"Is it strange for a professor to pray over the literary history and criticism that he writes?" Trenton L. Hickman, associate professor of English asked his audience at Tuesday's devotional.
Hickman found his answer after several failed attempts to revise an essay for publication. With humility, he knelt in prayer and asked Heavenly Father to allow the Spirit to guide his work.
"When I finished my prayer and sat back at my desk, I experienced what I think Joseph Smith meant by 'pure intelligence flowing into you and 'sudden strokes of ideas,'" he said. "I had concepts coming into my mind as if a faucet had turned on in my brain, and I raced to jot down these ideas before they were lost."
Hickman expanded on how individuals can receive knowledge and guidance to help them face any situation - be it an uncomfortable conversation or a severe case of writer's block - if they will humble themselves and pray for promptings from the Holy Ghost.
If you missed Hickman’s address, it can be streamed on demand at BYUtv.org and will be available on speeches.byu.edu.
Next Devotional Address
Next week’s devotional (Tuesday, June 10, at 11:05 a.m., in the de Jong Concert Hall) will be given by BYU Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Brent Nelson.
Nelson's address will center on a quote from Nephi, who was speaking about God when he wrote: "I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." He will talk about how when we consider God in His role as our father, we are taught important truths about our purpose in life.
Writer: Paige Montgomery
