The Holy Ghost shall be thy
constant companion, and thy scepter and unchanging scepter of righteousness and
truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without
compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever (D&C 121: 46).
During the
summer of 2005, my two oldest sons, Conrad and Caleb, were on a Young Men’s
white-water river trip adventure in Moab, Utah.
While they were going down the fast currents of the Colorado River, a
strong storm stopped them from continuing on.
As many people know, the weather in southern Utah can become very
extreme and dangerous at times. The
party soon became separated. The leaders
were further up the river and out of sight, but Conrad and Caleb, as some of the
oldest of the young men, “felt” that they needed to take it upon themselves at
that time to bring up the tail end of the group and to ensure all were
okay. The boys made the decision to
beach the rafts and take cover from the hail under a tree nearby, close to
shore. While they were under this tree,
the sky got darker, the hail got worse, and the wind significantly
increased. The young men that were with
Conrad and Caleb in this adventure were getting a little frightened at this
awesome display of nature and began to question if they were safe or not. At this exact point, Caleb “felt” that a
prayer would be appropriate and Conrad volunteered to say it on behalf of all
present. According to Conrad, during the
prayer, the memory of our most recent Family Home Evening came to his mind with
the added thought to put into practice what they had been taught during that
particular Family Home Evening. As a
result, Conrad “felt” to voice in his prayer that they “would be able to adapt
to their individual circumstances”. Shortly afterwards, the storm was over, and
they were able to rejoin their group further up river with no injuries or
trauma, but only an interesting memory.
What makes this story
most intriguing when they told it to me is the fact that just the Monday before
they had departed, our family held a family home evening lesson, given by my
youngest son, Collin, on a talk by Elder David A. Bednar in October 2001 at BYU
entitled “In the strength of the Lord”[i],
which discusses how we need to ask to be able to adapt to each trial we have,
rather than ask for it to disappear.
This way, our dependence on the Lord increases and we grow in strength
and faith.
The amazing thing is, our children were listening! More importantly, both boys had received impressions
or “feelings” from the Holy Ghost (Caleb to say a prayer and Conrad to recall a
lesson learned) during a very stressful time and acted upon it. They had learned from this family home
evening lesson and ultimately prayed to be able to endure, rather than have the
trial disappear.
One of the purposes of the Holy Ghost is
to be able to bring to mind lessons that we learned from our lives which can
help us grow and developed as children of our Father in Heaven. Learning to recognize these promptings from
the Holy Ghost is not just a one-time experience. From the understanding of my sons, they had
learned this from a very early age and all that celestial school work was now
being applied into life’s practical application.
After we have made the conscience decision
to be baptized, we are given the gift of the Holy Ghost through proper
priesthood authority. What is this
“unspeakable gift” that is given to us (see D&C 121: 26)? How can this gift help us obtain true
discipleship? As each of my own children
has received the ordinance of baptism, it was my privilege to confer upon them
the gift of the Holy Ghost. But like
baptism, this decision to become baptized and receive the Holy Ghost was not an
arbitrary decision by any of them. It was
intentional, purposeful, and anticipated.
It was an honor to speak with each of my children prior to baptism and
receiving the Holy Ghost to help them understand 1. What is the purpose of the
Holy Ghost? 2. What is meant by the word “comforter” spoken of in the
scriptures? and 3. How does the Holy Ghost teach us truth, gospel principles
and help us remember things that can strengthen our faith and testimony?
When the Savior led his disciples into the
garden of Gethsemane for the last time, I’m positive that his eleven apostles
sensed, but perhaps could not understand, that something monumental and epic
was happening. Earlier, Jesus had spoken
of leaving them. They understood that
the man with whom they had worked with, lived with, been taught by, and loved,
was going somewhere, but they did not know.
They had heard Him say:
“I
will not leave you comfortless….
But the
comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he
shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14: 18, 26).
At a time where confusion and
misunderstanding were so evident, what reassurance and comfort these words may
have brought the remaining apostles.
As a child, the doctrine of the Holy
Ghost was a frightening one to me. For some reason, in my mind, the word
association with “Ghost” gave me the impression of haunted houses, spooks, and
things that go bump in the night. I
could not have been further from the truth! For this reason I want to make sure
that my own children, while they were growing up, understood exactly who the
Holy Ghost is and teach them that it really can be a “comforter” when needed.
