Lord, is it I?–Cultivating an Environment where Revelation Grows

In Matthew 26, Christ is with his Apostles eating a Passover feast.  As they eat, Christ tells the disciples that one of them will betray him. They are all very sorrowful and every one of them asks, “Lord is it I?”.   

I've always been drawn to the question “Lord, is it I?” because it invites personal reflection and taking an inventory on your life.

In Elder Richard G. Scott’s talk ‘How to Obtain Revelation and Inspiration for Your Personal Life’ from April 2012 General Conference, Elder Scott lists attributes of good soil and bad soil for cultivating revelation.

Revelation can be cultivated abundantly if we are mentally clean, are physically clean, have pure intent, are obedient, and place ourselves in righteous environments.

Revelation can’t be grown if we are haughty, prideful, conceited, or arrogant, if we let emotion rule our lives, or if we seek praise or recognition.

From either of these lists, “Lord, is it I?”

To be mentally clean, am I actively trying to learn and grow, or am I content to watch hours and hours of Netflix each day? What types of material do I fill my mind with?

Is my physical environment disorganized keeping my thoughts cluttered, or am I organized and clean in an environment where I can more easily receive revelation.

How obedient was I this week? Did I actively read scriptures to learn, or did I read just to mark something off my list? How were my prayers? What did I draw from church this week? Did I go to institute?

What did I do this week, solely for attention or praise from others?

What are my motivations? Why do I do what I do?

Do I do things for others, or mainly for myself?

Of course, with each inventory you take, the central question moving forward becomes “How can I improve going forward?”

As we humble ourselves and make needed corrections, we become ‘fertile soil where spirituality grows and produces the fruit of inspiration. This gives us divine power to accomplish what needs to be done.’