Chapter 10
“What Greater Witness . . . ?”
After Shauna and I had been dating off and on for about a year and a half, we sensed that the relationship was moving toward marriage. We discussed it and felt that it would be wise for us to devote a day to fasting and prayer to see how the Lord felt about things. We did so, and on the next day we met in the old Joseph Smith Building on the Brigham Young University campus. We used the four or five minutes before our large Book of Mormon class was to start to talk about how the fast had gone. I asked Shauna, “Well, how do you feel?”
She said simply, “Fine.”
I responded, “No, I mean, how do you feel about getting married?”
She looked me in the eye and replied, “I said that I feel fine about it. How do you feel?”
I indicated that I felt good about it, as well.
I cannot speak for Shauna, but I admit that I felt either disappointed or underwhelmed—not in Shauna or about whether we should get married but in how our answer had come. I don’t know that I expected bells and whistles or the appearance of a member of the Godhead. I may have supposed, however, in my naïve state, that possibly an angel, to be sure one who was quite a ways down the chain of command, might have been in the area and stopped in briefly to deliver either a Yea or a Nay. I’m being facetious, but the fact of the matter is that I was spiritually surprised, maybe even startled, that a matter of such eternal significance did not merit a more noteworthy divine reply.
To be sure, I have had ten thousand witnesses since then that God approved of the marriage between Shauna Sizemore and Robert Millet, and that he has blessed and sweetened that union during the decades. And now, as I look back on almost seventy years of life on this earth, after having passed through the satisfaction and sorrows, the delights and depression, the moments of unspeakable joy and the seasons of unrest, I am able to recognize clearly how the heavens were dealing with Shauna and me when we had fasted and prayed in 1970. I realize that my own spiritual expectations were unrealistic. What we felt on that cold morning almost fifty years ago was a settled conviction, a quiet awareness, a voice that was still and small, but one that would with the passing of time whisper through and pierce all things (see D&C 85:6). What we felt on that (for us) hallowed occasion was peace.
A Quiet Message from God
Some years ago, Elder Jay E. Jensen of the Seventy shared an experience and a significant lesson. He first observed that the Holy Ghost is vital in the work of the Lord, but sometimes the Saints are unaware of the many ways that the Spirit may direct us. He explained that while serving as a branch president in the Missionary Training Center, he heard a number of the missionaries remark that they did not have the kind of testimony they wished they had. Some even commented to the effect that they did not remember ever having a personal spiritual experience. Elder Jensen suggested that part of the problem might have been that these young people had read or heard about so many dramatic and sensational spiritual experiences in the past that they concluded that what they felt or experienced paled into insignificance.
“A number of years ago,” he continued, “in a meeting of returned mission presidents, we reviewed different ways to improve missionaries’ spirituality. One person said, ‘We need to help all missionaries experience and recognize the burning of the bosom taught in Doctrine and Covenants 9:7–9.’ A member of the First Quorum of the Seventy then shared the following experience:
“One of the Quorum of the Twelve came to tour the mission over which the Seventy was presiding. As they drove to the next zone conference, the Apostle turned to him and said, ‘I wonder if you might have left an impression in the missionaries’ minds that has created more problems than you can resolve. As I have traveled throughout the Church, I’ve found relatively few people who have experienced a burning of the bosom. In fact, I’ve had many people tell me that they’ve become frustrated because they have never experienced that feeling even though they have prayed or fasted for long periods of time.’
