Professor Cecilia Peek shares how to have better communication with God.
During the Friday session of the 2023 BYU Women’s Conference, hundreds of women gathered to learn how building a relationship with God invites personal revelation. Associate Professor Cecilia Peek (Classics, Hellenistic, and Roman History) introduced her presentation, “Personal Revelation: Does God Really Want to Speak to Me?” by saying, “The short answer is, yes.”
Drawing on her expertise as a professor of classics, Peek explained the Greek root of the word revelation, which means to uncover or to lay open what has been hidden. She said, “We say reveal, but if instead we think of it in terms of uncovering something that was hidden, it seems to me to suggest that it’s already there, it’s already true, it’s already real. We just haven’t been able to see it yet.” Sometimes what we need to know we can’t find out on our own, and we need God to help guide us towards answers. To uncover those answers, we first need to have a strong relationship with our Heavenly Father.
We can look to God to know how to build our relationship with Him. Peek shared Oliver Cowdery’s experience in Doctrine and Covenants 6 to illustrate how God establishes a personal relationship. First, the Lord called Oliver by name, not just identifying him but also impressing on Oliver that He cares. After establishing a loving relationship, the Lord gently reminded Oliver of the answers he’d already received and provided more revelation. Explaining this interaction, Peek said, “Revelation only really successfully happens in a relationship.” She then asked the audience to discuss the circumstances and characteristics of relationships that foster communication in our human experience. Attendees identified time, vulnerability, safety, and love as building blocks for a trusting, intimate relationship with others and with God.
Peek then shared her personal struggles to maintain relationships and receive revelation. She explained how our relationship with God is similar to our relationships with friends: both relationships take effort and time, and when we make mistakes, we need to rebuild those relationships with humility. Peek asked the audience to consider this question: “What do I need to do to build, possibly repair, a relationship?” She continued, “[God] can’t just be someone we casually refer to. We need to have a meaningful, trust-filled relationship with our Heavenly Father so that He is willing and able to reveal His will to us.” When we strengthen our relationship with God, we can uncover His will for us.
To learn more about the BYU Women’s Conference, including how you can attend next year, click here.