Is God Ever Silent?

[inquiringmind]

Are there times when God seems silent?

Harold B. Lee once said

“In my home I have a beautiful instrument called a radio. When everything is functioning properly we can dial it to a certain station and hear the voice of a speaker on the other side of the world, but after we have used it for a long time the radio tubes begin to wear out. The radio may sit there looking just like it did before, but because of what has happened on the inside, we can hear nothing.

... “you and I have within our souls something like what might be said to be a counterpart of those radio tubes. We might have what we call a ‘go-to-sacrament-meeting’ tube, a ‘keep-the-Word-of-Wisdom’ tube, a ‘pay-your-tithing’ tube, a ‘have-your-family-prayers’ tube, a ‘read-the-scriptures’ tube, and, as one of the most important—one that might be said to be the master tube of our whole soul—we have what we might call the ‘keep-yourselves-morally-clean’ tube. If one of these becomes worn out by disuse or inactivity—if we fail to keep the commandments of God—it has the same effect upon our spiritual selves that a worn-out tube has in a radio.

http://www.lds.org/l...nd-you?lang=eng

But if you've asked God questions, and He doesn't seem to be answering them right now, does it always mean that you've sinned in some way?

If you can't hear His voice at the moment, is it always your fault?

Why did the Psalmist say "O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee...Lord, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?" (Psalm 88:1, 14)?

Are there times when He chooses to be silent?

Edited March 20, 2012 by inquiringmind

[Hamba Tuhan]

'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'

[altersteve]

Yes, there are times when He chooses to be silent.

[inquiringmind]

Yes, there are times when He chooses to be silent.

Why?

[Zakuska]

Why?

In the case of King Saul it was because of sin.

1 Sam 28

6 And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

7 ¶Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En-dor.

Perhaps to test our faith? Or maybe he's too busy fighting the invisible forces at the moment?

[altersteve]

Why?

Maybe sometimes He wants us to figure things out for ourselves. Maybe now isn't the right time to tell us. But I simply have faith that, whatever the reason, He knows what He's doing.

[JDave]

Are there times when God seems silent? I would guess many if not all feel this way.

But if you've asked God questions, and He doesn't seem to be answering them right now, does it always mean that you've sinned in some way? Sin is not a necessary antecedent to silence (or apparent silence) from God.

If you can't hear His voice at the moment, is it always your fault? Same as above question.

Why did the Psalmist say "O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee...Lord, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?" (Psalm 88:1, 14)? Because it hurts.

Are there times when He chooses to be silent? Yes. And there is a third option. It may be due to sin, or due to God choosing, or due to conditions in our fallen state.

[inquiringmind]

Maybe sometimes He wants us to figure things out for ourselves. Maybe now isn't the right time to tell us. But I simply have faith that, whatever the reason, He knows what He's doing.

Have you ever experienced this yourself?

[Zakuska]

A prophecied period of Time God kept silent:

Amos 8:11

11 ¶Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:

[rongo]

God absolutely sometimes answers us by remaining silent. This is actually a tremendous help to us in our process of seeking, receiving, and discerning personal revelation. If He answered us immediately every time we asked, no faith would be required and we wouldn't be as strong (or grateful).

I discussed a personal experience when I was worthy to receive an answer, and desperately needed one, and God didn't give me one in this paper (click on the link "The Value of How Revelation Really Works" for the appropriate section):

http://www.fairlds.org/authors/jones-mckay/well-nigh-as-dangerous

It was a huge teaching moment for me, in retrospect and after the fact. It was very hard on me at the time. A favorite quote from Brigham Young (footnote #60) with a bearing on your question is this:

"If I do not know the will of my Father, and what He requires of me in a certain transaction, if I ask Him to give me wisdom concerning any requirement in life, or in regard to my own course, or that of my friends, my family, my children, or those that I preside over, and get no answer from Him, and then do the very best that my judgment will teach me, He is bound to own and honor that transaction, and He will do so to all intents and purposes."