“He explained that Doctrine and Covenants 9:7–9 was given in response to the process of translating sacred records. There the burning of the bosom was appropriate. The principle can apply to personal revelation, he said, but more precisely it related to the translation of the Book of Mormon. He counseled the mission president to refer missionaries to other scriptural references about the Holy Ghost. For example, he cited the verse ‘Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?’ (D&C 6:23).”1
The context of that particular scriptural passage is worth understanding. In 1828 Joseph had yielded to the persuasions of Martin Harris and allowed the 116 pages of Book of Mormon manuscript (the book of Lehi) to pass out of his hands to Martin, who made a solemn promise to show them only to his unbelieving wife and a specified number of people. Martin violated his promise, the pages were subsequently lost, and the Lord withdrew the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and His Holy Spirit from Joseph for a season. Not long after, Oliver Cowdery began teaching school in Palmyra and for a time boarded with the Joseph Smith Sr. family. While there, the family shared with him the story of how Joseph Jr. had received direction from an angel to begin the translation of an ancient scriptural record engraved on golden plates. Oliver prayed about the matter and sought to know if in fact it was of God. From the earliest history of the Church (1832), we read the following from the Prophet: “The plates were taken from me by the power of God and I was not able to obtain them for a season. And it came to pass after much humility and affliction of soul I obtained them again when [the] Lord appeared unto a young man by the name of Oliver Cowdery and showed unto him the plates in a vision and also the truth of the work and what the Lord was about to do through me, his unworthy servant. Therefore [Oliver] was desirous to come and write for me.”2 Oliver traveled to Harmony, Pennsylvania, arriving on 5 April 1829 and beginning his labor as a scribe on 7 April.
In that same month, a revelation was given to Joseph and Oliver wherein the Savior commended Oliver “for what thou hast done; for thou hast inquired of me, and behold, as often as thou hast inquired thou hast received instruction of my Spirit. If it had not been so, thou wouldst not have come to the place where thou art at this time.” This is fascinating. Here Oliver is being told that it is no coincidence that he is now in Harmony, with Joseph Smith, serving as a scribe, in a work that can only be described as miraculous. Oliver had clearly been led along by the Lord to where he is now. Then come these words: “Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten thy mind; and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been enlightened by the Spirit of truth” (D&C 6:14–15). It’s as if Oliver is being told: “I’m giving you a revelation so that you may know that what you have been given in the past was revelation, divine guidance.” Here a subsequent revelation confirms the reality and truthfulness of a former revelation.
Later in this revelation we note these words: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things.” And so in addition to the revelation now being given to him, if Oliver needed further assurance concerning the truth of this work, he should remember, think back upon the time when in the upstairs room of the Smith home, he had knelt and prayed, and the Lord had manifest powerfully to him that it was all true. Now this profound pronouncement: “Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God? And now, behold, you have received a witness; for if I have told you things which no man knoweth have you not received a witness?” (D&C 6:22–24; emphasis added). Remember that, according to the 1832 history, the Savior appeared to Oliver and showed him a vision of the plates. Here the Lord teaches that the peace that had come to Oliver on that earlier occasion, the peace that accompanies the outpouring of God’s Spirit, is every bit as spiritually impressive, as potent, as persuasive and convincing as a personal appearance or a vision.
Spiritual Expectations
Alma delivered an address to the people of Zarahemla, one in which he posed some forty questions of assessment, a kind of spiritual checklist. He came to the point where he desired to bear witness of what he had taught. We might ask ourselves, How did Alma know that he had in fact been called of God and that the work in which he was now engaged was heaven-approved? Many times I have asked that question in Book of Mormon classes at BYU. Generally, one of the first students to respond makes some reference to the fact that Alma and the sons of Mosiah had been struck down by an angel and had undergone a major conversion, much like Saul of Tarsus would experience some 120 years later.
Alma in fact tells us how he knew: “Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose I know of their surety? Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest to me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me” (Alma 5:45–46; emphasis added). That’s how Alma knew, and it’s how you and I come to know. As our prophets have instructed us, the witness planted in the human soul by the power of the Holy Ghost is more indelible, more powerful even, than the appearance of heavenly beings.3
As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are taught from the time we are children about Moses parting the Red Sea, about Gideon and his three hundred defeating a Philistine army of many thousands, about Joshua and the children of Israel bringing down the walls of Jericho. We learn of Jacob and Joseph and their prophetic dreams, of Elijah and Elisha raising the dead. And we bask in the light of the healing ministry of the Son of God and the signs and wonders wrought by his apostles after the Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection. With the call of a modern prophet in 1820, the fulness of the gospel is restored, and as a pertinent part of that fulness, we see miracle upon miracle performed by the power of the Holy Priesthood. We read of visions of the Savior by special witnesses like Joseph Smith, Lorenzo Snow, Joseph F. Smith, Orson F. Whitney, and Melvin J. Ballard. Truly, to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ is to be a member of the household of faith, and it is by faith that miracles are accomplished.
If there is a drawback, a concern about being awash as we are in the miraculous, it is that we may begin to take lightly or even ignore those marvelous miracles that are less visible, less fantastic, less sensational or dramatic. If there is a drawback, it is that the people of the covenant will “[look] beyond the mark” (Jacob 4:14), assume that if they are not seeing visions, entertaining angels, or enjoying the blessings of the Second Comforter, they must not be paying a sufficient price; their sacrifice is not sufficient or acceptable. And this would be tragic. When the apostle Paul addressed himself to the Corinthians, he pointed out that not all of the gifts of the Spirit are of equal spiritual value, and that some of the gifts, though less comely or attractive or enviable, are in fact among the most valuable. He encouraged the meridian Saints, for example, to seek earnestly to obtain the gift of prophecy, meaning the gift to speak the word of God by the gift and power of the Holy Spirit. He also commended those who had enjoyed the gift of tongues but warned them that such a gift had a limited utility and would probably do more to mystify and even repel those not of the faith than entice them (1 Corinthians 14).
Joseph the Prophet took a similar course. He noted that “there are only two gifts that could be made visible—the gift of tongues and the gift of prophecy. These are things that are the most talked about, and yet if a person spoke in an unknown tongue, according to Paul’s testimony, he would be a barbarian to those present. They would say that it was gibberish.”4 He also provided sound and solid counsel to his people relative to the need to avoid the drama and sensationalism that we so often witness in our own Spirit-starved world: “The Lord cannot always be known by the thunder of His voice, by the display of His glory or by the manifestation of His power, and those that are the most anxious to see these things are the least prepared to meet [receive] them.”5 As to spiritual gifts in the Church, the Prophet pointed out that “every Latter-day Saint had a gift, and by living a righteous life, and asking for it, the Holy Spirit would reveal it to him or her.”6
One of the most important of all miracles is one that is usually enacted in private, during personal devotions, when a woman or a man is all alone with their God. It is a miracle that takes place throughout the entire planet, one that is enjoyed by millions, but one that is seldom seen by more than the recipient. That is the miracle that comes when a testimony of the gospel—or of a given gospel principle—is planted in the human heart. It is a gift from the Almighty, mediated by the third member of the Godhead. To acquire a spiritual conviction is to have been reborn. John the Beloved taught that “whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat [God] loveth him also that is begotten of him [the seeker after truth]” (1 John 5:1). To gain a testimony in this manner is to begin the process of conversion. President Harold B. Lee once explained that when a person is truly converted he “sees with his eyes what he ought to see; . . . he hears with his ears what he ought to hear; and . . . he understands with his heart what he ought to understand. And what he ought to see, hear, and understand is truth—eternal truth—and then practice it. That is conversion. . . . When we understand more than we know with our minds, when we understand with our hearts, then we know that the Spirit of the Lord is working upon us.”7
“I Know”
My family and I first arrived in Tallahassee, Florida, where I was to oversee the Institute of Religion adjacent to Florida State University in 1977. We were quickly caught up in a marvelous community of Saints who loved the Lord and made living the gospel enjoyable, even fun. While our time was divided in several ways—being bishop of one of the wards, being a full-time doctoral student at FSU, teaching institute classes, and supervising six stakes of seminary—we did manage to develop some wonderful friendships, many of which are still very much precious and intact, nearly forty years later. One of my dearest friends was a man who with his family had joined the Church only a few years before we arrived there. His family proved to be a great asset to the ward, and the parents and children soon considered the Church to be a part of their extended family.
My friend, the father of this family (let’s call him Rick) served for a time as my executive secretary, and so we grew even closer. I noticed that Rick bore his testimony quite often on fast Sunday, and in every case he would say, “I . . . (pause) believe God is our Heavenly Father, that Jesus is our Savior, that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.” Occasionally he would say something like this: “I cannot say that I know this work is true, but I do believe it.” One night during the week and after interviews, we drove over to the local McDonalds for a quick bite to eat. We sat at the metal table outside the restaurant on what I think must have been a fall evening.
As we were finishing up, I turned to my friend and said, “Rick, I am always touched when I hear your testimony. Thank you for sharing it as you do. I’m sure that others in the ward are likewise strengthened by it.” He became a bit emotional and expressed how very much the restored gospel meant to him and his family.
