Personal Revelation Can Help Young Adults Answer 3 “Foundational” Questions
Contributed By Kaitlyn Bancroft, Church News staff writer
Michael Orme, the assistant to the president and corporate secretary to BYU, focused on “the spiritual dimension of revelation” during a June 5, 2018, devotional. Photo by Rebekah Baker, BYU.
Article Highlights
- 1. Who am I?
- 2. Who should I marry?
- 3. What is my life’s work and contribution to the world?
One could say Michael Orme is a BYU fan.
Orme, the assistant to the president and corporate secretary to BYU, sleeps on a Y-logoed pillowcase, has a large Y magnet on his garage, and displays numerous BYU posters around his home.
“I love BYU. It is a spectacular place to study and work,” Orme said.
However, “what makes [BYU] unique in all the world and what draws to it special attention and scrutiny is its vitally important mission to help build the kingdom of God,” he said.
Orme focused on “the spiritual dimension of revelation” of BYU’s mission fulfillment during a June 5 devotional. He spoke first on the importance of personal revelation, particularly during the formative college and young single adult years. Three foundational questions that will likely confront young single adults during this time of life are:
- What are my fundamental standards, values, and beliefs? In short, who am I?
- What kind of person should I marry and partner with in this life and the next?
- What exactly will be my life’s work, and how will I contribute to make the world a better place?
“In a very real and profound sense, once these decisions have been made, I can tell you, the rest of one’s life is something of an epilogue,” Orme said, adding that baptized members of the Church have the Holy Ghost to help them make these crucial decisions and that God is anxious to give His wisdom.
Orme next explored the various ways revelation can be received, whether in sudden, inspired moments or in more subtle ways. In addition, “learning by doing”—specifically, learning the ways God communicates with individuals—is one of the most important reasons people come to earth.
“As our Father in Heaven, God knows how best to communicate to each of us individually, one by one,” Orme said.
Orme shared several experiences of revelation from his life, including desiring to know of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon during his freshman year at BYU and, years later, he and his wife's search for the perfect home to raise their family in.
He also said this world has been purposely designed to challenge individuals, which can take a toll on testimonies.
However, “it is precisely in these times of testing that we need to be intellectually honest with ourselves and consciously remember the authentic spiritual experiences we have had,” he said.
Orme also said that during times when it feels the heavens are closed, God’s children must practice patiently waiting upon Him, being obedient to the commandments, gathering reliable information, and, often, coming to the Lord with their own well-informed plan. Earnest prayers are heard, Orme said, but the manner in which they are answered and the timing of the answers are in God’s hands.
In addition, people may sometimes be expected to act without explicit direction, but if they are sincerely seeking God’s will and not their own agenda, those decisions are often ratified by the Lord.
“Understanding the nuances of how we communicate with God through the Holy Ghost is a lifetime challenge,” Orme said. “However, given the spiritually dangerous times in which we live, there is no more important task at hand for us individually and as a people.”
Orme concluded with his testimony of BYU’s role in the Restoration and its “vitally important role” in building the kingdom of God.
“The divine destiny of BYU will continue to be fulfilled as we, the campus community in Christ, listen to and act upon the spiritual impressions that come to us in these latter days,” he said.
Michael Orme, the assistant to the president and corporate secretary to BYU, focused on “the spiritual dimension of revelation” of BYU’s mission fulfillment during a June 5, 2018, devotional. Photo by Rebekah Baker, BYU.