I have found that He sometimes does not answer us and expects us to "do the very best that our judgment will teach us," and in those cases (baring unworthiness or negligence on our part), "He is bound to own and honor that."

[altersteve]

Have you ever experienced this yourself?

I have. I was going through something a couple years ago and I prayed for guidance, but all that came to me was a brief assurance that I would find an answer soon -- but not right now. And I did indeed find my answer elsewhere later on, and I'm glad I didn't find it earlier because I learned something important from the experience.

God always knows what He's doing, whether we think so or not.

[inquiringmind]

God absolutely sometimes answers us by remaining silent. This is actually a tremendous help to us in our process of seeking, receiving, and discerning personal revelation. If He answered us immediately every time we asked, no faith would be required and we wouldn't be as strong (or grateful).

I discussed a personal experience when I was worthy to receive an answer, and desperately needed one, and God didn't give me one in this paper (click on the link "The Value of How Revelation Really Works" for the appropriate section):

http://www.fairlds.o...gh-as-dangerous

It was a huge teaching moment for me, in retrospect and after the fact. It was very hard on me at the time. A favorite quote from Brigham Young (footnote #60) with a bearing on your question is this:

"If I do not know the will of my Father, and what He requires of me in a certain transaction, if I ask Him to give me wisdom concerning any requirement in life, or in regard to my own course, or that of my friends, my family, my children, or those that I preside over, and get no answer from Him, and then do the very best that my judgment will teach me, He is bound to own and honor that transaction, and He will do so to all intents and purposes."

I have found that He sometimes does not answer us and expects us to "do the very best that our judgment will teach us," and in those cases (baring unworthiness or negligence on our part), "He is bound to own and honor that."

God absolutely sometimes answers us by remaining silent. This is actually a tremendous help to us in our process of seeking, receiving, and discerning personal revelation. If He answered us immediately every time we asked, no faith would be required and we wouldn't be as strong (or grateful).

I discussed a personal experience when I was worthy to receive an answer, and desperately needed one, and God didn't give me one in this paper (click on the link "The Value of How Revelation Really Works" for the appropriate section):

http://www.fairlds.o...gh-as-dangerous

It was a huge teaching moment for me, in retrospect and after the fact. It was very hard on me at the time. A favorite quote from Brigham Young (footnote #60) with a bearing on your question is this:

"If I do not know the will of my Father, and what He requires of me in a certain transaction, if I ask Him to give me wisdom concerning any requirement in life, or in regard to my own course, or that of my friends, my family, my children, or those that I preside over, and get no answer from Him, and then do the very best that my judgment will teach me, He is bound to own and honor that transaction, and He will do so to all intents and purposes."

I have found that He sometimes does not answer us and expects us to "do the very best that our judgment will teach us," and in those cases (baring unworthiness or negligence on our part), "He is bound to own and honor that."

THANK YOU.

[Zakuska]

Perhaps God is silent because he has told us the same thing so many times and we wouldn't listen.

Zech 7

8 ¶And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying,

9 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:

10 And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts.

13 Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts:

14 But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.

[Grundelwalken]

Perhaps God is silent because he has told us the same thing so many times and we wouldn't listen.

I know that in my case that has been the pattern quite often. Sadly, I am a slow learner and keep asking the same questions -- only to get the silent treatment. Sometimes God also is silent because the question is not critical to my salvation/life and can be answered multiple ways -- and I have to choose. How better to teach me to be like Him. MW

[Duncan]

this is an area that baffles me. Some people seem to get revelation or direction on seemingly small things yet other people struggle and struggle and struggle to the point of giving up entirely and not even caring what God thinks

[inquiringmind]

Perhaps God is silent because he has told us the same thing so many times and we wouldn't listen.

My question was whether His silence always indicates some failing on our part, and from the tone of your replies here, it would seem you think the answer is yes.

So would you say that's why Brigham Young sometimes found that he got no answer from God?

"If I do not know the will of my Father, and what He requires of me in a certain transaction, if I ask Him to give me wisdom concerning any requirement in life, or in regard to my own course, or that of my friends, my family, my children, or those that I preside over, and get no answer from Him, and then do the very best that my judgment will teach me, He is bound to own and honor that transaction, and He will do so to all intents and purposes."

