Living Beneath Our Privileges - Restoring Spiritual Sensitivity

1 Nephi 17:45 - "Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God. Ye have seen an angel, and he spake unto you; yea, ye have heard his voice from time to time; and he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words; wherefore, he has spoken unto you like unto the voice of thunder, which did cause the earth to shake as if it were to divide asunder." 

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin - “I fear that some members of the Lord’s Church ‘live far beneath our privileges’ with regard to the gift of the Holy Ghost. Some are distracted by the things of the world that block out the influence of the Holy Ghost, preventing them from recognizing spiritual promptings. This is a noisy and busy world that we live in. Remember that being busy is not necessarily being spiritual. If we are not careful, the things of this world can crowd out the things of the Spirit. Some are spiritually deadened and past feeling because of their choices to commit sin. Others simply hover in spiritual complacency with no desire to rise above themselves and commune with the Infinite. If they would open their hearts to the refining influence of this unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost, a glorious new spiritual dimension would come to light. Their eyes would gaze upon a vista scarcely imaginable. They could know for themselves things of the Spirit that are choice, precious, and capable of enlarging the soul, expanding the mind, and filling the heart with inexpressible joy” 

Elder David A. Bednar - “Certainly Laman and Lemuel had received knowledge about the purpose and importance of their journey in the wilderness, from loving parents, from Nephi, and from an angel of the Lord whom they had both seen and heard. But apparently they had not ‘applied [their] hearts to understanding' (Mosiah 12:27; emphasis added), they had not received confirming revelations, they did not feel the truthfulness of Nephi's words, and they were not blessed with understanding.” 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:12

Welcome to Seek This Jesus, a daily podcast dedicated to drawing closer to the Savior through the powerful truths found in the Book of Mormon. Each episode, we focus on one verse that helps us walk more faithfully in his footsteps.

SPEAKER_02 0:30

Today we revisit 1 Nephi 1745, this time from a new angle. Laman and Lemuel did not just ignore spiritual experiences, they lived past feeling. They had access to revelation, divine guidance, and angelic instruction, yet they did not apply their hearts to understanding. Today we explore why spiritual sensitivity fades, what it means to live beneath our privileges, and how we restored the ability to feel the Holy Ghost deeply again. Here is the verse from first Nephi seventeen, forty five. Ye are swift to do iniquity, but slow to remember the Lord your God. Ye have seen an angel, and he spake unto you. Yea, ye have heard his voice from time to time, and he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice. But ye were past feeling, that you could not feel his words. Wherefore he has spoken unto you like unto the voice of thunder, which did cause the earth to shake as if it were to divide asunder. The phrase past feeling is sobering. It describes a spiritual condition where a person becomes numb to divine influence. Laman and Lemuel's issue wasn't a lack of spiritual exposure. They had seen an angel and heard God's voice. Their issue was a lack of spiritual responsiveness. Why do people who witness spiritual signs still struggle to change? The reason is not a lack of evidence, it's a lack of openness. Being past feeling does not mean a person is beyond the reach of God. It means they no longer recognize or value the gentle whisperings of the Spirit. Elder Joseph B. Wortland taught that many members live beneath what is spiritually possible for them. Let's listen in.

SPEAKER_00 2:38

I fear that some members of the Lord's Church live far beneath our privileges with regard to the gift of the Holy Ghost. Some are distracted by the things of the world that block out the influence of the Holy Ghost, preventing them from recognizing spiritual promptings. This is a noisy and busy world that we live in. Remember that being busy is not necessarily being spiritual. If we're not careful, the things of this world can crowd out the things of the spirit. Some are spiritually deadened, and past feelings be past feelings because of their choices to commit sin. Others simply hover in spiritual complacency with no desire to rise above themselves and commune with the infinite. If they had opened their hearts to the refining influence of this unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost, a glorious new spiritual dimension would come to light. Their eyes would gaze upon a vista scarcely imaginable. They could know for themselves the things of the heart, of the spirit that are choice, precious, and capable of enlarging the soul, expanding the mind, and filling the heart with inexpressible joy.

