What do you think?
Rate this book
Drawing on the Powers of Heaven
The powers of heaven are very real and can dramatically influence the course of events in a person's life. In our relationship with deity, the powers of heaven include any influence of power (inspiration, gift of the spirit, power of the priesthood, etc.) which is governed by God and operates in our behalf. A study of the scriptures reveals that the ways the powers of heaven can assist mortal men are virtually unlimited. Exercising the faith required to call upon the powers of heaven involves a very specific process. In order to be proficient at exercising faith, you must understand the process thoroughly and then learn to apply the process in your daily pursuits. This book will help you understand the process required to pull down the powers of heaven to bless your life. When you successfully follow this process, you will be able to call upon the powers of heaven to assist you in realizing your righteous desires.
85 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
81 people are currently reading
765 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
March 20, 2013
"When a person is groping in life, we say "he has not found himself." This statement is not accurate. Self is created, not found."
I read this quote early on in my mission and found it so disconcerting that I thought of it every day. But I did not trust myself enough to go with what my gut was saying, that much of this book is snake oil.
Man this book gave me a stomach ache. I wanted to believe it, because it seemed to promise whatever you wanted, (As long as you deemed it righteous). And everyone in the mission field had a beloved marked up copy. (Give us a reason to have hope!) It sort of held unique status as an official unofficial part of the missionary canon.
But I have learned that you cannot put God in an arm bar and force him to tap out. But what about "the Lord is bound when you do what he says"? And what about the bro of Jared not being able to be kept from seeing through the veil because of his faith? Well, I dunno, that sure sounds like he had a lot of faith. But I am not the Michael Jordan of priesthood holders. And perhaps what we think is best for us is totally self serving anyways, and what is actually best for us, would never be what we actually want!
I am so grateful for this more existential, Amway-free end of the spectrum. Here is Elder Bednar "if it is the will of our Heavenly Father, do you have the faith not to be healed"? and "Even with strong faith, many mountains will not be moved". And Elder Maxwell - "I have learned that not shrinking is more important than surviving"
So yes, 1 Nephi 3:7, if God tells you that you can build a boat, he's probably not just talking jive. And if he makes you wander around in the desert for several years before this whole boat thing can happen, then perhaps the hell of learning how to submit is what gave the Nephite clan the faith to believe in such a statement. We do need faith. Faith to submit to His will, and timing and knowledge of what is best for the development of our souls.
I read this quote early on in my mission and found it so disconcerting that I thought of it every day. But I did not trust myself enough to go with what my gut was saying, that much of this book is snake oil.
Man this book gave me a stomach ache. I wanted to believe it, because it seemed to promise whatever you wanted, (As long as you deemed it righteous). And everyone in the mission field had a beloved marked up copy. (Give us a reason to have hope!) It sort of held unique status as an official unofficial part of the missionary canon.
But I have learned that you cannot put God in an arm bar and force him to tap out. But what about "the Lord is bound when you do what he says"? And what about the bro of Jared not being able to be kept from seeing through the veil because of his faith? Well, I dunno, that sure sounds like he had a lot of faith. But I am not the Michael Jordan of priesthood holders. And perhaps what we think is best for us is totally self serving anyways, and what is actually best for us, would never be what we actually want!
I am so grateful for this more existential, Amway-free end of the spectrum. Here is Elder Bednar "if it is the will of our Heavenly Father, do you have the faith not to be healed"? and "Even with strong faith, many mountains will not be moved". And Elder Maxwell - "I have learned that not shrinking is more important than surviving"
So yes, 1 Nephi 3:7, if God tells you that you can build a boat, he's probably not just talking jive. And if he makes you wander around in the desert for several years before this whole boat thing can happen, then perhaps the hell of learning how to submit is what gave the Nephite clan the faith to believe in such a statement. We do need faith. Faith to submit to His will, and timing and knowledge of what is best for the development of our souls.
January 31, 2015
Not only does Harrison error in offering an over simplified form of faith, he errors in offering a formula altogether. Formulas turn the gospel into a legalistic to do list that robs religion of its real spiritual power. The gospel of Jesus Christ is much more complicated than some simplistic formula. Often such proposed equations only set people up for failure, thereby leaving the follower worse off than before.
June 16, 2008
There is a lot of profound stuff packed into this tiny little 85 page book. It took me a couple of months to read because I had to absorb everything and then cross reference things with my scriptures. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs a testimony booster in any area.
December 13, 2008
I had to read this with a smirk, because Von Harrison is so obviously over-the-top in his interpretation of the gospel as a mechanical process--insert Works A and G into Slot F and receive Blessing M and Gift R. God isn't a slot machine or an ATM, and the process isn't nearly as cut-and-dried as Von Harrison presents it. Still, it is very inspiring to think of what could be possible if we were to put in the effort, and Von Harrison certainly lifted my sights as a young missionary.
June 18, 2008
I feel that there is real power in this book. I've started to use the principles and already see a change in my life. I think if I continue to practice these principles, and see more change come about as I incorporate them into my life, I may just have to give the book 5 stars.
