PROVO — Learning truth is best accomplished by using multiple senses — sight, hearing and inner feelings that come through inspiration — then recording what has been learned and acting on it.
That's the message Elder Richard G. Scott shared Tuesday morning with tens of thousands of participants during the opening devotional of the 85th annual Campus Education Week at Brigham Young University.
A member of the Quorum of the Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Scott said seeking spiritual guidance doesn't mean answers from God will come easily or quickly. But it does mean those who learn how to receive it will find increased success and happiness, and their ability to teach truth to others will grow.
He asked participants to write down and begin practicing the following phrase: "Throughout the remainder of my life, I will seek to learn by what I hear, see and feel. I will write down the important things I learn, and I will do them."
Many of the most vital lessons he has learned in life, "I have learned by carefully following (that message)," Elder Scott said. "You learn by what you hear and see, but even more by what you feel as you are prompted by the Holy Ghost."
Those who limit their learning to what they hear and read are missing deeper insights and answers, while those who actively listen for spiritual promptings will find their capacity to find truth will expand. "But significant faith and effort is required."
Writing down spiritual impressions opens the door for other insights to come "that you otherwise may not have received," he said. "Always, day or night, wherever you are, seek to recognize and respond to the direction of the spirit.
"Have a pen and paper available to record such guidance, then express gratitude to the Lord for the guidance to receive, and obey it."
Such guidance is "personalized instruction adapted to your individual needs by (the Lord), who understands them perfectly," he said. The price for personalized guidance is prayer, study and pondering the scriptures, seeking "divine light through humility" and an exercise of faith in Jesus Christ.
"Strive diligently to keep his commandments, repent constantly, pray continually, hearken to spiritual guidance and express gratitude for guidance received."
Elder Scott encouraged all to teach the same principles to their family members and others for whom they have responsibility, and then to encourage each to be an active participant in learning, rather than a passive listener.
"Their decision to participate is an exercise in agency and permits the Holy Ghost the opportunity to create individual lessons patterned to their individual needs." As they do so, they will learn to recognize spiritual guidance in their daily lives, he said.
Even so, God permits people to struggle through adversity and often without a quick answer to their prayers. "Easy things never produce much beneficial fruit. Neither Heavenly Father nor Jesus Christ take joy in watching you struggle, but they do rejoice when they see you master these steps to growth."
Elder Scott said it once took him 10 years to discover the answer to an "extremely important matter I had prayed about consistently." The answer came slowly, "in different ways at different times," he said. "I wasn't given the answer all at once but was patiently led to find it."
Following Elder Scott's address, thousands of participants streamed onto campus for to participate in more than 1,000 classes being offered daily through Friday. More than 20,000 participants registered for classes last year, with an equal number expected to attend from all 50 states and several foreign countries.
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