Personal revelation is one of the key differences between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mormons, and other Christian churches. We believe we have the right to speak with and be spoken to by our Heavenly Father.

Brigham Young taught:

This people believe in revelation. This people did believe and do believe that the Lord has spoken from the heavens. They did believe and do believe that God has sent angels to proclaim the everlasting Gospel, according to the testimony of John [see Revelation 14:6–7] (DBY, 38).

We often hear it said that the living oracles must be in the Church, in order that the Kingdom of God may be established and prosper on the earth. I will give another version of this sentiment. I say that the living oracles of God, or the Spirit of revelation must be in each and every individual, to know the plan of salvation and keep in the path that leads them to the presence of God (DBY, 38).

The Lord is not everywhere in person; but he has his agents speaking and acting for him. His angels, his messengers, his apostles and servants are appointed and authorized to act in his name. And his servants are authorized to counsel and dictate in the greatest and what might be deemed the most trifling matters, to instruct, direct and guide his Saints (DBY, 41).

No man can gain influence in this Kingdom, and maintain himself in it, magnify his calling without the power of God being with him. Persons must so live that they can enjoy the light of the Holy Spirit, or they will have no confidence in themselves, in their religion, or in their God, and will sooner or later turn from the faith (DBY, 33).

It was asked me by a gentleman how I guided the people by revelation. I teach them to live so that the Spirit of revelation may make plain to them their duty day by day that they are able to guide themselves. To get this revelation it is necessary that the people live so that their spirits are as pure and clean as a piece of blank paper that lies on the desk before the [writer], ready to receive any mark the writer may make upon it (DBY, 41).

No earthly argument, no earthly reasoning can open the minds of intelligent beings and show them heavenly things; that can only be done by the Spirit of revelation [see 1 Corinthians 2:9–14] (DBY, 37).(“Chapter 6: The Communication between God and Man,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 41)

Indeed, we not only have the right to answers for our prayers, but we have the right to be inspired, guided and protected by our Father in Heaven.

Elder Richard G. Scott, a living apostle, spoke in length about getting the most of any personal revelation that is received in a CES (Church Educational System) Symposium in 1998. Without going into any great length, and breaking it down to a simple statement, he said that if we were to write down any revelation we receive and then ask if there were more, more would come. His talk detailed this process in detail as well as offering the caution to be humble and teachable.

Take this advice to heart, I have received the most precious and personal revelation, pertaining to me and my family, that I never would have imagined. You must understand, our Father in Heaven waits to hear from each of us. Much as you would call your mother or father now, to catch up and re-establish and strengthen that love and familial connection, our Heavenly Father wishes for you to do the same.

My friends, remember who you are. For you are children of God, beloved of our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ. Who you are matters to Heavenly Father. Your happiness or sorrow matter to Jesus Christ. Your life, every minute of every day, is lovingly watched over, rejoiced over, grieved over and wept over as decisions are made and consequences are met, be they positive or negative.

You have a right to kneel, pour your heart out and if you are willing to be still and listen, hear, literally hear the words with your heart, our Father in Heaven wishes you to feel or hear.

The first place to start would be to shake off your preconceptions and prejudices, with a humble and loving heart, kneel and ask: Is Jesus Christ the Messiah? Did He redeem the world? Is He the Son of God? Are you my Heavenly Father? Do you love me? Do you believe in me? Will you help me?

I assure you, the answers will come. Maybe not immediately, maybe a day, week, month, year or decades later, but the answer will come and you will clearly remember your question when the answer comes. When you finish praying, and listening, write all your thoughts down and then place them in a quiet and safe place where you can turn back to them often.

Your Father in Heaven did not send you to mortality without the means to "call home." Prayer is that very sacred manner by which we may "call home." I urge you to do it and do it often. You may be completely surprised by the changes which will take place in your life.

