us personally if we do not earn them. There are many “if you do this”, “then this will be your reward” scriptures. If we study the wording we will see them everywhere. They are blessings promised on condition of our righteousness. The promises or prophecies from the Lord do not change, it's who qualifies which is changeable.
D&C 82:10
I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise
Just to clarify, if we as individuals fail to live the laws or commandments then blessings will be revoked, however, when God gives us as a people or church promises or prophecies, either in the scriptures or through our modern day Prophets, they cannot be revoked, otherwise God is a changeable God and He isn't. The difference is as simple as if we dont live the commandments He CANNOT give us the blessing. We qualify for our blessings, they are not arbitrarily given or else He is a respector of persons. We all qualify for the same blessings by keeping the same commandments or laws.
DC 130:20-21
There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.
The prophecies and promises which God has given to the Church cannot be revoked, but whether we are a part of them is up to us and conditional on the choices we have made.
Doctrine and Covenants 1
37 Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.
38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.
To have the spirit of prophecy means we know God cannot lie or change His mind and thus all the words of the prophets shall be fulfilled. With that knowledge, we read the prophecies of God, and knowing God cannot lie or change his mind, we will have a sure knowledge of what will come to pass, namely that all the prophecies and promises shall all be fulfilled, and then with that knowledge we pattern our lives in such a way in which it is clear that we have such a belief, or in other words we then make our life reflect a course in which we know is according to the Lord’s will.
.e.g. The Lord says to Pharaoh there will be a seven-year famine that follows seven years of plenty.
You know the Lord, so you know the Lord cannot lie, so you know there will be a famine, so you pursue a course in life in which you know is according to the Lord’s will and reflects such a knowledge and faith- i.e. “you prepare for that seven year famine”.
Matthew 7
30 Verily, I say unto you, It is not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, that shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.
31 For the day soon cometh that men shall come before me to judgment, to be judged according to their works.
Can we “call Him, Lord, Lord!”, and not do the things which He says? Can we say “yea Lord, we believe all the words thou hast spoken!”, and not prepare against that which he hath said would come to pass?
Joseph Smith Jr.
I said to my friends that if they did not understand the signs of the times and the spirit of prophecy, they would be apt to be lost. (History of the Church, 6:194–95)
The Spirit of Prophecy is to know the Lord, and thus know the prophecies of the Lord will be fulfilled, and thus make one’s life reflect that knowledge.
President Marion G. Romney
“[W]hen we do not keep ourselves advised as to what the counsel of the Lord is, we are prone to substitute our own counsel for His. As a matter of fact, there is nothing else we can do but follow our own counsel when we do not know the Lord’s instructions.” (“Seek Not to Counsel the Lord,” Ensign, Aug. 1985, 5)
I think our Prophet wants us to know the promises and prophecies the Lord has given us, so we will have the faith and knowledge to act and prepare. Eg if you don't know the light switch turns the light on, will you act and flick the switch? How can you have faith in something you don't know exists?
President Nelson:
“As you study your scriptures during the next six months, I encourage you to make a list of all that the Lord has promised He will do for covenant Israel. I think you will be astounded! Ponder these promises. Talk about them with your family and friends. Then live and watch for these promises to be fulfilled in your own life.” (Let God Prevail, April 2020)
I have enjoyed understanding and studying the promises the Lord will do for covenant Israel. There are promises, which are to happen before the Great and Dreadful day, but only the righteous will experience or participate in them on condition of their righteousness. That's why Pres Nelson said to live and watch for them to be fulfilled, we only get to see them if we are living a certain way.
President Nelson:
“One crucial element of this gathering is preparing a people who are able, ready, and worthy to receive the Lord when He comes again, a people who have already chosen Jesus Christ over this fallen world, a people who rejoice in their agency to live the higher, holier laws of Jesus Christ.” (Oct 2022, Overcome the World and Find Rest)
President Nelson:
Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. (April 2018, Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives)
How can we know if we are living the way we need to experience these promises?
President Harold B. Lee:
“One who lives … worthy of a testimony that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ, and who is willing to reach out to Him in constant inquiry to know if his course is approved, is the one who is… preparing for the celestial world, which is to live eternally with his Heavenly Father.”(The Teachings of Harold B Lee p.614)
How do we know if God approves of our current course? We come to know if our course is approved by Him by reaching out in constant inquiry seeking for personal revelation through prayer.
In his very first talk after he was made President of our church, our beloved Prophet encouraged us to follow the example of Joseph Smith and receive personal revelation for our daily lives.
President Nelson:
"The Prophet Joseph Smith set a pattern for us to follow in resolving our questions. Drawn to the promise of James that if we lack wisdom we may ask of God, the boy Joseph took his question directly to Heavenly Father. He sought personal revelation, and his seeking opened this last dispensation. In like manner, what will your seeking open for you? What wisdom do you lack? What do you feel an urgent need to know or understand? Follow the example of the Prophet Joseph. Find a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort. Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the principle of revelation.” (Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives, 2018)
Have you grown into the principle of revelation?
Have you followed our President's counsel to do so?