February 24, 2008
This is one of the MOST powerful books I ever read! It has taught me so much about God and the capacity that I hold to unlock and bring down the powers of heaven upon my head. It teaches so much about agency, attitude and potential. Grant Von Harrison has not only scripted words to teach the individual but has also included exercises to help the reader internalize all of the principles. I have read this book four times and every time I get more and more out of it. Things I didn't understand or recognize before! He has just released a sequel to it as well called "Seeing With an Eye of Faith". I'll let you know how that one is. But REALLY I can't express and incredibly moving this book is!!!! I believe EVERYONE should read it. I was at work and a co-worker of mine (not of my faith) noticed it, picked it up and began reading it. He was moved and touched by this book and eventually inquired after my personal beliefs, being shocked that a young adult could be so interested and educated on matters of prayer and God's power. READ IT!!!!!
May 19, 2008
This...book, is a poorly disguised attempt at blending the Cognitive-Behavioral approach to human action to Spiritual Living. Implied in this book is the bankrupt idea that if you "do" all the "right things," you will get answers to your prayers. The problem is that the concept of "intent" vis-a-vis prayer and spirituality cannot be approached through a blending of social science and religiosity. In fact, one should not pray with the intention of getting answers, or behave with the expectation of getting benefits in this life, from Heaven. What is missed in this little book and what is insidious about this book is that prayer, spiritual action, etc should obtain from a desire to be like Christ, the model, even like God...not because one wants something.
.W
.W
August 4, 2008
I first read this book in high school when I was 16 or 17, after my parents suggested it. That tells you what kind of teenager I was! I have re-read it several times, and each time I gain valuable insight pertaining to various aspects of the power of prayer, faith and the Lord's willingness to bless us in every facet of our lives. The book primarily examines faith not only as a principle of action but as a principle of power. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in building, strengthening or more fully applying faith in their lives!
March 29, 2008
This was a great book. If anyone has read The Secret, and liked it but felt the element of "what about God's plan for us" was missing... this book is key. Very powerful book, very insightful especially for those who desire to learn how to set righteous goals and involve Heavenly Father in their lives. It is only eighty pages, and can be read in a day.
January 25, 2018
This book talks a lot about Faith. It explains how to achieve the goals you have set, having faith that you can achieve them. You must first do everything you can do to reach your goal, then rely on God to take care of the rest. It has tons of inspiring stories that really show how to put into practice the faith in you life.
June 23, 2022
This book has a similar message to Gene R. Cook's Receiving Answers to Our Prayers. I found both of these books to be very helpful in understanding prayer and faith as the principle of power in the universe. I recommend them both.
September 4, 2018
These principles are life-changing.
June 7, 2021
This is a really great book! It's a quick read, but full of many practical and helpful insights about growing and exercising faith, making things happen by our faith, intentionally and specifically inviting the Lord to help us accomplish our righteous desires. I remember reading it a long time ago, but it was a great and timely re-read and goes along with many of the things President Nelson taught in his most recent talk, "Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains." I'm grateful for the reminders to desire, ask, seek, knock, act. The Lord wants to bless us, but we must counsel with Him, seek His will, and work and sacrifice and ask for help to accomplish our desires and goals. He will help us or let us know to work on something else.
Here are some of my favorite quotes:
"'Learn how to pray boldly and efficaciously, not in word only but in spirit and in power, so that we may pull upon ourselves... the very powers of heaven (Bruce R. McConkie, p. v).'"
"To realize your ultimate potential in this mortal life, you must learn to draw upon the powers of heaven. No amount of knowledge or skill can compensate for the absence of the powers of heaven in your life (p. v)."
"If you learn to pull down the powers of heaven upon yourself, your talents and abilities will be greatly magnified (p. vi)."
"'Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, life their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life of God will will find eternal life (Ezra Taft Benson, p. vi).'"
"The scriptures tell us very clearly that we must be obedient to specific laws in order to receive blessings from God (p. vi)."
"A person's ability to draw on the powers of heaven is extremely limited unless he understands very specifically the process required to exercise faith (p. viii)."
"Even though faith is a gift of God, we obtain it only by exercising our agency (p. viii)."
"'Faith is not only the principle of action, but of power also... Faith... is the first great governing principle which has power, dominion, and authority over all things (Joseph Smith, p. 1).'"
"Power comes from God... Learn to call upon this power, because without the powers of heaven, we are extremely limited in what we can accomplish in all aspects of our lives (p. 2)."
"Many righteous desires are very personal in nature and should be pursued through individual faith. However, there are some desires that warrant or require the collective faith of more than one person (p. 2)."
"Where groups begin to exercise collective faith, the outpourings of the powers of heaven result in the lives of thousands of people being blessed (p. 4)."
"The Lord's hands are tied until you exercise faith (p. 8)."
"Through the powers of heaven our intellectual abilities can be magnified... insights and understandings can be revealed to our minds (p. 10)."
"Consistently call upon the Lord to assist you in achieving righteous desires and then make certain that faith accompanies your righteous living, thereby allowing the Lord the opportunity to bless you (p. 11)."
"The Lord has stipulated that 'the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon principles of righteousness.' When you are keeping the Lord's commandments... you will be able to pull down the powers of heaven to bless your life (p. 12)."
