Daily Guidance

Elder Wilson made this comment in the most recent general conference: "Some may think we shouldn’t expect daily guidance from the Spirit because 'it is not meet that [God] should command in all things,' lest we become slothful servants. This scripture, however, was given to some early missionaries who asked Joseph Smith to obtain revelation they should have received for themselves. In a preceding verse, the Lord told them to come to the mission field 'as they shall counsel between themselves and me.' These missionaries wanted a specific revelation about their travel plans. They hadn’t yet learned to seek their own direction in personal matters. The Lord called this attitude what it is: slothful. Early Church members may have been so happy to have a true prophet that they were in danger of failing to learn how to receive revelation themselves."  So I believe his point was that we shouldn't expect our leaders to command us in all things; just because we have a prophet or apostles or other leaders with keys who preside over us, that's no excuse to expect them to receive revelation for us.  We don’t need to have some mortal always telling us what to do in order to move forward and serve in God’s kingdom.  But the statement that God shouldn't command us in all things does not mean we shouldn’t seek for and expect frequent guidance from the Lord in our daily activities.    

               There are many scriptures that confirm that we should seek to be consistently guided by the Spirit.  Perhaps the most obvious is the fact that in our weekly Sacrament Meetings the Lord promises those who keep covenants, "They may always have his Spirit to be with them" (Doctrine and Covenants 20:77).  Elder Wilson also highlighted this direction from Alma: "Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good" (Alma 37:37).  We are invited to seek the Lord's counsel in all our doings; I don’t believe that this means we need to pray over what to wear or buy at the grocery store or over any other number of trivial decisions, but we can seek the Lord help for all of our daily doings which have significance.  We see several examples in the scriptures of those who were able to receive frequent revelation and guidance from the Lord.  For example, we read of the people in the time of Jarom: "And there are many among us who have many revelations, for they are not all stiffnecked. And as many as are not stiffnecked and have faith, have communion with the Holy Spirit, which maketh manifest unto the children of men, according to their faith" (Jarom 1:4).  They had "many revelations" and did commune with the Holy Ghost, showing that the Lord was indeed frequently guiding them.  We also read this about Nephi and Lehi, the sons of Helaman: "But it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi, and many of their brethren who knew concerning the true points of doctrine, having many revelations daily, therefore they did preach unto the people, insomuch that they did put an end to their strife in that same year" (Helaman 11:23).  These two had "many revelations daily"—clearly they knew how to have the Spirit with them always.  Nephi's son Nephi also was one who received revelation daily: "And it came to pass that they were angry with him, even because he had greater power than they, for it were not possible that they could disbelieve his words, for so great was his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ that angels did minister unto him daily" (3 Nephi 7:18).  He received personal revelation from angels of the Lord daily.  I don't think it wasn't that Nephi needed to be "commanded in all things" by these angels, but he had the faith and purity to receive continual knowledge and direction from the Lord in a very difficult time.    

               Of course, sometimes we don't receive the direction that we desire from the Lord, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't be consistently seeking it and then moving forward as best we can.  President Nelson put it this way: "To be sure, there may be times when you feel as though the heavens are closed. But I promise that as you continue to be obedient, expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord’s timetable, you will be given the knowledge and understanding you seek."  We can be sure that the Lord will fulfill this promise as we seek to get our own revelation instead of depending on others to command us: "If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal" (Doctrine and Covenants 42:61).