Personal Revelation

Kassie asked me to give her some of my feelings on personal revelation because she has to talk in church Sunday on the topic.  So I thought I would post it here so I can use it as part of my journal.

What is personal revelation to me?

While I was young I looked for the big things  for personal revelation which didn't happen very often.  Now that I look back on things it is clear how personal revelation worked in my life without me even knowing.

I have always taken time to read, ponder and study the scriptures.  Daily I find guidance and direction from reading.  I feel promptings of the things I need to do better in my life.  I find greater understanding of how to treat others.   The promptings would tell me what I needed to do to help my children live the gospel and come to know Christ.  The ideas of how to do this would come into my mind.  Then it was up to me to use them.  Sometimes I would use them and they would always work.  My FHE lesson usually came from the promptings I felt as I read the scriptures.  I always found something that I needed to do to help my children learn more of the gospel or to help me become a better person. Such as , I need to pray more often, I need to serve, I need to love others and be more forgiving.

Personal Revelation also came by listening to good music, reading the Ensign, talks at church, while serving, and having gratitude in my heart.   I found having a grateful heart gives the spirit opportunity to be near and to testify to truth.

One story of personal revelation that shows how simple promptings helped to guide me in raising and teaching my children. Rye was probably six or seven when this happened.  Rye had been outside playing, he came in the house with a big beautiful red apple.  I asked him where he got the apple.  He said he got it at Sister Perkins house.  I asked, "Did she give it to you?"  Rye said , "no , I picked it off her tree."  I asked if he had asked if he could pick an apple off her tree.  He said he hadn't.  I thought oh well she wouldn't have cared.  But the spirit whispered you need to teach your children to be honest and respect others property.  So Rye began the process of repentance.  I talked to him and explained why it was wrong to take the apple, it was called stealing.  He needed to ask and I am sure Sister Perkins would give him all the apples he asked for but he needed to respect others property.  Then he was put to work pulling weeds to earn a dollar .  Then  we went to Sis. Perkins house and he explained what he did , apologized and gave her the dollar.  I knew she would understand what I was trying to teach him and she took the dollar and said he was welcome to pick an apple if he asked first.  I am grateful that I heeded small promptings like this while my kids were growing up.  I look back and can see the guidance and direction of a loving Heavenly Father all through my life.  I am grateful he is helping me raise his children.  I know he loves and cares for each one of us.

Another example of personal revelation.  I was about six or seven years old.  I had not been baptized yet and given the gift of the Holy Ghost.  It was the end of January and we were experiencing one of those lovely January thaws where it is so warm outside but the snow is still six inches deep.  It was so warm and water was running everywhere.  I got off of the bus in front of Grandma Richardson's house.  It was a common thing for me to do.  It was a much longer walk home but I liked to visit her.   The day was beautiful and it had me in a wonderful , happy mood.  As I was walking home I found a dime in the road.  I picked it up and my first thought was I am going to pay my tithing on this dime.  The spirit testified so strongly to me that it was the right thing to do.  It was my first experience with the Holy Ghost and from that day on I have never doubted the principle of tithing.


One of my most profound experiences with personal revelation came in a dream.   In my dream I was walking along a path in the forest.  It was a very , peaceful beautiful setting.  Just to the right of me was a steep grade with a river running at the bottom.  I was walking on the path with my children.  The feeling was of peace and contentment.  Soon Jens came running by me.  I kind of warned him that he needed to be careful or he might fall down the hill and fall in the river.  Well that was exactly what happened.  Next I was frantically running to the side of the river trying to catch him.  I saw a log across the river .  I ran to it and went out on it.  I stuck my hand out to catch him.  I knew it was up to him to grab hold of my hand to be saved.  Just as he reached for my hand I woke up.  I knew the dream had special meaning to it so I prayed about it.  

I knew that I was being complacent about the gospel and was just kind of teaching my kids and kind of warning them.   If I didn't choose to follow the promptings of the spirit and teach my children I risked a big chance of them falling away and becoming lost.   Then the choice would have to be theirs to grab hold of the gospel.  

After this dream I tried harder to teach , warn and do all I could to help save my children.  I didn't always listen and follow all the promptings but I tried harder to listen to the promptings and do what I could to heed them.  I feel that this dream made a big difference in my life as a mother.  It gave me a different perspective and greater desire to have the Holy Ghost with me at all times to help teach me to teach my children the gospel.

I am so grateful that as baptized members of the church that we have the gift of the Holy Ghost.  I have felt his influence in my life.  I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to spend time dailey reading and feasting upon the words of Christ through scripture study.  I always feel the spirit near as I read.  I am grateful that we believe in personal revelation and that it is their for us to use and be guided by in our lives.  I am grateful for parents who were good examples and taught me the gospel.