Hosea 1–6; 10–14; Joel: Lesson 147
Joel
“I Will Pour Out My Spirit”
Visit “Studying the Scriptures” to help prepare yourself spiritually to learn.
This is an exciting time to live on the earth! Many prophecies and promises from the Lord are being fulfilled. Among these is the Lord’s promise “I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh” (Joel 2:28; see also Joseph Smith—History 1:41). Think of it—the Creator of the world wants to bless you with His Spirit! This lesson can help you increase your capacity to receive personal revelation from the Lord through the Holy Ghost.
Study the Scriptures
In 2018, the four million residents of Cape Town, South Africa, were placed on water restrictions. They were limited to just 13 gallons of water per person, per day, so residents began cutting back on everything from showers to toilet flushes. People began lining up outside of grocery stores for the chance to buy bottled water. Officials warned residents that the day was coming when they would turn on their faucets and nothing would happen.
The crisis was eventually avoided. Yet many residents would never again take for granted the blessing of water pouring out of their faucets.
Joel prophesied about terrible events that would precede the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (see Joel 2:1–11). He also prophesied of great revelations the Lord would pour out to sustain us.
Read Joel 2:21–23, 26–27. Mark each phrase that shows how the Lord suggests we can feel, even when facing challenges.
Read Joel 2:28–29, looking for what the Lord will provide to help us as we face challenges. Tag what you find as “revelation” and “last days.”
Living Water, by Simon Dewey
In the New Testament, Jesus referred to Himself as “living water” (John 4:10). Link the phrase “pour out my spirit” in Joel 2:28 to John 4:10.
Just as we depend on water for physical survival, our spiritual survival depends on the Spirit of the Lord pouring out to us.
President Russell M. Nelson taught:
In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost. (“Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 96)
Review the following study options. Complete one or more.
Option A
What might revelation from the Lord look like today?
As Joel prophesied, the Lord can use dreams and visions to reveal truth today. Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles shared a powerful example of God revealing truth through dreams in our day.
As a teenager, Sister Kalombo Rosette Kamwanya from the D.R. Congo, now serving in the Côte d’Ivoire Abidjan West Mission, fasted and prayed for three days to find the direction God wanted her to take. In a remarkable night vision, she was shown two buildings, a chapel and what she now realizes was a temple. She began to search and soon found the chapel she had seen in her dream. The sign said, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” Sister Kamwanya was baptized and then her mother and her six brothers. (“The Joy of the Saints,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2019, 16)
Sister Kalombo Rosette Kamwanya
Importantly, the Lord pours out revelation in more ways than just dreams and visions. In response to President Nelson’s invitation to learn how the Lord Jesus Christ speaks to us, the Church created a collection of videos sharing different ways Church leaders hear Him.
Watch two or more of the Hear Him videos, looking for ways the Lord could be pouring out His Spirit in your life. Or search for at least two other scriptures that share how the Lord reveals truth.
Option B
How can I prepare myself to receive more revelation in my life?
Read the following statements and mark suggestions you feel could help you increase your capacity to receive personal revelation.
President Russell M. Nelson taught:
Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the principle of revelation.” (“Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 95)
Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
It remains for each of us to seek to exercise our spiritual gifts and then to invite and learn to recognize promptings of the Spirit. Four guiding principles to assist us in this crucial spiritual endeavor are:
Stand in holy places.
Stand with holy people.
Testify of holy truths.
Listen to the Holy Spirit.
Your ability to invite and recognize the promptings of the Spirit will develop a step at a time. (“Promptings of the Spirit,” Liahona, Nov. 2023, 45)
Now What?
Based on what you learned today, make a plan for how you will seek guidance from the Lord through the Holy Ghost. When you have finished your plan, do one of the following:
-
Write your plan on a piece of paper and post it where you can see it often.
-
Share your plan with someone you trust and ask for additional thoughts and suggestions.
Share Your Thoughts
Lesson Purpose: To help you increase your capacity to receive personal revelation from the Lord through the Holy Ghost.
Share one or more of the following with your teacher or class:
-
What you learned from the scriptures and Hear Him videos about how God pours out His Spirit in your life.
-
Your plan for how you will seek personal revelation.
-
Something specific you did to achieve the purpose of this lesson.
-
Any questions this lesson raised for you. How will you try to find answers to your questions?