President Joseph Smith on the process of personal revelation

Joseph Smith (December 23, 1805-June 27, 1844) was given the apostolic authority when the Church of Jesus Christ was organized on April 6, 1830 and he was designated the first president of the church at age 24. He was martyred in 1844 at age 38.

"A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; (i.e.) those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus."

- Joseph Smith, discourse on June 27, 1839, in Commerce, Illinois; see HC 3:381 or TPJS 151

Among the doctrinal foundations established by Joseph Smith as part of the restoration is the very fundamental concept of man's communication with God. This principle doesn't apply just to prophets and leaders, but to every person who will do what is necessary to open the lines of communication.

I love this quote; we can discover the beginnings of the "spirit of revelation" when we notice "pure intelligence flowing" to us from God.

The real key is to act upon the intelligence when it comes, and to then notice the fulfillment of the promptings; that strengthens our confidence and faith in God and in the process of revelation, and opens the door to more and greater communication in the future. Until, as Joseph noted, we may ultimately "grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus."

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)