I testify that inspiration can be the spring for every person's

The words of James E. Faust — “I testify that inspiration can be the spring for every person's hope, guidance, and strength. It is one of the magnified treasures of life. It involves coming to the infinite knowledge of God” — speak not merely as a statement of belief, but as a spiritual proclamation of eternal truth. Faust, a leader and apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was a man whose life was rooted in faith, service, and reflection. His words rise from the deep well of experience and communion with the divine, and they carry the tone of ancient wisdom: that inspiration — that quiet whisper from beyond the veil of mortal thought — is the fountain of all that sustains the human spirit. In this teaching, Faust reveals that the truest strength of man is not born of his own power, but from his openness to the divine breath that moves within him.

To call inspiration a “spring” is to evoke the image of living water — pure, eternal, and ever-renewing. Just as a spring nourishes the land around it, so too does divine inspiration nourish the soul, turning desolation into abundance. Faust’s imagery echoes the scriptures, where prophets spoke of “waters of life” and “rivers of wisdom” flowing from God’s throne. It is not a stagnant gift but a living force, rising from the depths of the human heart when it is aligned with heaven. Through inspiration, the weary find hope, the lost find guidance, and the weak find strength. It is, as Faust says, a magnified treasure — a power both infinite in source and personal in touch, offered to every soul willing to seek it with humility.

Throughout history, this truth has been confirmed by the lives of those who have changed the world not through ambition, but through divine guidance. Consider Joan of Arc, a simple peasant girl who, through inspiration she believed came from God, led armies and altered the fate of nations. Her courage was not born of pride but of revelation — a voice that spoke to her spirit when all reason would have silenced her. Her story reveals what Faust teaches: that inspiration transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, lifting the human beyond his limits into the realm of the divine. Such moments are not the privilege of prophets or saints alone; they are offered to all who seek truth with an open heart.

Faust also reminds us that inspiration “involves coming to the infinite knowledge of God.” In this lies the essence of all spiritual growth: that to be inspired is not merely to receive a fleeting thought, but to commune — to touch, however briefly, the mind of the Eternal. Inspiration is thus both gift and invitation — a gift of insight, and an invitation to ascend into deeper understanding. In those sacred moments when one feels guided beyond human reasoning, one stands, if only for an instant, in the light of divine intelligence. The ancients called this illumination, the mystics called it communion, and Faust calls it what it truly is — a glimpse into the infinite knowledge of God.

The power of inspiration is seen not only in revelation but in resilience. In times of trial, those who turn their hearts heavenward find strength beyond their own. Consider Abraham Lincoln, who during the long years of civil war confessed that he was driven “many times upon his knees by the overwhelming conviction that he had nowhere else to go.” From that humble posture, he found wisdom to preserve his nation and mercy to heal its wounds. His leadership was not the product of intellect alone, but of inspired guidance — the same quiet force Faust exalts as life’s greatest treasure. It is the same spirit that whispers to parents in moments of uncertainty, to teachers as they lift young minds, and to all who seek truth amid the noise of the world.

Faust’s testimony, then, is not only for believers, but for all seekers of meaning. It calls each of us to live not as self-contained beings, but as vessels through which divine light may pass. To cultivate inspiration requires stillness, humility, and faith. It is found not in the noise of the world but in the quiet moments of reflection — in prayer, in meditation, in gratitude, and in the courage to act upon what the heart knows to be true. When we open ourselves to inspiration, we align our will with God’s purpose, and in doing so, we awaken to the boundless strength that flows from His presence.

The lesson in Faust’s words is both simple and profound: that life’s greatest source of power is not material, but spiritual. Hope, guidance, and strength do not come from circumstance, but from connection — the living connection between the human and the divine. Therefore, let every soul who hungers for direction learn to listen. Seek the still, small voice that speaks beneath the clamor of the world. When fear rises, look to faith; when confusion clouds the way, seek the light that never dims. For inspiration, as James E. Faust declared, is not only a gift from God — it is the very language through which He continues to speak to His children.

So let us, like the prophets and the poets of old, learn to live with our hearts attuned to heaven. Let us draw from that eternal spring of inspiration, that we may find hope in despair, wisdom in doubt, and strength in weariness. For in every age, and in every soul that listens, the same truth abides: those who walk with the light of divine inspiration never walk alone.