Edited March 20, 2012 by inquiringmind

[inquiringmind]

this is an area that baffles me. Some people seem to get revelation or direction on seemingly small things yet other people struggle and struggle and struggle to the point of giving up entirely and not even caring what God thinks

Thank you Duncan.

So do you think the people who don't get immediate answers are all morally deficient in some way?

Edited March 20, 2012 by inquiringmind

[Zakuska]

My question was whether His silence always indicates some failing on our part, and looking at your replies here, it would seem you think the answer is yes.

So are you saying that that's why Brigham Young sometimes found Him to be silent?

I "never" speak in absolutes like always and never. (Yes I see the irony)

Im just showing examples in the scriptures where human failing seems to have been the cause.

Perhaps next I should find verses where Human faithfulness seem to be the cause for the answer to prayers.

Pslam 3

1 Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.

2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.

3 But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

4 I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.

6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.

7 Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

8 Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.

[Duncan]

And do you think the people who don't get immediate answers are all morally deficient in some way?

morally deficient? uh no.. trut be told I am not sure I know what that even means

[inquiringmind]

I "never" speak in absolutes like always and never.

That God is sometimes silent because of our moral failings is an obvious given.

The question asked in the OP is whether thiat's the only reason he's ever silent (and if you have nothing to say about that, you have nothing to say that's relevant to the topic heading.)

Edited March 20, 2012 by inquiringmind

[inquiringmind]

morally deficient? uh no.. truth be told I am not sure I know what that even means

Thank you Duncan.

It could mean breaking the word of wisdom, the law of chastity, or the law of tithing.

Do you think the people who "struggle and struggle," and don't seem to hear God clearly (at least as quickly as the others you mentioned). are all secretly guilty of some such sins?

And what did you think of that quote from Brigham Young?

"If I do not know the will of my Father, and what He requires of me in a certain transaction, if I ask Him to give me wisdom concerning any requirement in life, or in regard to my own course, or that of my friends, my family, my children, or those that I preside over, and get no answer from Him, and then do the very best that my judgment will teach me, He is bound to own and honor that transaction, and He will do so to all intents and purposes."

Edited March 20, 2012 by inquiringmind

[Duncan]

I grew up thinking that you had to go to the Bishop to be declared worthy and I had a nosy rosy Bishop which didn't help! haha! Someone told me that the spirit tells you're worthy so the question was how do you know you are worthy if the spirit can't tell you because you are in fact unworthy? so, I said before I believed in a mumbo-jumbo hodge podge of ideas that God broke from me and now I think worthiness has more to do with attitude. You will go absolutley bonkers, as I have, looking for sins and trangressions and that isn't healthy whatsoever. I think people need to let God know what is going on and then trust him to get an answer

[Calm]

He was silent for me for a time (side effect of a drug prevented me from hearing the Spirit) I believe so I would put effort into learning new ways to communicate with him.

[zerinus]

Why?

Sometimes He wants us to think things through for ourselves. Sometimes He answers us in ways that are different from our expectations. And sometimes he wants us to take the initial steps in faith before He shines a light to show us a few steps ahead. Nephi went forward "not knowing beforehand the things he should do" (1 Nephi 4:6).

Edited March 20, 2012 by zerinus

[CV75]

Are there times when God seems silent?

But if you've asked God questions, and He doesn't seem to be answering them right now, does it always mean that you've sinned in some way?

If you can't hear His voice at the moment, is it always your fault?

Why did the Psalmist say "O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee...Lord, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?" (Psalm 88:1, 14)?

Are there times when He chooses to be silent?

To address the 5 questions:

Yes.

No. And we all sin in some way, and He still answers prayers. Harold B. Lee is referring to the effects of persistent, willful disobedience, where the Spirit ceases striving with someone (the analogy or worn-out tubes).

No.

Because he feels forsaken, whether rightly or not.

Yes, but only for our own good.

Edited March 21, 2012 by CV75