Today I would like to discuss who has the authority to receive inspiration. Whereas we can all agree that we all have the authority and right to receive inspiration for ourselves. The question is, “Who has the right to receive inspiration for others?” The point of this episode on inspiration is that… we need to be wise as we evaluate our own inspiration or that of someone else. As we enter the Latter Days, such wisdom will become even more necessary. We need to constantly insure that inspiration passes the requirements of true inspiration.
Science and Scriptures Season 1, Episode 20 or “The Authority to Receive Inspiration”
This is the podcast Science and Scriptures, Season 1, Episode 20 or “The Authority to Receive Inspiration”. Hello again. This is Scott Frazer and welcome to another episode of Science and Scriptures.
Today I would like to discuss who has the authority to receive inspiration. Whereas we can all agree that we all have the authority and right to receive inspiration for ourselves. The question is, “Who has the right to receive inspiration for others?”
Several years ago, return missionaries designed a tactic to convince their sweethearts to agree to marry them. They would tell these young ladies that they “had received revelation and confirmation that the two of them were to form an eternal union”.As my own daughters left for their college education at BYU and BYU-Idaho, I told them that if such a thing happened to them, they were to call me on my cell phone and allow me to correct this young man’s misunderstanding of Gospel principles. About a year later, I was pleased to read a talk by Elder David Bednar in which he agreed with my stance on the issue. As I remember it, Elder Bednar advised young ladies to run, not walk away from such a proposal.
We might ask how in the world could a young man dating my daughter think he has the right or authority to receive revelation for my daughter? Because they are friends or because they have started a romantic relationship, he thinks he can receive revelation from God for my daughter?
From the tone of my question, you can probably guess my answer. First, as a young, single woman, my daughter has the right to receive her own revelation about what she should do. I, as her father, and her patriarch, could receive revelation for her. My wife Cheri, also my daughter’s mother and the matriarch of our home could receive revelation for her. The bishop of my daughter’s ward could receive revelation for her, as could her stake president and the stake patriarch when she gets her patriarchal blessing. That’s it. No one else has the authority to receive revelation for my daughter. Certainly not some love-struck suitor.
When each daughter got married, things changed of course. I remained her father, but I did not remain her patriarch. My daughter’s husband became the patriarch of her family. Don’t get me wrong. I was pleased with the marriages. But I grieved for my lost role of patriarch to my daughter that I had had for two decades.
Inspiration is a funny thing and can be a touchy subject. Years ago, a young married couple with two young children I knew announced to me that this was their last Sunday in the ward. They had read one of the many magazine articles out there that tells you about the Top 10 places to live in the United States. The #1 location chosen by this magazine was Akron, Ohio. The husband of this family had just quit his job and they were moving to Akron. He didn’t have a new job lined up or a place to live, but they were optimistic. I was speechless. How do you tell a fellow church member that you don’t think their inspiration was truly inspiration?
I have told this story to others, and the response I often get is, “Well, maybe they did get that inspiration!” Maybe, but unlikely. Such a rash action goes against many church teachings about families maintaining financial stability, being good providers, and being prepared for hard times. I’ve never left one job without having another job lined up. I’m sure it has worked for some people, but it’s a high-risk decision. I can’t even imagine doing it. But… when this couple told me their plans, I didn’t say anything negative.Inspiration is a big deal in our church and it’s simply not polite to question other member’s revelations. But I have always wondered if not saying anything was the right thing to do.
Not understanding who has the right to receive revelation for another person can cause other problems as well. Battles occur in wards when one ward member, let’s call her Angela, tells another ward member, let’s call her Tina, that she has received revelation for her. According to Angela, it has been revealed to her that Tina needs to divorce her husband, or discipline her children differently, or quit her job.
