In March of 2025, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland spoke at the Roots Tech conference. He referred to a near-death experience he had for four weeks, describing it as having one foot in another world. The two lessons he was taught there and told to take back to the church were to pray more — in more places, and more often than we currently do and to testify and be a witness. However much we testify, to testify more.

            A year prior, Elder Holland briefly mentioned this experience in his April 2024 General Conference talk (“Motions of a Hidden Fire“). In that talk, he mentions “pray” or “prayer” 37 times. In that talk, Elder Holland said, “God hears every prayer we offer and responds to each of them according to the path He has outlined for our perfection.” Many times we may feel as though God’s not answering our prayers. If Elder Holland was tasked to share this message with us, it’s my hope that through a process I call Spirit Study, we can spend more time with God and gain greater clarity by His Spirit.

            From Elder John D. Amos’ General Conference talk in October 2025 (“The Good News Recipe“) quoting President Russell M. Nelson’s General Conference talk from April 2018 (“Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives):

            “When you need to “hear Him” and know how to invite Jesus Christ into your life, consider following the steps President Nelson taught us about personal revelation:

“Find a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort.”

“Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses —yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will ‘grow into the principle of revelation.’”

            This talk was President Nelson’s first General Conference as the prophet. As he spoke these words, I instantly received confirmation of his words speaking truth to my soul. He also stated, “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive Spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.” A few years later, I was introduced to the concept of a Spirit Study. This process felt very familiar and provided me with a second witness to President Nelson’s invitation. Here’s the process:

SPIRIT STUDY:

1- Say a prayer and ask to have His Spirit.

2- Study in the scriptures to tune into His Spirit.

3- Pray again- this time ask for the desires of your heart.

4- Open up your heart & mind to feelings from the Spirit. Meditate upon any particular desire. When impressions/thoughts come into your mind, search your heart to see if they’re accompanied by a good, joyous, enlightening, or burning feeling.

5- If you have this awareness of the Spirit in connection with the impressions you receive, write them down. If you doubt your inspiration, pray about it again and seek the Spirit to confirm your understanding.

6- Say a prayer of gratitude for what you received.

7- Act upon the inspiration. Go & do.

            The Spirit has impressed upon my mind several scriptures that have helped me internalize each of the above steps of a Spirit Study. It’s my prayer that we’ll experiment upon President Nelson’s words as part of our personal journey in speaking with God through prayer.

1- Say a prayer and ask to have His Spirit.

  • D&C 64:33  “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.”
    • It’s quick and easy to say a prayer and to ask Heavenly Father to provide us with His Spirit. This verse provides us with the why as we begin a Spirit Study. We’re laying a foundation with God in order to have His Spirit as we set aside time out of our day to communicate with Him. Although a small thing, it opens the channel to tie into a greater conduit with deity where great things can occur as a result of our willingness to first enlist His Spirit. 
  • D&C 45:57 “For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day.”
    • When we seek to take the Holy Spirit as our guide, we begin to get out of our head and into our heart. The Spirit then accompanies us and we are no longer left alone to our mortal thoughts. As we abide in the Spirit, we tarry for a short period of time with a particular purpose in mind. Our ability to hear Him increases as we seek to have His Spirit to guide our path. 

2- Study in the scriptures to tune into His Spirit.

  • D&C 11:21 “Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men.”
    • First, seek. Second, have His Spirit and his word. How often do we participate in prayers where the inverse is true? We want His Spirit and His word to lead us, guide us, walk beside us, help us find the way during our day to day, but we neglect to first seek Him and obtain His word. The scriptures and prophets outline a three-step process: read, ponder and pray. Due to the hectic nature of our lives, there will always be prayers where time won’t permit us to read the scriptures at the same time as a prayer. Nevertheless, we can choose to make time for all three steps at some point in our day, week, or month. As President Nelson mentioned, find a quiet space where you can regularly go. My favorite place to read, ponder and pray has been in a small space such as a closet or office area away from all other distractions.      
  • Alma 17:2-3 “Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God. But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the Spirit of prophecy, and the Spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God.”
    • Think of President Nelson’s invitation to grow into the principle of revelation. As phenomenal as Alma and the sons of Mosiah are as examples in their missionary efforts, what can give us great comfort and peace of mind is that everything they did to be deserving of the Spirit of prophecy and revelation are all things we can also do to witness great conversion and miracles. Can we seek out knowledge for truth, search the scriptures diligently, pray often, and fast frequently? Absolutely we can. The scriptures are a road map to help us learn how to replicate their examples to know the word of God in our lives.  

3- Pray again- this time ask for the desires of your heart.