The Holy Ghost is the third member of the
Godhead. He is a personage of spirit and
bears witness to all truth. Although
there are many scriptural references to Him, most of the references call him a
comforter, teacher, or a revelator (one that reveals the will of our Father in
Heaven).
The Purpose of the Holy Ghost
In order to answer what the purpose of the
Holy Ghost is, we need to start with what it says in the scriptures. The book of John from the New Testament
answers this question very clearly. It
says “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father,
even the Spirit of truth, which
proceedeth from the Father, he shall
testify of me:” (John 15: 26, emphasis added).
The Holy Ghost does testify of the reality
of our Father in Heaven and Savior Jesus Christ. He reveals truth. I experienced this as a young missionary in
Brisbane, Australia.
I grew up in a devoted Latter-day Saint
home where there was much love and where my parents could freely talk about the
gospel. Family prayer, family home
evening, and church participation was encouraged, healthy and robust. My Mom and Dad would, quite often as a matter
of fact, testify to me and to the rest of my siblings that the Church was true
and I can vividly remember how passionate they felt about personal prayer. These lessons were taught in my youth and
stayed with me all during my teenage years.
Yet, despite all of this available to me as a young man, I had never
taken the time to actually pray about the Church or discover for myself if the
church was true. My Mom and Dad would
say that the Church was true; therefore I would say that the church was
true. I leaned heavily on my parent’s
testimony while growing up. That is,
until I had a life changing experience while serving early on my mission.
I had been out on my mission less than a
week, when my companion, Elder Paul L. Clark and I knocked on the door of a
Pentecostal minister. He welcomed us
into his home, but immediately began to attack our beliefs. He made it very clear that he had no
intention of ever becoming a member of the Church, but that he wanted to
destroy the faith that we had in his attempt to try to “save” us. He asked us questions which I did not have
the answer to and debated points of doctrine with us. Elder Clark tried to do
the best he could knowing that I was a “green” missionary and that he was
responsible for my training. I had never
experienced anything like this before in my life, and unfortunately, I made the
mistake of being shook up by his words.
After several minutes, it was evident to all of us that this
conversation was going nowhere, and we promptly left. Nevertheless, I was still troubled by many of
the points that had been brought out and they kept going through my mind over
and over again. After several minutes,
in despair, I finally stopped riding my bike and Elder Clark came over,
instinctively knowing that something was amiss, “what’s wrong?” Elder Clark
asked. “I need to go back to the flat (the word “flat” means “apartment” in
Australian) and spend some time alone” I said to him. Elder Clark, being so attentive to the
Spirit, could sense the need I had and allowed me this special honor.
When we got back to the flat, I
immediately went into a private room where I could kneel in prayer and finally
ask what I should have asked my Father in Heaven years earlier. Was the Church true? Were there REALLY prophets and apostles on
the earth today? Was the Book of Mormon
real and did Joseph Smith see what he said he saw. I began to quote from memory Moroni 10: 3-5[1],
just to remind Him that I was sincere in my quest for knowing. Before I had even finished the quote, I
knew….The Spirit testified to me that it was true, all of it. When I left that bedroom, I knew something
that the Pentecostal minister didn’t know.
I knew that the Church was true, and that it was the only true church on
the face of the earth.
The Holy Ghost testified to me of truth in
a way that I could understand and build upon.
And the best news of all is that this was not an isolated experience. It happened to me over and over again while
serving a mission, especially as I needed it and continues to do so in my life
today as I live worthily of His companionship.
The Holy Ghost will testify to all. It is a key part of enduring discipleship.
President Boyd K. Packer, President of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explains that the Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel
more than you hear.
It is described as a “still small voice.”
And while we speak of “listening” to the whisperings of the Spirit, most
often one describes a spiritual prompting by saying, “I had a feeling …”[ii] President Packer taught at another time: “The
Holy Ghost communicates with the spirit through
the mind more than through the physical senses. This guidance comes as thoughts, as feelings, through impressions
and promptings. It is not always easy to describe inspiration. The
scriptures teach us that we may ‘feel’ the words of spiritual communication
more than hear them, and see with spiritual rather than with mortal eyes (see 1
Nephi 17:45)”[iii]
President Spencer W. Kimball
(1895-1985), twelfth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints once taught: “The gift of the Holy Ghost grows with worthiness. If you are baptized when you are
eight years old, of course you are a child, and there is much you would not be
expected to know. But the Holy Ghost comes to you as you grow and learn and
make yourselves worthy. It comes a little
at a time as you merit it. And as your life is in harmony, you gradually
receive the Holy Ghost in a great measure.”[iv]
So, how does a person know
when he or she truly has received a manifestation of the Holy Ghost? The person
will know it by how he or she feels.
