Conceal and Reveal

There’s a principle that I have recently come to love!!!  I’ve studied the scriptures quite a bit in my life, I’m sure not as much as some, but I always seem to find something pertinent to what I’m experiencing and some element that I never realized was so obvious as it seemed.  Every time I read the scriptures it was new again.  This principle I like to paraphrase as ‘conceal and reveal’.  Certain principles are concealed until we attain to a certain level of awareness or understanding so that we may understand the deeper insights.  When that awareness is reached then all sorts of beautiful things are ‘revealed’.

I was recently reading in the Journal of Discourses and came across a talk by Brigham Young (JD 4:372).  I’ll put in a bit of it for you to read, but he talks about how we handle these things that are revealed unto us.  Things we might refer to as the “mysteries of the kingdom”, but in truth are just a piece of the fullness to which we should all be striving to attain.  Part of the responsibility is in knowing that in receiving more knowledge, in being taught more truths or more ‘mysteries’ we have to be willing to conceal or reveal them.  If the spirit prompts you to talk to your neighbor about what you learned – Do it.  If the spirit says, this is only for you and you’re not to tell even your husband – Don’t share it.  Brigham Young says it as follows:

You often hear people desiring more of the knowledge of God, more of the wisdom of God, more of the power of God. They want more revelation, to know more about the kingdom of heaven, in heaven and on the earth, and they wish to learn and increase. There is one principle that I wish the people would understand and lay to heart. Just as fast as you will prove before your God that you are worthy to receive the mysteries, if you please to call them so, of the kingdom of heaven − that you are full of confidence in God − that you will never betray a thing that God tells you – that you will never reveal to your neighbour that which ought not to be revealed, as quick as you prepare to be entrusted with the things of God, there is an eternity of them to bestow upon you. Instead of pleading with the Lord to bestow more upon you, plead with yourselves to have confidence in yourselves, to have integrity in yourselves, and know when to speak and what to speak, what to reveal, and how to carry yourselves and walk before the Lord. And just as fast as you prove to Him that you will preserve everything secret that ought to be − that you will deal out to your neighbours all which you ought, and no more, and learn how to dispense your knowledge to your families, friends, neighbours, and brethren, the Lord will bestow upon you, and give to you, and bestow upon you, until finally he will say to you, “You shall never fall; your salvation is sealed  unto you; you are sealed up unto eternal life and salvation, through your integrity.

 Let every person be the friend of God, that whatever He reveals to you, you can wisely handle without asking Him whether you shall tell your wife of it or not. You can recollect the backhanded blow I gave to some of the brethren last winter. They were in pain, because they knew something which they could not tell to their wives. I would not trust such men out of sight of my dinner. God will not trust the least thing to such persons. Sisters, if you are in pain, because you cannot tell your husbands everything, you had better take a little catnip tea, and get over it, if you can. What will God reveal to such persons? Just enough to keep them from the gulf of despair, and lead them along until they get a little sense. I say this that you may learn to reveal that which you ought, and to keep the rest to yourselves. By so doing you prove to God that you are His friends, and will keep His secrets.

We are encouraged time and time again to seek out the knowledge of the Lord.  To seek wisdom by learning and also by faith, until we do as Christ has done before and to receive of the Fullness.  In D&C 131:6 it says “It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.”  We have to seek after and obtain knowledge in order to receive of eternal life.  So we seek as the 13th Article of Faith states, after anything that is ‘virtuous, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy’.  We SEEK – (it requires action) after these things.  We study them, and strive to learn all we can.  Then when we come upon a truth it is ours to keep or to share dependent on what the spirit says.

There are certain lessons that are better learned through the interaction of the Spirit.  I like to use the Parable of the Ten Virgins to make my point.  The Ten Virgins all being members of Christ’s church.  Five of them having oil and five of them not having enough.  If we think of this as knowledge, or endowments, or testimony… certain of these can only be obtained through the spirit.  We might want to share this really cool thing we learned in our scripture study but as much as we may have the most eloquent words – the true value of the message is not conveyed without the spirit confirming the truthfulness of it.  We should seek out the best learning – by asking the spirit to guide us.  By studying, and asking the Holy Ghost to confirm truths unto us so that we may retain that testimony and be better prepared (with our oil) when the Savior comes again, or when we are called to re-establish Zion prior to his return!!! I’m excited for such to come and I am continually SEEKING for the greater light and knowledge he promised to send me.  😉  I hope that these things I am able to share, help and encourage others to seek for greater light and knowledge as well!!!

My God Bless You all in your various situations!!!
Love Love Love You Always!!!