Elder Dale G. Renlund - May 27, 2021
My dear missionaries, on behalf of the Lord and His Church, thank you. Thank you for accepting your calls to serve. Thank you for your faith and faithfulness. Thank you for being willing and caring enough to help Heavenly Father’s children return home to Him.
When I became a heart specialist, a cardiologist, I was enthralled by a tool that physicians use every day: the stethoscope. Using a stethoscope enables a doctor to hear sounds that are otherwise inaudible. I met master physicians who could, by listening to the chest wall, accurately diagnose heart disease in patients. And I wanted to become like those masters. I purchased a stethoscope that I really liked. I kept it in good repair, often replacing the ear pieces and tubing so that cracks wouldn’t interfere with the transmission of sound.
As I began to learn the skill of using a stethoscope, I followed the same routine every time: I listened to patients. I made sure the room was quiet. I turned off any radio or TV. I shut the door to the corridor and asked visitors and other patients in the room to refrain from making noise. Some sounds are heard best in different areas on the chest wall, so I listened to those areas in turn. Some sounds are low frequency, so I listened using the smaller part of the stethoscope, called the bell. Some sounds are high-pitched, so I listened using the larger part, called the diaphragm. Some sounds are easy to hear. Others are difficult. I found that it took practice to hear subtle sounds that are nonetheless significant.
After doing the best I could to discern the sounds, I looked at the findings of experts that I trusted. When available, I also used other medical tests such as heart ultrasounds to correlate what I heard with what was going on in the patient. It took time, but I became skilled enough to hear even difficult sounds, and I developed the confidence to know that when I couldn’t hear a sound, it was indeed absent. I found that if I were exposed to loud noises, such as at a sporting event, I wasn’t as good with the stethoscope for more than a day afterwards. I found that if I was rushed or distracted, I missed important sounds. So I was careful. I didn’t want to miss those sounds that are important, and I wanted to be sure about the absence of sounds. After decades of practice, I developed the skills of the masters I admired so much.
Incidentally, through the years, I became very fond of my stethoscope. It was my friend for over 25 years. When I was called as a General Authority in 2009, I retired from medicine and I gave away devices to look in eyes and ears—a reflex hammer, a tuning fork, and even my brown medical bag. But I just couldn’t part with my beloved stethoscope. When we were assigned to Africa, we packed the stethoscope with other belongings and placed it in storage. Five years later, we returned from Africa.
One day my mother-in-law called with a medical complaint. She asked if I’d come over and check her blood pressure, lungs, and heart. I went to retrieve my trusty stethoscope from storage, relishing the thought of using it again. I looked and looked and looked, but I couldn’t find it. Now, when I can’t find something, I usually blame my wife, so I asked her where she had put it. She timidly said, “Oh, I’ve seen it around.” And for the first and only time in our marriage when I was searching for a lost item, she was, in fact, to blame. Unknown to me, she had placed the stethoscope in a glass-framed case, wrapped it, and hidden it to surprise me on my upcoming birthday. She thought I would appreciate having my stethoscope hanging on the wall as a cherished memory. Unable to find my stethoscope, I borrowed someone else’s. Fortunately, despite the use of inferior equipment, my mother-in-law survived.
A few weeks later, I opened my beautifully wrapped birthday present. Imagine my shock as I saw my trusted stethoscope staring out at me from within a glass-framed case. I tried to smile and appear grateful, but all I could say was, “What good is this?” My wife was disappointed in my reaction, but, really, what good is a stethoscope if it can’t be used?
There are many parallels between my experience with the stethoscope and our experiences with the Holy Ghost. When we were confirmed members of the Church after baptism, we were told, “Receive the Holy Ghost.” We likely received a certificate of baptism and confirmation. And I’ll ask you the same question. What good does that certificate do hanging on a wall if we don’t access and become skilled in the use of the gift of the Holy Ghost?
Today I’ll discuss some of these parallels. You may think of others.
Parallel number one. A cardiologist needs a stethoscope to hear heart sounds. We need revelation to hear God’s voice. Cardiologists who cannot use stethoscopes aren’t very good doctors. They can’t serve their patients very well, because they order unnecessary tests and thereby expose patients to unnecessary dangers to make up for their lack of skill in hearing heart sounds. As we learn from the sacrament prayers, if we’re willing to take upon ourselves the name of Christ, always remember Him, and keep His commandments, we can lay claim to having the Holy Ghost with us every day and every hour. Revelation can be constant and ongoing. Not only can we lay claim to revelation, but we also need it.
President Russell M. Nelson taught, “If [we’re] to have any hope of sifting through the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men that attack truth, we must learn to receive revelation . . . in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”1
Parallel number two. Learning to use a stethoscope and learning to receive revelation take work. It would be naive to think that you could pick up a stethoscope and be as effective at using it as I once was. It’s also naive to think that I’m as good today as I once was. I’ve stopped doing the work necessary to maintain my stethoscope skills. Similarly, it would be naive to think that just because we’ve received the Holy Ghost, that all we need to say is, “OK, I’m ready. Reveal.” That was a mistake Oliver Cowdery made early in his life as a scribe to Joseph Smith.
President Nelson has taught that good inspiration is based upon good information. Prayer is necessary but not sufficient. Some concerns are tougher than others. When the Savior’s disciples were unable to perform a miracle of healing a child, the disciples wondered why they couldn’t do it. The Savior said that it was because of their unbelief.
He continued: “If ye have faith[,] ... nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”2
Sometimes revelation’s like that. One form of work could be fasting and prayer. Another form of work is patience. Waiting on the Lord and trusting that He will answer when He knows it’s best is a very important work. I’ve learned that it is arrogant and unhelpful to demand revelation or put a deadline on the Lord.
Parallel number three. A stethoscope must be in good repair. To receive revelation, we need to be in good spiritual condition. In other words, we need to be worthy. For a stethoscope to function ideally, the tubing cannot be cracked, the ear pieces need to be flexible and fit snugly, and the bell and the diaphragm need to be intact. Several years after that episode of receiving my birthday present, my wife developed shortness of breath one evening. We called her doctor. He advised me to listen to her lungs. Sensing some urgency, I broke open the framed birthday present from years before to get my beloved stethoscope, and it’s shown in the left panel. As you can see in the panel on the right, to mount the stethoscope, two holes had been drilled in the diaphragm, making it completely useless. It looked like a stethoscope but would not function as one.
Additionally, doctors using stethoscopes can’t permit anything to decrease their ability to hear. For me to function at my best, I had to avoid loud noises such as those in sports arenas, because my hearing acuity would be diminished for a day or two.
To receive revelation by the Holy Ghost, we, too, need to be in good spiritual repair. We need to be worthy. We need to keep trying our best to keep God’s commandments and not to excuse sinful behavior. We need to avoid the metaphorical loud noises that occur in our lives to best hear the Holy Ghost. To be worthy of the Holy Ghost, we need to turn to God daily. Prophets have counseled us to pray daily, study the scriptures daily, and conscientiously and worthily partake of the sacrament each week. These acts of personal, private devotion are integral to our daily turning to God.
We need to do our best to keep God’s commandments. We all slip up, and that’s why we need to repent every day. If we do slip up and if we don’t repent, we limit the ability of the Holy Ghost to say anything to us other than “You need to repent.” We’re unlikely to receive any other revelation until we take care of that which is obstructing our path forward on the covenant path.
Parallel number four. Preparation is needed to hear through a stethoscope and to hear revelation. Cardiologists need years of schooling and experience to learn about heart disorders that can cause different types of sounds and to distinguish the meaning of each sound. Further, cardiologists gather medical histories and make preliminary examinations of patients before attempting to listen. Preparation is needed to accurately understand the patient’s condition. Similarly, as we approach personal revelation, we need to prepare by studying, pondering, and praying. God has already revealed much and requires us to be knowledgeable about what’s revealed in readily available sources. You’ve likely had this experience that the Holy Ghost cannot bring something to your remembrance that you haven’t put there in the first place.
That’s why the admonition to “treasure up in your minds continually the words of life” comes before the promise of having it “given you in the very hour that [which should] be meted [to] every man.”3 When we engage in a missionary task, we can rely on the Holy Ghost in the very hour that what we say will be directed by the Holy Ghost.
When the Savior perceived that the people couldn’t understand all the words He had been commanded to give, He told them, “Go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask . . . the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again.”4
President Nelson has also encouraged us to “make time to study His words. Really study! . . . pay the price now—through serious study and fervent prayer . . . Put yourself in a position to begin having experiences with [God, and] then listen.”5
Parallel number five. Recognizing heart sounds using a stethoscope is critical. Recognizing the Spirit’s voice is critical to understanding personal revelation. When first learning to use a stethoscope, it’s hard to differentiate among the noises that you hear. As you tease them apart, you can hear them and recognize their significance. You have to be able to distinguish between this—let me see if this will work—[THUMPING SOUND]—I don’t think we’re hearing that. You have to be able distinguish between lubb-dupp, just two sounds, versus three sounds, lubb-dupp-dupp, and four sounds, lubb-dupp-dupp-dupp. You need to tell the difference between that, that, and that. And you need to distinguish whether a murmur occurs before or after a particular “dupp.”
Recognizing revelation requires knowing what you’re listening for. The scriptures describe various ways the Holy Ghost communicates. His voice is not loud or noisy, but mild and still, like a whisper. It’s simple, quiet, and stunningly plain. It can be piercing and burning. It affects both mind and heart. It brings peace, joy, and hope, not fear, anxiety, and worry. His voice will invite you to do good and not evil.
Mormon said, “Wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil.”6
The voice of the Holy Ghost is enlightening and delicious, not mystifying. We need to be able to recognize how the Spirit communicates with us. Anyone can recognize their own mother’s or father’s voice, because it’s a voice that has been with them their whole life. We need to similarly be familiar with what the voice of the Spirit sounds like.
President Nelson has taught, “We . . . hear Him more clearly as we refine our ability to recognize the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. It has never been more imperative to know how the Spirit speaks to you than right now.”7
For my wife, revelation comes as ideas enlightening her mind, ideas that she knows are not hers, and it frequently is with a nudge to act on those ideas. For me, revelation comes in short, terse, imperative directions, such as “Go,” “Do,” and “Say”—or “No.”
One night at the symphony, our daughter pointed out how beautiful the oboe line in the symphony was. At first, I couldn’t hear it. So my daughter hummed some notes in my ear, and I listened again. This time, as that musical phrase was repeated, I could hear the theme, and it was beautiful. But it took a person more musically skilled than I to direct my hearing.
Parallel number six. Using a stethoscope and receiving revelation require the elimination of distractions. Using a stethoscope requires the elimination of distractions: noises in the room or hallway, other conversations, or even thinking about other concerns. Revelation requires the elimination of distractions. To receive personal revelation, we need to walk away from contention and temptations and the noise of the world. We do not receive revelation when we’re angry, agitated, or occupied.
Parallel number seven. Using a stethoscope and receiving revelation require proximity. You can’t listen to a patient’s heart with your stethoscope when you’re standing 20 feet away from the patient. You must be close enough to have the ear pieces in your ears and the bell or diaphragm of the stethoscope on the patient’s chest. That’s the principle of proximity. Sometimes revelation does not come unless you’re close to the object or issue. In other words, you must be engaged in the task before the revelation comes. Then “it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man.”8
Missionaries are not going to be prompted about whom to share a gospel message with when they’re casually lounging in their apartment or not prepared to speak. They’re more likely to receive that nudge when they’re on a bus, walking down the street, actively doing Facebook mining, or other such actively involved work.
Parallel number eight. Cardiologists rely on previous findings. Revelation builds on itself as prior revelation is relied on. Cardiologists listen to the person’s heart repeatedly, review the medical history, and order additional tests. Repeated listening helps clarify the patient’s situation. When cardiologists are sure of their findings, they know when the examination changes and what that means. They can note that a murmur is more severe than it was and react accordingly.
Similarly, revelation is usually sequential and iterative, becoming clearer over time. We can rely on earlier revelation as a springboard for new revelation. Recall that the disciples on the road to Emmaus discovered after the fact that they had been with the resurrected Jesus.
“They said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”9
Only after walking with Jesus did they recognize who their companion was. Sometimes we recognize a prompting after we’ve acted and had a positive outcome or a negative outcome. Similarly, when we rely on earlier revelation, it can serve as a springboard for new revelation.
Parallel number nine. Confidence in the ability to hear is key. Faith and the ability to receive revelation is necessarily a key. Obviously, cardiologists who never master the use of a stethoscope can’t rely on it. They lose confidence in it as a tool. In a similar way, faith that you can receive revelation helps you receive personal revelation. The Lord has made this clear.
He said, “Remember that without faith you can do nothing; therefore ask in faith.”10
Faith is enhanced when we know that what we’re asking for is in accordance with God’s will, when we know that we’re asking for that which we should, and we’re asking for that which is right.
Parallel number 10. Cardiologists need to act even when they’re unsure. We need to act in faith even when we’re not sure we received revelation. Often cardiologists aren’t sure of the correct path forward, even after evaluating the situation as well as they can. Does anyone think it appropriate for a cardiologist to stop caring for his or her patients and walk away because they’re unsure? Of course not. That would be ridiculous. They continue doing the best they can, trusting that clarity will eventually come.
Sometimes we can feel like that, believing that the heavens are closed to us. Sometimes we feel we can’t tell the difference between our own thoughts and the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. We may question how we can move forward.
Elder Richard G. Scott, a former member of the Quorum of the Twelve, taught that when we pray to God and explain a problem to Him and propose a thoughtful solution, He may answer in one of three ways. First, we can feel the peace, comfort, and assurance that our decision is right. Second, we can sense an unsettled feeling, indicating that the choice is wrong. Those two are easy, because when God answers no in that second case, it’s to prevent error. The third way that God answers is the most difficult one, when we can feel no response. Surprisingly, Elder Scott taught that when that happens, we may want to express thanks, for it is evidence of His trust in us. We do the best we can, and clarity will come.11
Parallel number 11. In using a stethoscope, be ready for the unexpected. In personal revelation, be open to the unexpected. Despite rigorous preparation, cardiologists need to be ready to hear what they don’t expect. Other physicians may have given faulty information, and if the cardiologists aren’t open to new findings, they may not hear it. Similarly, we need to be open to the entire scope of what God wishes to reveal, however unexpected it may be. Someone who says, “I will only teach those I think are prepared to hear the message of the gospel,” is not open to God’s grand scope and vision. You cannot judge something as not coming from the Holy Ghost simply because it wasn’t what you expected or wanted.
Joseph Smith taught that we tend to set up limits that preclude further inspiration. He insightfully said, “It is the constitutional disposition of mankind to set up stakes and set bounds to the works and ways of the Almighty.”12 This is something we shouldn’t do.
Parallel number 12. Using a stethoscope has limitations. Revelation comes within the limits God has directed. A stethoscope cannot diagnose brain cancer. The device has limitations. Similarly, the scope of personal revelation is prescribed by our personal situations and colleagues. For instance, only the prophet and President of the Church can receive revelation for the whole Church. Let me illustrate what I mean.
One evening I received a phone call from a member of the Church who had been arrested for trespassing. He told me it had been revealed to him that additional scripture was buried in the basement of a building and that once he retrieved it, he would receive the gift of translation. He claimed it would be of great benefit to the Church, because it would correct errors that had crept into the doctrine. When I told him he was mistaken, he implored me to pray about it. I told him I wouldn’t, and he became verbally abusive. Why did I not even need to pray about this request? Because a member of the Church does not receive revelation for the Church. Only the prophet receives revelation for the Church.
Joseph Smith said, “It is contrary to the economy of God for any member of the Church or anyone, to receive instruction for those in authority, higher than themselves.”13 But he promised, “[It’s] also the privilege of any officer in this Church to obtain revelations, so far as it relates to his particular calling and duty in the Church.”14
Parallel number 13. Cardiologists will not hear sounds that are beyond the limits of hearing. Revelation will not be contrary to revealed word. Certain sounds may be outside the range of hearing. Cardiologists cannot violate the laws of physics and physiology and claim they hear those sounds when it’s physically impossible. Similarly, God will not reveal that which is contrary to His revealed word. Our callings are framed by scriptures, living prophets, handbooks, and file leaders. Within that framework, the Spirit operates.
Another way to think of this is that the Spirit will not prompt us to violate God’s commandments or our covenants. I’ve experienced this principle on many occasions. A prisoner once told me that it had been revealed to him that he should take the opportunity to embezzle funds to bless his family and stabilize their financial situation. I knew his statement was untrue. He had misinterpreted his feeling.
Revelation will always be in harmony with the teachings of the scriptures, the prophets, and the order of the Church. We will never be prompted to violate God’s revealed commandments and direction. Remember, reason can lead to revelation but cannot replace revelation. No finely crafted edifice of reason can be transmuted by alchemy into revelation.
Parallel number 14. When cardiologists agree on findings, the findings are more certain. When personal revelation is confirmed by unity, revelation is more certain. When several competent cardiologists agree on the presence of certain sounds heard with the stethoscope, the likelihood of those findings being real is increased. Similarly, when several individuals in a presidency, quorum, group, or companionship sense the same inspiration, the likelihood of it being direction from God is increased. When missionary companions and ward mission leaders agree on a course of action under the direction of the Holy Ghost, the surety of the revelation is greater. Unity brings power in calling down revelation from heaven.
Unity, coupled with the use of Christlike attributes, leads to this promise: “If these things . . . abound [in you, you] shall [not] be . . . unfruitful in the knowledge of [the] Lord.”15
Now, dear missionaries, revelation is a life skill, not just a temporary way to be an effective missionary. As we use the gift of the Holy Ghost in this way, we’ll find that the Holy Ghost becomes a companion who can be relied upon, trusted, and depended on more. You can receive revelation, and as you learn those skills to use the gift of the Holy Ghost that you’ve received, God will change your future for the good. He’ll bless you. He’ll protect you. He’ll help you. I know that this is true.
What a remarkable thing to have the blessing of having a member of the Godhead as a constant companion and have His influence with us. I pray that God will watch over and bless you and help you as you preach of Jesus Christ; of His atoning sacrifice; of His resurrection; of a kind, loving Heavenly Father; and [of] Heavenly Father’s plan for all of His children. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.