Instructing Oliver Cowdery as to why he had failed to translate, the Lord enlightened him as to how one receives revelation. Speaking through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord said:
"Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.
"But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right." (Doctrine and Covenants 9:7-8.)
Speaking in the October 1994 general conference, then-Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve commented on this passage:
"This burning in the bosom is not purely a physical sensation. It is more like a warm light shining within your being.
"Describing the promptings from the Holy Ghost to one who has not had them is very difficult. Such promptings are personal and strictly private! (See 1 Nephi 14:28-30; 2 Nephi 32:7; Alma 12:9-11.)
"The Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel more than you hear. It is described as a 'still small voice.' (Doctrine and Covenants 85:6.) And while we speak of 'listening' to the whisperings of the Spirit, most often one describes a spiritual prompting by saying, 'I had a feeling. . . .'
"The Prophet Joseph Smith explained: 'A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; . . . those things that were presented into your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus.' (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 151.)
"Revelation comes as words we feel more than we hear. Nephi told his wayward brothers, who were visited by an angel, 'Ye were past feeling that ye could not feel his words.' (1 Nephi 17:45; italics added.)
"The scriptures are full of such expressions as 'The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened,' (Doctrine and Covenants 110:1) or 'I will tell you in your mind and in your heart,' (Doctrine and Covenants 8:2) or 'I did enlighten thy mind,' (Doctrine and Covenants 6:15) or 'Speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts.' (Doctrine and Covenants 100:5.) There are hundreds of verses which teach of revelation."