  • D&C 88:62-65 “And again, verily I say unto you, my friends, I leave these sayings with you to ponder in your hearts, with this commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall call upon me while I am near— Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you; And if ye ask anything that is not expedient for you, it shall turn unto your condemnation.”
    • This step in a Spirit Study can create a large shift and impact inside of our prayers. If we skip the previous steps in this process, there’s a chance we may not be in the Spirit. If we’re not in the Spirit, we may ask for any and everything without giving it a second thought. If we’re in the Spirit, if we feel as though we’ve drawn the Savior in close to us, as though He’s literally kneeling beside us, we are going to think carefully as to what we ask of Him next. These scriptures invite us to first draw near unto Him, and He will then draw near unto us. Once near, seek, ask, and knock. It shall be opened unto you. The key is asking once we are in the Spirit. The Savior chooses the word expedient. Expedient can mean practical, useful, advantageous, beneficial, etc. His promise is that if we do ask Him for things which are expedient unto us while in the Spirit, it shall be given to us. On the flip side, if we ask for things that aren’t expedient, the Lord warns of condemnation. The good news is that once in the Spirit, once we’ve drawn Him near, it’s much more difficult to ask Him for things that are unrealistic or that aren’t for our overall benefit. 
  • D&C 137:9 “For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.”
    • According to our works… according to the desires of our hearts. Such a simple, yet profound explanation of how the Lord may judge us. I loved what Elder Brad Wilcox once said when someone of another faith questioned him: “You Mormons are trying to earn your way into heaven.” Elder Wilcox’s reply- “We’re not earning heaven, we’re learning heaven. We are preparing for it.” What if the desires of our heart aren’t where we would have hoped they would have been at this point in our lives? Are we incapable of having a change of heart? Brothers and Sisters, our Savior and His atonement are capable of creating a change of heart faster than anything else in this world. Not only can our hearts change, they can cause us to become a new creature because of Him. Jesus Christ is the way. He is the how. Plead with him on the desires of your heart, and watch as your heart can transform over time.

4- Open up your heart & mind to feelings from the Spirit. Meditate upon any particular desire. When impressions/thoughts come into your mind, search your heart to see if they’re accompanied by a good, joyous, enlightening, or burning feeling.

  • D&C 33:16 “And the Book of Mormon and the holy scriptures are given of me for your instruction; and the power of my Spirit quickeneth all things.”
    • While artificial intelligence can quicken things of the mind, the Spirit quickens all things for the soul. As we’ve studied in the scriptures and drawn Him near unto us, we have the opportunity to ponder and meditate on questions we have and the desires of our heart. Our true north during this process is to pay attention to how we feel in our mind and in our heart.
  • D&C 128:19 “Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; glad tidings for the dead; a voice of gladness for the living and the dead; glad tidings of great joy. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that bring glad tidings of good things, and that say unto Zion: Behold, thy God reigneth! As the dews of Carmel, so shall the knowledge of God descend upon them!”
    • What do we hear? What do we feel? Does it seem good, joyous, enlightening, or a burning feeling? As the Spirit assists by placing thoughts or impressions into our mind, we can take a moment to ponder over what we’re receiving.

5- If you have this awareness of the Spirit in connection with the impressions you receive, write them down. If you doubt your inspiration, pray about it again and seek the Spirit to confirm your understanding.

  • D&C 32:4 “And they shall give heed to that which is written, and pretend to no other revelation; and they shall pray always that I may unfold the same to their understanding.”
    • The Spirit can provide us with greater understanding. We may find impressions leading us to the scriptures, conference talks, patriarchal blessings, reaching out to someone, etc. To give heed is to pay attention. As we pay attention to the guidance of the Spirit, and write it down, the picture becomes more clear. We’ve asked to receive and now we’re given information. If we receive doubt or confusion, we can always pray about it again and continue to seek guidance. 
  • D&C 46:7 “But ye are commanded in all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally; and that which the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should do in all holiness of heart, walking uprightly before me, considering the end of your salvation, doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving, that ye may not be seduced by evil Spirits, or doctrines of devils, or the commandments of men; for some are of men, and others of devils.”
    • The footnote for ‘7a’ for the word ‘ask’ points to “Problem-Solving.” It could almost be reworded to say that we are commanded in all things to problem-solve with God. My mission president gave a lesson on the difference between challenges and problems we faced as missionaries. He stated that challenges were things we could work through on our own, but problems required the help of others. We’re not supposed to go at this alone. When the Spirit testifies to us, we’re invited to act upon it.

6- Say a prayer of gratitude for what you received.

