Sis Crouch gave the lesson today on Chapter 11 - Revelation from God to His children on page 111.
Sis Crouch started her lesson by summarizing the story Pres. Smith tells about trying by airplane from California to Salt Lake City. They were in a terrible fog and you couldn't see a thing. Pres. Smith began to get nervous and worried and asked himself, "How can a pilot find the way when he cannot see a thing?" He made his way to the space where the pilot and co-pilot were and asked how they knew we were flying in the right direction.
They replied, ‘When we cannot see we are guided by the radio beam.’
“‘What
is that?’ I asked. He explained that the beam might be likened to an
electric highway between two points, and in our case the points were
Milford and Salt Lake City. He said that the device over the pilot’s ear
operated so that when the plane was in the beam a low, purring sound
continued to be heard, but if the plane goes to the right or left the
sound changes and the pilot is warned by clicking as of a telegraph key.
If he … pulls back to the beam or highway, on to the path of safety,
the clicking ceases and the purring resumes. If we continue on the beam
we will arrive at our destination in safety.
“I
returned to my seat greatly comforted to know that notwithstanding we
were enveloped in fog and darkness and could neither see nor feel where
we were, the pilot was receiving information constantly that we were on
the highway and he knew that we would soon arrive at our destination."
Pres. Smith has thought many times about how this can be applied to our lives in the Church and Sis Crouch asked the same question. How is this like living the gospel? What would the fog represent? Who is the pilot?
Pres. Smith likes the pilot to the prophet and the clicking sound to the Savior or the Holy Ghost.
Heavenly Father guides us individually and as a church through the Holy Ghost.
The manual says, "Let us remember that the President of this Church has been officially
designated as the pilot of the Church here in mortality to represent the
Master of heaven and earth....we do have a pilot who knows the way, and if we will follow his
direction … we will not meet the spiritual disasters that the world is
meeting."
Communication with our Heavenly Father is not a trival matter. It is a sacred privilege.
Sis. Crouch asked, "What is the difference between Revelation and Inspiration?
Her thoughts were that Revelation is more of something we are seeking after. Something that we have prayed about.
Inspiration is when you receive something that you haven't been thinking about.
She then asked us, "What are the different ways to receive revelation?"
After several comments had been added she wrapped up lesson with a handout and quote from Sister Julie B. Beck. The handout was of a GPS system. On the back it read:
Heavenly Father has given us the Holy Ghost as our GPS. He will navigate us through this mortal life so we know what is true and what the Lord wants us to do.
"The ability to qualify for, receive, and act upon personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life." - Sister Beck
Thank you Sis. Crouch!
- Sis. Pyrah