Not surprisingly, Tina probably reacts negatively.But Angela, claiming this to be inspiration, does not accept responsibility for the rebuke. After all, she is just passing it on from God!If Tina doesn’t believe Angela, then she gets mad at her for claiming to have received revelation for her.Since the rest of the church ward can be considered guilty by association with Angela, Tina often may go inactive. If Tina does believe Angela, she gets angry with God for rebuking her when she is trying so hard to get things right. Again, Tina often goes inactive.
The fact of the matter is that Angela did not receive revelation for Tina. Angela has no right or authority to receive revelation for Tina. Ideally, Tina receives her own revelation. If not, Tina’s husband can receive revelation for her, as can her bishop. Again, that’s it. Though some may argue, I don’t believe that Tina’s ministering sister or ministering brethren can receive revelation for her either.
Even as I say this, I realize some listeners may be angrily disagreeing with my statements. Like I stated earlier, inspiration is a big deal in our church and it’s considered rude to question other’s revelations. But as church members, we need to understand the rules of inspiration. Obviously, I encourage everyone to pray FOR their fellow ward members, friends, and family. Angela can certainly pray FOR Tina, but for her to pray to know what Tina should do with her life is not appropriate. Now, if Angela has an opinion about what Tina should do, she can express her opinion in friendly conversation. Everyone does that; it is part of our normal day-to-day human interaction. But there is a big difference in expressing our own opinion and declaring that it has been sanctioned by God.
If the prophet is present in any church meeting, he presides in that meeting. Even if he chooses to sit in the back row, he presides. It is not an authority he can delegate to someone else. The same is true of those who can receive revelation for us. If my daughter and her family move into my basement, I am still not her patriarch and I have no authority to receive revelation on her behalf. Authority is based on family patriarchal order or church leadership authority – not on your living situation.
Do You have the Right to Receive Revelation for Yourself?
Now we must consider whether you have the right and authority to receive inspiration about yourself.Here we might wish to consider D & C Section 9. Oliver Cowdery was frustrated and murmuring at the fact that he was not able to translate the Book of Mormon. But the Lord tells him,
“Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.
But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right…”
Oliver had not done the right things to enable himself to be able to translate. Whether it is a sentence that needs to be translated or a choice in life that needs to be made, you must think through your options and what you should do.
This verse is exactly in line with the requirements of Agency that our Father has given us. Agency means that you are not a puppet on a string – even if you want to be. Praying for the answer to a question that you have not even thought about is the ultimate act of a person who does not want to control their own life. There is a phrase used by church members that we should “subsume our will to the Father’s”, meaning we should allow our will to be absorbed fully into our Father’s will. But I don’t think that’s what Heavenly Father wants. Isn’t that why God sent us to our mortal probation on Earth in the first place? Aren’t we to work out our challenges without God looking over our shoulders and pushing us in the direction He might choose? Are we here to work on our puppet skills or our skills as adults at being able to make our own decisions? Heavenly Father does not want you to subsume your will into His. He un-subsumed our wills when He sent us here.
The fact that the Lord tells Oliver that he “must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right…” means you have to make a decision and ask if that is the right course. God may answer “Yes”. He may answer “No”. But most often God will not answer at all. This shouldn’t surprise you. You are here to learn to make your own choices – and endure or enjoy the consequences.
Even when God confirms a choice you have made, please know that one of the greatest considerations He takes into account is what choice YOU want to make. Rarely does God need you to do something that you don’t want to do or don’t need to do.
Because, simply put, very rarely do God’s plans for the earth revolve around you. It’s wonderful if you are willing to sacrifice your desires for the Lord. Certainly, He is going to want you to obey the commandments, which is often a sacrifice.He wants you to accept callings, which can also be a sacrifice. In both cases, it should be obvious what the Lord desires of you. Very rarely will the Lord ask you to do anything beyond obeying the commandments and accepting callings.
Recognizing the Voice of the Spirit
We have another cultural phenomenon in the church when we talk to each other about making a decision in our lives. Members often say, “I am feeling that I should…say… choose Option A”.
