I Have Inquired of the Lord

We get an indirect lesson from Mormon in his description of the three Nephites in 3 Nephi 28.  When he described a change that came upon them, he wrote this, “And whether they were in the body or out of the body, they could not tell; for it did seem unto them like a transfiguration of them, that they were changed from this body of flesh into an immortal state, that they could behold the things of God….  And now, whether they were mortal or immortal, from the day of their transfiguration, I know not” (v15, 17).  He must have been reading from the record and the details about the exact nature of their transfiguration were not clear.  Mormon openly admitted his ignorance on the matter and continued the record.  Later in the same chapter, and perhaps after some time had passed for Mormon in his abridgment, he said this, “And now behold, as I spake concerning those whom the Lord hath chosen, yea, even three who were caught up into the heavens, that I knew not whether they were cleansed from mortality to immortality—But behold, since I wrote, I have inquired of the Lord, and he hath made it manifest unto me that there must needs be a change wrought upon their bodies, or else it needs be that they must taste of death” (v36-37).  So in the interim clearly Mormon had gone to the Lord to understand the answer to his question, and upon receiving the answer about how this transfiguration had taken place for the three Nephites, Mormon added that information to the record.  This shows us both the humility of Mormon—writing openly what he did not know—and his method of obtaining knowledge: he first studied the scriptures he had and then went to the Lord and sought revelation.

            I believe that we see this same process of obtaining knowledge from Nephi and Alma in the Book of Mormon.  Nephi acknowledged that he did not know everything, telling the angel plainly, “I do not know the meaning of all things” and in response to another question, “I know not” (1 Nephi 11:17, 13:22).  He also described, though, how he turned to the Lord for revelation about what his father saw in his vision: “I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord” (1 Nephi 11:1).  He questioned his brothers when they had questions: “Have ye inquired of the Lord?” (1 Nephi 15:8)  We find answers when we seek the Lord and inquire at his hand.  Alma similarly recognized his own lack of knowledge regarding some things of a spiritual nature when teaching Corianton: “Now, my son, I do not say that their resurrection cometh at the resurrection of Christ; but behold, I give it as my opinion, that the souls and the bodies are reunited, of the righteous, at the resurrection of Christ, and his ascension into heaven. But whether it be at his resurrection or after, I do not say” (Alma 40:20-21).  This is somewhat odd language for the scriptures—we don’t often hear prophets giving opinions—but it at least indicates that Alma did not know everything and he recognized and admitted what he didn’t know.  Like Nephi he humbly acknowledged this in addition to giving his witness of those spiritual truths he was sure about.  But he likewise bore witness of how we obtain knowledge from the Lord: “Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself” (Alma 5:46).  Alma went to the Lord in prayer and faster for revelation about the Savior.  Mormon, Nephi, and Alma were all examples of humbly seeking after the Lord for knowledge.