SPEAKER_02 3:54

Elder Worthen names three causes of spiritual numbness distraction, sin, and complacency. These are the same forces that shaped Laman and Lemuel's hearts. They were not spiritually curious, they did not seek the spirit. Their attention was set on the things of the world, not the things of God. One of the most important clarifications in the Book of Mormon is this. Spiritual knowledge is not the same as spiritual conversion. Laman and Lemuel knew many things. They knew God commanded their journey. They knew Nephi was a prophet. They knew angels existed. They knew God was aware of them, but they refused to apply that knowledge. Elder David A. Bednar explained, certainly Laman and Lemuel had received knowledge about the purpose and importance of their journey in the wilderness, from loving parents, from Nephi, and from an angel of the Lord whom they had both seen and heard. But apparently they had not yet applied their hearts to understanding. They had not received confirming revelations. They did not feel the truthfulness of Nephi's words, and they were not blessed with understanding. Elder Bednar's words reveal a profound pattern. Knowledge is information. Understanding is spiritual confirmation. Being past feeling is the gap between the two. Laman and Lamuel had knowledge but no revelation. They heard truth but did not internalize it. They saw signs but did not change their hearts. This is why their hearts remained closed. They would not apply their hearts to understanding. The story of Laman and Lamel is not ancient only, it is modern. We become past feeling when we fill our lives with constant noise. We never slow down long enough for the spirit. We cling to sin or excuses. We choose convenience over covenant. We allow spiritual apathy to settle in. We avoid repentance because it feels uncomfortable. We ignore promptings because they require effort. We resist commandments because they require change. Spiritual numbness does not happen overnight. It comes quietly, gradually, unnoticed. Just as physical calluses form through repeated friction, spiritual calluses form through repeated neglect of the spirit. Elder Worthlin and Elder Bednar both testify that the Spirit withdraws not because God is distant, but because our hearts become closed and are distant. This is why God's invitations are so gentle. The Spirit speaks softly because he invites, not compels. When we ignore him long enough, his voice becomes harder to detect. Yet this is also why the gospel is filled with hope. Spiritual sensitivity can always be restored. So how do we reopen our hearts? How do we regain spiritual sensitivity? How do we rise above living beneath our privileges? Here are principles drawn directly from the they're quotes and the verse. Number one, create quiet. The spirit rarely competes with noise. We must choose stillness. two repent quickly. Sin dulls spiritual feeling, repentance restores it. three, seek revelation, not just information. We can read scriptures without receiving the Spirit. We can hear truth without feeling truth. We can know facts without understanding them. We must pray for the Spirit to confirm and deepen what we learn. four, act on small promptings. Every small step of obedience increases spiritual capacity. And number five, keep the heart soft. Humility opens the door to the spirit, pride closes it. The message is simple. We do not have to live spiritually numb or spiritually limited. God wants to speak to us, He wants to help fill us feel. He wants us to live with joy, revelation, and spiritual clarity, and He stands ready to bless us the moment we turn toward Him. Laman and Lemuel were past feeling, but we do not have to be. By repenting, slowing down, seeking revelation, and applying our hearts to understanding, we rise above spiritual complacency. We reclaim our privileges, we reconnect with the Holy Ghost, and we open our lives to the joy that Elder Wortland described as inexpressible. So here is today's challenge. Choose one small place in your life where you feel spiritually dull or distracted. Ask Heavenly Father specifically, Lord, what do I need to do to fill thy spirit more in this area? Then act on the first gentle promptings that come. Thank you for listening to Seek This Jesus. I hope this message helps you draw a little closer to the Savior Jesus Christ. Please don't let this podcast be your only scripture time today. I encourage you to open your scriptures, because when you study God's Word personally, the Spirit will teach you things no podcast ever could. I invite you to come back tomorrow for another verse and message to help you keep focused on Jesus Christ. Until next time, keep seeking this Jesus.