What the Book of Mormon Can Teach Us about Divine Silence | The Wonder of Scripture Matthew Wickman

Описание: What does it mean when heaven feels quiet?

In this thoughtful lecture, Matthew Wickman explores what the Book of Mormon can teach us about divine silence—the moments when God seems absent, unanswered, or wordless. Drawing from literary theory, theology, and careful personal scripture study, Wickman suggests that silence in the Book of Mormon is not a void but a tutor.

Rather than signaling abandonment, divine silence often becomes a sacred space where God refines, strengthens, and attunes His people.

Through powerful examples—Nephi’s line-upon-line revelation, the brother of Jared’s bold response to heaven’s quiet, Alma’s people feeling their burdens lightened before deliverance comes, and the “still small voice” in 3 Nephi that pierces to the very soul—Wickman identifies three distinct forms of divine silence:

• Merciful silence – when God withholds the full picture so we aren’t overwhelmed
• Consoling silence – when God’s presence is felt even before answers arrive
• Attuning silence – when heaven speaks softly enough to refine our spiritual senses

This lecture offers reassurance to anyone who has prayed into what felt like emptiness and wondered if God was listening. The Book of Mormon suggests that silence is not the opposite of revelation—it is often part of it.