When we think of the word revelation, we often think of visions or voices. But, we believe revelation is a lot more simple. While it CAN be a vision, or a very powerful experience, it can often be a simple feeling or thought in our minds.
As members of the church, we believe that there is continuing revelation from God through a modern day Prophet. Today, the prophet is President Thomas S. Monson. He speaks twice a year to the church as a whole during what we call, General Conference. It is televised here in Utah, and broadcast by satellite to countries all over the world. It is also on the internet. It takes place in April, and October every year. It is a time that we look forward to hearing President Monson speak, along with the 12 apostles that are on the earth today, and other church leaders. We believe that God loves those on the earth today as much as he loved the people during the time of the bible prophets. That is why he restored the church to the earth and also restored revelation. We believe that the prophet is called of God to receive revelation for the church as a whole, and for its members.
We also believe in personal revelation. We believe that through faithful prayer, we can receive revelation, through the Holy Ghost, in our own lives. Some other faiths may refer to this in a different way, but simply put, we believe that God has a hand in our lives, and can direct us the path that we should take, and help us in our daily trials and decisions. He does this by speaking to us in a myriad of ways. As mentioned earlier, it can be a profound experience, but most often, it is a quiet feeling, or thought that, when followed, will help us know it came from Him. We do not believe that the individual can receive revelation for another individual. Personal revelation is all about our personal relationship with God.
I can’t imagine going through life not knowing that I can have a personal relationship with God, and that He is guiding this earthly existence. It is a great comfort to me to know that I can speak to him, through prayer, and receive guidance in my daily life regarding the choices I make. I am also comforted to know that a Prophet is on the earth to help guide us and warn us of dangers, and help us know how to prepare for the future.
To see more articles in this series, check out the links below:
What I Believe- God and Jesus Christ
What I believe- The Bible and the Book of Mormon
What I Believe- Joseph Smith was a Prophet