REVIEW: Hearing the Voice of the Lord

How do we know it is an answer from the Lord? What is revelation? Author Gerald N. Lund, whose works have sold nearly 3,000,000 copies, presents Hearing the Voice of the Lord: Principles and Patterns of Personal Revelation bringing a little insight, interpretation and explanation to hearing the vice of the Lord.As one of the most-read authors in Church literature, Lund's other titles include The Work and The Glory series, The Coming of the Lord, This Is Your World, One in Thine Hand, The Alliance, Leverage Point, The Freedom Factor, and The Kingdom and the Crown: Fishers of Men, released in 2000, his 25th novel.As a former CES instructor and current member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy, Lund received his B.A. and M.S. degree in sociology from Brigham Young University, and has done post graduate work in the New Testament and Hebrew at Pepperdine University and the University of Judaism in Los Angeles, California. Through Hearing the Voice of the Lord, Lund seeks to address how the Lord speaks to us, offering simple descriptions of the voice of the Lord from prophets, scholars and educators such as Spencer W Kimball who said that "it comes as deep, unassailable impressions that settle on the mind as dew from heaven." Joseph Smith felt the voice of the Lord with an open heart, saying that "if our hearts are open it brings conviction." Lund's writing speaks to the reader. In a conversational tone he unobtrusively allows readers the ability to come to their own conclusion with point-blank answers to our own personal desire and need in recognizing and understanding the voice of the Lord. In five sections, Lund outlines what is revelation and how does it come, what principles govern the giving and receiving of revelation and how to recognize false revelation whether or not there is false revelation. The last section talks about ways and things we can individually do to increasing the likelihood of receiving and recognizing that revelation. The most profound chapter that most readers, if not all, can relate to is chapter 26 were Lund tries to convey why God does not answer us? Lund writes, "It is impossible for a finite mind to grasp the infinite wisdom and knowledge of God or to fully fathom His motives and purposes. So it is likely not possible to fully answer the question, "Why doesn't God answer our earnest prayers?" However, Lund writes, "from revelation the Lord has given us, and from pondering about our own experiences, we can provide at least some possible answers to this question."  To those questioning what, why and how, in a simple straight forward way Lund offers readers an alternative to that insecurity in recognizing the Voice of the Lord.