Post # 236 -- Part 8 -- Counsel from members

of the Twelve Apostles -- Personal Revelation

Is Essential as COVID-19 Restrictions Ease,

Says Elder Renlund

Contributed By Sarah Jane Weaver, Church News editor

• 20 MAY 2020

Dear Family and Friends

I pray that today’s post finds each one of you in food health and

doing well. For those of you who are just getting back to work, be

careful and take all precautions to stay safe. Please take all the

precautions you can to keep you and your family members and

friends as safe as possible when you need to go out and about.

I wanted to share this article with you which is part eight in the

series of counsel from the members of the Twelve Apostles  as

well as some information from the prophet, President Russell M.

Nelson, so let us go see what counsel Elder Renlund is sharing

with us today. We can never go wrong when we follow the

counsel they give.

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles fist bumps a young girl while greeting her family
following a devotional for women in Antofagasta, Chile, on February 15, 2019. His wife, Sister Ruth Renlund,
is also pictured to his right.

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS

• Practice daily to hear the Holy Ghost.
• Act in faith to increase faith.
• Focus on the needs of others, study, and be at peace to
• stimulate revelation.
• Take responsibility for your own faith and spiritual progress.
• Focus on Jesus Christ and the joy He brings.

“I am hoping we have all learned about being self-reliant
and taking responsibility for our own faith and our own spiritual progress.”
—Elder Dale G. Renlund

Editor’s note: This is part eight in a series of counsel from members of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during the COVID-19 outbreak. Click on
the following names to read counsel from President M. Russell Ballard,
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Elder David A. Bednar,
Elder Quentin L. Cook, Elder D. Todd Christofferson, and
Elder Neil L. Andersen.

During times of uncertainty—including the current COVID-19 pandemic—
Latter-day Saints can receive guidance from the Holy Ghost “that comes
with certainty,” said Elder Dale G. Renlund.

“God knows that all of us need personal revelation for our own
circumstances,” said the member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Speaking to the Church News as governments across the globe began
easing restrictions brought on by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, Elder
Renlund said personal revelation enables Latter-day Saints to move forward
without fear.

The virus that causes COVID-19 is indiscriminate, he explained. “It is
protein and ribonucleic acid. It has no soul, it has no temperament, it
has no personality.”

It affects people differently, though often exploiting individual weaknesses
such as compromised health conditions and even unknown underlying
illnesses.

Because of this, “it is an incomparable blessing that God has blessed us with
the opportunity to receive personal revelation so that we, in our different
circumstances, can be inspired.”

“No Fear”

While the pandemic has halted economic productivity and social connectivity,
the work of the kingdom continues to move forward.
The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles “are not idle, not
sidelined” by the pandemic, he emphasized.

Revelation has been received for the Church through the First Presidency
and Quorum of the Twelve, who then acted in unity to protect Latter-day
Saints not only in the present pandemic but also to help the Church and
its members well into the future.

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles chats with two boys at the pulpit during a
meeting with their congregation in Dominica during a visit to the Caribbean Area on February 16, 2020.

Because of revelation, the senior leaders of the Church have never expressed
fear as the COVID-19 pandemic has affected world populations,
said Elder Renlund.

“There is not a hint of fear. Instead, we are asking: ‘How can we do things
better? How can we improve? How can we bless our people?’ 

“There is no fear.”

He said it has been amazing to see the leaders of the Church “packed with
full confidence that the Savior will get us through this. And the only concern
is, ‘Are we going to learn what we need to learn?’”

Learn to Listen

A former cardiologist who dedicated his medical career to treating the human
heart, Elder Renlund compares listening to the Holy Ghost to using
a stethoscope.

As a doctor, Elder Renlund had to learn how to use a stethoscope to listen
to the heart. Medical mentors taught him to eliminate distractions and
ensure the room was quiet, following thorough and consistent patterns.
“They put in the work and tuned their ears,” he said.

Elder Dale G. Renlund gives pass-along cards to one of his former patients after meeting with four of his former
heart transplant patients and family members at the Tokyo South Mission home.

Members who really want to hear the Holy Ghost also “need to practice
hearing,” Elder Renlund explained.

“It just doesn’t happen. Even as a member of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles, I was not issued a hardwire to heaven. It still requires
individual hard work to receive inspiration.”

