Mysteries of Heaven
Written by Paul
As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it may seem as though we are given two contradictory messages when it comes to personal revelation. In my opinion, there is a sense of confusion and fear on the subject, so caution turns into avoidance of personal revelation. This goes beyond a joyful feeling of peace in answer to a prayer. I am referring to the ability to receive specific guidance from heavenly beings, whether it be an angel, Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost. To see and hear spiritually. To receive a deeper understanding of the mysteries of Heaven through direct communication that can be consciously understood.
Before I continue, I want to make it clear that it is not my intention to criticize anyone within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I testify that it is Christ’s church. The topic of personal revelation has been and is a very sensitive subject within and without the Church. We know from the scriptures that prophets have been killed when their messages from the Lord were not well received. Even Christ was crucified for the words He taught. Fortunately, the Lord’s words have continued to spread in one form or another. That is also a testament to His power.
I use the words “prophecy” and “prophet” as broad terms for someone receiving instructions from the Lord. The word prophecy can certainly be defined to a much narrower understanding, but that is not the purpose of this post. The point is that personal revelation/prophecy is not exclusive to certain individuals. We may receive personal revelation in many different forms. The idea of any person receiving direct communication from the Lord or an angel may initially sound absurd, but the scriptures testify of many examples of this occurring, I will reference only a small percentage. Let’s begin with Alma, from the Book of Mormon, as he speaks to the people in Ammonihah.
Alma 12:9-11
9 And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.
10 And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.
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.
As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it may seem as though we are given two contradictory messages when it comes to personal revelation. In my opinion, there is a sense of confusion and fear on the subject, so caution turns into avoidance of personal revelation. This goes beyond a joyful feeling of peace in answer to a prayer. I am referring to the ability to receive specific guidance from heavenly beings, whether it be an angel, Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost. To see and hear spiritually. To receive a deeper understanding of the mysteries of Heaven through direct communication that can be consciously understood.
Before I continue, I want to make it clear that it is not my intention to criticize anyone within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I testify that it is Christ’s church. The topic of personal revelation has been and is a very sensitive subject within and without the Church. We know from the scriptures that prophets have been killed when their messages from the Lord were not well received. Even Christ was crucified for the words He taught. Fortunately, the Lord’s words have continued to spread in one form or another. That is also a testament to His power.
I use the words “prophecy” and “prophet” as broad terms for someone receiving instructions from the Lord. The word prophecy can certainly be defined to a much narrower understanding, but that is not the purpose of this post. The point is that personal revelation/prophecy is not exclusive to certain individuals. We may receive personal revelation in many different forms. The idea of any person receiving direct communication from the Lord or an angel may initially sound absurd, but the scriptures testify of many examples of this occurring, I will reference only a small percentage. Let’s begin with Alma, from the Book of Mormon, as he speaks to the people in Ammonihah.
Alma 12:9-11
9 And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.
10 And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.
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.
I must say, those words are so wonderfully written. There are varying levels of personal revelation. Receiving clear communication isn’t necessarily an easy task, but just like anything else, it takes practice. I encourage you to take the time to seek personal revelation and to take the time to write down the inspiration you receive. The more you do this, the clearer it will become. Accepting the inspiration is also key to receiving further knowledge. We may on the occasion make a few mistakes, but the Lord will reward us in our sincere desire to follow Him. Continue to seek His direction until you are able to discern His voice from any other voice.
In verse 9, we can begin to see why confusion about personal revelation may arise. The Lord gives strict commands to not disclose all of the mysteries of God. Knowing what can and cannot be shared is challenging to discern. Sadly, when personal revelation is shared with others, it is frequently shunned. With this in mind, there is some wisdom in the idea of not sharing knowledge gained from personal revelation. Jesus warned against this. In the Joseph Smith translation of Matthew, Jesus says:
10 And the mysteries of the kingdom ye shall keep within yourselves; for it is not meet to give that which is holy unto the dogs; neither cast ye your pearls unto swine, lest they trample them under their feet.
11 For the world cannot receive that which ye, yourselves, are not able to bear; wherefore ye shall not give your pearls unto them, lest they turn again and rend you.
Matthew’s verses also echo the warning given in Alma. Knowing what to share, when, where and with whom all makes a difference. Most importantly, is how it is shared. It needs to be shared under the direction of the Holy Ghost. Since it is often times difficult to discern what can be shared, we err on the side of caution.
In verse 9, we can begin to see why confusion about personal revelation may arise. The Lord gives strict commands to not disclose all of the mysteries of God. Knowing what can and cannot be shared is challenging to discern. Sadly, when personal revelation is shared with others, it is frequently shunned. With this in mind, there is some wisdom in the idea of not sharing knowledge gained from personal revelation. Jesus warned against this. In the Joseph Smith translation of Matthew, Jesus says:
10 And the mysteries of the kingdom ye shall keep within yourselves; for it is not meet to give that which is holy unto the dogs; neither cast ye your pearls unto swine, lest they trample them under their feet.
11 For the world cannot receive that which ye, yourselves, are not able to bear; wherefore ye shall not give your pearls unto them, lest they turn again and rend you.
Matthew’s verses also echo the warning given in Alma. Knowing what to share, when, where and with whom all makes a difference. Most importantly, is how it is shared. It needs to be shared under the direction of the Holy Ghost. Since it is often times difficult to discern what can be shared, we err on the side of caution.