"'Faith is a gift of God bestowed as a reward for personal righteousness... the greater the measure of obedience to God's laws the greater will be the endowment of faith (Bruce R. McConkie, p. 12).'"
"'Perhaps what is wrong is that we have not desired in faith with all our hearts to bring souls into the kingdom. Perhaps we have not made up our minds that we can and will bring people into the Church (Bruce R. McConkie, p. 14).'"
"He had to convince the Lord he wanted to baptize the Lamanites and was willing to pay the price in order to succeed, and then 'the Lord granted unto him according to his prayers' (p. 16)."
"If you are not realizing your desires, you are not desiring in faith with all your heart... If you truly desire something, you will have the necessary motivation to pursue your goal thoroughly... If your goal is not a sincere desire, you will not be included to pay the price required to achieve it (p. 16)."
"It is important that we learn to control our thoughts and focus on righteous desires (p. 17)."
"The most serious failing on the part of most members of the Church with respect to faith as a principle of power is their failure to make specific decisions regarding things they want the Lord to assist them with (p. 19)."
"In your dealings with the Lord, the need to ask for specific blessings is an absolute requirement. Dedication alone is not sufficient. You must request blessings (p. 19)."
"'Remember that without faith you can do nothing; therefore ask in faith... Do not ask for that which you ought not' (D&C 8:10, p. 20)."
"Pure motives are prerequisite to the ability to call down the powers of heaven. The Lord will not sustain your efforts to achieve, excel, or receive special blessings if your desires are vain... An eye single to the glory of God means a person's general orientation to life is centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ. This orientation influences a person's conduct and attitude at all times (p. 21)."
"It is your responsibility to be certain your desires are righteous. The Lord does not dictate what desires you should strive for (p. 21)."
"'We must have goals to make progress (Spencer W. Kimball, p. 22).'"
"'Am I consistently setting goals?' If not, resolve to do so (p. 22)."
"Your success in achieving the goal will be in direct proportion to your faith and efforts, not your circumstances (p. 23)."
"Goals fall into two basic categories. 1) Goals that can be accomplished as a result of the faith that prompts you to action... 2) Goals that require you to draw on the powers of heaven because you cannot see clearly in your mind's eye how they will be accomplished. These are goals that cannot be accomplished without the Lord's help; goals that require you to call down the powers of heaven to assist you in fulfilling them (p. 24)."
"A desire cannot be considered a goal until you are willing to commit yourself and resolve to do everything in your power to achieve the goal (p. 25)."
"Your ability to achieve goals (righteous desires) will be greatly enhanced if you first seek the gifts of the spirit (p. 27)."
"It is your responsibility to prayerfully seek insight about and understanding of the gift of discernment. You must request the gift and tell the Lord why you want the gift, as well as explain what you will do with the gift if He bestows it upon you (p. 29)."
"'If any of us are imperfect, it is our duty to pray for the gift that will make us perfect. Have I imperfections? I am full of them. What is my duty: To pray to God to give me the gifts that will correct these imperfections... No man ought to say, 'Oh, I cannot help this; it is my nature.' He is not justified in it, for the reason that God has promised to give strength to correct these things, and to give gifts that will eradicate them (George Q. Cannon, p. 31).'"
"What specific gifts and blessings of the spirit have you recently received and experienced (p. 32)?"
"Once you have made a decision about what you want the Lord to help you accomplish, your next step is to plead your case before the Lord. Go to the Lord in earnest prayer. Explain your rationale in selecting your particular desire... explain in great detail why you want the particular desire to be realized... the Lord is responsive to the request of mortal men if they go to him in faith and can present a strong case for the blessing they are seeking... learn to reason with the Lord (p. 32)."
"'Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good' (Alma 37:37, p. 33)."
"If you are seeking and experiencing the Lord's help on a daily basis, when you are faced with a crisis your ability to exercise faith sufficient to call down the powers of heaven will be much greater (p. 34)."
"In your effort to solicit the Lord's help in realizing your righteous desires, you cannot rely on vocal prayers alone. You must learn to offer frequent silent prayers (p. 35)."
"The thought process itself is the key to exercising faith. To a great extent we accomplish what we think about... 'Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not' (D&C 6:36, p. 36)."
"Mental exertion involves the following basic steps: (1) train yourself to be conscious of your thoughts, (2) learn to scrutinize your thoughts to determine if they add to or detract from your faith, and (3) if a thought detracts from your faith, replace it with a thought that is based on faith, such as reminding yourself of the Lord's goodness (p. 37)."
"The full power of the mind is only realized when it is specifically focused and directed to a specific end... If you allow your mind to dwell randomly on incidental or mundane preoccupations, you will be limited in your ability to draw on the power of faith and your mind will not be a source of power for you (p. 38)."
"If we allow our mind to engage in things which do not require any effort... our mind and spirit will suffer (p. 39)."
"One of the best ways to exert yourself mentally is to create a mental picture of the thing for which you are striving and to repeatedly bring this picture to mind. In a very literal sense, desired ends must be created spiritually in the mind before they can be realized... Seeing things in your mind's eye is seeing with the 'eye of faith' (p. 39)."
