Guidance: Ongoing Guidance Is Needed for All

I would like to speak on a subject tonight that I think involves each of us. It’s that of guidance—ongoing guidance, that is needed by every single person. It is not a subject that is for entertaining. It is not light; it is a heavy doctrine, you might say, to be given to you, a mature audience.

We have constant decisions and judgments to make, and as we are totally independent from the world, we are totally dependent upon our Father in Heaven. It should be enough for each of us to be told, “If you will have meditating study of the scriptures in a prayerful manner all of your life, you will be guided in all of your small decisions and all of your large decisions.” But it seems to me that we need more than just the admonition to do such. We need to find out what the prophets of old have taught us and adhere to their counsel.

We Need Constant Direction

As my wife was driving home with our daughter Lycia one Sunday evening, the lights went out. The power went off in the streets and the homes. As they were driving to our home, they noticed they only had the light from the car. Obviously the garage door wouldn’t open and so as they wandered through the heavy blackness to find the front door, they noticed the depressing or heavy effect of the atmosphere. As they entered the house they noticed that without light you could not study, you couldn’t nourish your mind. You were inhibited even though you had candles and flashlights. You were inhibited in doing many things that you would customarily do. They also noted that as the time went on, some three hours, that the house became very chilled because of the cold winds that came through the sliding glass doors. As they had this experience, the realization apparently came to them that the light we require is very essential. Our need and dependency for light in this world is crucial. Oh, how we could realize that the light we need in our spiritual life is even more crucial and more necessary because each of us has decisions constantly, decisions we must make which affect us from an eternal standpoint. We need ongoing, constant direction in order to effectuate the will of our Father in Heaven.

Guidance comes through revelation and revelation has always characterized the true Church of Jesus Christ. That is to say, revelation to the prophet, to each leader, to each person. Our claim to revelation upsets all other religions. We do not criticize them or print pamphlets against them, even though many do in opposition to us. We claim divine revelation to a living prophet and to twelve apostles. This in essence says to other churches that we are right and they are wrong. Although, I repeat, we do not criticize them.

Freedom of Worship

Freedom of worship is in fact a freedom. I was happy to note recently that the Catholic church believes that a man may worship how, where, or what he may. For example, in the Vatican Council II on 7 December 1965, the pope and his council of 2,378 men issued their declaration on religious liberty. I would like to share with you just a portion of that doctrine that they wrote, which is inspired. Such a doctrine allows us to worship our God according to the dictates of our conscience. It is titled On the Right of the Person and Communities to Social and Civil Liberty in Religious Matters.

The Vatican Council declares that the human person has a right to religious freedom. Freedom of this kind means that all men should be immune from coercion on the part of individuals, social groups and every human power so that, within due limits, nobody is forced to act against his convictions in religious matters in private or in public, alone or in associations with others. The Council further declares that the right to religious freedom is based on the very dignity of the human person as known through the revealed word of God and by reason itself. This right of the human person to religious freedom must be given such recognition in the constitutional order of society as will make it a civil right.

Also included in the right to religious freedom is the right of religious groups not to be prevented from freely demonstrating the special value of their teaching for the organization of society and the inspiration of all human activity. Finally, rooted in the social nature of man and in the very nature of religion is the right of men, prompted by their own religious sense, freely to hold meetings or establish educational, cultural, charitable and social organizations. [O.P. Flannery, ed., Vatican Council II, The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents (Collegeville, Minn.: The Liturgical Press, 1975), pp. 799–800, 803, 812]

It is nice to know that other churches do believe that man has a right to worship how, where, or what he may.

With regard to freedom also and allowing other men to worship as they wish, when I had a stake conference not too long ago in the state of Kentucky, I picked up an article from the Western Recorder as published by the Baptist church. This particular publication is for the knowledge of their members and such a statement would not likely be made public by them. It is titled “Why Are Mormons Ahead of Baptists?”

Mormons are putting Baptists to shame in zeal and growth. . . . They have spread to 83 countries and are growing faster than any other religious group. . . .

. . . Mormons had a gain of 93% to Southern Baptists’ gain of 35% in South America and 98% gain in Mexico to our growth of 9%. . . .

. . . How could God bless any group who exalts a mere man named Joseph Smith to the same level as Jesus Christ . . . ? [This we have never done. This we will never do. They misunderstand.] Human efforts and not divine sanction must account for Mormon success. . . .

Two other reasons account more for the faster rate of growth of Mormons than Baptists. These are certainty of doctrine and depth of commitment. . . . Wherever people believe strongly and highly prize what they believe, they share it with enthusiasm. . . .

. . . The Mormon missionary force numbers about 30,000 at home and abroad with most of these serving without pay.

