That's a lot of Veils

I’ve been contemplating a principle of revelation and just came across two metaphors that have proven useful in understanding it. I was seeking to know why the words of revelation all come in the voice of the author/prophet; why Isaiah sounds like Isaiah and Alma sounds like Alma; why Joseph Smith’s revelations sound like Joseph Smith and those that come to me are in a voice that I am familiar with. I ask, “if these are the voice of the Lord, then why are they all different?”

A Perfect Communication
The conclusion to my prayers and reflections was that God’s Spirit communes with our spirits in perfect communication, giving light and truth in purity. It is then the job of our spirits to communicate the new light to our bodies. In this way, God can pour his spirit out upon the earth and give light and truth in great abundance, yet only those who have learned how to hear the internal whisperings of the spirit understand what is being given. I was reminded of the first useful metaphor as found in Alma 12:9-11 where Alma states,

“…It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.
And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.
And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries…”

In a scripture such as this I think it important to remember that the “heart” being spoken of in a scripture such as this is really our “spirit”. The nature of our heart and therefore the nature of our spirit (whether receptive or not) directly determines whether we receive the greater or lesser portion of the word and ultimately decides whether we gain or lose light.

Each of the prophets therefore might receive the same light from our Heavenly Father but when bearing testimony each does so in the language of his birth, explaining the divine through their own experiential vocabularies, each using unique forms of expressions, metaphors, and symbolism to convey that light to others.

I then came across a second useful metaphor while reading in Islamic commentary. There was a discussion of 70,000 veils being placed between us and the light of God. In this metaphor the more receptive we are to the signs and teachings of God, the more veils are drawn open so that thereby more light from God may penetrate our hearts. The less receptive we are, the more veils are closed distancing us further from, or darkening us to the light of God.

In both cases we are ultimately responsible for the amount of light we receive from God based on a broken heart and a contrite spirit, or rather a spirit that is prepared to receive greater light from above.

Spending Time With Ourselves
Understanding the voice of the spirit does not come automatically. There are so many voices seeking attention in the world. The scriptures demonstrate the importance in such a noisy world of finding time for quiet reflection, pondering, and meditation.
The Lord illustrates for Nicodemus how the spirit is like the wind. We know when it is windy, and which direction it is coming, but we don’t know ultimately where it is coming from (without tools of course), nor can we see it. Nevertheless we know it is there. So is everyone that learns to hear the Spirit. They know when the Spirit is there speaking, though it is hard to explain where it is coming from and of course isn’t seen. John records it in this language, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8)

It takes effort and grace from above to be able to hear the spirit. One of my favorite examples promoting the idea of spending time in quiet reflection comes from Psalms 2:3-4 where David, speaking of communing with the Lord instructs, “the Lord will hear when I call unto him. Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.” I don’t know that any scriptures say it better for me. If we are to hear the voice of God in the day of great noise we must spend time communing with our own hearts (away from the radio, the ipod, the tv, the magazine, our friends and spouses). We must spend time with ourselves. We are spirit beings clothed in a weak mortal frame during this period of probation. When, therefore, the Spirit of God speaks to our spirit in perfect communication. Only those who have learned to commune with their own hearts (spirits) will understand what is being said.

Of one thing I am certain… God speaks to us in these latter days, but only some can hear him. I have been blessed from time to time to receive answers to my own prayers, and I thank God for his grace and patience with me.