What Does Modern Revelation Mean to Me

As I see it, there are several purposes of modern revelation. Among them are:

1. To restore truths lost in the apostasy,
2. To restore priesthood authority, organization, offices, and duties, and
3. To give God's guidance as to our own day and age

Consider the state of religious knowledge when Joseph Smith came on the scene. Much truth about our Heavenly Father and his Son had been lost. The creeds of apostate Christianity were so confused that it was obvious that man did not know whom or what they worshiped, of even that we are literally our Heavenly Father's children. Much of the other pure doctrines and truths were also lost. Without modern revelation, this apostasy would still be in effect today. The truth about God and mankind's relationship to him would have remained unknown. In fact, the remaining truths would likely have continued to be misunderstood and lost. I think the situation would still be getting worse and worse, if not for modern revelation.

Modern revelation, along with visitations of angels and ordinations to authority, also brought back to earth true priesthood authority, along with the knowledge of how to exercise it. The offices and duties of priesthood holders was revealed. This allows us to have God's power in our lives, and to use it to bless the lives of others.

The Proclamation on the Family, the recent (in terms of modern vs ancient) statement from the LDS First Presidency on marriage being between a man and a woman and the duties of husband, wife, and children, is one item I can think of right off when trying to list where modern revelation has been given concerning the immediate and present circumstances in which we live today. Others are warnings against pornography and gambling. There are many others. All one needs to do is look at the reports of the church conferences, and at the church magazines and church news to see many more examples. This helps to guide us through the pitfalls in the world that we currently face.

Another example of current revelation for our times is the personal revelation available to every worthy person, to aid them in their personal lives and in their own church duties. I testify that such revelation has helped me in my life. It has helped me make right decisions, guide my family, and find peace in hard times.

Another form of modern revelation is the patriarchal blessing, wherein the Lord, speaking through the local patriarch, gives instruction to the individual, which is tailored to his or her individual circumstances and to the Lord's plans for that person. I testify that these blessings are accurate and extremely helpful, as I have seen with my own patriarchal blessing.

I am grateful to the Lord for the blessings that I have discussed in this post, and for others, all of which cam to me because of modern revelation.