What is meant by “Comforter?”
The book of John from the
Bible does a good job explaining what is meant by the term “Comforter”. It says: “But the Comforter, which is the
Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all
things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto
you (John 14: 26). As in the story of my sons Conrad and Caleb, these
“feelings” that come from the Holy Ghost can provide comfort at times of great
need. I cannot think of a more
appropriate title than “Comforter” when referencing the Holy Ghost.
The term “Comfort” is
generally something we all think of as being sorely needed when an event in our
life is considered along the lines of a trial or tragedy. As indicated early on in this chapter,
“comfort” was something that our Savior’s apostles were genuinely looking for
shortly after His crucifixion. They received that comfort when the Savior
appeared to them in the 24th chapter of Luke. There are other numerous examples of
“comforting” found in the scriptures during times of grief. One such example is
found in the Doctrine and Covenants when our beloved prophet Joseph Smith was a
prisoner in the Liberty Jail. I can only
imagine the heartache he must have been feeling knowing that his people were
being wronged in every imaginable way.
The members of the Church at the time were being mocked, ridiculed,
robbed, plundered, cheated, and in some cases murdered, while he spent time in
this cold, dark, damp, dreary, rat infested dungeon. Joseph’s health had taken a turn for the
worse. He himself had been poisoned,
abused, starved and beaten. Finally, at
a time when he could take it no longer, the comforting words came: “My son,
peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a
small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high;
thou shalt triumph over all thy foes” (D&C 121: 7-8).
But the comforter does not
need to come only during times of grief.
As explained earlier, He comes to testify of truth, which in and of
itself is a great comfort.
While attending a Priesthood Executive
Committee (PEC) meeting during the summer of 2013, all of us present in this
gathering were discussing ways that we could reach out and help others that had
chosen a different path and fallen into church inactivity. Most of these good people were located within
one specific area of the Ward. The
decision was made by the Bishop, Kevin C. Christensen, to say a special prayer
that we would be able to decide what course of action our Father in Heaven
wanted us to take. Time was then set
apart to ponder over the idea and generate some thoughts. After a small amount of time, Brother Jeff
Bingham, who was currently serving as a counselor in the Bishopric, said rather
enthusiastically, “I have an idea!” A
thought had just come into his mind, and he wanted to share it with all of
those present. That is the way the Holy
Ghost can prompt us if we take the time to listen. It will come to us as sudden ideas. Sometimes, if we are not listening, the
impressions we get can be so subtle, so delicate, that the lessons that the
Holy Ghost is trying to teach us may be overlooked.
I love to use this example of
attending this PEC when I teach Sunday School classes, especially when I am
teaching the youth. So many times, perhaps
in their hastiness, some youth have said that they have never felt the
Spirit. Nothing could be further from
the truth. My experience has led me to
believe that many times, the youth have been inspired to do or say something,
but they need to have these pivotal moments in their life pointed out to them
and help them to understand that this is the Holy Ghost working through
them. As a teacher of the Gospel, it is
important that we help those that we teach make connections between what they
are learning in class, and experiences that they have had in life and tying the
two together.
In
November 1996, during a BYU Devotional, Sister Sally T. Taylor gave us a very
good explanation of specifics on how
the Holy Ghost works in each of us and helps us learn. She said:
“As our teacher, the Holy Ghost can do three things for us in our efforts to
learn. First, he can reveal new knowledge. The Doctrine and Covenants says, “If
thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge,
that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things” (D&C 42:61). If
we do our part and can do no more, the Holy Ghost will add that “line upon
line” to our understanding. We may even receive new insights that the world
could not give. A second thing the Holy Ghost can do is to help us make
connections. Like a chemist putting two different familiar elements together to
create something new, we can be guided in our studies to make connections that
will open up an entirely new possibility. A third way that the Holy Ghost can
teach us is to bring to our mind forgotten things”[v].
