Lesson 19: Doctrine and Covenants 6-9

Doctrine and Covenants 8

“The Spirit of Revelation”

young woman praying

Oliver Cowdery was impressed by Joseph Smith’s ability to translate the Book of Mormon. He wanted God to give him the same gift. The Lord promised Oliver the gift to translate, according to his faith. At that point, Jesus Christ taught Oliver many important principles about revelation. This lesson can help students increase their ability to recognize how God speaks to them through the Holy Ghost.

Possible Learning Activities

Questions about revelation

To help students begin to study about revelation, consider sharing the following:

God wants to speak to us and does so in different ways. Through the Holy Ghost, God seeks “to help us with our specific personal needs, responsibilities, and questions and to help us strengthen our testimony” (Topics and Questions, “Revelation,” topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

• What are some questions you, or others you know, have about recognizing revelation from God?

  Consider asking students to write their questions on the board or on paper. You could invite students to search for answers as they study today. It is not intended for all questions to be answered in class, but students could write down any insights they discover. You might use the following questions to help students think about why people have uncertainties about revelation.

• Why can it be difficult to recognize when and how God communicates with us?

• Why do you think it would be important to improve our ability to recognize and follow revelation from God?

You might ask students to start a page in their study journal or create a note in the Gospel Library app, where they can record what they learn about revelation from the Lord. You could provide an example by doing the same on the board. Consider starting with a heading like How I can know that I am receiving revelation from God?

The Lord teaches Oliver Cowdery about revelation

While serving as a scribe, Oliver Cowdery was able to witness that the Lord had given Joseph Smith the power to translate the Book of Mormon. Oliver also wanted to translate. The Lord agreed to give him the opportunity (see Doctrine and Covenants 6:25). To help Oliver be successful, the Lord taught important principles about receiving revelation.

Doctrine and Covenants 8:2–3 is a doctrinal mastery passage. Consider inviting students to mark doctrinal mastery passages in a distinctive way so they can locate them easily.

Read Doctrine and Covenants 8:1–3, looking for what the Lord wanted Oliver to know about receiving revelation.

• What did you learn from these verses about how the Lord can speak to us through the Holy Ghost?

  Ask students to report what they found. Among possible truths students may identify, help them see that the Lord communicates to our minds and our hearts through the Holy Ghost.

  Focus on truths that lead to conversion: For additional training on questions that help students identify and state converting principles, see the training titled “Focus on truths that lead to conversion and build faith in Jesus Christ,” found in Teacher Development Skills: Teach the Doctrine.

  Consider writing this truth below the heading on the board. Drawing a diagram like the following could also help students visualize the Lord’s teachings in these verses.

  mind and heart

• Based on your personal study and experience, what are some ways God communicates to our minds? How does He communicate to our hearts?

Elder Richard G. Scott (1928–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared some of the ways God speaks to our minds and hearts through the Holy Ghost:

Elder Richard G. Scott

I bear witness that the Lord, through the Holy Ghost, can speak to your mind and heart. Sometimes the impressions are just general feelings. Sometimes the direction comes so clearly and so unmistakably that it can be written down like spiritual dictation. (Richard G. Scott, “To Acquire Spiritual Guidance,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2009, 9)

You might help students see a pattern of communication to the mind and heart in the following examples involving Oliver Cowdery: Doctrine and Covenants 6:22–24; 9:8–9. Students could look for words and phrases the Lord used to explain some of the ways He speaks to our mind and heart.

It may be helpful to explain that the burning of the bosom described in Doctrine and Covenants 9:8 can refer to “a feeling of comfort and serenity” (Dallin H. Oaks, “Teaching and Learning by the Spirit,” Ensign, Mar. 1997, 13).

Communication through the Holy Ghost

Explain that there are many other teachings in the scriptures and from modern-day Church leaders that help us understand how God communicates to us through the Holy Ghost. Give students time to find, study, and discuss some of these teachings.

One way you could do this is to invite them to use tools like the Guide to the Scriptures, the Topical Guide, or the search function on Gospel Library to find scriptures or statements from Church leaders that describe some of the ways we can recognize revelation through the Holy Ghost.

Another option would be to invite students to study the following scriptures to see what they can learn about personal revelation:

• John 14:26

• Galatians 5:22–23

• Helaman 5:30

• Doctrine and Covenants 11:12–13

You could also show students the video “Patterns of Light: Discerning Light” (2:12). In this video, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared insights about how we can recognize the difference between our own thoughts and promptings from the Holy Ghost.

After students have had sufficient time to study, consider inviting them to add what they learned to the list on the board.

