Each lesson begins with an interesting illustration of the topic. The story here tells about how the pilot hears the right sound when he/she is going in the right direction, and the wrong sound when he has veered off. Do we hear the sounds necessary to know what direction we are going?

Satan is a master of distraction. It is distraction that keeps us from hearing the correct signals. And it is practice, focus, and obedience–on our part–to keep us on the right path. We must purposefully make the choices that will lead us toward the Tree (who is Christ). Satan’s counterfeit is all around us. We have to be able to recognize Satan, and we have to be able to recognize Heavenly Father.

Pres. Smith says, “the distinction between this great Church and that of all other churches from the beginning has been that we believe in divine revelation.” We can KNOW enough to choose for ourselves “that our Father has set his hand in this world for the salvation of the children of men.” (p. 115)

The lesson also reminds us that not only can we know for ourselves, but there is an order of revelation. If we follow this order we cannot be deceived or led astray.

• We can receive personal revelation for ourselves.
• Parents can receive revelation for the family.
• Bishops can receive revelation for the ward family.
• Each of us can receive revelation for those we have been called to serve.
• Stake Presidents can receive revelation for the stake family.
• The prophet reveals truth from the Lord to His Church.

The chain of revelation comes downward from heaven. If revelation comes from the side–be not deceived. You can know for yourself if direction is inspired in your behalf.

Eliza R. Snow followed counsel from priesthood leaders and encouraged the women to do the same. She said, “Tell the sisters to go forth and discharge their duties, in humility and faithfulness and the Spirit of God will rest upon them and they will be blest in their labors. Let them seek for wisdom instead of power and they will have all the power they have wisdom to exercise.” (Daughters in My Kingdom, p. 45)

Pres. Smith says, “If we are living as we know that we should we are entitled to the whispering of a still small voice…” (p. 114)

Heavenly Father really just asks one thing of us. To obey His commandments. Through obedience, we are given blessings so bounteous, we will not be able to hold them all. Our obedience is proof of our humility, our devotion, and our love. When we do not obey the commandments, or obey only a few of them, we limit this “entitled” blessing of revelation.

If your life is “too busy”, then you do not understand how revelation works. You are allowing Satan to run your life. “The companionship of the spirit of the Lord is an antidote for weariness,…for fear and all those things that sometimes overtake us in life.” (p. 119) We cannot listen to the Spirit when we are busy, weary, fearful, or overwhelmed. Take stock of your life. How well are you obeying ALL the commandments? How well are you choosing, and being obedient to, the Lord? How well are you listening to His Spirit?

In a book called “A Heart Like His”, Virginia Pearce shares with us an experiment she tried in listening and acting on the things of the Spirit. All her life she has known to listen to the spirit, but it wasn’t until she made a conscious choice that she realized the effort involved in fighting old habits, Satan, or fear. Feeling the spirit means feeling the Lord’s love; His guiding hand, His approval, and His blessings. “So, when I want to feel His love for me more fully, I do whatever it takes to stay in the words of the prophets. I keep my general conference issue of the Ensign open. I keep my scriptures open. And I keep my heart open because His love enters through the words of His prophets, validated and personalized by the Holy Ghost. And then I act. I do whatever I feel nudged to do. I review my covenants. Live them more completely. And I have started the cycle of giving and receiving love.” (A Heart Like His, p. 41)

Sis. Snow continues with her encouragement, “When I am filled with that Spirit, my soul is satisfied, and I can say in good earnest, that the trifling things of the day do not seem to stand in my way at all. But just let me lose my hold of that spirit and power of the Gospel, and partake of the spirit of the world, in the slightest degree, and trouble comes; there is something wrong.” (Daughters in My Kingdom, p. 46)

Sis. Pearce leaves us with this thought, “For those who wish to change behavior it is quite encouraging. It means that all I have to do to increase the frequency of a desired behavior, or decrease the frequency of a negative behavior, is to notice it! Just my awareness of it will change the results. Is that slick? I think so.” (A Heart Like His, p. 89)

And Pres. Smith leaves us with this. “When life’s labor is complete may we find that we have listened to the whispering of that still, small voice that always guides us in the path of righteousness, and know that it has meant for us the opening of the door to the Celestial kingdom, for ourselves and those we love, to go forward throughout the ages,…happy eternally.” (p. 119)