We Would Write All the Time

Brigham Young, when explaining the revelation the Church had received to practice plural marriage in 1852, said this about revelation in general: “If it was necessary to write them, we would write all the time. We would rather the people, however, would live so as to have revelations for themselves, and then do the work we are called to do. That is enough for us.”  That is quite the statement from a prophet about the revelation he received to guide the Church, and it indicates to us that just because the Doctrine and Covenants, the book containing many of the early revelations of the Church, is published doesn’t mean that the prophet doesn’t continue to receive many revelations.  Brigham Young’s message was that any of us can similarly receive direction and communication from the Lord.  Joseph Smith likewise had a liberal view towards revelation’s accessibility for all of us: “God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what He will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them.”  President Nelson in our day has taught the same thing: “Does God really want to speak to you? Yes! ‘As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course … as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints.’  You don’t have to wonder about what is true…. Oh, there is so much more that your Father in Heaven wants you to know.”  Prophets from the beginning of this dispensation to now have emphasized our own ability and need to commune with God individually. 

               One of the messages that Jacob gave us in his short book in the Book of Mormon is that he and his people received revelation.  He referenced how they had “revelation which was great” that they wrote down and said, “And we also had many revelations, and the spirit of much prophecy; wherefore, we knew of Christ and his kingdom, which should come” (Jacob 1:4,6).  Jacob also spoke of the revelations they received in this way: “Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken” (Jacob 4:6).  He described one particular experience for himself in receiving revelation, how the voice of the Lord came to him saying, “Jacob, get thou up into the temple on the morrow” and instructed him on what he needed to tell the people (Jacob 2:11).  Later when Sherem came among the people, Jacob described, “And he had hope to shake me from the faith, notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which I had seen concerning these things; for I truly had seen angels, and they had ministered unto me. And also, I had heard the voice of the Lord speaking unto me in very word, from time to time; wherefore, I could not be shaken.”  When Sherem argued against him concerning Christ, Jacob recorded, “But behold, the Lord God poured in his Spirit into my soul, insomuch that I did confound him in all his words” (Jacob 7:5,8).  Jacob could not be moved away from the faith because he continued to receive revelations from the Lord.  And he counseled us to seek for the same, declaring, “And no man knoweth of his ways save it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not the revelations of God” (Jacob 4:8).  We must learn to hear the voice of the Lord as Jacob and his people did to learn the ways of God.  His question comes down through the centuries inviting us to so do: “Yea, today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts; for why will ye die?” (Jacob 6:6)  Without revelation for ourselves, we will spiritually die.