Knowing that revelation is provided to many individuals, as stated by Alma, we may begin to wonder who these people are. Do these individuals have to be prophets that are ordained by the priesthood? I do not believe so. I will lightly touch upon is idea. First off, the Lord is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). And “many” does not sound like the few prophets that are alive at any given time. Second, there is the gift of prophecy: see Corinthians 12:10, Doctrine and Covenants (D&C) 46:22 and Alma 9:21. This gift of prophecy is not limited to just individuals who are ordained as prophets. Third, there are many examples within the scriptures that reference individuals receiving revelation that are not ordained through the priesthood to be a prophet. I will use a few well-known examples. Nephi followed through with specific instructions given to him while retrieving the brass plates. Not only did an angel appear to him and his brothers, Nephi was instructed to kill Laban. Additionally, when Nephi received his vision of the Tree of Life, along with the vision of America’s future, he was still young and not likely a prophet yet. When Joseph Smith received instructions about the golden plates, he was not yet a prophet. When Saul received his revelation on the road to Damascus, he was not a prophet. These examples are not limited to just men. Within scriptures, we find several women that also have the gift of prophecy: Miriam, Deborah, Huldah and Anna are all referred to as prophetesses. There are other women that are not mentioned by name (see “prophetess” in the topical guide for further examples).
During the course of my life, I have come across many people who have shared with me their experience of seeing and speaking to Jesus Christ. These are not people who have had near-death experiences. They are family members, friends and even strangers on the street I met while proselytizing on my mission. These experiences are actually much more common than most suspect. When seeing or hearing the Lord is viewed as abnormal or strange, then people become cautious about sharing their experiences. In society, those who claim to hear the voices of spirits and see spirits are considered to be mentally imbalanced. Medication is the answer for these types of people. If that doesn’t work then ostracizing is considered a good option. As Christians who believe in personal revelation, what is our response typically like to those that claim to see God. When was the last time you remember someone standing up during a fast and testimony meeting and testify that they saw and/or talked with the Lord? If you have ever witnessed this? Was it well received by the members? We, as a church, do believe in personal revelation, right? The prophets encourage the members of the church to seek personal revelation. Let’s accept the fact that the Lord still instruct His children and even appears to them.
In regards to personal revelation, what can we expect to experience during our dispensation? I love these verses given to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon:
D&C 76:
5 For thus saith the Lord—I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end.
6 Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory.
7 And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom.
8 Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them, even the things of many generations.
9 And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven; and before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent shall come to naught.
10 For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will—yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man.
Notice how verse 5 does not single out those with the priesthood or those that are prophets. It says that the knowledge can be given to those that “fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end.” There is not an exclusion here. Anyone can fear the Lord and honor those that serve Him.
In regards to personal revelation, what can we expect to experience during our dispensation? I love these verses given to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon:
D&C 76:
5 For thus saith the Lord—I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end.
6 Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory.
7 And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom.
8 Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them, even the things of many generations.
9 And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven; and before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent shall come to naught.
10 For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will—yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man.
Notice how verse 5 does not single out those with the priesthood or those that are prophets. It says that the knowledge can be given to those that “fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end.” There is not an exclusion here. Anyone can fear the Lord and honor those that serve Him.
As Joel was describing our time, he provided some encourage words.
Joel 2:
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
Hmmm, fascinating isn’t it. Do we believe it? Is it happening? Are the youth prophesying? Are they seeing visions? The 7th Article of Faith states:
We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
Wow, something we were taught in primary to memorize because of the value; yet we, as members, still have such a hard time believing these things are possible in our own lives. We believe the prophets are capable of receiving revelation, but the article of faith is describing a gift that can be offered to anyone the Lord chooses to give it to. Let us go with the assumption that the Lord is fulfilling His prophecy in Joel. The Lord is instructing His children upon this earth through personal revelation. This revelation will not always be well received by the world, to include members of Christ’s church. I want to emphasize the fact that women are very capable of receiving this information too. Whose to say that the angel Gabriel shouldn't have appear to Mary, the mother of Jesus, just because she is a woman? I have heard the complaints of several women who have expressed their grief because their husbands do not support their communication with the Lord. They believe that their priesthood trumps the revelation given to the wife. Once again, the Lord is no respecter of persons.
My final thoughts on this… There is so much knowledge being given that is kept in secret by those that receive it. There is an awakening taking place. More and more people, especially children, are seeing and hearing spirits. The Lord teaches line upon line, precept upon precept. He has been preparing His people for greater levels of knowledge. The heavens are opening up. The time is now to seek for it. We can live in fear of deception, but fear is not of God. Once again, the prophets of the Church have encouraged us to seek after personal revelation. Have faith that you can weed through the deception.
Joel 2:
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
Hmmm, fascinating isn’t it. Do we believe it? Is it happening? Are the youth prophesying? Are they seeing visions? The 7th Article of Faith states:
We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
Wow, something we were taught in primary to memorize because of the value; yet we, as members, still have such a hard time believing these things are possible in our own lives. We believe the prophets are capable of receiving revelation, but the article of faith is describing a gift that can be offered to anyone the Lord chooses to give it to. Let us go with the assumption that the Lord is fulfilling His prophecy in Joel. The Lord is instructing His children upon this earth through personal revelation. This revelation will not always be well received by the world, to include members of Christ’s church. I want to emphasize the fact that women are very capable of receiving this information too. Whose to say that the angel Gabriel shouldn't have appear to Mary, the mother of Jesus, just because she is a woman? I have heard the complaints of several women who have expressed their grief because their husbands do not support their communication with the Lord. They believe that their priesthood trumps the revelation given to the wife. Once again, the Lord is no respecter of persons.
My final thoughts on this… There is so much knowledge being given that is kept in secret by those that receive it. There is an awakening taking place. More and more people, especially children, are seeing and hearing spirits. The Lord teaches line upon line, precept upon precept. He has been preparing His people for greater levels of knowledge. The heavens are opening up. The time is now to seek for it. We can live in fear of deception, but fear is not of God. Once again, the prophets of the Church have encouraged us to seek after personal revelation. Have faith that you can weed through the deception.