"Significant insights and discoveries are made by people who have learned to discipline their minds to the extent that they can concentrate on one problem for long periods of time.. By bringing all of the energies of his intellect to bear upon a given subject or problem, he gained control of his mind and was able to make many other important discoveries. The same holds true for anyone else (p. 41)."
"Learning to think positively about something over a long period of time can be difficult because we must formulate new habits... If you dwell on supposed obstacles to achieving your goal (desire), your desire to realize your goals will not be sufficiently strong to motivate persistence (p. 42)."
"If you are consistently looking to the Lord to assist you in achieving various righteous desires, you will be complying with the Lord's admonition to 'let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord' (Alma 37:36, p. 42)."
"To what degree do your thoughts focus on the attainment of righteous desires and to what degree do you allow mundane preoccupations, doubts, and fears to occupy your mind (p. 43)?"
"'Each one of us is the architect of his own fate; and he is unfortunate indeed who will try to build himself without the inspiration of God, without realizing that he grows from within, not from without (David O. McKay, p. 44).'"
"If you want your fasting to be efficacious, express the desires of your heart to your Father in Heaven (p. 46)."
"Even though the Lord will assist you in achieving righteous goals, you need to be aware that your faith will be tried (p. 49)."
"Your trial of faith basically serves four functions: 1) it determines if a goal you are seeking is truly a desire; 2) it lets you learn if you are really dedicated to the Lord; 3) it is a means of purging you so that you become clean, pure, and spotless... and 4) it humbles you and brings you to the realization that you cannot rely on the arm of flesh... As you learn to endure your trials of faith, you will literally become a new creature in Christ... This is the process of rebirth and sanctification (p. 50)."
"You cannot succeed by relying on the 'arm of flesh.' By yourself you are extremely limited in being able to accomplish your righteous desires (p. 51)."
"Even though [Ammon and his brethren] suffered much, they ultimately experienced great joy and satisfaction in their labors because they endured their trials of faith (p. 54)."
"'I have on occasion cited the need for many reservoirs in our lives to provide for our needs... especially reservoirs of faith, so that when the world presses in upon us, we stand firm and strong (Spencer W. Kimball, p. 55).'"
"Identify a personal collection of favorite scriptures and quotations and read them when your faith is being tried (p. 56)."
"There will be times when you will begin to exercise faith in a desire that is not approved by your Father in Heaven. When this is the case you will experience a stupor of thought and will find it virtually impossible to focus your mind on your desires... Make every effort to prayerfully determine why the desire is not appropriate (p. 56)."
"In your effort to exercise faith, it is your responsibility to ensure that you do not confuse either your lack of personal worthiness, desire, personal discipline, or a trial of faith with the stupor of thought... If you are sensitive to the spirit, you will be able to discern very clearly between a trial of faith and the stupor of thought that occurs when a desire... is inappropriate (p. 57)."
"Live righteously. Prayerfully select righteous goals (desires). Specify your goals (desires) in writing. Specify when your goals (desires) will be attained. Plead your case before the Lord, telling Him what effort or sacrifice you are willing to make to achieve the goal (desire). Consistently think about your goal (desire)... Think positively about your potential to achieve your goal (desire) with the Lord's help... Remember the Lord is anxious to grant your righteous desires if you will but qualify yourself. Make your specific goal (desire) a matter of constant prayer. Pray that the Lord will enhance your ability to exercise faith as a principle of power... Recognize at the outset that your faith most likely will be tried. Make certain you do your part in your effort to achieve righteous goals (desires) (p. 57)."
"Your Desire. State your desire (goal) as specifically as possible...
Your Resolves. Everything you will do to accomplish the particular goal. These are the things that are in your power to do in order that your righteous desires will be accomplished...
The Help You Will Need from the Lord. The specific blessings that you desire to receive which will require your drawing upon the powers of heaven (p. 59)."
"It is important that you be guided by the Lord in establishing your plan of action (p. 61)."
"Revise your goals under inspiration (p. 63)."
"You should assume that your ability to perform will improve over time (p. 64)."
"How can you measure your faith (p. 64)?"
"As you begin to experience the power of faith in your everyday life, it is very important to learn to express gratitude to your Father in Heaven (p. 65)."
"As you are successful in cultivating a keen awareness of the manifestations of the spirit, your ability to use faith as a principle of power will increase (p. 66)."
"When you record faith-promoting experiences, be sure you describe the process you went through in exercising faith as well as the result of your faith (p. 66)."
"As you come to understand the power that is at your disposal through faith, you will find you can call down the powers of heaven to assist you in all your dealings and endeavors (p. 67)."
"'An intelligent being, in the image of God, possesses every organ, attribute, sense, sympathy, affection, of will, wisdom, love, power and gift, which is possessed by God himself. But... these attributes are in embryo, and are to be gradually developed... The gift of the Holy Spirit adapts itself to all these organs and attributes. It quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands, and purifies all the natural passions and affections, and adapts them by the gift of wisdom to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates, and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings, and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity. It develops beauty of person, form, and features. It tends to health, vigor, and social feeling. It develops and invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man (Parley P. Pratt, p. 68).'"
"Many things you desire in life can be accomplished to a great extent by the faith that motivates you to make resolves and apply yourself in achieving them... But in many instances, your desires will not be realized unless you learn to draw on the powers of heaven (p. 68)."