When friends say this, I always want to ask, “So, does that mean you are emotionally feeling you should choose Option A or that you are spiritually feeling you should choose Option A? Or is the answer to your decision a 50/50 split between the two?”
I think that members of the church use the intentionally vague word “feeling” because they want to imply (and believe) that God has had a role in the decision. As I mentioned earlier, by declaring a decision to be revelation, the church member usually eliminates the danger of someone else questioning their decision.
But in my world at least, I rarely know if my decision is based on an emotional feeling because I want to choose Option A or if it is a spiritual feeling that God is communicating to me.It might be somewhere in between, but I cannot guess if the ratio is 50% emotional /50% spiritual or 95% emotional / 5% spiritual.
As members of the church who have been taught for decades how to recognize God’s voice, we believe we should be able to distinguish the difference between our emotions and the Holy Ghost. Let’s face it, it can be a little embarrassing for some members that they still don’t know the difference. So, we declare that “we are feeling like we should”… . We are hesitant to ever say, “You know, this is fully my decision.” Because, many of us think, shouldn’t God weigh in on every decision?
I have long ago given up the practice in prayer of asking a question – and listening – and then asking the same exact question with somewhat different wording – and listening harder – and then repeating the process over and over again.
I finally decided to take the Lord at His word. I read this verse from Doctrine and Covenants 50 in an episode a couple of weeks ago, but it’s applicable yet again.
“Let us reason even as a man reasoneth one with another face to face.
Now, when a man reasoneth he is understood of man, because he reasoneth as a man; even so will I, the Lord, reason with you that you may understand.”
I decided to have conversations with the Lord and reason with Him. I don’t ask the same question ten times in a row and listen for the Spirit to whisper something. I wouldn’t ever do that in a regular conversation, so why do it in prayer?Now, when the Lord and I have discussions, if He doesn’t answer my question, then I move on, understanding that He is going to let me make the decision. I’m not embarrassed about the fact that I get answers from God on very few of my life’s decision. That the Lord trusts me to make the right decisions in my life is reassuring.
When you receive the witness of the Holy Ghost, I would recommend that you take a moment to understand what the Holy Ghost is witnessing TO. As an example, before I joined the Latter-day Saint church, I received witnesses from the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost approves when you do something right or feel a charitable sentiment. If a person who has never been religious walks into a church, ANY church, he may feel the Holy Ghost witness that this decision was a good thing. The Holy Spirit is not necessarily witnessing that this particular church is the true church of Jesus Christ. Hopefully, that will come later.
Similarly, a young Return Missionary may look at a pretty young woman, think about marriage and family, and have the Holy Ghost witness that it is a good thought. But it is the thought about marriage and family that resulted in the confirmation, not the pretty young woman. The “Holy spirit of promise” cannot promise that a young woman will agree to marry the Return Missionary. As I stated earlier, any such interpretation is flawed.
I once had a bishop that had to call another man to be one of his counselors in the bishopric. He called a good man who was consequently set apart for his calling. Three weeks later, this new counselor’s employer moved the man out of state with very short notice. My bishop was aghast. How had he messed up this inspiration? A lot of prayer and effort had gone into this calling to no real avail. When we talked later, I told him my opinion. The bishop had asked if this potential counselor was righteous and if he would make a good counselor in the bishopric. The answer was yes. But the Holy Ghost is not a crystal ball. The fact this new counselor would be moving soon was not revealed, nor should one expect that kind of revelation.
The point of this episode on inspiration is that… we need to be wise as we evaluate our own inspiration or that of someone else. As we enter the Latter Days, such wisdom will become even more necessary. We need to see of the inspiration passes the requirements of true inspiration.
From church history, perhaps you remember the story about Hiram Page from Doctrine and Covenants section 28.From the introduction, we read
Hiram Page, a member of the Church, had a certain stone and professed to be receiving revelations by its aid concerning the upbuilding of Zion and the order of the Church. Several members had been deceived by these claims, and even Oliver Cowdery was wrongly influenced thereby…
The Prophet inquired earnestly of the Lord concerning the matter, and this revelation – directed to Oliver Cowdery - followed. It explains to us that revelation will always be directed to the person who has received the authority to receive it.