As Latter-day Saints, Mormons, we are prepared from our youth to serve the Lord. It has nothing to do with being programmed or brainwashed, but rather we are taught from birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and His great and glorious sacrifice that we might be saved and resurrected, rather than permanently consigned to the grave with no hope of an eternal future. Our Lord has paid that price and with a clear understanding of who He is to us, we are encouraged to seek out this knowledge, understanding and testimony for ourselves.

Modern day apostle, Elder Quentin L. Cook spoke about a member of the Seventy, Elder D. Todd Christofferson and his teenage years:

As a teenager living in Somerset, New Jersey, Todd Christofferson participated in the cast of the Hill Cumorah Pageant near Palmyra, New York, for two summers. During the production his first year, young Todd remembered the words of a former bishop. He had encouraged the youth of the ward to never give up striving with the Lord until they had "burned into [their] hearts a testimony of the gospel. (Elder Quentin L. Cook, Elder D. Todd Christofferson: Prepared to Serve the Lord, Ensign, August 2008 10)

What we as youth were expected to do, and I did, was read the scriptures, studying the words of ancient and modern prophets and apostles in order that we may learn for ourselves the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A testimony, or witness--as other religions call it, is simply an expression of faith and knowledge that Jesus is the Christ, the long foretold Messiah and our Redeemer. A firm conviction that His gospel is the path by which we may return to our heavenly home. Indeed, that we know this life is about more than the next party, game, movie, t.v. show or video game.

Latter-day Saint youth are blessed with the knowledge of how to pray and receive answers for themselves. No one says to them, this is what you believe, go with it. No, we are taught to seek for ourselves and once we know, to testify of Jesus Christ and His divine mission. As I grew older I immersed myself in the scriptures, both ancient and modern, and, later, the words of trusted theologians. I have studied every aspect of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and welcome the principles, practices and precepts as old friends and a way by which I choose to live my life.

Forty-five years after my birth, I stand as a witness of Jesus Christ with a firm testimony of His divinity and His mission:

For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Moses 1:39)

Immortality was achieved for mankind when Jesus Christ broke the bands of death and arose from the grave.

Eternal Life became attainable when He suffered the Atonement in the Garden of Gethsemane and again while He hung on the cross.

Our Savior has done His part. Now, what will you do?

It’s all very well and good for us to decide to be happy, but how in the world do we make it happen? How do you go from a life that is full of challenges and upset to a life that is full of optimism and happiness?

It’s not only my job to think of how it might be done, it’s also my life’s mission—just like I’m sure it’s yours. All of us are striving to be happy, all of the time. It’s just that we are all at various stages of finding (or losing) it.

I love the Book of Mormon, which is another testament of Jesus Christ. Whenever life gets hard for me, I turn to its pages and no matter how many times I’ve read it, I still learn something new. So, I went to the Book of Mormon to determine what it might have to say on the topic of happiness.

There were a lot of challenges in Book of Mormon times, but there was a lot of happiness too. Just after Nephi went his own way, apart from his brothers Laman and Lemuel, he established a society based on gospel truths. Nephi says of his group of believers, “And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness” (2 Ne 5:27.)

But how? How did they live after the manner of happiness?

When Nephi left his brothers, he did not strike out alone. He said, “I … did take my family … and Sam, mine elder brother and his family, and Jacob and Joseph, my younger brethren, and also my sisters” (2 Ne 5:6.)

When I married my husband, we had the opportunity to move five thousand miles away from where we lived at the time to go to a school he really wanted to attend. At the time it seemed like a small matter to just throw our things into the back of our car and drive off into the sunset. Except, now we have spent the last seventeen years of our marriage trying to get back to my family.

What I didn’t value then, I long for now with all my heart. There is never money enough to go visit, the distance is too great for a visit of any length anyway and with little children the task becomes not only even more daunting but even more important.

What I once valued for naught, I now value more than anything. I would happier, I’m sure, if I lived near my family—I lived as if they mattered. Marlin K. Jensen, in an address given to Brigham Young University students, said:

“There was good reason that Nephi took his more righteous siblings with him into the wilderness. He belonged to them and they belonged to him. There is no other organization that can so completely satisfy our need for belonging and provide the resulting happiness that a family can” (“How to Be Happy,” New Era, Aug 1999, 4.)

