Personal Revelation is more than Personal

[A Disciple]

The Church had a worldwide devotion yesterday on the topic of Personal Revelation. The event was advertised on social media with Elder Cook asking the question: "What was a significant moment in your life when you received personal revelation that helped you better understand God’s path for you?" I saw a portion of the devotion and Elder Cook and participants shared their experience in making decisions about school and career. I can attest the Lord will guide each of us in those decisions.

While I am glad for the message shared, I observed the leadership put great emphasis on the Personal role of Revelation, as if all the Holy Ghost can do is help us decide what to study, where to work and where to live. One wonders: Is the Holy Ghost restricted to only providing Light and Knowledge that has personal value? Is there a doctrinal basis for assuming revelation to individuals is inherently personal and only applicable to that individual and family?

If you examine all that the church leaders teach about Revelation and the Holy Ghost you get a consistent, positive, answer until you hit a wall of contradictory dogma. We learn the Holy Ghost can help us personally. It can help us in our families and in our relationships. It can help us in our work and to assist our associates. It can help us assist church members and our neighbors. The Holy Ghost can make us better instruments in God's hands to accomplish God's work. Recall there was a General Conference talk about the Holy Ghost helping a sailor save his Navy ship and the people on it! So the guidance of the Holy Ghost can have broad application and "Personal Revelation" can be useful to help many people.

The contradictory dogma is that one's personal revelation will not contradict church leadership. There are two problems with the dogma. The first is the dilemma of the church leadership contradicting itself - the contradiction cannot be right so what counsel is a member supposed to follow? The second is what happens when Light & Truth reveal church leadership is wrong?

With Covid we saw the first contradiction when the leadership switched from encouraging Prayer and Faith in a return to normal society to promoting futile policies of fear-mongering - masking, social distancing & ultimately the Jab. The second contradiction immediately followed since many, including myself, had received a personal witness that it was the Lord's will to NOT live afraid of the virus but to socialize normally. Coupled with this personal witness was the Light & Knowledge that most of what the "experts" were saying was wrong and often motivated by corrupt desires.

The dogma that "Priesthood Leadership eclipses Personal Revelation" is very problematic. The dogma is destructive to the Church and the Faith and Testimony of its members. The dogma needs to be demolished. Church leadership can be wrong. Church leadership can err in policy. It can err on Doctrine. The dogma that leadership is never wrong or if wrong it is always best for members to "follow" what leadership demands is a recipe for spiritual disaster, both individually and collectively.

The Book of Mormon shows the correct revelatory pattern. It is that when challenged on a policy or decisions the "leader" goes to the Lord to seek further Light and Knowledge and the leader's mind is illuminated. Mosiah changed his mind on how the people should be governed - he was for his sons being king and then all his sons rejected the kingship. Mosiah also changed his mind on his sons preaching to the Lamanites. Alma changed his mind on being chief judge - he gave up the calling to preach. Captain Moroni changed the minds of the people to fight for their Liberty - the Captain was not a priesthood leader yet he persuaded the priesthood leadership to support a military defense.

The Doctrine of Christ is that the Holy Ghost will show us all things we should do. That is both an individual and collective promise. Revelation is a great Personal Gift, but all Revelation is beneficial and should combine to lead a people personally and publicly closer to God.

[Telavian]

They mainly want people to seek a relationship with God, but stay in their lanes. What good is leadership if everyone is a prophet?

[A Disciple]

They mainly want people to seek a relationship with God, but stay in their lanes. What good is leadership if everyone is a prophet?

The tightrope they want members to walk is obvious. It almost works when "The World" doesn't directly interfere with the Church. But anytime the Church welcomes the World into its space, there will be a conflict and the tension between leadership "pleasing the world" and the Spirit of Truth "dividing asunder" is revealed.

About that sword of truth, good instruction here:
"Divides. God’s word can separate truth from error and “divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil” (Helaman 3:29). It can help us identify the half-truths and complications that cloud our thinking by setting them up against God’s plain and precious truths."
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/stu ... d?lang=eng