"Faith things which are hoped for (righteous desires) and not seen (you cannot see on the basis of your own ability and circumstances how these desires can be realized); wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness (assurance from the Lord that He will open the way for your desires to be realized) until after the trial of your faith (exercising faith for a sustained period of time) (p. 85)."
"As you read the scriptures... look for instances where the powers of heaven are manifest as a result of personal faith (p. 86)."
"Am I willing to promise my Father in Heaven that I will live more righteously (p. 87)?"
Here are some of my favorite quotes:
"'Learn how to pray boldly and efficaciously, not in word only but in spirit and in power, so that we may pull upon ourselves... the very powers of heaven (Bruce R. McConkie, p. v).'"
"To realize your ultimate potential in this mortal life, you must learn to draw upon the powers of heaven. No amount of knowledge or skill can compensate for the absence of the powers of heaven in your life (p. v)."
"If you learn to pull down the powers of heaven upon yourself, your talents and abilities will be greatly magnified (p. vi)."
"'Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, life their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life of God will will find eternal life (Ezra Taft Benson, p. vi).'"
"The scriptures tell us very clearly that we must be obedient to specific laws in order to receive blessings from God (p. vi)."
"A person's ability to draw on the powers of heaven is extremely limited unless he understands very specifically the process required to exercise faith (p. viii)."
"Even though faith is a gift of God, we obtain it only by exercising our agency (p. viii)."
"'Faith is not only the principle of action, but of power also... Faith... is the first great governing principle which has power, dominion, and authority over all things (Joseph Smith, p. 1).'"
"Power comes from God... Learn to call upon this power, because without the powers of heaven, we are extremely limited in what we can accomplish in all aspects of our lives (p. 2)."
"Many righteous desires are very personal in nature and should be pursued through individual faith. However, there are some desires that warrant or require the collective faith of more than one person (p. 2)."
"Where groups begin to exercise collective faith, the outpourings of the powers of heaven result in the lives of thousands of people being blessed (p. 4)."
"The Lord's hands are tied until you exercise faith (p. 8)."
"Through the powers of heaven our intellectual abilities can be magnified... insights and understandings can be revealed to our minds (p. 10)."
"Consistently call upon the Lord to assist you in achieving righteous desires and then make certain that faith accompanies your righteous living, thereby allowing the Lord the opportunity to bless you (p. 11)."
"The Lord has stipulated that 'the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon principles of righteousness.' When you are keeping the Lord's commandments... you will be able to pull down the powers of heaven to bless your life (p. 12)."
"'Faith is a gift of God bestowed as a reward for personal righteousness... the greater the measure of obedience to God's laws the greater will be the endowment of faith (Bruce R. McConkie, p. 12).'"
"'Perhaps what is wrong is that we have not desired in faith with all our hearts to bring souls into the kingdom. Perhaps we have not made up our minds that we can and will bring people into the Church (Bruce R. McConkie, p. 14).'"
"He had to convince the Lord he wanted to baptize the Lamanites and was willing to pay the price in order to succeed, and then 'the Lord granted unto him according to his prayers' (p. 16)."
"If you are not realizing your desires, you are not desiring in faith with all your heart... If you truly desire something, you will have the necessary motivation to pursue your goal thoroughly... If your goal is not a sincere desire, you will not be included to pay the price required to achieve it (p. 16)."
"It is important that we learn to control our thoughts and focus on righteous desires (p. 17)."
"The most serious failing on the part of most members of the Church with respect to faith as a principle of power is their failure to make specific decisions regarding things they want the Lord to assist them with (p. 19)."
"In your dealings with the Lord, the need to ask for specific blessings is an absolute requirement. Dedication alone is not sufficient. You must request blessings (p. 19)."
"'Remember that without faith you can do nothing; therefore ask in faith... Do not ask for that which you ought not' (D&C 8:10, p. 20)."
"Pure motives are prerequisite to the ability to call down the powers of heaven. The Lord will not sustain your efforts to achieve, excel, or receive special blessings if your desires are vain... An eye single to the glory of God means a person's general orientation to life is centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ. This orientation influences a person's conduct and attitude at all times (p. 21)."
"It is your responsibility to be certain your desires are righteous. The Lord does not dictate what desires you should strive for (p. 21)."
"'We must have goals to make progress (Spencer W. Kimball, p. 22).'"
"'Am I consistently setting goals?' If not, resolve to do so (p. 22)."
"Your success in achieving the goal will be in direct proportion to your faith and efforts, not your circumstances (p. 23)."
"Goals fall into two basic categories. 1) Goals that can be accomplished as a result of the faith that prompts you to action... 2) Goals that require you to draw on the powers of heaven because you cannot see clearly in your mind's eye how they will be accomplished. These are goals that cannot be accomplished without the Lord's help; goals that require you to call down the powers of heaven to assist you in fulfilling them (p. 24)."
"A desire cannot be considered a goal until you are willing to commit yourself and resolve to do everything in your power to achieve the goal (p. 25)."
"Your ability to achieve goals (righteous desires) will be greatly enhanced if you first seek the gifts of the spirit (p. 27)."