If your family is anything like mine, sometimes they drive you crazy and you wish maybe they would appreciate you more, do things differently or … a myriad of other things. But in the end, it’s your family that you cling to in times of difficulty. It’s your family that can pull you out of the quagmire of loneliness and sadness.

Your family belongs to you as you do to them. No one will or could ever love you like they do. Hold them close, listen to them and learn from them. Therein lies an important key to happiness.

Sometimes, it is a very difficult manner to turn from the arm of the flesh, or mankind, and rely completely on the arm of the Lord. Other times it is very easy. In the Book of Mormon, we find the ancient American prophet, Nephi, beseeching the Lord in a tender, beautiful prayer known as Nephi's Psalm. During that prayer, Nephi offers his thoughts about relying on the Lord, rather than man:

O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm. (2 Nephi 4:34)

Nephi suffered greatly at the hands of his brothers, Laman and Lemuel. They tortured him, tried to kill him, tried to rid themselves of their troublesome little brother. They were wicked men who turned fully and completely from God, despite the numerous miracles they witnessed, despite the humility of their father, Lehi, and brother, Nephi, they simply chose to never turn from the ways of man.

Nephi chose, even tightly bound to a mast and left to die by his brothers, to rely on the Lord and he was delivered. The Lord never let Nephi down, at any time in his life, never. And He never lets us down either.

Jesus Christ proved His love of us in the Garden of Gethsemane and in again on Golgotha. And when we are faced with the greatest trials or are carrying the heaviest of burdens, if we turn to Him, putting our trust in the arm of the Lord, our burdens WILL be lighter. Our trials, although rough, will be overcome and we will be stronger for it.

When major and important decisions come before me, I would never make a decision without kneeling first to be certain it is the proper path for me to take.

Did I pray about going to Ricks College when I was 18? Without question and it was there my desire to become a prosecutor was turned to the knowledge that I was to pursue writing. At Ricks, which is now BYU-Idaho I formed lifelong friendships I still treasure.

Did I pray about going to BYU after finishing at Ricks? Yes, absolutely I did. At BYU is where I met Alvin, my sweetheart and husband, and hosts of lifelong friends who are still a part of my life today. Oh, and I obtained a stellar education in the process.

Did I pray about whether I should begin writing books instead of focusing on forming my own production company and making movies? Certainly. And here I am, five books under my belt and more on the way. It has sent me in a direction I never anticipated my life would go.

Once I became a published author did I pray about still pursuing a movie career, as a screenwriter? Of course I did, and now I have accepted a partnership in a movie production company. An opportunity which never would have come my way had I not been a published author.

The point I make is not to brag of my own successes, but to show you the path I have trod in my life is not the one I had planned for myself, but rather the one the Lord planned for me and without question, I am ecstatic I followed His plan instead of mine. I love my life and wake up every day grateful to be doing what I'm doing, married to the man I love and able to testify of God and His gospel on a daily basis. Life is good.

Oh, did you translate that to mean perfect? My life is far from perfect and if there were things I could change tomorrow, I'd do so. But then no one's life is perfect, and it is what we make of what the Lord has given that proves our mettle.

So my friend, rely on the Lord. For in doing so, you will find great and unexpected treasure in places you never would have gone, had you not asked.

There are many around us, in fact the world seems to be almost entirely focused on achievement, competition, perfection, and material possessions. There are more ways advertised in all the media we encounter every day to be better, have more, and change who we are to fit society's norm, than we could ever humanly conquer.

When we are constantly surrounded by influences that tell us not to be satisfied with who we are, it becomes easier to forget that the example of Christ had nothing to do with the worlds view of success and happiness.

