Revelations thru our filters
My fellow teacher sent me an excerpt from his favorite resource book, preparing a lesson last fall. This bit of it, in the commentary, struck me enough to save it and come back to it:
The scriptures are a record of experience with the Holy Ghost. Whether it's direction put into voice by the prophet or teacher receiving it (like the Wise Men's direction to return home another way), or divine dictation word for word, as is visible in many revelations from the Doctrine and Covenants, it is put on record with language, and subject to sometimes imperfect rendition. There are those times when we hear a voice, but they are less frequent. When that happens, we tend to sit up and take notice.
I have been thinking about how Nephi felt that he might be inadequate:
Likewise, Moroni, who was the last witness before the destruction of his people, finishing his father's work, knew that the record could not be absolutely perfect. Nothing done by human beings can. Mormon had spent the better part of his adult life going through the records of many generations, and handed off the final work to his valiant son; both knew how crucial these records had been and how crucial the portion for us would be. They had read, condensed, selected, prayed, followed direction, and compiled. Everything had to be assessed, and that which would be of the most value to a future time chosen and preserved. All would depend on God and on the believing hearts of those who would be given this profound gift. Moroni said,
Doctrine & Covenants 100:5 Speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts. The admonition given here to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon applies alike to all who have been called to labor in the Lord's name. It is a perfect expression of how the spirit of revelation operates. In Doctrine and Covenants 8 the spirit of revelation was defined as that which the Lord tells us in our minds and in our hearts (vv. 2-3). Precious few of the revelations given in the history of humankind have involved the audible voice of the Lord or personal instruction from angels. For the most part, the Lord places thoughts and feelings in our hearts, leaving the manner in which they are clothed in words to our discretion. Many of these revelations, like the scriptures we have already been given, go unheeded because we lack the courage to trust the Spirit and respond to its prompting. The more closely we learn to listen the more frequently the Spirit will take the occasion to speak. Craig J. Ostler, Joseph Fielding McConkie, Revelations of the Restoration (Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Company, 2000)
The scriptures are a record of experience with the Holy Ghost. Whether it's direction put into voice by the prophet or teacher receiving it (like the Wise Men's direction to return home another way), or divine dictation word for word, as is visible in many revelations from the Doctrine and Covenants, it is put on record with language, and subject to sometimes imperfect rendition. There are those times when we hear a voice, but they are less frequent. When that happens, we tend to sit up and take notice.
I have been thinking about how Nephi felt that he might be inadequate:
"And now I, Nephi, cannot write all the things which were taught among my people; neither am I amighty in writing, like unto speaking; for when a man bspeaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men." (2 Nephi 33:1)He knew that when he could be in the presence of his hearers, and be led by the Holy Ghost, that the experience was powerful and he could see and feel, right there, whether he was reaching them. Yet, ask anyone who has studied the Book of Mormon, and Nephi is likely to be one of the ones at the top of the list of those who have had a powerful spiritual effect on them through his words and experiences.
Likewise, Moroni, who was the last witness before the destruction of his people, finishing his father's work, knew that the record could not be absolutely perfect. Nothing done by human beings can. Mormon had spent the better part of his adult life going through the records of many generations, and handed off the final work to his valiant son; both knew how crucial these records had been and how crucial the portion for us would be. They had read, condensed, selected, prayed, followed direction, and compiled. Everything had to be assessed, and that which would be of the most value to a future time chosen and preserved. All would depend on God and on the believing hearts of those who would be given this profound gift. Moroni said,
"And whoso receiveth athis record, and shall not condemn it because of the imperfections which are in it, the same shall know of bgreater things than these. Behold, I am Moroni; and were it possible, I would make all things known unto you." (Mormon 8:12)The vehicle we have for communication is language. It's an imperfect means for conveying perfect truth. It relies on human understanding, learning, and perception. The power of the Spirit, however, can touch and teach us as we read the lessons which were carried forward through the record of the Lord's servants to us. The opportunity to comprehend more than the words--it's so easy to argue about the words, intellectually--comes through that power, and that power comes to us through our faith and our Heavenly Father's love. The possible imperfections don't matter. If we make it possible, by being faithfully prepared and open, all things will indeed, in time, be made known to us.
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