When What You Hear From God Doesn't Match What You're Told to Believe

I was scrolling Instagram the other night and came across a post called "Five Christian Books I Threw Away." I was curious, so I read it. The author's main reason for tossing the books came down to disagreeing with how the writers interpreted scripture or where they claimed their inspiration came from. And their big takeaway was that you need to be able to discern the Spirit. Which sounds reasonable until you realize what they were really saying was that if you discern it differently than they do, you are wrong. Your pastor, your prophet, your leaders know better. And if your personal revelation leads you somewhere different, you have been deceived.

That landed funny with me. And if it lands funny with you too, you are in good company.

✨Listen to the full episode or read for the breakdown.

The Tension Between Personal Revelation and Church Authority

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I believe in a living prophet. I believe he is inspired. But I have been sitting with a real question lately, which is how much does his inspiration differ from mine?

President Nelson gave a talk a few years back called Hear Him, where he genuinely implored members to seek personal guidance and direction from Heavenly Father. I took that seriously. I ran with it. And some of what I have concluded in that process doesn't fully align with every teaching or belief of my faith. That has been hard to reconcile. But the thoughts I have landed on feel full and open and inclusive, and they have brought me less judgment toward myself and others, more grace, more compassion, and a whole lot more love. So if that makes me deceived, it sure doesn't feel that way.

The Belief I Come Back to When It Gets Confusing

When I start to feel overwhelmed or conflicted, when I wonder if I am hearing my source wrong or not at all, I come back to one simple thing.

God knows me.

He knows my heart and he knows my intent.

And everything is going to work out.

I genuinely believe that.

Not just for me, but for every single person navigating this life in the context of the hand they were dealt at birth. Every culture, every background, every person who has walked away or denounced their faith or never had one at all. God knows them too. We are all just trying to make sense of this life with the thoughts and experiences and traditions that have been offered to us. And I believe that matters to him.

"They were really saying that if you discern it differently than they do, you are wrong. And if your personal revelation leads you somewhere different, you have been deceived."

My Heavenly Help

"God knows me. He knows my heart and he knows my intent. And everything is going to work out."

I don't know the logistics of prayer. I really don't. But I have started using a term that feels right to me, and that is heavenly help. I like to believe that the people who love me and have my best interest at heart, the ones who have passed on, are on the other side cheering me on and helping guide me. My team. My people. Whatever you want to call them. That belief brings me comfort and I am keeping it.

How I Actually Practice Discernment

When it comes to hearing the Spirit, I go by the fruits. Does it bring peace? Does it bring love and openness and less judgment? Then I am paying attention to it. And the practice that has helped me get there more than anything else is stillness. Meditation. Taking time to step away from the noise and get comfortable with my own thoughts, and eventually with no thoughts at all. My mental chatter has quieted so much through this practice. My thoughts feel more intentional and less like a constant stream of noise running in the background. It has made a real difference.

"The thoughts I have landed on feel full and open and inclusive. They have brought me less judgment, more grace, more compassion, and a whole lot more love. So if that makes me deceived, it sure doesn't feel that way."

Your Fallback Belief

If you ever find yourself in that place of confusion and overwhelm, where what you are hearing internally conflicts with what leaders or others are telling you to believe, I want to encourage you to find your fallback belief. The one thing you can come back to when everything else feels uncertain.

Mine is simple. God knows me and my heart, and everything is going to work out. You are welcome to borrow it. Or find your own version of it.

Either way, you've got this. Keep doing your best.

💕 Brynne

Thanks for Being Here

Hi, I’m Brynne. I share my journey of becoming through stories and reflection - guided by a higher power as I explore identity, faith, and everyday life, inviting you to grow alongside me.

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