In contrast Southern Baptists in 1980 had slightly over 6,000 career missionaries and the budgets of the two Southern Baptist mission boards exceeded $100,000,000. . . .

Southern Baptists and Mormons are both involved in Bold Mission Thrust. With Baptists it’s mostly a slogan, with Mormons it is a reality. [“Why are Mormons Ahead of Baptists?” Western Recorder, 24 March 1982]

It is heartening to see them recognize the growth and the strength of this Church.

How Does Revelation Come?

Elder Howard W. Hunter stated to the General Authorities the following:

Some have attempted to explain the origin and operation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints without acknowledging the principle of revelation. That is like trying to explain the operation of a vehicle without mentioning the fact that the vehicle has an engine. To attempt to account for the rise and progress of this Church on any basis other than revelation will prove to be naïve. Anyone, however learned, who attempts to tell our history and omits the detail of revelation in the narration will not be giving a truthful nor accurate account. The spirit will not ratify such a history. [Address delivered at General Authorities’ training seminar, 30 November 1983]

Elder Hunter also said, “How does revelation come?” This is a question we must ask ourselves now. How does it come? He suggests that it comes in three ways. He suggests a voice, the actual visit of an angel, or manifestations of the Holy Ghost.

Now, with respect to a voice, let me read to you D&C 130:14–15:

I was praying very earnestly to know the time of the coming of the Son of Man [says the Prophet Joseph], when I heard a voice repeat the following:

Joseph, my son, if thou livest until thou art eighty-five years old, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man.

So he heard a voice.

Number two, then, would be the actual visit of an angel. President Wilford Woodruff said:

I have had the administration of angels in my day and time, though I never prayed for an angel. I have had, in several instances, the administration of holy messengers. [Wilford Woodruff, Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, sel. G. Homer Durham (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1946), p. 286]

In section 110, verse 11, we read, “After this vision closed, the heavens were again opened unto us; and Moses appeared.” Later, in verse 12, “Elias appeared.” In verse 13, “Elijah the prophet . . . stood before us.” Those are a few illustrations of the actual visits of angels.

Point number three, then, is the manifestation of the Holy Ghost. In D&C 8:2–3, we read,

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 behold, this is the spirit of revelation.

And in Enos we read: “And while I was thus struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mind again, saying: . . .”(Enos 10).

Joseph Fielding Smith spoke to the Seminaries and Institutes at BYU in 1958 and said that number three is more everlasting than number two. That is to say, the manifestations of the Holy Ghost are more everlasting than the actual visit of an angel. I quote his words:

The impression on the soul that comes from the Holy Ghost are far more significant than a vision. It is where the spirit speaks to spirit and the imprint upon the soul is far more difficult to erase.

It Isn’t Logical, But I Know

I recall vividly when I was presiding over a mission some years ago in Central and South America. I was interviewing a sister by the name of Sister Rodgers. As we were speaking in warm conversation, she looked at me and she said, “President, I just found out with whom I am going to the temple to be sealed.”

I smiled and I said, “Sister Rodgers, is it logical, while you dedicate all of your time, your efforts, and all of your thoughts to the service of the Lord in the mission field, that the Lord would tell you here who you are going to marry?”

She said, “No, it isn’t logical, but I know.”

At the instant she said that there came to my mind, as clearly as can be, a face and a name.

I said, “Sister Rodgers, I believe you. What’s more, I know who it is.”

She looked at me in a very surprised manner and she said, “You do?”

I said, “Yes, the face just flashed before my mind, and I know his name. Sister Rodgers, in this mission we have five countries. He is one of the missionaries.” I hadn’t mentioned his name. “And I don’t recall your even working in the same country with him. So I don’t understand how you would know him.”

She said, “President, I haven’t worked in the same country or the same city, but I was at one zone conference and I saw him at a distance and the Lord told me he was to be my eternal companion.”

I said, “And his name is ———.”

And she said, “Yes.”

She smiled and shed some tears. We spoke on for a few minutes and then she told me about another experience she had had with someone in the field. Again, the impression clearly came to my mind of his face and his name, and I said, “I know who he is, also. It was———.”

She said, “Yes.”

You can imagine the warm rapport we felt between the two of us, knowing that the Lord was blessing us, knowing that he is interested in every single missionary. That is to say, every single missionary whether he is in the field or out of the field.

I was pleased to note, in the not too distant future, even though she lived in California and he lived in Idaho, that I received an invitation to the temple marriage, because they met at BYU. I have visited them since. They live in Boise, Idaho. They have a beautiful, happy home, in which I have dined. They have four beautiful children. He’s the bishop of the ward and a practicing lawyer.