It sounds like it might be important to do so as in the same talk, President Nelson also said this…
“In the coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost. My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation... Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly." (Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives, April 2018)
When President Nelson pleads with us, I don't know about you, but it surely makes me sit up and listen!
He continued to counsel us…
“I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation, for the Lord has promised that “if thou shalt [seek], thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge”
“Oh, there is so much more that your Father in Heaven wants you to know. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, “To those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, it is clear that the Father and the Son are giving away the secrets of the universe!” (Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives, April 2018)
Elder Richard G Scott admonished us to do the same:
“Then I began to receive personal impressions… they were personal and … came in answer to my prolonged, prayerful efforts to learn.
As each impression came, I carefully wrote it down. In the process, I was given precious truths that I greatly needed in order to be a more effective servant of the Lord. The details of the communication are sacred and, like a patriarchal blessing, were for my individual benefit. I was given specific directions, instructions, and conditioned promises that have beneficially altered the course of my life.
…strong impressions began to flow to me again. I wrote them down... I sought a more private location, where I continued to write the feelings that flooded into my mind and heart as faithfully as possible. After each powerful impression was recorded, I pondered the feelings I had received to determine if I had accurately expressed them in writing. As a result, I made a few minor changes to what had been written. Then I studied their meaning and application in my own life.
Subsequently I prayed, reviewing with the Lord what I thought I had been taught by the Spirit. When a feeling of peace came, I thanked Him for the guidance given. I was then impressed to ask, “Is there yet more to be given?” I received further impressions, and the process of writing down the impressions, pondering, and praying for confirmation was repeated. Again I was prompted to ask, “Is there more I should know?” And there was. When that last, most sacred experience was concluded, I had received some of the most precious, specific, personal direction one could hope to obtain in this life. Had I not responded to the first impressions and recorded them, I would not have received the last, most precious guidance.
…the Lord will not force you to learn. You must exercise your agency to authorize the Spirit to teach you. As you make this a practice in your life, you will be more perceptive to the feelings that come with spiritual guidance.” (To Acquire Spiritual Guidance, Oct 2009)
President Harold B Lee:
"Every one of us, if we would reach perfection, must one time ask ourselves this question, 'What lack I yet?' if we would commence our climb upward on the highway to perfection." (Stand Ye in Holy Places, 1974, 210)
Ether 4:13-15
13 Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, 👉 and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief.👈
14 Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; 👉 and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief.👈
15 Behold, 👉 when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel.👈
Alma 12:11 And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell.
President Nelson:
“Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of
increased purity,
exact obedience,
earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and
regular time committed to temple and family history work.
To be sure, there may be times when you feel as though the heavens are closed. But I promise that as you continue to be obedient, expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord’s timetable, you will be given the knowledge and understanding you seek. Every blessing the Lord has for you—even miracles—will follow. That is what personal revelation will do for you.”
Mormon 9
7 And again I speak unto you who deny the revelations of God, and say that they are done away, that there are no revelations, nor prophecies…
8 Behold I say unto you, he that denieth these things knoweth not the gospel of Christ; yea, he has not read the scriptures; if so, he does not understand them.
9 For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing?
10 And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles.
11 But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are.
15 And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do no miracles, I would ask of you, have all these things passed, of which I have spoken? Has the end come yet? Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles.
19 And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.
20 And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust.
21 Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.
25 And whosoever shall believe in my name, doubting nothing, unto him will I confirm all my words, even unto the ends of the earth.
26 And now, behold, who can stand against the works of the Lord? Who can deny his sayings? Who will rise up against the almighty power of the Lord? Who will despise the works of the Lord? Who will despise the children of Christ? Behold, all ye who are despisers of the works of the Lord, for ye shall wonder and perish.
27 O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him.
In conclusion to have the Spirit of Prophecy and Spirit of Revelation includes to know God is unchangeable and cannot lie. It is to study and know the promises and prophecies He has given and show we believe them by preparing and living our lives in accordance with this faith and knowledge. As we act on this knowledge and ask God the father in faith what we need to do then we will be given to know. This is growing in the principle or spirit of revelation and prophecy and this is what we need to do to prepare for the miraculous manifestations which will come to those who have put in the work and are prepared for the Lord's Second Coming.
President Nelson said in the last General Conference that” the Lord is prompting me to urge us to get ready for that “great and dreadful day.”
As we listen carefully and believe the words of our Prophets, study and take literally the words of our scriptures, and ask Heavenly Father in prayer we will understand and see the unfolding revelations or signs of the times and we shall know what we need to do. Some may say that God has changed his mind or somethings will not be fulfilled but I know just as these scriptures teach us, God's prophecies are always fulfilled, His timetable just may not be the same as ours. If we will rend the veil of unbelief and prepare ourselves like the sons of Mosiah so we have the spirit of prophecy and the spirit of revelation, we will see the miraculous fulfillment of all that the Lord has promised covenant Israel.
Joseph Smith Jnr
"I believe all that God ever revealed, and I never hear of a man being damned for believing too much; but they are damned for unbelief." (Teachings p.374)
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