It's time for me to give a talk in church. It comes around a little quicker in a branch with around 55 active members. That includes children. In an effort to help me remember my own thoughts, I'm posting it here. I hope others may also find some good in my thoughts.
In a recent conference address (*1) President Uchtdorf told a parable of a man who scrimped and saved to go on a cruise. When he had saved enough money for passage, he packed extra suitcases with beans, boxes of crackers and bags of powdered lemonade. He lived on this the entire duration of the voyage. The man wanted to partake in many of the activities he saw others enjoying. He especially wanted to indulge in the lavish meals. But alas, he did not because he did not want to spend more money than was necessary. On the last night of the cruise, a crew member asked him which farewell party he was going to attend he learned that nearly all of the indulgent activities he so desired to join in on were included in the price of the passage. But it was too late. He realized he had been living far beneath his privilege while aboard the ship.
While President Uchtdorf relates this to the power of the priesthood, I would like to relate this to the gift and power of the Holy Ghost. In Doctrine and Covenants, Section 88, verse 33 it reads “For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.” Thinking back to the man on the cruise, sure he was happy to go on that grand venture and visit places he had always dreamed of, but part of him was still yearning for more. He wasn’t fully rejoicing in the experience he had paid his hard earned money for. Likewise, the crewmember was likely saddened upon hearing of the man’s situation aboard the ship.
Our Heavenly Father has given us an opportunity to obtain a wonderful gift. To each that is sincerely seeking is given the power of the Holy Ghost, as Elder David A. Bednar (*2) states it, the ability to acquire a conviction of the truthfulness of the Savior’s Gospel, of the Book of Mormon, of the reality of the Restoration, and of the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith. The gift I speak of is the Gift of the Holy Ghost. The Gift comes after we are baptized by proper authority and by the laying on of hands by those holding the Melchizedek Priesthood.
How can we fully benefit and enjoy this precious Gift that is bestowed upon us? As stated in the confirmation prayer, we must “receive the Holy Ghost.” Elder Bednar days “The Holy Ghost does not become operative in our lives merely because hands are place upon our heads and those four important words are spoken. As we receive this ordinance, each of us accepts a sacred and ongoing responsibility to desire, to see, to work and to so live that we indeed ‘receive the Holy Ghost’ and its attendant spiritual gifts.” So how do we receive the Holy Ghost? We are given three suggestions: (1) Sincerely desire to receive the Holy Ghost, (2) appropriately invite the Holy Ghost into our lives, and (3) faithfully obey God’s commandments.
The first suggestion, Sincerely Desire-
It is so easy to get caught up in the busyness of our lives. In my home my day starts when a child awakes and needs breakfast. Soon after the child or children are settled, then start the daily chores of cleaning up breakfast, dishes, laundry, tidying up a room or two and possibly even a shower. Most days we rush out the door to an event that will entertain the children and provide social support for mom. When the children start getting fussy and irritable, it’s time to head home for lunch, followed by clean up and rotating of laundry. Then begins the pursuit of naptime. Having been fed, the children are a bit more pleasant by this point, but tiredness overtakes them. There is often weeping and wailing, and sometimes even gnashing of teeth before books are read, songs are sung and everyone is tucked in. One might be led to believe that naptime is the perfect opportunity to slow down, relax and ponder upon ones thoughts. I don’t know about other parents in here, but by the time naptime comes I am either so exhausted by the day’s events that I flop down and take a nap myself, or I’ve got a pile of tasks that need to be attended to. When the children wake up, dinner is usually in progress, or better be. Carl comes home and the excitement continues.
Elder Bednar reminds us of the disciples chosen by Christ in the Book of Mormon: “And the twelve did teach the multitude; and behold, they did cause that the multitude should kneel down upon the face of the earth, and should pray unto the Father in the name of Jesus…And they did pray for that which they most desired; and they desired that the Holy Ghost should be given unto them” (3 Nephi 19:6, 9). He asks if we “remember to pray earnestly and consistently for that which we should most desire, even the Holy Ghost. Or do we become distracted by the cares of the world and the routine of daily living and take for granted or even neglect this most valuable of all gifts?” Even though the events that fill a typical day in my home are usually an effort to build my family, seeking the Holy Ghost as a companion gets forgotten about. Our first step to receiving the Holy Ghost is having the sincere and CONSTANT desire for his companionship.
