A RECORD OF WHISPERINGS

I hope many of you took advantage of the opportunity during the past week to receive the revelatory gift which can accompany the reading, studying and searching the scriptures. As Nephi begins his multi chapter summary in Second Nephi chapter 25, noting what he had obtained through this gift as he searched the words of Isaiah gives us these assurances.

The words of Isaiah are difficult to understand if you do not understand the manner of prophesying among the Jews.

The Jews understand the things of the prophets better than any other people.

The words of Isaiah will be plain unto all who are filled with the spirit of prophecy.

Nephi,, being filled with the spirit of prophecy, will teach the words of Isaiah in plainness.

Many will be assured of the truth of the prophecies in the days they are fulfilled.

The revelatory words Nephi speaks concerning the prophecies of Isaiah shall be of great worth to Lehi’s descendants in the last days.

As I write about Nephi’s revelatory experiences which he had while searching the words of Isaiah and his subsequent teachings in plainness about these chapters of Isaiah, I hope that you might, likewise, have a marvelous experience with the revelatory gift which can accompany scripture study. It would be a wonderful thing if you had put some of those thoughts which came to you through the whisperings of the Holy Spirit in your computers or, as in days of yore, on paper with pen and pencil and you could now compare them with Nephi’s inspired teachings which are found in chapters 25 through 32 of Second Nephi and will be the source of my Thoughts for the next few weeks.

There is no doubt that while Nephi read the words of Isaiah he was being struck with the impression that the central and most important event which will ever happen upon this earth during its Telestial probationary period would be the earthly mission and the Atonement of Jesus the Christ. I could just have you read 2 Nephi Chapter 25 verses 18-30, but let me do an abridgement of these verses which I hope will highlight the plainness of his teachings.

There is save one Messiah spoken of by the prophets, and that Messiah is he who should be rejected of the Jews. For according to the words of the prophets, the Messiah cometh in six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem; and according to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the angel of God, his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ whereby man can be saved.

Wherefore, the things I write shall go from generation to generation as long as the earth shall stand; and they shall go according to the will and pleasure of God; and the nations who shall possess them shall be judged of them according to the words which are written. For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

Notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled. For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments.

We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. For the right way is to believe in Christ and deny him not; for by denying him ye also deny the prophets and the law.

Now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out. And, inasmuch as it shall be expedient, ye must keep the performances and ordinances of God until the law shall be fulfilled which was given unto Moses.

If you have previously had any doubts about Nephi having been subject to Broadening his Understanding by Prophecy as he Searched the Scriptures, I would challenge you to find the prophecies he speaks of in plainness in the words of Isaiah which he read to his people.

Through Nephi’s example we should catch the vision that not only can the meaning of a verse be opened unto as we search the scriptures through the whisperings of the Holy Spirit, but the scriptural passages we are reading can also be a springboard to receiving completely new revelation on the messages of the scriptures.

This belief in the scriptures becoming a springboard to opening our hearts and minds to new and perhaps even unrelated revelation may be the very source of the counsel Elder Scott gave to Kathleen and me during a Mission Presidents Conference in Quito, Ecuador. He admonished us along with all the Mission Presidents and their wives who were in the conference, to take notes on what the Holy Spirit whispered to us while he was talking and not to just write down what he was saying.

This counsel has been a great blessing to me throughout the succeeding years as I have written thousands of these Spirit whisperings during meetings and when reading the scriptures and other writings. I feel so grateful for this blessing in my life that I am bestowing these whispered notes to my progeny in books titled Life's Lessons Learned. These Life's Lessons Learned have also been a source of daily additions on my blog and Face Book pages for many years.

Because of the joy following the counsel of an Apostle of the Lord has brought to me during the last 25 years of my life, I find little reason not to admonish all to make a habit of writing the whisperings which come as you study the scriptures or listen to the word. After all, had Nephi not written the impressions which came to him as he read the words of Isaiah we would not have his wonderful prophecies, testimony and promises which he has given us and I have been abridging.


THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY

EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY