A young Saint’s basic model of revelation looks like a circle between a person and God. Prayers go up, answers come down. The answers will be from the Holy Ghost if its a question, or simply blessings if the prayer is a request.

This is a good model of revelation to have.

A Saint who pays attention in Church will develop a fuller model of revelation.

They still pray but also realize they need to be “studying it out in their mind” with the help of the scriptures and also proposing solutions to the Lord.  They also realize that some of their answers will come through the Holy Ghost, or through dreams, or visions.  But they also realize some answers will come through the prophets and apostles, the current ones and the former ones whose answers got written down into scripture, and who are engaging the Lord the same way they are.

This is a good model.

We can add to it.

Let’s add to the bottom.  It’s not just a Person.  We belong to groups that can and should get guidance as a body.  Marriages, Quorums, Wards, Families, Extended Families, Businesses, Associations, Friendships, Partnerships, Affiliations, Mannerbunds.

The doctrine of counseling together is an aspect of this part of the model.

This is a good add to the model.

Let’s add more to the top.

We are all aware that the great God of the universe condescends to listen to us and hear us out. We are aware that He wants us to propose solutions and explain facts even though He already knows them. But our approach to the Church is much more passive. We sometimes just assume that those who are in authority do not need anything from us, ours just to obey. Not so.

We should also be asking our leaders and giving them information and possible solutions.

This is also a good add to the model.

Now lets take another look at the personal level.  We grow in wisdom directly from the people around us that we commit to.  We have feedback loops that bring us closer to the TRUTH the WAY and the LIFE, line upon line, precept upon precept.  These feedback loops are our Experience especially if we Experiment.  Our Health.  Beauty.  Nature.  Joy.  Friendship.  Reading.  Discussion. Education.  The Examples of others.  Art, Poetry, Music.  Our overlapping and multiple Identities.  Thinking.  Taking on Responsibilities and trying to execute Goals.  Fatherhood and Motherhood.  Church Callings.

This is a good add.

We could also add angels, the spirits of our ancestors, and the mighty dead to the mix.

If your implicit model of revelation isn’t as complicated as a conspiracy theorist’s bulletin board, and just as exciting to you, you are missing out.