  • D&C 46:28-32 “And it shall come to pass that he that asketh in Spirit shall receive in Spirit; That unto some it may be given to have all those gifts, that there may be a head, in order that every member may be profited thereby. He that asketh in the Spirit asketh according to the will of God; wherefore it is done even as he asketh. And again, I say unto you, all things must be done in the name of Christ, whatsoever you do in the Spirit; And ye must give thanks unto God in the Spirit for whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with.”
    • You may recognize several of the Spirit Study steps in this one verse. Once we’ve asked in the Spirit for that which is expedient according to the will of our Heavenly Father, we shall receive in the Spirit. We now have a chance to return and report to give thanks for that which we received from Him. A prayer of gratitude at the end of our Spirit Study is equally as important to the first prayer where we asked to have His Spirit. He loves and appreciates our praise and thanks to Him. 
  • Alma 7:23 “And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both Spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.”
    • It’s not always easy to accept Heavenly Father’s answers to our prayers. It is after all His will and not our own. Submissive; gentle; patient; long-suffering; temperate, these are all characteristic traits of His Son, Jesus Christ. We’ve poured out our heart and soul to Him on the things we stand in need of. As Alma points out, we are to always return thanks unto Him for that which He has given us.

7- Act upon the inspiration. Go & do.

  • D&C 49:27 (26-28) “Behold, I say unto you, go forth as I have commanded you; repent of all your sins; ask and ye shall receive; knock and it shall be opened unto you. Behold, I will go before you and be your rearward; and I will be in your midst, and you shall not be confounded. Behold, I am Jesus Christ, and I come quickly. Even so. Amen.”
    • Who is talking here? Jesus Christ. He’s encouraging us to go forth now that we’ve received answers from His Spirit. Envision the picture he has painted for us here. He will go before us and He will be our rearward (directed toward the back). I’m in front & behind you, my daughter, my son. It’s as if he’s saying, “I’ve got your back. Come, follow me.” He will be in our midst (in the middle of all we do) and we will not be confounded (confused or surprised).
  • 1 Nephi 3:7 “And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.”
    • As we’ve asked, it’s time now to go and do what we’ve been given. He knows us, and He knows our hearts. He will not give us anything that we cannot accomplish or overcome without having first prepared a way. The answers to the desires of our heart may not always add up to us. At times we may be asked to wash in Jordan seven times, similar to the prophet Elisha commanding Naaman. But God’s math always adds up. My mother nicknamed me as a little boy after one of her favorite old western actors, John Wayne (The Duke). A quote she always shared with me was about courage. John Wayne said, “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” The Spirit has successfully saddled us up with the desires of our heart. The Savior is in our midst. He is in front, and behind us sisters and brothers. You’ve got this!

One final thought: Counsel vs. Take Counsel:

  • Alma 37:37 “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.”
    • When we involve God through counsel, He will direct us for good. We have the opportunity to enlist Him as much as we’d like throughout our day. Should we really counsel with the Lord in all things? All our doings? Doesn’t Doctrine & Covenants 58:26-28 state that we shouldn’t be commanded in all things, that he who is compelled in all things is a slothful and not a wise servant? That we should be anxiously engaged in a good cause and do many things of our own free will? As any parent will attest, they absolutely love it when their children come to them with questions, thoughts, concerns and a willingness to understand their parents’ point of view. Does this mean that the parents will always answer according to how the child may expect? No. Will there be times when the parent will encourage their child to figure things out as part of the learning process? Yes. We may genuinely not understand something and need guidance or direction. Other times, we may feel that we’ve got a game plan and still may choose to ask God if He has any insight or feedback to offer before we act on our plan. Either way, counseling with Him will always add value to our lives.
  • Jacob 4:10 “Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.”
    • Learn to take counsel from His hand. As I’ve experimented upon the word with Spirit Study, something incredible has happened. The first several times I took it to God in prayer, the desires of my heart were always mine. Over time, my heart began to shift away from my desires and I found myself asking Him what His desires were for me. His will vs. my will. With many of God’s laws and commandments, there seems to be a pattern of a lesser and a higher law. A good & better proposition. To counsel the Lord is always a good thing. Directionally, it begins with us and our thoughts, and points towards Him. To learn how to take counsel from God can be even better. Directionally, it begins with Him and His thoughts and points towards us. This may require more of a broken heart and a contrite Spirit. For us to truly desire to understand what His will is for us. There’s nothing wrong with asking questions that pertain to our own will that we stand in need of. He wants us to ask Him these things. As we learn to also ask Him for His will, we begin to embark on becoming one with Him as He is one with His Son.

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