Learn to recognize it. More
importantly, learn to follow it. Elder
Marvin J. Ashton (1915-1994), a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
taught “Small voices are heard only by those who are willing to listen”[vi]
Adversarial
imitations of the gifts of the Spirit
In
March of 2013, while my son Caleb was serving his mission in San Fernando,
California, he indicated to me in several emails that he was worried and
concerned that many of his friends that he had made in California were being
deceived by false imitations of the Spirit and leaving the Church. Many of his friends had recently gone through
some trials and tremendous personal tragedies.
As a result, Caleb’s friends said that they would see things that they
could not explain, and subsequently were being gently led away from the Gospel
a little at a time. Their testimonies
were being challenged and all that they had come to know about the gospel of
Jesus Christ despite the great missionary effort and comfort provided by the
Holy Ghost. Caleb asked me what he
should do about it and how he could best help them. How I wish that I could have spoken to him in
person about this topic, but he was doing what he was supposed to be doing at
the time and place he was supposed to be doing it. A letter would have to suffice for now. After much pondering and prayer I was able to
pen the few words you are about to read.
My understanding is that it was very helpful to Caleb and his companion
at the time. Below are excerpts from the
letter that I wrote in response to his questions:
Dear Caleb:
I am sure that [your friends]
interests and motives are pure. [They]
have had some significant events in [their] lives that may explain why they do
what they do. When people are exposed to
tragedy, they instinctively are drawn into things that may or may not help them
deal with their grief.
I certainly don’t know all of
the circumstances surrounding [your friends] lives or even their
character. I only know them from what
you have told me about them. But what I
do know is that some time ago, they were baptized members of the Church and
given the gift of the Holy Ghost, which is a wonderful blessing. I hope they understand this.
As you know,
following baptism, each of us
had hands laid on our heads by proper priesthood authority to receive the gift
of the Holy Ghost. If we are
faithful, we can have His influence continually with us. Through Him, each of
us can be blessed with certain spiritual powers called gifts of the Spirit.
These gifts are given to those who are faithful to Christ. “All these gifts come from God, for the
benefit of the children of God” (D&C 46:26).They help
us know and teach the truths of the gospel. They will help us bless others.
They will guide us back to our Heavenly Father. To use our gifts wisely, we
need to know what they are, how we can develop them, and how to recognize
Satan’s imitations of them.
As you know, Caleb, there are
many gifts of the Spirit. Most notable
are The Gift of Tongues, the interpretation of tongues, translation, wisdom,
knowledge, teaching wisdom and knowledge, believing the testimony of others,
knowing that Jesus Christ is the son of God, etc. (See D&C 46 9-26 for a
more thorough listing of gifts that are active in the Church today. There are, literally, too many to list on a
single sheet of paper).
It is up to each of us to
develop these gifts ourselves, sometimes with the help of others. To develop our gifts, we must find out which
gifts we have. We do this by praying and fasting. We should seek after the best
gifts (see D&C 46:8). Sometimes patriarchal blessings will help us know which
gifts we have been given. We must be obedient and faithful to be given our
gifts. We then should use these gifts to do the work of the Lord. They are not
given to satisfy our curiosity or to prove anything to us because we lack
faith. Of spiritual gifts, the Lord said, “They are given for the benefit of
those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do”
(D&C 46:9).
In these last days, Satan does
all he can to satisfy our cravings for spiritual experiences. At times people will do desperate things because
they feel compelled to do them. Satan
uses this to his advantage and feeds upon the gullibility of people. Satan
can also imitate the gifts of tongues, prophecy, visions, healings, and other
miracles. Moses had
to compete with Satan’s imitations in Pharaoh’s court (see Exodus 7:8–22).
Satan wants us to believe in his false prophets, false healers, and false
miracle workers. They may appear to be so real to us that the only way to know
is to ask God for the gift of discernment. The devil himself can even appear as
an angel of light (see 2 Nephi 9:9).
Or, as in [your friends] case, allow us to believe that we are hearing the
voices of departed loved ones through “white noise” or another form of media.
Satan
wants to blind us to the truth and keep us from seeking the true gifts of the
Spirit. Mediums, astrologers, fortune tellers, and sorcerers are inspired by
Satan even if they claim to follow God. Their works are abominable to the Lord
(see Isaiah 47:12–14; Deuteronomy 18:9–10).
We should avoid all associations with the powers of Satan.
One
thing we do need to remember, Caleb, is the sacred nature of these gifts. Many people like to talk freely about
experiences that they have had with the Spirit.