I looked him in the eye and asked, “Why don’t you just break down and say, ‘I know that God lives’ or ‘I know the restored gospel is true.’ Why do you hesitate to use the word know?”
He sat up, looked me in the eye, and responded, “Bob, I’ve never seen God or Christ in this life. I wasn’t in the Sacred Grove. I didn’t watch as Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. How can I say I know?”
We then had a worthwhile conversation about how spiritual things are known—by the power of the Spirit; how one does not need to have been an eyewitness of the resurrection to know that Jesus Christ lives today; to have been in the grove in Nauvoo when the Prophet Joseph preached, to know, by the power of the Holy Ghost, that God did call, prepare, and empower him.
As we have noted, Alma knew by that same power, as did the sons of Mosiah. The apostle Paul wrote that “the things of God knoweth no man, except he has the Spirit of God. Now, we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. . . . For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ (JST, 1 Corinthians 2:11–12, 16; emphasis added). Note the following passages:
“By the Spirit are all things made known” (1 Nephi 22:2; emphasis added).
“We also had many revelations, and the spirit of much prophecy; wherefore, we knew of Christ and his kingdom, which should come” (Jacob 1:6).
“Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord. How unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man knoweth of his ways save it be revealed unto him” (Jacob 4:8; emphasis added).
“He that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good” (Ether 4:11; emphasis added).
“And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:5; emphasis added).
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy; and then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of righteousness, in faith believing in me that you shall receive” (D&C 11:13–14; emphasis added).
“If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal” (D&C 42:61; emphasis added).
“To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world” (D&C 46:13).
“Be still and know that I am God” (D&C 101:16).
To summarize, spiritual things may be known by the power of the Holy Ghost, and that knowledge is, in many ways, more convincing than anything that can be known through the five physical senses, by scientific analysis, or by empirical study. President Boyd K. Packer spoke of an experience he had on an airplane. His seatmate, an atheist, attempted to persuade him that there is no God. “‘You are wrong,’ I said, ‘there is a God. I know he lives!’” The man, an attorney, demanded that Brother Packer tell him how he knew. As Brother Packer spoke of spirit, witness, prayer, discernment, or faith, the atheist declared that he had no idea what this religious leader was talking about.
At that point, the apostle asked the man if he knew what salt tastes like, to which the man said that obviously he did. “‘Then,’ I said, ‘assuming that I have never tasted salt, explain to me just what it tastes like.’ After some thought, he ventured, ‘Well—I—uh, it is not sweet, and it is not sour.’ ‘You’ve told me what it isn’t, not what it is.’” After the attorney made a number of attempts to explain what salt tastes like and failed, Elder Packer said to him: “‘I know there is a God. You ridiculed that testimony and said that if I did know, I would be able to tell you exactly how I know. My friend, spiritually speaking, I have tasted salt. I am no more able to convey to you in words how this knowledge has come than you are to tell me what salt tastes like. But I say to you again, there is a God! He does live! And just because you don’t know, don’t try to tell me that I don’t know, for I do!’”8
Always Remember
There is a remarkable story in Mosiah 18 in the Book of Mormon. Alma the Elder had been deeply moved by the final words of Abinadi the prophet in his warning and testimony delivered to king Noah and his wicked priests. The account indicates that Alma “repented of his sins and iniquities, and went about privately among the people, and began to teach the words of Abinadi,” including the eternal significance of the sufferings and death, the atonement and resurrection of Christ, the coming Messiah. Many of the people who listened to Alma were converted to the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“And it came to pass that as many as did believe him did go forth to a place which was called Mormon. . . . Now, there was in Mormon a fountain of pure water, and Alma resorted thither, there being near the water a thicket of small trees, where he did hide himself in the daytime from the searches of the king.” Alma began to baptize these people in the waters of Mormon, and this group became a church in the wilderness, “the church of Christ,” one of the first of its kind in the Nephite record (Mosiah 18:1–13, 16–17). Alma organized the church, ordained priests to teach the people, generated a spirit of love and cooperation among the new members of the church, and taught them to “impart of their substance, every one according to that which he had . . . of their own free will.” Alma’s converts “did walk uprightly before God, imparting to one another both temporally and spiritually according to their needs and their wants” (Mosiah 18:17–29).