The scriptures tell us He was a man without a remarkable appearance and an even less remarkable collection of worldly goods. He was often judged for this. Even then, many people felt that respect was earned by stature and favor within the community. Even among the religious orders of the time there was a certain amount of pride involved in showing off how well you could live your beliefs. All these were in opposition to the life and example of Christ. So is most of what the world would have us believe today.

What were Jesus Christ’s views on the important things in life? Love for God and man, a kind word and a kind act, humility, and peace. These are the things He valued; these are the things He taught His disciples to value. We know this. We study His words and life. We try to become more like Him. But often, our attempts go astray because we are trying to mix what our peers, culture, and society define as happiness and success with the things of God.

How does one learn to be content, not so much with what he has or is, but with what the Lord sees in Him? They are often two very different things.

The first answer is probably to make sure that we are looking in the right places for the answers we need. Our pursuit needs to focus on the same things that we sought out when we went looking for Christ in the first place. The answers are found in our scriptures, in prayers and the intimate feelings within our hearts. The solutions are in our ability to emulate Him, not a fashion magazine.

The disciple's job is to begin figuring out what the difference is between God's voice and the world's. We all have basic needs (basic needs, not what we'd, like those needs to be) for supporting life, but we often forget that a big part of that life is the spirit that dwells within us. We have a responsibility to nourish and protect our soul as well as our God-given bodies. Are the goals and activities we choose for ourselves honoring and nurturing that part of us? Are we following an example that leads us to greater peace or a greater list of things to do and places to be in order to measure up?

Make sure your assessing this part of yourself along with your “bottom line”. What is the Lord's standard for His disciples? How does He measure your worth? What things in your life keep you the closest to Him, His peace, and His love and which things do not?

Learn to minimize the distractions and find contentment in the things that really matter for who you are, and who God wants you to be.

The people of the Book of Mormon lived in the Americas in ancient times. However, they initially came here from Jerusalem, fleeing around 600 B.C. and bringing with them the scriptures available to that point. As a result, they had the law of Moses and, until the Savior appeared to them between his death and resurrection, they practiced it.

Jacob, the third prophet of the Book of Mormon and son of the first prophet, brother of the second, explained the purpose of the records they kept, which was written for people of a future time (our time), including their descendants.

4 For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us.

5 Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name. And for this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even as it was accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient unto the commands of God in offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son. (Jacob 4)

The purpose of the law of Moses was to prepare the Jews for the coming of the Savior. M. Russell Ballard, an apostle of the Lord in modern times, explained:

“…everything about Mosaic sacrifice focused on Christ. Like Christ, the priest acted as the mediator between the people and their God. Like Christ, the priest had to have the right parentage to officiate in his office. Like Christ, the offerer through obedience willingly sacrificed what was required by the law.

The part of sacrifice that most strongly paralleled the Savior was the offering itself. Notice with me some of these parallels.

First, like Christ, the animal was chosen and anointed by the laying on of hands. (The Hebrew title Messiah and the Greek title Christ both mean “the Anointed One.”) Second, the animal was to have its life’s blood spilt. Third, it had to be without blemish—totally free from physical flaws, complete, whole, and perfect. Fourth, the sacrifice had to be clean and worthy. Fifth, the sacrifice had to be domesticated; that is, not wild but tame and of help to man. Sixth and seventh, for the original sacrifice practiced by Adam and the most common sacrifice in the law of Moses, the animal had to be a firstborn and a male. Eighth, the sacrifice of grain had to be ground into flour and made into breadstuffs, which reminds us of our Lord’s title the Bread of Life. Ninth, the firstfruits that were offered remind us that Christ was the firstfruits of the Resurrection.”

(M. Russell Ballard, “The Law of Sacrifice,” Ensign, Oct 1998, 7. Please see article for Biblical references.)

The Nephites, as the people who kept the Book of Mormon record were known, knew of Christ. Their prophets had seen Him in visions, and even knew what His name would be. They knew that someday He would come to them as well, for a brief few days. His coming would be different than that of the time in Jerusalem, since He would come after his death to teach them.

