3 Nephi 11 - 12

Sometime after the great and terrible destruction and the three days of thick darkness -

"...there were a great multitude gathered together, of the people of Nephi, round about the temple which was in the land Bountiful; and they were marveling and wondering one with another, and were showing one to another the great and marvelous change which had taken place.
2 And they were also conversing about this Jesus Christ, of whom the sign had been given concerning his death..." (Book of Mormon 3 Nephi 11:1 - 2)

And -

"...while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn." (Book of Mormon 3 Nephi 11:3)

And then -

"...again they heard the voice, and they understood it not..." (Book of Mormon 3 Nephi 11:4)

As I read of this even, I found myself reading over and over the words concerning the voice some of the people heard . I assume some of the people because it mentions those "that did hear". Of those that did hear, they described of the voice -

• It was not a harsh voice
• It was not a loud voice
• It was a small voice
• It did pierce them to the center
• It did cause every part of their frame to quake
• It did pierce them to the very soul.
• It did cause their hearts to burn.
• They did not understand the voice.

Elijah described this same voice as a -

"...still small voice." (Old Testament 1 Kings 19:12)

After praying all day and into the night, Enos tells of a voice that said to him -

"...thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed." (Book of Mormon Enos 1:5)

Then continuing in prayer, Enos hears the voice again, but this time he provides a little bit more detail -

...behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mind again..." (Book of Mormon Enos 1:10)

Suggesting that the voice of the Lord was heard in his mind.

But this still small voice maybe more than that just a voice that comes into your mind, for Nephi told his brothers that the Lord had spoken to them -

"... in a still small voice, but [they] were past feeling..."(Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 17:45)

The still small voice must then is related to both your mind and your feelings or in other words, your heart. The Lord revealed to Oliver Cowdery how he is to obtain knowledge -

"...behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 8:2)

And to make sure the Oliver understands, the Lord tells him -

"...this is the spirit of revelation..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 8:3)

In fact, it is the same way or spirit -

...by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 8:3)

The Lord later explains to Oliver what the spirit of revelation that will "dwell in your heart" means -

"...you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right...." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 9:8)

I believe this was the same still small voice the Nephites heard at the temple in Bountiful that they did not understand. But -

"...the third time they did hear the voice, and did open their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sound thereof; and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came." (Book of Mormon 3 Nephi 11:5)

And because they "did open their ears to hear" -

"...the third time they did understand the voice..." (Book of Mormon 3 Nephi 11:6)

King Benjamin said to his people

"...hearken unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view..." (Book of Mormon Mosiah 2:9)

To open ones ears to hear then is to humble, teachable, and willing to believe and obey. Such was the will of the Lord for the Camp of Israel traveling west -

"Let him that is ignorant learn wisdom by humbling himself and calling upon the Lord his God, that his eyes may be opened that he may see, and his ears opened that he may hear..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 136:32)

To hear is to follow and obey, as the Savior said after many parables -

"...He that hath ears to hear, let him hear..." (New Testament Mark 4:9)