Questions like the following could help students discuss what they learned and allow the Holy Ghost to testify to the class.

• What did you learn about different ways God communicates with us through the Holy Ghost?

• What do these teachings help you understand about the character and desires of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?

• What experiences have you had with understanding how the Holy Ghost communicates?

Remind students of the questions they brought up at the beginning of class. Invite students to share what they learned that helped answer any of these questions. End class with an invitation for students to try to recognize the Lord speaking to their hearts and minds in one or more of the many ways they have learned about. Help students understand that recognizing revelation from the Lord will require continual effort throughout their lives.

Memorize

You may also want to help students memorize the reference and key scripture phrase of Doctrine and Covenants 8:2–3 and review them in future lessons. The key scripture phrase is “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost.” Ideas for memorization activities are in the appendix materials under “Doctrinal Mastery Review Activities.”

Additional Resources

What can the Holy Ghost help me understand?

Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Elder Quentin L. Cook

Personal revelation is based on spiritual truths received from the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the revealer and testifier of all truth, especially that of the Savior. Without the Holy Ghost, we could not really know that Jesus is the Christ. (Quentin L. Cook, “The Blessing of Continuing Revelation to Prophets and Personal Revelation to Guide Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 98)

What should I do when God doesn’t seem to answer me?

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles answered this question:

Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Elder Gerrit W. Gong

While situations differ, when we do all we can, the best we can, and sincerely ask and seek His help along the way, the Lord will guide us, in His time and manner, by the Holy Ghost. (Gerrit W. Gong, “Covenant Belonging,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2019, 82)

Elder Richard G. Scott (1928–2015) taught:

Elder Richard G. Scott

What do you do when you have prepared carefully, have prayed fervently, waited a reasonable time for a response, and still do not feel an answer? You may want to express thanks when that occurs, for it is an evidence of [God’s] trust. When you are living worthily and your choice is consistent with the Savior’s teachings and you need to act, proceed with trust. … When you are living righteously and are acting with trust, God will not let you proceed too far without a warning impression if you have made the wrong decision. (Richard G. Scott, “Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 10)

What can I do to be better at receiving and recognizing revelation?

President Russell M. Nelson taught:

President Russell M. Nelson

Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the principle of revelation” [Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 132]. …

I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation. …

Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and regular time committed to temple and family history work. (Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 95)

What are some of the other ways God speaks to us through the Holy Ghost?

Elder David P. Homer of the Seventy taught:

Elder David P. Homer

The Spirit speaks to different people in different ways, and He may speak to the same person in different ways at different times. As a result, learning the many ways He speaks to us is a lifelong quest. Sometimes, He speaks to our “mind and in [our] heart” [Doctrine and Covenants 8:2] in a voice that is small yet powerful, piercing “them that … hear to the center” [3 Nephi 11:3]. Other times His impressions “occupy [our] mind[s]” or “press … upon [our] feelings” [Doctrine and Covenants 128:1]. Other times our bosom will “burn within [us]” [Doctrine and Covenants 9:8]. Still other times He fills our souls with joy, enlightens our minds [see Doctrine and Covenants 6:14–15], or speaks peace to our troubled hearts [see Doctrine and Covenants 6:22–23]. (David P. Homer, “Hearing His Voice,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 42)

Refer to the “Hear Him” video collection on ChurchofJesusChrist.org to find examples of Church leaders describing various ways they have recognized how God has spoken to them.

Supplemental Learning Activities

Actions to invite revelation

Students may feel frustrated that the revelation they seek does not come. You might help them learn from the Lord’s instructions to Oliver Cowdery when he was unsuccessful in translating (see Saints, vol. 1, The Standard of Truth, 62–64). Students could study Doctrine and Covenants 9:7–11, looking for what the Lord taught Oliver about preparing to receive revelation. You could also use the statement by President Russell M. Nelson in “Additional Resources” as part of this discussion.

You could ask students to list what teenagers might seek revelation about. Answers might include strengthening testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ, making life decisions, or receiving answers to questions. Help students understand how applying what the Lord taught in Doctrine and Covenants 9:7–11 could help them.

The Spirit of revelation and Moses

Moses parting the Red Sea

After reading Doctrine and Covenants 8:2–3, it might be good to discuss the story the Lord referenced in verse 3. You could display an image of Moses and the children of Israel crossing the Red Sea. Invite students to share a few details they know about this story recorded in Exodus 14–15. You could ask students to discuss what it might have been like for Moses to receive revelation from the Lord in his time of need. You could invite students to come up with scenarios in which someone in our day might seek revelation from the Lord to help them.