That can be a great blessing to many people. However, there is a line between what is
appropriate to discuss and what is not.
For example, the Lord said, “A commandment I give unto them, that they
shall not boast themselves of these things, neither speak them before the
world; for these things are given unto you for your profit and for salvation” (D&C 84:73).
We must remember that spiritual gifts are sacred (see D&C 6:10). There are other scriptures that I can show to
you as well Caleb if you should ask about not talking openly about sacred
events or experiences in our lives.
In
return for giving us these gifts, the Lord asks that we “give thanks unto God
in the Spirit for whatsoever blessing [we] are blessed with” (D&C 46:32).
President
Joseph F. Smith once said in General Conference the following which may give
you some additional insight: “From the days of Hiram Page (D&C 28),
at different periods there have been manifestations from delusive spirits to
members of the Church. Sometimes these have come to men and women who because
of transgression became easy prey to the Arch-Deceiver. At other times people
who pride themselves on their strict observance of the rules and ordinances and
ceremonies of the Church are led astray by false spirits, who exercise an
influence so imitative of that which proceeds from a Divine source that even
these persons, who think they are “the very elect,” find it difficult to
discern the essential difference [Matthew 24:24].
Satan himself has transformed himself to be apparently “an angel of light” [2 Corinthians 11:14; 2 Nephi 9:9].
“When visions, dreams, tongues,
prophecy, impressions or any extraordinary gift or inspiration conveys
something out of harmony with the accepted revelations of the Church or
contrary to the decisions of its constituted authorities, Latter-day Saints may
know that it is not of God, no matter how plausible it may appear.
Also they should understand that directions for the guidance of the Church will
come, by revelation, through the head. All faithful members are entitled to the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit for themselves, their families, and for those over
whom they are appointed and ordained to preside. But anything at discord with
that which comes from God through the head of the Church is not to be received
as authoritative or reliable. The gifts of the Spirit and the powers of the
holy Priesthood are of God, they are given for the blessing of the people, for
their encouragement, and for the strengthening of their faith. This Satan knows
full well, therefore he seeks by imitation-miracles to blind and deceive the
children of God. Remember what the magicians of Egypt accomplished in their
efforts to deceive Pharaoh as to the divinity of the mission of Moses and
Aaron…” (Messages of the First Presidency,
Vol. 4: pg. 285, emphasis added).
I
am glad that [your friends] feel close enough with you that they can confide
these matters to you. I hope this answers your question to some degree. Please write and ask if you need further
clarification. I love you.
Dad
(Christopher
R. Greenwood, Journal, VOL 3, 2013)
Conclusion
How grateful
I am for this wonderful and important gift that our Heavenly Father provides
for each of us. How thankful I am that
through the Holy Ghost, we can know with assurance that our Father in Heaven
lives, that Jesus is the Christ, that the priesthood and His church has been
completely restored to the earth.
Conversely, without the Holy Ghost in our lives, we would be filled with
doubt, we would not be able to have peace or be comforted, nor would we be able
to pray effectively. We would not be able to testify and help bring others into
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We would
stagnate and atrophy in our personal growth and spiritual development.
It
is my prayer that each of us may live our lives in such a manner that we can
enjoy the full comfort, reassurance, protection, and numerous gifts that the
Holy Ghost can provide for us all.
NOTES:
[1] Behold, I would exhort you
that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should
read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the
children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye
shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
And
when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God,
the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if
ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he
will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
And
by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things (Moroni 10:
3-5).
[i] “In the Strength of the Lord”, Elder
David A. Bednar, 23 October 2001. This
talk was given while Elder Bednar was President of BYU-Idaho at a devotional at
Brigham Young University.
[ii] “Personal Revelation: The Gift, the Test, and
the Promise”, President Boyd K. Packer, October 1994 General Conference.
[iii] “Revelation in a Changing World”,
President Boyd K. Packer, October 1989 General Conference.
[iv] The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L.
Kimball (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982), pg. 114, emphasis added.
[v] “The Holy Ghost: Our Infallible Guide”, Sister Sally T.
Taylor, BYU Devotional, November 5, 1996.
Sister Taylor was a BYU Professor of English when this devotional was
given.
[vi] “There Are Many Gifts” Elder Marvin J.
Ashton, Ensign, November 1987, pg. 21
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