A Still Small Voice

“And it came to pass when they heard this voice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul.” Helaman 5: 30

“And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” 1 Kings 19: 12

Last Sunday, President Mark Bragg, the Los Angeles Stake President, told a story of World War II in the Pacific islands. A young marine had just arrived on one of the island under siege by the Japanese, and was terrified by his first experience with combat. He managed to get through the day, and when night fell, and the battle paused, an experienced marine made his way through the lines and into his foxhole. Quietly the experienced sergeant calmed the distraught marine. He patiently answered his questions, and assured him all soldiers were afraid in the face of fire. As they sat in the dark foxhole barely able to see each other, the young marine heard a voice say, “You will make it through this war alive.” The young marine tried to see who could have said this to him, then realized that no earthly voice had spoken to him—only the spirit. He realized that the encouragement and help of the older Marine had calmed and comforted him enough for him to feel the spirit. Throughout the horrors and terrors of the rest of the war, those words of the Holy Ghost spoken quietly that night would support and strengthen him.

President Bragg explained that it is important for each of us to cultivate the peace that cultivates personal revelation in our life. It is also important for us to reach out to others and help bring them the peace that will allow them to feel the spirit of the Lord and receive personal revelation.
Our lives are so full of noise, tumult, chaos—all those things that prevent us from feeling the peace that promotes revelation. All our technology toys—cell phones, ipods, mpeg player, television, laptops, video games—scream at us from any direction. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, children, neighbors add to the clamor. In such an uproar, can we hear the still small voice of inspiration?

Years ago when I was working in downtown Salt Lake City, I rode the bus to and from work. I had worked late one evening, and it was getting dark as I hurried for the last bus to Bountiful. I was frustrated, upset, discouraged, and tired. Only one other person, a stranger, was waiting for that bus and we talked as we waited. I don’t remember what we talked about; I only remember that as we talked on the bus, I felt a peace, a hope creep into my heart that calmed me. She got off before I did, and as I rode the last few miles alone, I knew that things would work out. I didn’t know her name, who she was, or anything else about her. However, our conversation brought peace to me that evening. The peace John spoke of in John 14: 27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Do we carry that peace with us? Do we live so as to have the spirit of revelation every day? Do we share that peace with others, whether they be friends, those we visit teach or those we meet by accident? Are we a conduit for the spirit? Is our personal internal radio channel tuned to a calming and spiritual station that influences everyone around us, or is it tuned to a raucous, loud, jarring hard-metal station?

I loved the words of Julie Beck, the Relief Society General President, in the April 2010 General Conference when she talked about the power of women to receive revelation. “When women nurture as Christ nurtured, a power and peace can descend to guide when help is needed. For instance, mothers can feel help from the Spirit even when tired, noisy children are clamoring for attention, but they can be distanced from the Spirit if they lose their temper with children.”

It isn’t easy to struggle each day to live righteously in a world where wickedness is worshipped more than God. Yet, Sister Beck tells us, “Personal revelation gives us the understanding of what to do every day to increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek those who need our help. Because personal revelation is a constantly renewable source of strength, it is possible to feel bathed in help even during turbulent times.” (http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-1207-3,00.html)

As we struggle through these Latter-day tempestuous storms, bombarded by earthquakes, destruction, volcanoes, chaos, thunder and great tumultuous noise, can we hear the still small voice?