The second suggestion – Appropriately Invite
The Spirit of the Lord is a tender thing. Often we are not spoken to in a blatant, harsh or rushed voice by the Holy Ghost. On the contrary, we are taught in the children’s song “through a still small voice, the Spirit speaks to me.” So must we invite Him into our lives. Elder Bednar teaches, “We cannot compel, coerce, or command the Holy Ghost. Rather, we should invite Him into our lives with the same gentleness and tenderness by which He entreats us.”
Upon studying his message, I instantly thought that praying is the way to extend such an invitation. But there are many more ways for us to petition His companionship. Such as, making and keeping covenants; praying sincerely as individuals and families; searching the scriptures diligently; strengthening appropriate relationships with family members and friends; seeking after virtuous thoughts, actions and language; and worshipping in our homes, in the temple, and at church. We are warned that casualness about or breaking of covenants and commitments, failing to pray and study the scriptures, and inappropriate thoughts, actions, and language cause the Spirit to withdraw from or to even avoid us altogether.
I was especially struck by the words to strengthen appropriate relationships with family members and friends. This is something that hadn’t really crossed my mind before as important when wanting to feel the Spirit. As I ponder it, it makes sense that when I strive to love my children and enjoy them and when I look for the good in my husband and show my appreciation for his efforts, the spirit of contention and irritability will be replaced with love in our home. And where love is, there God, and his Holy Spirit, is also.
I am coming to understand that this Spirit is a sensitive one. He will not, and cannot, tolerate that which is offensive. Just as we are counseled to exit a conversation, movie or party that has turned sour, the Holy Ghost will excuse himself when our actions or thoughts are not in line with gospel teachings.
The Third Suggestion – Faithfully Obey
Faithfully obeying God’s commandments is essential to receiving the Holy Ghost. Elder Bednar brought a new light to this topic for me. He says that “everything the Savior’s gospel teaches us to do and become is intended to bless us with the companionship of the Holy Ghost.” He goes on, “Consider the reasons we pray and study the scriptures. Yes, we yearn to communicate in prayer with Heavenly Father in the name of his Son. And yes, we desire to obtain the light and knowledge available in the standard works. But please remember that these holy habits primarily are ways whereby we always remember Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son and are prerequisites to the ongoing companionship of the Holy Ghost.”
You mean to say that we don’t read the scriptures just to know what is contained in them? To have mere knowledge of God’s commandments, Christ’s ministry and the teachings of past prophets? Prayer isn’t just to give thanks for our many blessings and petition the Lord for our righteous desires? And attending our weekly church meetings are more than worship, service and an opportunity to “enjoy righteous sociality we find among our brothers and sisters.” All of these things are not just separate items on, as Elder Bednar puts it “a lengthy gospel checklist of things to do.” No, he says “each of these righteous practices is an important element in an overarching spiritual quest to fulfill the mandate to receive the Holy Ghost.” We are taught to come unto Christ. And how do we know what we are being taught is true; know that we have a living prophet and feel of Christ’s love? Only through the Holy Ghost. All that we do is essentially meaningless unless we receive this great gift, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, every day.
We are promised the same blessings that the Prophet Joseph Smith described to Brigham Young years after Smith’s martyrdom, “[The Spirit] will whisper peace and joy to [your soul], and it will take malice, hatred, envying, strife, and all evil from [your heart]; and [your] whole desire will be to do good, bring forth righteousness, and build up the kingdom of God…if [you] will follow the Spirit of the Lord [you] will go right.” (*3)
I have felt the confirmation of truth and the spirit of peace from the Holy Ghost. I am still growing to more fully receive this gift. I have felt that as I, and you, follow these inspired teachings we will be blessed. I am thankful for the restoration of the priesthood that has allowed us to have this wonderful power again on the earth. I close in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.
(*1) Priesthood Session, April 2011 Your Potential, Your Privilege
(*2) Sunday Afternoon Session, October 2010 Receive the Holy Ghost
(*3) Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 98
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