Let's read and share reflections about Elder David A. Bednar's talk "...Line Upon Line, Precept Upon Precept..." 2 Nephi 28:30. http://www.byui.edu/Presentations/Transcripts/Devotionals/2001_09_11_Bednar.htm
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This is great. I've been thinking a lot about the things Elder Bednar speaks about in this talk recently. Today I listened to a great BYU address that Elder Scott gave titled "To Learn and To Teach More Effectively". He addresses some of the same issues and talks about the work that we need to put into receiving guidance from the Lord. With regards to receiving pieces of revelation at a time Elder Scott speaks about a question of his that was slowly answered over 10 years(!!!). I'll comment more later, but wanted to mention that speech in case anyone was interested in listening to it.
I noticed the line upon pattern as I read D&C 121:45 "and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven."
Additionally, it's interesting to note what will distil: "doctrine." Doctrine answers the question "why." So it isn't just that head knowledge will come to us gradually as the dews, but an understanding of doctrine which in turn will help us answer our questions.
Example: young man considering a mission learns about the doctrine of the seed of Abraham including the promises he made in the premortal existence to help share the gospel. As he comes to understand the doctrine, he knows that he must serve a mission to be true to commitments he already made and to find happiness in his life.
Example: we come to understand who we and our close friends are as children of God with tremendous potential and marvelous talents. As we come to have a knowledge of the doctrine of God and the atonement, then we will treat others differently and be filled with more hope, patience and love in our relationships.
I've not explicitly thought about it until recently...But one could interpret D&C 9 to indicate that after you study something out, you'll get the big all-at-once answer that let's you know everything to do. However, the process in section 9 clearly applies to (works with) the principle of line upon line. As we ponder the next step to take and reach a conclusion, we can certainly pray and receive guidance on that next step of faith that we are to take.
An additional thought: line upon line fits with being guided "from time to time."
Reading through this again has been a great reminder for me. A lot of big decisions need to be made in terms of scheduling things for the coming school year and board exam dates. I know I have a testimony of answers coming line upon line, but when I'm back in the middle of a lot of decisions I forget that. I begin to feel that once I know the answer then I'll have faith and take the steps I need to. The real answer almost always comes in the opposite way for me... I take steps with faith and then the answer is given to me, or I am fed a piece of the answer one at a time.
I think remembering, both through the our journals and the Holy Ghost, can be a huge blessing in finding answers. I keep a small journal that is full of spiritual thoughts, answers, and questions. As I look back on things that I've written I begin to see patterns that the Lord uses to bless me with answers line upon line. I have tried to pay more attention to these patterns after listening to the parable of the homespun shirt Elder Holland used during the worldwide leadership training broadcast last month.
I like the definition of the word precept, as it helps me to understand the concept of finding answers "line upon line, precept on precept" better. A precept is "a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought". So as I learn a precept of the gospel, it guides my thoughts and behavior towards the Savior, which will of course lead to more answers. So the more I learn, then apply what is learned, I will be fed more.
Great choice, I really enjoyed this article!
I appreciated the “line upon line” examples Elder Bednar used: Nephi building a ship, Nephi returning to get the plates, et cetera. The scriptures are full of such examples and I never recognized that pattern. Quite literally the Book of Mormon came about line upon line and is truly a testament of patiently listening.
I’ve been to visit some impressive structure – the tombs of Petra, the Great Pyramids, aircraft carrier, and most recently the Gamble House (a craftsman house in Pasadena, CA). Having done some renovating in our small 850 square foot town house it’s amazing to consider the work it took to build these magnificent structures, but it all came about line upon line. This is a great reminder that if we will diligently listen to the Lord and work hard our lives can become something magnificent too.
I like the thought of distilling doctrine as Dad references in DC 121. I think of distilling as a process where you begin with some substance, then through heating and cooling the substance it becomes purified and concentrated (more potent). We can distill doctrine as we study the gospel and apply it to our lives. Dad said: "So it isn't just that head knowledge will come to us gradually as the dews, but an understanding of doctrine which in turn will help us answer our questions." That goes along with what Elder Scott says in the BYU address I've mentioned before. He taught the process of learning general principles of the gospel, applying them, and then gaining more specific, personal revelation from the Lord. I think that process fits well with the image in my mind of distillation.
I think I often start the process of gaining an answer from the Lord by looking for the personalized revelation immediately. In thinking about the times in my life when I've worked for the answer I see that I learned general principles, applied them, then began to receive significant personal revelation for my life.
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