Elder Renlund acknowledges he is not as good today at using a
stethoscope as when he was called away from his profession as a
cardiologist a decade ago because he isn’t using the skill every day.
Similarly, receiving revelation requires daily practice.

“If we get casual about personal acts of private devotion or daily
repentance, if we get casual about our scripture study, if we get
casual about not wanting to ask God questions, I think we lose
our ability to hear.”

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shakes the hand of a young boy in Martinique
during a visit to the island on February 18, 2020. The Apostle visited the Caribbean Area in February as part
of the annual area review.

“Tailored Instructions”

As recorded in the Book of Mormon, the Savior after His resurrection visited
the Nephites and appointed twelve disciples. The next day the twelve taught
the people, and they prayed. “The scriptures say, ‘And they did pray for that
which they most desired; and they desired that the Holy Ghost should be
given unto them’ (3 Nephi 9:19),” said Elder Renlund.  

For times of uncertainty, the Apostle said he can think of no greater gift for
himself or his family or for any of Heavenly Father’s children than “to
be able to have a member of the Godhead convey personalized,
tailored instructions.”

Personal revelation, taught Elder Renlund, is buttressed by the scriptures
and words from living prophets and apostles and local leaders. “But within
that framework, the details are left to each individual to receive and act on
personal revelation.”

President Russell M. Nelson taught in April 2018 general conference “that if
we will truly receive the Holy Ghost and learn to discern and understand His
promptings, we will be guided in matters large and small” (“Revelation for the
Church, Revelation for Our Lives”).

The heavens open with a combination of daily repentance, daily scripture
study, regular temple and family history work, and by expressing gratitude
and patiently honoring the Lord’s timetable, said Elder Renlund, quoting
President Nelson.

Those living in this age of doubt and fear must increase faith in their
Heavenly Father and in His Son so they can receive personal revelation.
“Faith increases as we act in faith,” he said.

In addition, focusing on the needs of others—concern for “our fellow
beings”—stimulates personal revelation, he taught.

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shakes hands with a young woman in Dominica
during a visit to the Caribbean Area on February 16, 2020.

“Study It out”

There are things Latter-day Saints can do that open the channels for
personal revelation. “When we want personal revelation, we need to
study it out,” he said. “As the leaders of the Church seek revelation in
the COVID-19 pandemic, we study. We study what the medical experts
are saying and try to sort through how it will apply.

“To think that God will just simply reveal what we have not studied is naive
and nonsensical.”

Elder Renlund said it is important to remember that Joseph Smith could not
translate the Book of Mormon when his mind dwelt too much on earthly
things. “I never get personal revelation if I am angry, excessively frustrated,
or even excessively anxious.”

Receiving personal revelation requires the recipient to be at peace, he
said.

Elder Renlund said President Nelson has pled with Latter-day Saints to do
the spiritual work necessary to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the
voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly. “In coming days, it
will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing,
comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost,” the prophet
said in April 2018 (“Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Apr.
2018 general conference).

President Nelson repeated that plea during general conference one month
ago, asking Latter-day Saints to “refine our ability to recognize the
whisperings of the Holy Ghost” and adding “it has never been more
imperative to know how the Spirit speaks to you than right now”
(“Hear Him,” Apr. 2020 general conference).

Elder Dale G. Renlund and Elder Quentin L. Cook, both of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, look over
different language editions of Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days in
Salt Lake City on Tuesday, September 4, 2018. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News.

Personal Responsibility

Restrictions amid COVID-19 have made it clear that “each of us are
responsible for our own spirituality,” said Elder Renlund. “Each of us are
responsible for our own salvation, for our own faith.”

For example, a young missionary recently asked Elder Renlund how to
apply the Atonement without weekly partaking of the sacrament. “That
missionary was actually limiting the infinite Atonement of our Savior and
its ability to reach anywhere in the world,” he explained.

Blessings come as Church members keep the covenants associated with the
sacrament ordinance. “If we do that, if we keep those covenants, then the
power of godliness can be manifest in our lives.”

Members should also take reasonable precautions and follow all wise public
health policies. “That way our prayers for safety and health are not
disingenuous,” he said.

And all can be assured that this uncertainty is temporary, said
Elder Renlund. “We actually know what the ultimate outcome is—that we
can live in a state of never-ending happiness with our Heavenly Father,
Jesus Christ, and our families.”

Having an eternal perspective is a great blessing.