What then follows in the scriptural account is this tender verse: “And now it came to pass that all this was done in Mormon, yea, by the waters of Mormon, . . . how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they, for they shall sing to his praise forever” (Mosiah 18:30; emphasis added). These marvelous people would never forget what had taken place that day. They would always remember what they felt, what they experienced. And they would never forget the waters of Mormon, this singular spot of ground that became hallowed to those who entered into the gospel covenant.
Many years ago I traveled with my son to Louisiana to visit my family and friends. This part of the country is where I grew up, where I first went to church, where I was baptized, received the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods, and left on a mission. Having been in the area for over a week, and as our time in the Baton Rouge area was finished, we drove north to the community of Baker to a nice multiphase LDS meetinghouse. We left the car, and he and I walked closer to the church. My son turned and looked at me. “Why are we here?” he inquired. I then began to tell my story. I spoke of how when our small branch began to gather in this community, this particular spot of ground was a large swamp. I told him of the chicken dinners, the spaghetti dinners, the doughnut sales, the bazaars, even the rodeo we sponsored, all to raise funds to build the first phase of a building, basically a classroom facility. We walked over to the white block building and I pointed out that I was one of many who had painted those walls, inside and out.
I described how we then began a whole series of new fund raisers to be able to build the next phase, a beautiful chapel. I told him of how tough it was for a small group of us to lift those huge beams that supported the roof. I rolled my right pants leg up and showed him a scar. I explained that that scar had been a cut that resulted from sliding down that extremely steep roof and snagging my leg on a nail. This was where I bore my testimony for the first time, I explained. This was the place where my dad had served as the first bishop of the ward and the site where I was taught the gospel by devoted members, simple members, uneducated by the world’s standards but highly schooled in the things of the Spirit. It was in that chapel that I delivered my farewell address before leaving on a mission. I remember saying the following to my son: “There is a part of me in that church building. And there is a big part of that building that is in me.” I thought to myself: “A very significant part of my testimony of the restored gospel resides in my soul because I invested myself in that building and, more particularly, in what took place in that building. How beautiful this spot of earth has become to me!” There’s a good reason why I always drive north to this spot each time I travel south to visit family. This is hallowed ground. Memory is a vital aspect of a testimony of the gospel.
On the other hand, when a person’s faith is shaken, when doubts surface and the mind becomes clouded, it is so easy to begin to ask oneself, “Do I really know? How do I know? Was what I felt then real? Was it a message from God, or was it instead some kind of self-fulfilling desire to believe?” Unless the person is able to escape or push beyond such doubts, he or she may very well succumb to what I call “spiritual amnesia.” There is a reason why the scriptures and the prophets continue to plead with the children of God to remember. Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the Seventy observed that “if we pay close attention to the uses of the word remember in the holy scriptures, we will recognize that remembering in the way God intends is a fundamental and saving principle of the gospel. This is so because prophetic admonitions to remember are frequently calls to action: to listen, to see, to do, to obey, to repent. When we remember in God’s way, we overcome our human tendency simply to gird for the battle of life and actually engage in the battle itself, doing all in our power to resist temptation and avoid sinning.”9
What I have noticed, time and again, is that Latter-day Saints who cannot seem to find answers to their tough questions or relief from their vexations of the soul, who then begin to wonder whether it’s worth it to remain in the faith, also begin to look back with a kind of mental myopia. That is, they start the process, a deadly process at that, of reinterpreting their past. Terryl and Fiona Givens wrote: “We tend to reinterpret the past on the basis of the present. We are creatures of the moment, so, rather than remember, we reconstruct what once we knew in the light of present uncertainty or loss, which can all too easily overwhelm what we once held as true and real. All too often we forget the gentle impressions we felt, the calm soothing of troubled hearts and minds, or even greater manifestations of divine love.”10
In speaking to students at Brigham Young University, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland made a significant request, a plea really, with these young people, that applies to every baptized member of the Church. “I wish to encourage every one of us,” he said, “regarding the opposition that so often comes after enlightened decisions have been made, after moments of revelation and conviction have given us a peace and an assurance we thought we would never lose.” He then quoted from Hebrews: “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise” (Hebrews 10:35–36). Elder Holland continued: “In Latter-day Saint talk that is to say, Sure it is tough—before you join the Church, while you are trying to join, and after you have joined. That is the way it has always been, Paul says, but don’t draw back. Don’t panic and retreat. Don’t lose your confidence. Don’t forget how you once felt. Don’t distrust the experience you had. . . . Once there has been illumination, beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing. If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now.”11
Conclusion
A visionary experience that President Brigham Young had almost three years following the death of Joseph Smith seems especially relevant. Brother Brigham said, “Joseph stepped toward me and looking very earnestly, yet pleasantly, said, ‘Tell the people to be humble and faithful and be sure to keep the Spirit of the Lord and it will lead them right. Be careful and not turn away the still small voice; it will teach [them] what to do and where to go; it will yield the fruits of the kingdom. Tell the brethren to keep their hearts open to conviction, so that when the Holy Ghost comes to them, their hearts will be ready to receive it. They can tell the Spirit of the Lord from all other spirits. It will whisper peace and joy to their souls and it will take malice, hatred, envying, strife, and all evil from their hearts; and their whole desire will be to do good, bring forth righteousness, and build up the kingdom of God. Tell the brethren if they will follow the Spirit of the Lord they will go right.’”12
The longer I live, the more clearly I see how crucial it is for a member of the Church to live in such a manner as to keep that precious gift of the Holy Ghost working in our lives. When the Spirit is present, we see things as they really are. When the Spirit is guiding us, we pursue paths that are in our eternal best interest. And when the Spirit of God finds lodgment within our soul, our memory of spiritual “red letter days” is crisp and sharp—how we came to faith, what it felt like when we gained a testimony, the sweet delight we knew when with us it was “the kingdom of God or nothing,” the moments and events of the past that reinforced and sustained that conviction. The influence that flows from the third member of the Godhead leads us to do good, to act justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; that Spirit also enlightens our minds and fills our souls with joy (D&C 11:12–13). President Ezra Taft Benson perhaps said it best when he observed that “this latter-day work is spiritual. It takes spirituality to comprehend it, to love it, and to discern it. Therefore, we should seek the Spirit in all we do. That is our challenge.”13
I once heard Stephen R. Covey say in a BYU devotional: “I believe sometimes that as Latter-day Saints we are like fish who discover water last. We are so immersed in the element that we are unaware of its presence. We have been immersed in the revelations of the Lord in this dispensation. No dispensation can compare to this one. . . . In a sense, this is a dispensation of the Holy Ghost.” Brother Covey then reminded students that “it’s possible to be given a gift and receive not that gift.”14 Indeed, what greater witness can you and I have than the peace and joy and sense of commitment and devotion to the gospel cause that comes quietly but powerfully to each of us who have been baptized and confirmed? That we will always remember what we once felt, what we once resolved, what we once believed, and yes, what we once knew, is my hope and prayer.
Notes
1. Jensen, “Have I Received an Answer from the Spirit?” Ensign, Apr. 1989, 21–22.
2. Smith, Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, 14; spelling and punctuation modernized; emphasis added.
3. Joseph Fielding Smith, 183–84; see also Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:47–48.
4. Joseph Smith, 121. Indeed, the Prophet offered far more caution than recommendation when it came to the gift of tongues: to be careful lest they be deceived (Joseph Smith, 383); that it is not necessary for tongues to be taught to the Church (Joseph Smith, 383); the devil will often take advantage of the innocent and unwary, and so if anything is taught in the Church by the gift of tongues, it is not to be received as doctrine (Joseph Smith, 384); it is the smallest gift of all but the one most sought after (“Gift of the Holy Ghost,” Times and Seasons 3 [June 1842]: 825).
5. “Gift of the Holy Ghost,” Times and Seasons 3 (June 1842): 825.
6. Amasa Potter, in Joseph Smith, 117.
7. Lee, Stand Ye in Holy Places, 92.
8. Packer, That All May Be Edified, 333–35.
9. Jensen, “Remember and Perish Not,” Ensign, May 2007, 36.
10. Givens and Givens, Crucible of Doubt, 116–17; emphasis added.
11. Holland, Trusting Jesus, 170–72; emphasis added.
12. Joseph Smith, 98.
13. Benson, Come unto Christ, 23.
14. Covey, “An Educated Conscience,” 131.