"It is your responsibility to prayerfully seek insight about and understanding of the gift of discernment. You must request the gift and tell the Lord why you want the gift, as well as explain what you will do with the gift if He bestows it upon you (p. 29)."
"'If any of us are imperfect, it is our duty to pray for the gift that will make us perfect. Have I imperfections? I am full of them. What is my duty: To pray to God to give me the gifts that will correct these imperfections... No man ought to say, 'Oh, I cannot help this; it is my nature.' He is not justified in it, for the reason that God has promised to give strength to correct these things, and to give gifts that will eradicate them (George Q. Cannon, p. 31).'"
"What specific gifts and blessings of the spirit have you recently received and experienced (p. 32)?"
"Once you have made a decision about what you want the Lord to help you accomplish, your next step is to plead your case before the Lord. Go to the Lord in earnest prayer. Explain your rationale in selecting your particular desire... explain in great detail why you want the particular desire to be realized... the Lord is responsive to the request of mortal men if they go to him in faith and can present a strong case for the blessing they are seeking... learn to reason with the Lord (p. 32)."
"'Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good' (Alma 37:37, p. 33)."
"If you are seeking and experiencing the Lord's help on a daily basis, when you are faced with a crisis your ability to exercise faith sufficient to call down the powers of heaven will be much greater (p. 34)."
"In your effort to solicit the Lord's help in realizing your righteous desires, you cannot rely on vocal prayers alone. You must learn to offer frequent silent prayers (p. 35)."
"The thought process itself is the key to exercising faith. To a great extent we accomplish what we think about... 'Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not' (D&C 6:36, p. 36)."
"Mental exertion involves the following basic steps: (1) train yourself to be conscious of your thoughts, (2) learn to scrutinize your thoughts to determine if they add to or detract from your faith, and (3) if a thought detracts from your faith, replace it with a thought that is based on faith, such as reminding yourself of the Lord's goodness (p. 37)."
"The full power of the mind is only realized when it is specifically focused and directed to a specific end... If you allow your mind to dwell randomly on incidental or mundane preoccupations, you will be limited in your ability to draw on the power of faith and your mind will not be a source of power for you (p. 38)."
"If we allow our mind to engage in things which do not require any effort... our mind and spirit will suffer (p. 39)."
"One of the best ways to exert yourself mentally is to create a mental picture of the thing for which you are striving and to repeatedly bring this picture to mind. In a very literal sense, desired ends must be created spiritually in the mind before they can be realized... Seeing things in your mind's eye is seeing with the 'eye of faith' (p. 39)."
"Significant insights and discoveries are made by people who have learned to discipline their minds to the extent that they can concentrate on one problem for long periods of time.. By bringing all of the energies of his intellect to bear upon a given subject or problem, he gained control of his mind and was able to make many other important discoveries. The same holds true for anyone else (p. 41)."
"Learning to think positively about something over a long period of time can be difficult because we must formulate new habits... If you dwell on supposed obstacles to achieving your goal (desire), your desire to realize your goals will not be sufficiently strong to motivate persistence (p. 42)."
"If you are consistently looking to the Lord to assist you in achieving various righteous desires, you will be complying with the Lord's admonition to 'let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord' (Alma 37:36, p. 42)."
"To what degree do your thoughts focus on the attainment of righteous desires and to what degree do you allow mundane preoccupations, doubts, and fears to occupy your mind (p. 43)?"
"'Each one of us is the architect of his own fate; and he is unfortunate indeed who will try to build himself without the inspiration of God, without realizing that he grows from within, not from without (David O. McKay, p. 44).'"
"If you want your fasting to be efficacious, express the desires of your heart to your Father in Heaven (p. 46)."
"Even though the Lord will assist you in achieving righteous goals, you need to be aware that your faith will be tried (p. 49)."
"Your trial of faith basically serves four functions: 1) it determines if a goal you are seeking is truly a desire; 2) it lets you learn if you are really dedicated to the Lord; 3) it is a means of purging you so that you become clean, pure, and spotless... and 4) it humbles you and brings you to the realization that you cannot rely on the arm of flesh... As you learn to endure your trials of faith, you will literally become a new creature in Christ... This is the process of rebirth and sanctification (p. 50)."
"You cannot succeed by relying on the 'arm of flesh.' By yourself you are extremely limited in being able to accomplish your righteous desires (p. 51)."
"Even though [Ammon and his brethren] suffered much, they ultimately experienced great joy and satisfaction in their labors because they endured their trials of faith (p. 54)."
"'I have on occasion cited the need for many reservoirs in our lives to provide for our needs... especially reservoirs of faith, so that when the world presses in upon us, we stand firm and strong (Spencer W. Kimball, p. 55).'"
"Identify a personal collection of favorite scriptures and quotations and read them when your faith is being tried (p. 56)."
"There will be times when you will begin to exercise faith in a desire that is not approved by your Father in Heaven. When this is the case you will experience a stupor of thought and will find it virtually impossible to focus your mind on your desires... Make every effort to prayerfully determine why the desire is not appropriate (p. 56)."
