Seek Me Diligently

The fourth Saints book, Sounded in Every Ear, relates the account of President Spencer W. Kimball receiving the revelation making the blessings of the priesthood available to all people. The story is a powerful example that teaches important principles about receiving divine communication from the Lord. The book describes the efforts of President Kimball this way: “In the early months of 1978, President Spencer W. Kimball was so concerned about the Church’s priesthood and temple restriction that he often struggled to sleep…. He began spending more and more time in the Salt Lake Temple’s Holy of Holies, a special sanctuary adjoining the celestial room. There he would remove his shoes, kneel in prayer, and humbly plead with heaven.” He was relentless in his efforts to receive an answer and did not impose upon the Lord a specific timetable. He also solicited the help of all the apostles and sought to be unified with them: “On March 9, he spoke with his counselors and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles about race and the priesthood. The meeting lasted a long time. They reviewed statements by Church presidents David O. McKay and Harold B. Lee indicating that the priesthood restriction would someday end. But the apostles unanimously agreed that the practice would not change until the Lord revealed His will to the prophet. Before the meeting ended, President Kimball urged the apostles to fast and pray about the issue. And over the next several weeks, he invited them to study the subject and write down their thoughts.” President Kimbal also sought to understand what the scriptures taught and what previous presidents of the Church had said. The account continues, “He assigned elders Howard W. Hunter and Boyd K. Packer to compile a history of the priesthood restriction and document everything that had been said about the issue in meetings of the First Presidency and the Twelve. The previous year, he had also asked Elder Bruce R. McConkie to review the scriptural basis for the practice.” With the help of these other brethren, President Kimball did not stop his own efforts to learn the Lord’s will: “President Kimball, meanwhile, continued to pray about the restriction. While concerns still beset him, they became less and less important. He felt a growing spiritual impression, deep and abiding, to move forward.” He fasted, prayed, went to the temple, studied the scriptures, and studied the words of the prophets, and did so in unity with the other apostles. All of these actions, accompanied with faith in the Lord, are surely important catalysts for receiving revelation and hearing the voice of the Lord.

                President Kimball continued to move forward with hope in the answer he would receive, and in faith he made a rough draft of a statement extending priesthood to all worthy men. On June 1 he met again with the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve who had all come to meet together fasting. He asked them to continue to fast with them. The account continues, “He then told them of the many hours he had spent asking the Lord for answers. A change would bring the restored gospel and temple blessings to countless Saints—men, women, and children—all across the world. ‘I have not been determined in advance what the answer should be,’ he said. ‘But I want to know. Whatever the Lord’s decision is, I will defend it to the limits of my strength.’” This was perhaps the most important part of his preparation to receive the revelation: he was willing to do whatever the Lord revealed. And he sought to be united with all the apostles, asking “everyone to share their thoughts, and for the next two hours, the apostles spoke in turn. A feeling of unity and peace rested over them.” He then led them in prayer—what a powerful image to have the prophet kneeling in prayer with all the apostles: “He knelt at a temple altar, surrounded by the apostles. Humbly and fervently, he asked the Father to cleanse them from sin so they could receive the Lord’s word. He prayed to know how to expand the work of the Church and spread the gospel throughout the world. He asked the Lord to manifest His mind and will on extending the priesthood to all worthy men in the Church.” With that unity and after months of fervent pleading and seeking, the answer came with great power from the Lord: “After the prophet finished his prayer, the Holy Spirit flooded the room, touching the hearts of everyone in the circle. The Spirit spoke to their souls, binding them together in total harmony. All doubt fled. President Kimball sprang from his knees. His fragile heart was pounding. He wrapped his arms around Elder David B. Haight, the junior apostle, and embraced the others one by one. The apostles had tears in their eyes. Some wept openly. They had received their answer from the Lord.” All the blessings of the gospel could go to all the earth.

                And so, when we find it hard to obtain revelation from the Lord and to understand His will for us on important matters, we should remember that great spiritual manifestations take great spiritual effort and preparation. The Book of Mormon highlights this kind of work needed to hear the voice of the Lord. Alma related, “Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself” (Alma 5:46). Enos told of his own spiritual labors in these words, “And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.” After his first answer, he labored even more: “I began to feel a desire for the welfare of my brethren, the Nephites; wherefore, I did pour out my whole soul unto God for them…. I prayed unto him with many long strugglings for my brethren, the Lamanites. And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith” (Enos 1:4, 9, 11-12). Mormon also recorded the diligence of the sons of Mosiah in obtaining revelation: “They had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God. But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation” (Alma 17:2-3). These examples highlight that to obtain revelation from the Lord we must seek Him with all our heart. It often takes diligent prayer, fasting, and spiritual work to hear His voice, just as these Nephite prophets and President Kimball showed. But that should not deter us, for His promise is unto all: “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:63).