So, although they were far from their first homeland of Jerusalem, they too awaited the birth of a Savior. Through spiritual signs, they would know when He was born and they’d know when He died. When He died, it would finally be their opportunity to learn from Him and to have the church established through His authority, just as the Savior established it in Jerusalem.

In the meantime, the Law of Moses helped them to understand the sacrifice He would make for them and would teach them discipline and obedience. While we don’t know exactly what was in the five books of Moses they brought with them, we can presume it was the Torah or nearly the Torah, and the laws mentioned throughout the book appear to be similar to those practiced in Old Testament times. In addition, they had prophets of their own, of course, and God could communicate to them exactly what was expected.

Jacob was the third prophet of the Book of Mormon. His family had left Jerusalem before he was born, when his father, Lehi, a prophet, was in danger. They came to a new land in the Americas. Sometime after their arrival, their father died. Lehi had two older sons who were wicked and they and their families had taken to persecuting and even trying to kill a younger son named Nephi. Nephi became the prophet after his father’s death, and the persecutions became so strong, the two factions of the family split off. Nephi took his family and friends away from those who chose to follow his older brother, Laman.

Over time, however, the Nephites became wealthy, which led to pride because they took full credit for their wealth instead of crediting God. Pride led to a letting down of obedience and moral standards. Jacob, who became the prophet when Nephi died, called his people together and spoke firmly to them, outlining their sins, including a serious problem in which the men were not honoring their marriage vows.

Jacob told them they hated the Lamanites due to their dark skins. The skin had been darkened by God in order to ensure the two groups didn’t initially intermarry. This helped to protect the Nephites from the wickedness of the Lamanites and helped them to recognize their enemy. However, the Nephites, as people sometimes will, had forgotten the purpose of the mark and had instead treated it entirely as a racial issue, not a religious one.
He told them in firm terms that they, the Nephites, had become more wicked than the Lamanites in many ways, particularly in terms of how they treated marriage. He said the Lamanites loved their spouses and their children, and some Nephites no longer did that. He explained that the Lamanite wickedness was because their fathers had trained them to be that way. The Nephites, raised in the gospel, had no such excuse. He warned them to stop judging Lamanites by their skin color and to be more concerned with their own wickedness.
“Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, which is the word of God, that ye revile no more against them because of the darkness of their skins; neither shall ye revile against them because of their filthiness; but ye shall remember your own filthiness, and remember that their filthiness came because of their fathers.” (Jacob 3:9)

Gordon B. Hinckley, a previous prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said in an important church conference:

“Now I am told that racial slurs and denigrating remarks are sometimes heard among us. I remind you that no man who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ. Nor can he consider himself to be in harmony with the teachings of the Church of Christ…Let us all recognize that each of us is a son or daughter of our Father in Heaven, who loves all of His children.

Brethren, there is no basis for racial hatred... If any within the sound of my voice is inclined to indulge in this, then let him go before the Lord and ask for forgiveness and be no more involved in such.” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Need for Greater Kindness,” Ensign, May 2006, 58–6)

Over the years, the Church’s diversity has grown as the gospel has spread into many lands. I live in a very diverse ward (congregation) in a large city. Within the halls of the church on Sundays, we see people with every shade of skin color. Anyone can be asked to pray or speak, and prayers and “talks” are given in many different languages. Sunday School classes are taught in three languages and English classes are taught on Wednesdays.

Last year, our congregation had a cultural fair. Immigrants just in our own congregation were asked to create display tables for their countries. More than 35 countries were represented, and that didn’t include all the countries represented in our congregation, since not everyone chose to do a table. People of all races and nationalities can be seen in leadership positions in our congregation.

Unlike many churches, the Church of Jesus Christ has never held separate services for black and white worshippers. Congregations are determined by boundary lines and everyone who lives within the boundaries of a congregation is expected to attend that congregation.

Church materials today can be found in 157 languages and churches can be found in nearly every country in the world, where legally allowed. We have truly become a worldwide church.
For more on race relations within the church, visit the Newsroom at LDS.org.