Across many of the talks at General Conference, I heard a theme of strengthening our ability to receive and respond to personal revelation. "Spiritual self-reliance" is not the right term, for it is God we rely on, but honing our ability to receive personal inspiration and revelation strengthens our ability to solve our problems and to make changes in the course of our lives for good. Our increased dependency on the Lord in this process makes us, in a sense, all the more independent--relative to the forces of the world.

As times get more complex, our ability to guide our loved ones, obtain wisdom, find clever solutions to problems, avoid traps from our adversaries, and dodge spiritual bullets (maybe some physical ones, too) requires constant alertness and listening to the Spirit. The challenges of tomorrow depend upon our preparations today. We must work and learn now. The Church won't solve our problems, but is a training ground to help us learn the skills we need--including having love and patience for fellow members. We need the Church more than ever, but in a sense we also need more than ever to stand on our own feet as we kneel before the Lord's seeking His will and inspiration each day.

The emphasis on personal revelation is one of the many things I really love the Church. Revelation is real. God is real. Prayers are answered. And we are taught to turn to God and seek His guidance, not only for our personal testimonies, but for our daily course in life and for the most complex challenges we face.
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