How do I Receive Inspiration / Revelation

How do I receive inspiration/revelation from God? I believe I am doing most of what this section has suggested, but there is much room for improvement. I fall so short of having the understanding of the scriptures that I should. I try, but it seems I fall flat.

If it is revelation I want, I must:

1. Cease to be angry, hurt, or defensive [sigh] I try hard. Most of the time, I feel like I do fine. My motto I recite to myself and anyone who will listen is: "Don't ruin what is becuase of what isn't". I stand by this quote. Even when things are gloriously great, if we seek to improve them in a worldly way, these emotions can sneak in.
2. Loud, inappropriate laughter is offensive to the Spirit. I've had to learn to laugh. It wasn't something that came naturally to me. But inappropriate laughter, unfortunately, comes too easily.
3. Care and quiet speach. Is that another way of saying soft spoken? Well then, I've got that one. 
4. Good health habits, i.e. clean foods, enough sleep, exercise. This is a constant effort to adjust and readjust as I get older. I know this one is a truth. 
5. Don't get distracted. Ugh! This one is harder for me. Multi-tasking is a distraction. I have always felt mastering this skill has been a virtue. I can now see where it isn't. I'm trying ever so hard to overcome it by being present in a conversation or in the moment. It is a "left-hand" movement, but I'm improving.
6. Record instantly meaningful dreams or any inspiration I get. There's always room for improvement.

Elder Richard Scott's talk was a great reminder of this skillset. His bullet points:

• Inspiration carefully recorded shows God that His communications are sacred to us. Recording will also enhance our ability to recall revelation.
• One must be ever mentally and physically clean and have purity of intent so that the Lord can inspire.
• Humility is a fertile soil where spirituality grows and produces the fruit of inspiration to know what to do.
• Our Heavenly Father did not put us on earth to fail but to succeed gloriously.
• Two indicators that a feeling or prompting comes from God are that it produces peace in your heart and a quiet, warm feeling.
• Should choices be wrong, they can be rectified through repentance. When its conditions are fully met, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, our Savior, provides a release from the demands of justice for the errors made. It is wondrously simple and so incomparably beautiful.
• Communication with our Father in Heaven is not a trivial matter. It is a sacred privilege. It is based upon eternal, unchanging principles. We receive help from our Father in Heaven in response to our faith, obedience, and the proper use of agency.

Mormon 1 – Then and Now

The Nephites are in a terrible state of wickedness – so much so that the disciples of Jesus who had been given the opportunity to tarry until the second coming of Jesus Christ were taken away and there were no more miracles in all of the land (v13). 

How blessed we are that in spite of the wickedness surrounding us, the Lord has promised that the gospel of Jesus Christ will remain on the earth until He returns.  There will be awful trials and tribulations; of this we can be sure.  We are currently going through trials.  There isn’t a home in my own small world that isn’t suffering trials of some kind – and these are all wonderful and active people serving the Lord continuously.  So what is the difference between then and now?

We have apostles and prophets showing us the way – teaching us the things we must do to be worthy of the Lord’s guidance through these rough and turbulent waters.  It was just this morning as I was listening to my daughter lament about the terrible injustice of our health system and the burdensome premiums that have been hiked again – even with the legal mandate that all people will be insured and have access to medical care.  There are options, and if a person had a crystal ball to know what medical issues their family will be dealing with in the future, it would be a walk in the park.  But we don’t have that crystal ball.  However, I told her the Lord knows what their future holds and she needs to do her homework on what she knows, put the figures on a piece of paper and weigh it out for herself.  When she thinks she’s found the right solution, take it to the Lord and get His approval.  When His approval comes, trust the outcome.  When the Lord puts His approval on something, you can rest assured that it is the best option and NEVER second-guess your decision.  (D&C 6:23)  This is the most valuable tool we have to see us through these trying times.

In v14, Mormon tells us that “. . . there were no gifts from the Lord, and the Holy Ghost did not come upon any, because of their wickedness and unbelief.”  Since we have been promised we will never be without these gifts, it is my firm conviction we must do everything in our power to not lose them. 

It is my firm testimony that the Lord has a Plan and we are part of that Plan.  We can trust that He wants to bless us.  We must live worthy so that He can do so.