“We know that God loves us, we know that we can trust Him, and that He will
have our best interests at heart.”

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles greets a young Latter-day Saint during the
cornerstone ceremony of the Kinshasa DR Congo Temple on Sunday, April 14, 2019.

What Have We Learned?

Elder Renlund said he hopes Church members have learned during the
COVID-19 pandemic that “God lives and that He listens to prayers, that He
listens to our petitions as the prophet calls on us to fast and pray.

“I am hoping we have all learned that home-centered church can be
spiritually rich.

“I am hoping we have all learned about being self-reliant and taking
responsibility for our own faith and our own spiritual progress.

“And I am hoping we have learned that messages from the
Holy Ghost are quiet, plain and simple—and that this contrasts widely
to the worldly messages that are loud, confusing, and brash.”

The Holy Ghost communicates to different people in different ways, he said.
“But any member of the Church may seek wisdom, knowledge, and
understanding as they find a quiet place to communicate with God. . . .
The Holy Ghost will teach us things as they really are, and as they really
will be, and He will comfort us.”

Elder Renlund said the more Latter-day Saints are focused “on
Jesus Christ, and on the joy that He can bring, the less we are
bothered by individual circumstances.”

“We can experience afflictions . . . but they can be swallowed up in
the joy of Christ.”

With the right perspective, he said, “this time will be a blessing to us, not just
in the future, but right now.”

“No Fear” -- the First Presidency has had  no fear. They are

fully confident that the Lord will see us through this

pandemic and anything else that we come across in our

personal lives. I believe this to be true as I have

experienced this in my own life. Are we learning what we

need to learn during this pandemic?

Learn to Listen -- we must each put in the work necessary for

us to hear the still small voice of the Holy Ghost. If you want

to hear the Holy Ghost you must practice everyday, you must

allow yourself some quiet time away from any distractions.

We  must not allow ourselves to become casual with our

prayers, our scripture study, our questions to our

Heavenly Father. We must do what we need to do to

increase our faith in Jesus Christ and in our

Heavenly Father.

“Tailored Instructions” -- we can each receive tailored

instructions for our life at any given situation. Personal

revelation is supported by the word of God which is found

in the scriptures as well as the writings of the living

prophets, seers, and revelators. If we want to receive

personal revelation we must read the scriptures and the

words of the loving prophets.

“Study It out” -- we must be at peace to receive personal

revelation. We cannot be angry, overly anxious, or upset

with others. Er must study out the problem we are seeking

revelation about prior to our seeking revelation about it.

We must refine our ability to hear the whisperings of the

Holy Ghost. We should focus on helping those around us that

are in need of help.

Personal Responsibility -- we must remember that we are each

individually responsible for our own faith, our own salvation, our

own spirituality. We must keep those promises which are

connected with the sacramental ordinances . Those of you who

are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day

Saints remember those promises connected with the ordinance

of the sacrament? It is also important for us to have an eternal

perspective. And to follow all health related rules and safety

precautions regarding COVID 19.

What Have We Learned? -- We know that God lives and He

loves us, each one of us individually and perfectly.Are we

taking responsibility for our own  faith and our own spiritual

profession? Are we keeping our focus on Jesus Christ and

the joy that comes only from Him? Do we realize that the

voice of the Holy Ghost is a quiet voice and we need quiet

surroundings to hear His voice? Do we realize that the

Holy Ghost will teach us only the truth of all things?

Hey guys I just realized just where we are right now and that

is here at the end of our counsel from a member of the

Twelve Apostles. Today's message was from Elder Renlund. I
hope you enjoyed his counsel and you were each uplifted and

enlightened in some small way. 

Please remember that the Holy Ghost is the greatest gift our

Heavenly Father has given us. We must seek harder to prepare

for, to pray for, and to listen for and to the whisperings of the

Holy Ghost. I hope and I pray that each one of us will do our

best to continually seek to hear the Holy Ghost and follow His

promptings immediately. 

Please remember who you are. You are each one a child of God.

please continue to pray every day at least morning and night.

Please continue to study the Book of Mormon with me and be

sure to read from the Book of Mormon every day on your own


as well as with your family members and friends. 

I can promise you that if you do this your life will change for

the better. There is great power in the Book of Mormon and

there is great power in prayer, I believe this to be true as I

have experienced it in my life. Until my next post please do all

you can to stay healthy and well and safe.