From Verses 2, 4-6
But, behold, verily, verily, I say unto thee no one shall be appointed to receive commandments and revelations in this church excepting my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., for he receiveth them even as Moses.
4 And if thou art led at any time by the Comforter to speak or teach, or at all times by the way of commandment unto the church, thou mayest do it.
5 But thou shalt not write by way of commandment, but by wisdom;
6 And thou shalt not command him who is at thy head, and at the head of the church;
In verse 11,
And again, thou shalt take thy brother, Hiram Page, between him and thee alone, and tell him that those things which he hath written from that stone are not of me and that Satan deceiveth him;
12 For, behold, these things have not been appointed unto him, neither shall anything be appointed unto any of this church contrary to the church covenants.
13 For all things must be done in order, and by common consent in the church, by the prayer of faith.
Hiram Page’s inspiration did not pass the test. First, if revelation is given to the whole church, it will come through the prophet. This does not mean that normal men in the church cannot receive grand visions. We can. But if I receive such a revelation, it is meant for my edification only. It is one of those holy things that is meant to stay holy.
All things must be done in order. God is not going to give inspiration or revelation to someone who does not have the authority to receive it.
We can learn something more about judging inspiration from the story in the Book of Mormon. From Alma, Chapter 30, we read about Korihor
“And this Anti-Christ, whose name was Korihor, (and the law could have no hold upon him) began to preach unto the people that there should be no Christ. And after this manner did he preach…”
“And thus he did preach unto them,”
Now, we must ask, what should have been the key indicator that Korihor was not teaching correct doctrine? He was teaching something that went against earlier doctrine.He was teaching there would be no Savior! That should have been enough proof for church members to stop listening. But he succeeded in “leading away the hearts of many, causing them to lift up their heads in their wickedness.”
As you know, Alma himself has to confront Korihor, to stop him from leading people astray. Korihor keeps asking for a sign that God exists so, Alma finally gives him a sign – and Korihor is struck dumb as a sign that God exists. Later Korihor writes down why he had preached his false doctrine.
“But behold, the devil hath deceived me; for he appeared unto me in the form of an angel, and said unto me: Go and reclaim this people, for they have all gone astray after an unknown God. And he said unto me: There is no God; yea, and he taught me that which I should say.”
Although seeing an angel of light may have been impressive, Korihor should have talked to his church leaders about his revelation before publicly declaring it. Not surprisingly, Korihor asks Alma to remove his curse so that he could speak again. After all, Korihor had written down his confession, which sounded sincere. But Alma knows Korihor’s heart. In verse 55, we read,
“But Alma said unto him: If this curse should be taken from thee thou wouldst again lead away the hearts of this people; therefore, it shall be unto thee even as the Lord will.”
Either Korihor was evil and enjoyed leading people away from the church, or he was very gullible, and would have just been fooled by Satan again in teaching false doctrine. In either case, Alma decided not to remove the curse and he leaves it up to the Lord if He wants to remove it. The Lord doesn’t remove it either. Korihor is cast out, becomes a beggar and at last, dies from being trampled.
So, it is important to be able to recognize true inspiration. Real inspiration can help you find answers to life’s questions. False inspiration can lead you to decisions that you may regret. AS the Savior sent out his Apostles to do the work on their own, He said, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” That is a hard combination to get right. But sometimes, like the serpent, we have to be skeptical and judge inspiration in the harsh light of reality.
That is all that I have for you today. Thank you for taking time to listen to this podcast episode. If you remember from last week, I am still looking forward to receiving more email at ScottRFrazer@gmail.com. Please let me know what episodes are your favorites – and your least favorites – and what subjects you would like discussed on future podcasts. This is Scott Frazer of the podcast Science and Scriptures. Have a good week and take care.