Ballard - Marvelous Are the Revelations of the Lord - April 1998

Elder Ballard discusses revelations that have been given to prophets of our time and the additional light and knowledge that has been given to the world through these prophets.  He starts by talking about the great revelations that have brought us additional scripture in our time.  These, of course, were brought to us through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

• My dear brothers and sisters, do we appreciate the marvelous miracle of revelation? Through revelation we have received the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, which contain the words of God to us, His children. Oh, how marvelous are the revelations we have received from the Lord! I have often said either Joseph Smith was the Lord’s instrument by which the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness was accomplished, or he was not. There is no possible compromise of this doctrine. I raise my voice to the whole world in testimony that I know without reservation or question that Joseph Smith opened this dispensation through divine revelation and began the restoration to the earth of the true Church of Jesus Christ.
  

Elder Ballard talks about the process of us receiving revelation.  He shares that the Spirit can tell our minds and hearts what the truth is and we can obtain light and knowledge directly through the revelatory process.

• We cannot be saved in ignorance, but the Lord can only reveal light and truth to us as we are prepared to receive it. And so it is incumbent upon each of us to do everything we can to increase our spiritual knowledge and understanding by studying the scriptures and the words of the living prophets. When we read and study the revelations, the Spirit can confirm in our hearts the truth of what we are learning; in this way, the voice of the Lord speaks to each one of us. As we ponder the teachings of the gospel and apply them in daily living, we become better prepared to receive additional light and truth.
  
• What great, eternal light and knowledge comes to us from the marvelous revelations from God to His faithful prophets. How grateful we should be for the understanding that has come to us as a result of all of the revelations that have been given to us in this last great dispensation. Wherever I go in the world there are faithful members of the Church who know as I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true because it has been revealed to us by the power of the Spirit. Anyone who sincerely wants to know can also have these truths confirmed to them by the same power of the Spirit.

Elder Ballard concludes by talking about our responsibility to share the revealed truth with the world around us.  The Lord will bless us as we seek to increase others understanding and testimony of the things of God that have been revealed to the world through modern day prophets and apostles.

• We need to embrace, study, and appreciate the revealed truths that are ours. We need to declare the gospel generously and kindly to all of our Father’s children, that every soul might walk in the light and the truth of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. May the Lord bless each one of us with increased knowledge and testimony, and may we be open and receptive to the spirit of revelation as it has moved upon our prophets in the past, and as it will yet move upon the prophets in the future.

I am so grateful for modern day prophets and apostles.  I have been blessed to know that we have a direct communication link with the heavens through these amazing men.  They teach us how to live our lives so that we can become closer and closer to the spirit.  My study of the talks of these great men over the past year and a half have taught me some great lessons about their divine calling.  I love their instruction on how to be a better disciple of Christ and I love it more that they teach what they have learned personally.  These are men of God and men what God lets know what we need to hear.  It is my hope that we all can seek revelation for ourselves as we draw closer and closer to the spirit by learning how to live a more Christlike life from our modern day prophets and apostles.