Study Guide for "Hearing His Voice"

In his talk, "Hearing His Voice", Elder David P. Homer discusses the importance of recognizing and following the voice of our Heavenly Father amidst the myriad of voices in the world. He emphasizes the role of the Holy Ghost in guiding us, the dangers of listening to the wrong voices, and the blessings that come from choosing to follow God's voice. He also shares personal experiences and scriptural examples to illustrate these principles.

Before Reading

Before reading or listening to the talk, consider the following questions:

What are some of the voices competing for our attention in today's world?
How does Elder Homer describe the role of the Holy Ghost in helping us hear God's voice?
What are the dangers of listening to the wrong voices?
What are the blessings that come from choosing to follow God's voice?
What personal experiences and scriptural examples does Elder Homer use to illustrate his points?

Topics

Recognizing Competing Voices in the World

Elder Homer discusses the numerous voices competing for our attention in the world, from social media to popular opinion. He warns that these voices can lead us away from the gospel and into places where faith is hard to sustain.

We live in a world with many voices seeking our attention.

If we are not careful, the wrong voices can draw us away from the gospel center to places where faith is difficult to sustain, and we find little more than emptiness, bitterness, and dissatisfaction.

What are some examples of the competing voices in the world today?
How can these voices lead us away from the gospel?
What voices are you currently allowing to influence your decisions?
How can you better discern between the voices of the world and the voice of God?

Understanding the Dangers of Listening to the Wrong Voice

Using the example of Korihor from the Book of Mormon, Elder Homer illustrates the destructive consequences of listening to the wrong voices. He emphasizes that such voices can deprive us of the spiritual nourishment we need.

If we spend too much time in faithless places, seemingly well-intended voices deprive us of the spiritual oxygen we need.

And thus we see that the devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell.

How does the story of Korihor illustrate the dangers of listening to the wrong voices?
What happens when we spend too much time in "faithless places"?
Have you ever experienced negative consequences from listening to the wrong voices?
How can you better protect yourself from such voices?

Recognizing the Voice of God through the Holy Ghost

Elder Homer highlights the role of the Holy Ghost in helping us hear the voice of God. He explains that the Holy Ghost communicates with us in various ways, and understanding these ways is a lifelong quest.

Most often, we hear Him through impressions given by the Holy Ghost.

The Spirit speaks to different people in different ways, and He may speak to the same person in different ways at different times.

The more diligently we seek His voice, the easier it becomes to hear.

How does the Holy Ghost help us hear the voice of God?
What are some ways the Spirit communicates with us?
How can we increase our ability to hear God's voice?
What experiences have you had with hearing God's voice through the Holy Ghost?
What can you do to better recognize and understand the ways the Spirit communicates with you?

Finding God's Voice in Various Places

Elder Homer explains that we can hear God's voice in many places, including prayer, scripture study, church meetings, faithful discussions, and the temple. He also emphasizes the importance of following the counsel given by Church leaders.

We will find our Father’s voice in many places.

Today we sustained 15 men as prophets, seers, and revelators. Their messages are easy to find and spoken with absolute clarity.

What are some places where we can hear God's voice?
Why is it important to heed the counsel given by Church leaders?
Where have you heard God's voice recently?
How can you better seek out and follow the counsel of Church leaders?

Experiencing Delayed Answers and Making Choices

Elder Homer shares a personal experience about making decisions when answers from God are slow to come. He explains that sometimes this happens because it's not the right time, because an answer isn't needed, or because God trusts us to make the decision ourselves.

Answers are sometimes slow to come. This can be because it is not the right time, because an answer is not needed, or because God trusts us to make the decision ourselves.

God will not let you proceed too far without a warning impression if you have made the wrong decision.

Why might answers from God be slow to come?
How can we proceed when we're unsure of the answer to a decision?
Have you ever experienced a time when an answer from God was slow to come? How did you handle it?
What decisions are you currently facing, and how can you seek God's guidance in making them?