Revelation is essential to the functioning of the kingdom of God. Everyone in the church is entitled to revelation as it relates to their own stewardship, but revelation for a stewardship other than their own or not in harmony with the teachings of the prophets is not of God.
To receive revelation, a person must be worthy. "His life must be in harmony and in keeping with the standards the Lord has prescribed for his children. His life must be in good standing before God and his people."
Inspiration is a form of revelation — other forms include visions, dreams and the spoken word.
It is the responsibility of church members to pray and obtain a witness for themselves of the prophets' counsel. "We have never been encouraged to be blindly obedient; it is an intelligent obedience that characterizes us as members of the church."
Examples of prophetic revelation include the Ten Commandments received by Moses (with that revelation being delayed by Israel's disobedience), similar divine instructions received by Joseph Smith and Nephi's commandment to obtain the brass plates.
"Note that the channel of communication comes from the Lord to us. So many times in our history, in our self-justification, we have attempted to reverse that channel and change God's laws. We find no record of this ever working. . . . The Lord's system works. Adherence to his laws and commandments will always bring about his promised blessings."