Can you imagine the anchor they have because of that divine guidance they received from the Lord? It is the anchor to their marital life for eternity, knowing the Lord’s will had been manifested to them as to who they were to marry. Such guidance is so essential to us all of the time.

Enlightened by the Spirit

Follow me, if you will, through these scriptures which may help us to understand more of what we may expect as we profit from the experience of others. In 1 Kings 19:11–13 we read about the time when a voice (again, sometimes guidance comes through a voice) came to Elijah. He said,

Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind and earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:

And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

This is one illustration of the voice.

Remember Enos, when a voice came to his mind:

And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.

And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed. . . .

And while I was thus struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mind again, saying: I will visit thy brethren according to their diligence. [Enos 4, 5, 10]

We find another illustration of how guidance comes from the Spirit in the Doctrine and Covenants, section 6:

Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten thy mind [now, sometimes he does that and we don’t recognize it.]; and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been enlightened by the Spirit of truth; . . .

Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart [Don’t we all do that regularly? Don’t we cry unto him in our heart, wanting some guidance of some type?], that you might know concerning the truth of these things.

Now listen to his answer.

Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God? [D&C 6:15, 22–23]

It was a feeling. Sometimes it’s a voice, and sometimes it’s a feeling. And, in section 8:

Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart. [D&C 8:2]

We just have to develop ourselves to be perceptive, to recognize his influence upon us. In section 9:

But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right. [D&C 9:8]

And in 3 Nephi 17:3:

Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand.

Hearing the Voice of the Savior

So we ponder, that we might understand. In section 18 of the Doctrine and Covenants are some of the most beautiful of all the scriptures. Sometime when you’re home, would you mind reading section 18, putting your name in place of that of Oliver Cowdery in some of these verses? For example, I’ll read from verse 2 and some of these other verses, supposing that it’s you and me.

Behold, I have manifested unto you, by my Spirit in many instances, that the things which you have written [that is to say, the Book of Mormon] are true; wherefore you know that they are true.

And if you know that they are true, behold, I give unto you a commandment, that you rely upon the things which are written;

For in them are all things written concerning the foundation of my church, my gospel and my rock. . . .

And I, Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God, have spoken it.

These words are not of men nor of man, but of me; wherefore, you shall testify they are of me and not of man;

For it is my voice which speaketh them unto you; for they are given by my Spirit unto you, and by my power you can read them one to another; and save it were by my power you could not have them;

Wherefore, you can testify that you have heard my voice, and know my words. [D&C 18:2–4. 33–36]

So we learn here that revelation and guidance come in the form of the Book of Mormon. As we read the Book of Mormon or the holy scriptures, we are literally hearing the voice of the Savior.

The Scriptures Give Us Guidance

What guidance does the Book of Mormon and the scriptures give to us? We can think of quite a few instances. If you would like to know about the law of revelation, see D&C 98:23–22; 44:1–4, 46:11–13, 48:14–16; secrecy in government, 2 Nephi 31:2–3, Mosiah 29:25–26, 33–34, Ether 8–16; the law of religious liberty, Alma 30:6–11, Joshua 24:15, Moses 6:33; civic responsibilities, Mosiah 29, Ether 2:10–12, D&C 134, 135; and the Atonement, 2 Nephi 2, Alma 34, 42.

We just need to open the magnificent topical guide or index and realize that each one of us is an expert in all doctrines of the Church. We must have a desire to put forth effort. We fast, pray, thirst, search the scriptures (we don’t nibble—we feast), we meditate, and yearn with faith.

Grow into the Principle

What is faith? I think you are all aware of the definition given by the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Lectures on Faith:

Faith is the assurance which men have of the existence of things which they have not seen, and the principle of action in all intelligent beings. . . .

How do you convey to the understanding more clearly that faith is the first great governing principle which has power, dominion, and authority over all things? By it they exist, by it they are upheld, by it they are changed, or by it they remain, agreeable to the will of God; and without it there is no power and without power there could be no creation nor existence! [Lectures on Faith, 1:9, Q & A 1:24]

Also, in Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, we read what I consider a most interesting aspect concerning growth.

The Spirit of Revelation is in connection with these blessings. A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; (i.e.) those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus. [Teachings, p. 151]

Listening for Guidance

Some of you may have read in the history of the Church the experience that was held by one of the General Authorities named John Wells. He was in the Presiding Bishopric of the Church and lived between 1864 and 1941. His son Arthur was killed suddenly. In the diary of Bishop Wells’s daughter, Clarice Wells Crook, we find this account:

On October 15. 1915, my brother Arthur Thorpe Wells, 20 years old, was working as a conductor on the Emigration Canyon Railway. . . . Arthur was a handsome, intelligent, and happy six-footer. . . . In the course of his duty, he flagged an on-coming train to the siding and signaled his motorman to proceed. No one saw the accident but when Arthur did not signal his return to the train, the motorman stopped the train and they found Arthur lying on the tracks, for the train had run over him.

This incident to the oldest son and brother saddened the family, especially the mother, who could not content herself, not knowing how it happened.

On October 30, fifteen days later, Arthur came to mother in a dream or a vision and explained some of the things that she wanted to know. He said that when his spirit left his body, he went immediately to the Presiding Bishop’s Office to tell father, who was busy talking to a woman and he told his mother who the woman was and what they were talking about. This was confirmed later by his desk calendar. He then went to tell his mother, who was baking pies and singing a certain song. He said that he was unhappy to leave all of his loved ones. He was lonesome and felt a little strange because he was not so well acquainted there. He was told that he would soon find happiness.

Mother was a little concerned because he didn’t look happy and so she was blessed with another visit from Arthur. He told her that now he had been assigned work in the Priesthood Quorum and was very busy working with his grandparents and relatives. He told her not to worry about him anymore, because this was the last time that he would be permitted to come back to see her. This was a great comfort to all the family.

What do we learn from this? Apparently his mother had placed herself in a meditative mood so she could receive the visitation of her son, but apparently his father, who was a General Authority, was so busy in the affairs of the Church he didn’t take time to listen. We have to meditate; we have to take time to listen in order to have the guidance we require from on high.

Call upon the Lord

We should strive to be pure in our thoughts and actions as the Prophet Joseph said.

The Lord cannot always be known by the thunder of His voice, by the display of His glory or by the manifestation of His power, and those that are the most anxious to see these things, are the least prepared to meet them, and were the Lord to manifest His powers as He did to the children of Israel, such characters would be the first to say, “Let not the Lord speak any more, lest we His people die.”

We would say to the brethren, seek to know God in your closets, call upon him in the fields. Follow the directions of the Book of Mormon, and pray over, and for your families, your cattle, your flocks, your herds, your corn, and all things that you possess; ask the blessing of God upon all your labors, and everything that you engage in. Be virtuous and pure; be men of integrity and truth; keep the commandments of God; and then you will be able more perfectly to understand the difference between right and wrong—between the things of God and the things of men; and your path will be like that of the just, which shineth brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. [Teachings, p. 247]

Search the Scriptures

In The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, regarding the guidance that comes from prophets and scripture, we read:

All through the scriptures every weakness and strength of man has been portrayed. . . . One would surely be blind who could not learn to live life properly by such reading. The Lord said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). And it was this same Lord and master in whose life we find every quality of goodness: godliness, strength, controls, perfection. And how can students study this great story without capturing some of it in their lives? [TSWK, p. 133]

Speaking about how to interpret the scriptures, Joseph Smith said the following:

What is the rule of interpretation? Just no interpretation at all. Understand it precisely as it reads. I have a key by which I understand the scriptures. I enquire, what was the question which drew out the answer, or cause Jesus to utter the parable? . . . To ascertain its meaning, we must dig up the root and ascertain what it was that drew the saying out of Jesus. [Teachings, pp. 276–277]

He also says, “. . . and he who reads it [scriptures] oftenest will like it best” (Teachings, p. 56).

And in The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball we read,

Scripture study is a family responsibility. Scripture study as individuals and as a family is most fundamental to learning the gospel. Daily reading of the scriptures and discussing them together has long been suggested as a powerful tool against ignorance and the temptations of Satan. This practice will produce great happiness and will help family members love the Lord and his goodness. . . . Home is where we become experts and scholars in gospel righteousness. [TSWK, p. 129]

Just remember the scriptures do not guide you to be a pessimist or a cynic.

We Can Destroy Ourselves by Cynicism

David Rieseman of Harvard University has warned that Americans are approaching the point where the prevailing ethic is “You’re a fool to obey the rules” (“The Sense of Morality,” The Royal Bank Letter 65, no. 1 [Jan.–Feb. 1984], p. 2). The modern negative view is “look out for Number One” or “me first.” The Royal Bank Letter states, “We can destroy ourselves just as effectively by cynicism and disillusion as by bombs. The cynics evince a mistrust of human nature” (“The Sense of Morality,” p. 2).

The dictionary definition of cynicism is “one who is skeptical of the morals, values, and motives of others.” There are two schools of thought. The cynical one is that man is inherently corrupt and evil. The other one is that man is inherently good.

This newsletter continues:

The rules that tell us we must not cheat, lie to, steal from, or otherwise despoil our neighbor form the barricades of our survival. [“The Sense of Morality,” p. 2]

The guidance of the scriptures is uplifting, positive, and edifying. This “me first” philosophy has a loosening effect on our social cohesion.

In most western countries, only three of the transgressions listed in the Ten Commandments are against the law. What right does man have, for example, to change one of God’s commandments and say in essence, “Thou shalt not commit adultery (except among consenting adults)”? Nevertheless, the world chooses to change divine commands.

What is the Lord’s guidance? Let me read you a beautiful scripture.

Therefore, strengthen your brethren in all your conversation, in all your prayers, in all your exhortations, and in all your doings. [D&C 108:7]

Can you imagine having a cynical, pessimistic God in heaven, or one who would have his prophets write of that type of thing?

We Must Be Teachable

We are children of God, we were born only to succeed and to be happy. This happiness could and should entail obstacles and challenges to overcome. We are heirs to all our Father has. Imagine, all he has he wishes to give to us.

The scriptures guide us to be obedient, self-reliant, self-disciplined, and totally subservient to the Lord. We must be teachable, which is the opposite of being proud.

We have some great experiences as General Authorities. We don’t feel worthy to have them; we wish everyone could have them. For example, one of the most delightful experiences of the Spirit, wherein we feel the guidance of our Heavenly Father, is every time we create a new stake or change a stake presidency. We know beforehand that the Lord has already picked the man and we have to find out through the spiritual guidance of the Holy Ghost who the man is that he has already chosen.

Some of us who have the blessing of working in Latin American countries have the opportunity to create new stakes frequently. You are worried, nervous, and tremble all of the time, knowing that you must pick the man that the Lord wants to preside over that stake. The Lord is so wise and we have such limited knowledge. He seems to tell us in a different way every time, so the nervousness and the trembling go on.

Sometimes you know the instant the man walks into the room. Sometimes you know before you even commence your interviews. And sometimes you don’t know until the very last second when you are offering the final prayer to receive his approval. Sometimes in the prayer you’ve entirely forgotten the name of the one you had chosen and the name of another man comes visibly before your mind. You then express it and feel his influence upon you.

I remember last week in Mexico City vividly. I had the pleasure of dividing a stake and forming the new Pachuca stake on the outskirts of the city. I remember all the men with whom we interviewed, and felt that it should be Brother so and so. The man who was chosen was right next in line, nearly equal to that man. But as to which one of these two or four was the very difficult question to answer. But, again, the Lord told us in his unique way who that man should be. Can you imagine the feeling of satisfaction you get to know that it seems to meet with his approval as unworthy as you are to be his instrument?

You Will Always Be Guided

The guidance of the Lord is omnipresent. It is always here. If you think you have a small question, if you think have a big question or a large decision to make, you will always be guided if you follow these simple rules. Remember that when you study the scriptures you are hearing his word and if you study in a meditative, prayerful manner on an ongoing basis, and nourish your spirit, he will guide you in whatever decision you have to make. Then you don’t fight against the world. It just seems like you have a wind at your back, blowing you on in the right direction in order to achieve his will.

As the years go by, you look back in retrospect and say, “I remember now what happened when I was seventeen. Then I had this experience when I was twenty. I had another when I was twenty-five and this one when I was thirty. Now I realize the Lord had me have all those prior experiences just so this one today could come to me. I didn’t realize it, but he was guiding me all of the time.” If you haven’t said that yet, you will, because he is guiding you. Every one of you as his son or daughter is valuable and precious in his eyes. He loves you with a love that we can’t comprehend.

I would like to close by bearing my solemn witness to you, knowing that as sections 72 and 104 state, we are accountable before God for the things we say and do. I testify with clarity of thought that I know he lives. I know Jesus Christ directs the affairs of his Church and kingdom. I know the prophet Joseph did in truth see the Father and Son and heard the voice of each. This is his Church and kingdom, and when he comes, he will come here to his leadership of his Church.

I bear witness that anyone who has a problem can overcome it, irrespective of what it is, because you are never alone. There isn’t anything one man or one woman can’t do with the help of our Father in Heaven. There is nothing impossible. Your potential is without limits and we should have high goals in order to achieve the levels that he would have us achieve.

I pray for a special blessing of the Lord to be with you that each of you may understand the crucial nature of living now. Can you name any one period of time in the history of this earth more important, glorious, and happier than now? There is only one other time and that is when Jesus himself for thirty-three or -four years graced this earth. Otherwise, this is the greatest time to live. The greatest event to happen since the resurrection was the first vision when Joseph saw the Father and the Son.

I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, our living Savior. Amen.

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