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Education Week - Ron Bartholomew: Understanding Principles of Revelation

In order to receive revelation, you must learn to recognize the spirit. D&C 8:2-The Holy Ghost will DWELL in our heart, not just speak to it.

The spirit speaks to us through a STILL SMALL VOICE - Not some BIG revelation, no matter HOW important the revelation is.

The voice of the spirit is a voice you FEEL more than you HEAR.

To receive revelation, it's best to be completely free from distraction, from the outside world, from movement, from a wandering mind. Early in the morning is always best! You must have EXTERNAL as well as INTERNAL quiet:

• Find your own "sacred grove" (this includes a time, not just a place)
• Eliminate external noise to communicate with the Holy Ghost
• Eliminate internal noise in our soul

Remember to RECORD all your impresssions.

When revelation is received:

1. Receive a GENERAL impression to the heart.
2. Write down that impression and respond to it (act upon it, study it our more, do the service, etc.)
3. A more specific instruction will come to your mind
   • We often don't get the specific instruction because we don't record and respond.
4. Continue to ask for more clarification if needed or for more revelation.
   • The Lord usually saves the best impression for last - we have to do & follow those first impressions to receive the "bigger" ones.

D&C 9:8-9 - If it is right, we will have the burning in our bosom. If it is wrong, we will have a stupor of thought and not be able to write the impression.

D&C 6:23- The most frequent confirmation of the spirit comes to us as a peaceful feeling.

D&C 11:13 - It is an enlightenment of the mind.

To receive revelation:

1. Find a quiet place (both internal and external)
2. Seek for the spirit for what it is - still, small, peaceful, edifying.
3. Discern THAT spirit (you could be deceived otherwise).
4. Utilize the process (Impression, write down, act, confirm)

For Brother Bartholomew's powerpoints on this and other topics, click on the link below:

https://docs.google.com/#folders/folder.0.0B9AaVdkyYcZHOTg5MzgxZGEtMzVlNC00ZWRjLThkMTctOTRmODVmMzBkMWM1

Education Week: Randall Bird - Revelation

We cannot receive revelation for others unless we have the correct authority to do so (i.e. bishop, parent, patriarch, prophet, etc.)

Satan uses our feelings to try and deceive us.

Understanding Revelation

1) Revelation is the process God uses to  communicate intelligence (light and truth) to man. (D&C 93:29, 36)

2) This light and knowledge is communicated in a spirit-to-spirit process.

3) Revelation is the foundation the church is built upon.

4) Revelation is the only way to know God in His ways.

5) There are counterfeit revelations; They can com from Satan or from our own emotions.

 

Principles that govern the giving and receiving of revelation:

1) It is the Lord and not us who determines who receives the revelation, when it is given, how it is given, and what is revealed.

2) Most revelation comes from the quiet whisperings of the spirit; The big dramatic experiences are the exception rather than the rule.

3) We can foster a climate where revelation is more readily given when we meet personal conditions the Lord expects of our children.

4) When we try to force revelation or insist it come in a certain way, we can be easily deceived.

5) The Lord expects us to develop spiritual self-reliance; it is a slothful and not a wise servant who must be commanded in all things.

6) Revelation is often given in increments - not all at once, but in small portions.

7) The spirit does not cause us to act in ways that are bizarre or out of harmony with the sacred nature of God.

Education Week 2010 - Michael King "Faith"

So my first class my very first day I went to with my mom. I'm just going to post the notes I took from the class and if I have any thoughts about the notes, I"ll add those. Let me know if you would like more!

Faith - a confidence based on evidence that motivates you to act.

Mysteries - the secret or sacred covenants that we receive from the Lord.

Levels of Faith

1) Investigator Level

Hope - Desire to believe it's true

Action - Willingness to try out if it is true

Confirmation - Evidence on the feeling level

2) Testimony Level

Hope - Belief or more sure hope

Action - Willingness to live truths one believes to be true

Confirmation - Evidence on behavioral level

3) Power Level

Hope - Knowledge & assurance of things not seen

Action - Willingness to do whatever God requires

Confirmation - Experiences on feeling, knowing, and sensory levels

4) Perfection

Hope- Knowledge that one will become like God

Action - Live as God lived

Confirmation - Becomes like God

 

Alma 36:16 - We need to accept his mercy, we need to be willing to go and repent and come again unto Him.

We have a  constant need for the atonement - we need to put all our trust & faith in the atonement.

If we study our scriptures daily, we will "plant" the word into our hearts. We need this daily reminder that we cannot do this without the Lord.

To make God the Center of our Faith, we need to know:

1)He actually exists (not believe but KNOW)

2) A correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes (He is a man - we are made in His image)

3) An actual knowledge that the course of life which we are pursuing is according to His will.

New Blog!

Making posts rather than adding to a page is a lot easier for me, so I started this new blog to be my spiritual thoughts blog! Hopefully now I'll add posts a lot more often since this will be a lot easier for me, and everyone can make comments on the individual posts rather than on the whole long page! Enjoy!