"In your effort to exercise faith, it is your responsibility to ensure that you do not confuse either your lack of personal worthiness, desire, personal discipline, or a trial of faith with the stupor of thought... If you are sensitive to the spirit, you will be able to discern very clearly between a trial of faith and the stupor of thought that occurs when a desire... is inappropriate (p. 57)."
"Live righteously. Prayerfully select righteous goals (desires). Specify your goals (desires) in writing. Specify when your goals (desires) will be attained. Plead your case before the Lord, telling Him what effort or sacrifice you are willing to make to achieve the goal (desire). Consistently think about your goal (desire)... Think positively about your potential to achieve your goal (desire) with the Lord's help... Remember the Lord is anxious to grant your righteous desires if you will but qualify yourself. Make your specific goal (desire) a matter of constant prayer. Pray that the Lord will enhance your ability to exercise faith as a principle of power... Recognize at the outset that your faith most likely will be tried. Make certain you do your part in your effort to achieve righteous goals (desires) (p. 57)."
"Your Desire. State your desire (goal) as specifically as possible...
Your Resolves. Everything you will do to accomplish the particular goal. These are the things that are in your power to do in order that your righteous desires will be accomplished...
The Help You Will Need from the Lord. The specific blessings that you desire to receive which will require your drawing upon the powers of heaven (p. 59)."
"It is important that you be guided by the Lord in establishing your plan of action (p. 61)."
"Revise your goals under inspiration (p. 63)."
"You should assume that your ability to perform will improve over time (p. 64)."
"How can you measure your faith (p. 64)?"
"As you begin to experience the power of faith in your everyday life, it is very important to learn to express gratitude to your Father in Heaven (p. 65)."
"As you are successful in cultivating a keen awareness of the manifestations of the spirit, your ability to use faith as a principle of power will increase (p. 66)."
"When you record faith-promoting experiences, be sure you describe the process you went through in exercising faith as well as the result of your faith (p. 66)."
"As you come to understand the power that is at your disposal through faith, you will find you can call down the powers of heaven to assist you in all your dealings and endeavors (p. 67)."
"'An intelligent being, in the image of God, possesses every organ, attribute, sense, sympathy, affection, of will, wisdom, love, power and gift, which is possessed by God himself. But... these attributes are in embryo, and are to be gradually developed... The gift of the Holy Spirit adapts itself to all these organs and attributes. It quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands, and purifies all the natural passions and affections, and adapts them by the gift of wisdom to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates, and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings, and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity. It develops beauty of person, form, and features. It tends to health, vigor, and social feeling. It develops and invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man (Parley P. Pratt, p. 68).'"
"Many things you desire in life can be accomplished to a great extent by the faith that motivates you to make resolves and apply yourself in achieving them... But in many instances, your desires will not be realized unless you learn to draw on the powers of heaven (p. 68)."
"Faith things which are hoped for (righteous desires) and not seen (you cannot see on the basis of your own ability and circumstances how these desires can be realized); wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness (assurance from the Lord that He will open the way for your desires to be realized) until after the trial of your faith (exercising faith for a sustained period of time) (p. 85)."
"As you read the scriptures... look for instances where the powers of heaven are manifest as a result of personal faith (p. 86)."
"Am I willing to promise my Father in Heaven that I will live more righteously (p. 87)?"
June 27, 2018
I agreed with much that he had to say, specifically that faith can be - well, I don’t really know how much I agree with him at all. He seems to be saying that there is a perfectly predictable relationship between one’s exercise of faith and the fulfillment of their desire. But what about times when God’s answer is ‘no’? There must be more reasons than ‘lack of faith’ for certain petitions to go ungranted and certain desires unfulfilled, right? I feel like I’m rationalizing failure; yet at the same time the brethren seem to be teaching that we can’t always expect our prayers to be answered in the affirmative. His book just seemed too systematic, too cut and dry. But why shouldn’t it be? I guess my beef with it can be justified to some extent by the Church’s ongoing effort to make us spiritually self-reliant, not to spell everything out for us in carefully defined steps. That seems to be limiting God to a particular system, when His thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are His ways our ways. I’ll bet God works in response to a lot of kinds of faith that are very different in process from the one this author outlined.
March 13, 2010
Grant Von Harrison goes through the insights of what it means to have the blessings of Heaven open up to you as you proceed through faith and dedication the the Lord, I recommend this to Missionaries and others who served a mission and are coming back from.
What I learned from Harrison's book, that in order to be successful in missionary work, one has to convince the Lord what they want and is willing to pay any price in order to succeed.
I already knew this, but from Harrison, I saw it in a new understanding of what I already learned.
What I learned from Harrison's book, that in order to be successful in missionary work, one has to convince the Lord what they want and is willing to pay any price in order to succeed.
I already knew this, but from Harrison, I saw it in a new understanding of what I already learned.
January 28, 2015
I really appreciated this book, and it is one that I will reread every year at least. This is a must read for anyone who wants to better understand the principle of faith and how to apply it in getting answers to our prayers. I feel like this is a spiritual (truer) version of "The Secret" that was so big on the best sellers list. I prefer this book!
July 29, 2012
My Grandpa and Grandma Memmott bought this book for my dad for his birthday in 1980 (3 years before I was born). The note in the cover says "Dear Danny, Hope you have a happy day, and that you'll enjoy this book as we have. Love, Dad and Mom." My mom gave it to me to read when I was in high school. Great book, which I need to read again.
