Need Inspiration? Ask.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds a General Conference every six months, during which our Prophet and other leaders deliver messages of faith and hope that are strikingly relevant to our day. The most recent Conference was a week and a half ago. One talk that has had particular meaning for me was given by Elder Richard G. Scott, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, entitled How to Obtain Revelation and Inspiration for Your Personal Life. Read it here.

All of us, I’m sure, have been in a place where we are faced with a perplexing problem or challenge that we don’t know how to resolve on our own. What do we do? Often, I seek for counsel from those I trust. Colleagues, parents, and even the Internet have provided needed insights in the past. But some of my questions are vastly more complex than something I can simply Google (as much as I’d like to be able to!), and a few even border on seemingly unanswerable. What then?

Elder Scott provides the answer. We pray and ask our loving Father. Revelation will come as we ask specific questions, no matter how big or small those questions may be.

In his talk, Elder Scott reviewed some things we can do to facilitate the process of revelation and inspiration in our lives, including fasting, searching the scriptures, pondering, eliminating anger and hurt, avoiding exaggeration, and getting enough sleep, just to name a few. There are some very practical things as well as some more distinctly spiritual things, but the message is clear—to receive revelation, we must ask, but we must also place ourselves in a position to receive answers.

As one ancient prophet reminded us: Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you. – 1 Nephi 15:11

I testify that this principle is true. As I face challenging problems in my life, I know that our Heavenly Father will answer my petitions for His guidance. Likewise, if you desire inspiration, guidance, or direction in your life, I urge you to follow Elder Scott’s counsel and seek the Lord in prayer—and He will answer.