Personal Revelation

Someone asked, "What are some of your favorite go-to scriptures or conference talks about how the Spirit and personal revelation works?"

Here are some great answers:


 "Usually we think of revelation as information. Just open the books to us, Lord, like: What was the political significance of the Louisiana Purchase or the essence of the second law of thermodynamics?...aside from the fact that you probably aren’t going to get that kind of revelation...this is too narrow a concept of revelation.”
Elder Holland, Cast Not Away Your Confidence (BYU Devotional)

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormon-and-modern says, "Latter-day Saints do not expect God to simply hand down information. He expects us to wrestle with the complications of life through prayerful searching and sound thinking."

"Good information leads to good inspiration" President Nelson, most recent General Conference

President Hugh B. Brown (wait for it)- “We should all be interested in academic research. We must go out on the research front and continue to explore the vast unknown. We should be in the forefront of learning in all fields, for revelation does not come only through the prophet of God nor only directly from heaven in visions or dreams.** Revelation may come in the laboratory, out of the test tube, out of the thinking mind and the inquiring soul, out of search and research and prayer and inspiration.**”

Paraphrasing D&C 1:24, revelation comes to us "in [our] weakness, after the manner of [our] language, that [we] might come to understanding."

"I do not even believe that there is a single revelation, among the many that God has given to the Church, that is perfect in its fulness. The revelations of God contain correct doctrine and principles so far as they go; but it is impossible for the poor, weak, groveling, sinful inhabitants of the earth to receive a revelation from the Almighty in all its perfections. He has to speak unto us in a manner to meet the extent of our capacities" (Brigham Young, July 8 1855, JD 2:314).