June 6, 2022
Not too shabby! While it seems the author and I have different positions on the extent of grace and patience the Lord offers us while we learn to rely on him, this book still dicussed many critical attributes of communication with God, and it most certainly changed the way I pray and seek personal revelation and miracles.
August 4, 2008
When I was in college, I read this for a class. I was amazed at how much it helped me spiritually AND academically.
October 25, 2019
I really liked the strategic approach the author takes to receiving revelation. I have felt for a long time that ones ability to receive information from god was directly proportional to the seriousness they worked and sought it. And I feel that the author’s discussion of desire, goals, struggles, and faith all pointed toward the thesis that I need to be more intentional and faithful about my seeking revelation. The author even goes so far as to apply typical written goal setting and action planning processes to revelation seeking, which was a new but obvious idea to me.
Although, I’m still skeptical of some of this book’s premise that this is the only way to receive revelation. I’ve seen it take much less work but much more direct questions and seen it take all this work without bearing any fruit. So I think this is still a flawed and not appropriately inclusive way to approach the subject matter. But the content does still have its merits.
In the end I found this a really interesting and less flimsy or obscure way to look at revelation seeking, but despite my desire to apply its suggestions, I likely won’t re-read it every week for the next eight weeks and every month thereafter as the book suggests...and probably not ever read it again at all.
Although, I’m still skeptical of some of this book’s premise that this is the only way to receive revelation. I’ve seen it take much less work but much more direct questions and seen it take all this work without bearing any fruit. So I think this is still a flawed and not appropriately inclusive way to approach the subject matter. But the content does still have its merits.
In the end I found this a really interesting and less flimsy or obscure way to look at revelation seeking, but despite my desire to apply its suggestions, I likely won’t re-read it every week for the next eight weeks and every month thereafter as the book suggests...and probably not ever read it again at all.
September 24, 2021
Have you ever wondered why your prayers don't seem to get answered? Have you ever wondered if it's okay to tell Heavenly Father what you really want and need? Have you ever wondered if there are laws that govern why and how our prayers are answered? You need this book! After reading AT it for several years, I finally read it all the way through a couple of times! Now I feel like I have a part in my own answers to prayers! I realize there are heavenly laws and I am a better advocate in my prayers! I give this book to every person graduating from high school and am thrilled that I can find new copies because it's been re-released! Grant Von Harrison is a good author who is able to explain things simply so anyone can understand!
July 8, 2020
What an incredible tool for wanting to develop a deep and meaningful relationship with prayer.
Visualize the Savior sitting on the edge of your bed while you kneel down to pray in private. This visual helped, increased my purpose for praying. Prayers are the line of communication between you and the Lord, it shouldn't be repetitive and non- meaningful. Reading this years ago and the lasting impression it left on my mind stayed with me.
Visualize the Savior sitting on the edge of your bed while you kneel down to pray in private. This visual helped, increased my purpose for praying. Prayers are the line of communication between you and the Lord, it shouldn't be repetitive and non- meaningful. Reading this years ago and the lasting impression it left on my mind stayed with me.
July 28, 2023
A sugar coated scam. He preaches all the scripture that tickle the ears. He cleverly deceives the people who only want to hear, "I can be rich", when in fact they desire fame and adulation (and a hefty church calling).
It was required reading on my mission. It was essentially insinuated to us that if an elder fails it's because he's failed the Lord.
This is coming from a rock ribbed 'Mormon'.
This book is not inspired and incredibly misleading.
It was required reading on my mission. It was essentially insinuated to us that if an elder fails it's because he's failed the Lord.
This is coming from a rock ribbed 'Mormon'.
This book is not inspired and incredibly misleading.
June 15, 2018
This is a great read and a quick one too (just 90 pages). However, it is one of those books that leads you down many scriptural paths/chains that open new possibilities to you. Very practical and really gets you thinking on a higher level. A book I will read many times, a must in your library if spiritual development is important in your life.
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
July 30, 2018
Read this book 15 years ago, about time for a re-read. Although it's a real quick read, actually putting the principles that govern faith into action requires a much more time-consuming process, but as evidenced in the book, totally worth the price. There were a few parts that were too black and white for my liking.
May 10, 2021
Awesome literature for beginners and new converts or young missionaries. The activities at the end of the chapters are cute. Aside from that it didn't seem to me that this was more than midnight cramming of a theology paper with an appealing title. The correlations with verses are pretty adequate but not original. VH did well keeping it under 100 pages.
July 14, 2018
Need to reread multiple times to completely understand and apply the principles outlined. Recommend to anyone wanting to improve their relationship with Heavenly Father or just wanting to study prayer.
Physical
Physical
September 6, 2019
Good outline of those wishing to increase their spiritual awareness and sensitivity. The process is simple to follow but requires a humble heart and a sincere desire to communicate with sources beyond our current mortal realm. Success requires practice but practice can assure success.
June 19, 2017
This book helped build the strong foundation of my testimony.
October 20, 2017
This was a very poorly written and edited book. The message was good, but the presentation was awful. For that reason, I cannot recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews