Cover image via History.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Before the Saints emigrated from Nauvoo to the Rocky Mountains, Wilford Woodruff had a vision of the future Salt Lake temple. In addition to seeing in vision the future dedicatory services and those who would attend them, he also noticed that the temple was made of granite. Much later, when the Twelve were settled in the valley and discussing how to build a temple there, they considered many possible building materials, including adobe and brick. In these meetings with the other apostles, Elder Woodruff would say to himself: “No, you will never do it.” He had seen the temple and knew how it would end up being built.[i]
Now this is actually kind of funny. Just think of the time and trouble Elder Woodruff could have saved everyone by telling them about his vision! But the larger point is the Lord’s willingness to manifest things to his apostles and prophets by the Spirit, and their ability to receive such manifestations. In this particular case, the Lord sent a vision, but not to accomplish a mighty task or even to speed the temple decision-making process along. We don’t know the Lord’s purposes, but its primary impact seems to have been personal to Wilford Woodruff himself and his relationship to the Lord.
Elder Neil L. Andersen told this story:
One time I went to President Faust with a piercing problem I didn’t know how to solve. He said to me, “Neil, have you prayed about it? Have you prayed all night like Enos did?” And then he sat back in his chair and said, “I’ve prayed all night many times to receive answer to difficult challenges. That is how you will get your answer as well.” He was right.[ii]
This illustrates the kind of men the Lord chooses—men willing to pray all night long for answers to difficult problems. But it also illustrates that the Lord answers them. When they need Him, even if it takes all night, they have inspiration given to them. In this spirit, President Harold B. Lee once said:
You ask when the Lord gave the last revelation to this church. The Lord is giving revelations day by day, and you will witness and look back on this period and see some of the mighty revelations the Lord has given in your day and time. To that I bear you my witness.[iii]
There is much to understand about revelation, but this statement by a prophet is a good place to begin. There are actually numerous statements of this sort—apostles and prophets testifying that revelation is ongoing and frequent in the governing of the Church. We’ve gathered dozens of examples of prophets testifying that they receive frequent revelation as they direct the Church in our book The Last Safe Place (see below). As we read and ponder such testimonies, the Spirit can bear witness to us that they are true. We will then know that we can trust the Lord to guide His chosen servants . . . because He does!
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Duane Boyce and Kimberly White are father and daughter. Learn more about prophetic revelation in their new book The Last Safe Place: Seven Principles for Standing with the Prophets in Troubled Times.
[i] Wilford Woodruff, “Revelation, etc.,” Delivered in the Tabernacle at Logan, Sunday Morning, August 1, 1880, Journal of Discourses, vol. 21:299–300, https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/JournalOfDiscourses3/id/7609; it is also cited in John K. Edmunds, Through Temple Doors (Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1978), 18–19.
[ii] 6 Neil L. Andersen, quoted in D. Todd Christofferson, “Elder Neil L. Andersen: Man of Faith,” Ensign, August 2009, https://www.lds.org/ensign/2009/08/elder-neil-l-andersen-man-of-faith?lang=eng.
[iii] 5 Harold B. Lee, “Admonitions for the Priesthood of God,” General Conference, October 1972; https:// www.lds.org/general-conference/1972/10/admonitions-for-the-priesthood-of-god?lang=eng.
