Revelation

Elder Neil L. Andersen: Our third subject is revelation. It is a subject that President Oaks has not only spoken about, but one he has lived. As I mentioned earlier, he has said, “Throughout my life my foremost teacher has been the still small voice and feelings communicated through the Spirit of the Lord.”

In a powerful talk given in 1992, he told of a life-threatening experience where guidance from the Holy Ghost saved him and an unknown young man from certain tragedy. He was living in Chicago. Following a late Church meeting, he and Sister Oaks gave a ride home to a sister in the ward who lived in a troubled area of Chicago. He helped the sister to her front door.

As he was returning to the car, a young man came out of nowhere with his gun in his hand, putting the gun into Elder Oaks’s stomach. He asked for his money, with the gun still thrust in his stomach, and after a number of tense exchanges, Elder Oaks tells of a bus approaching and the following inspiration that came to him. Let’s watch.

President Dallin H. Oaks (1992): While this was happening behind the young robber, out of his view, he became nervous and distracted. His gun wavered from my stomach until its barrel pointed slightly to my left. My arm was already partly raised, and with a quick motion I could seize the gun and struggle with him without the likelihood of being shot. I was taller and heavier than this young man and at that time of my life was somewhat athletic. I had no doubt that I could prevail in a quick wrestling match if I could get his gun out of the contest.

Just as I was about to make my move, I had a unique experience. I did not see anything or hear anything, but I knew something. I knew what would happen if I grabbed that gun. We would struggle, and I would turn the gun into that young man’s chest. It would fire, and he would die. I also understood that I must not have the blood of that young man on my conscience for the rest of my life.

I relaxed, and as the bus pulled away I followed an impulse to put my right hand on his shoulder and give him a lecture. June and I had some teenage children at that time, and giving lectures came naturally.

“Look here,” I said, “this isn’t right. What you’re doing just isn’t right. The next car might be a policeman, and you could get killed or sent to jail for this.”

With a gun back in my stomach, the young robber replied to my lecture by going through his demands for the third time. But this time his voice was subdued. When he offered the final threat to kill me, he didn’t sound persuasive. When I refused again, he hesitated for a moment, and then stuck the gun in his pocket and ran away. June unlocked the door, and we drove off, uttering a prayer of thanks.

Elder Neil L. Andersen with Young Adults: And we’re here with Joy, Lindsey, Nicole, and Max. And we’re talking about revelation. You heard President Oaks in that event. He said, “I didn’t see anything. I didn’t hear anything, but I knew something.” Have any of you ever experienced that before or something similar?

Nicole: One that comes to mind is the decision to choose to have a family. I think that took a lot of prayer and a lot of fasting for me. I wanted to bring children into the world. I wasn’t exactly sure how everything was going to work out, and I just remember taking my desires to the Lord, letting Him know that I wanted to have children.

And that was a desire that I had in my heart. And I just repeatedly felt so much peace from God that He saw my heart, that He saw what I was feeling, that He recognized my desires, and that was a worthy desire.

Elder Neil L. Andersen: Olivia, what would you tell us?

Olivia: I think the moments of revelation I’ve received that are most close to my heart are in the temple, and I am very far from understanding everything in the endowment. I think it’s more of a—rather than really understanding every aspect in the endowment, it’s more of an understanding or feeling that Jesus Christ is there in the ordinance, that the fulness of His priesthood is there, and it is Him who is sanctifying me and allowing me to feel that understanding.

My favorite hymn is “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need.” And the last verse says, “No more a stranger nor a guest, but like a child at home.” And I know we’re guests in the temple. But I’ve really come to understand what it feels like to be a child at home. As I sit in the temple and try to commune with God.

Elder Neil L. Andersen: Beautiful.