Attributes and Mission of the Holy Ghost
1. "The
Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead (see 1 John 5:7; D&C 20:28). He is a
“personage of Spirit” (D&C 130:22). He can be in only one place at a time,
but His influence can be everywhere at the same time. Heavenly Father, Jesus
Christ, and the Holy Ghost are called the Godhead. They are unified in purpose.
Each has an important assignment in the plan of salvation. Our Heavenly Father
is our Father and ruler. Jesus Christ is our Savior. The Holy Ghost is the
revealer and testifier of all truth.... The mission of the Holy Ghost is to
bear witness of the Father and the Son and of the truth of all things... The
prophets of the Lord have promised, “By the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know
the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:5)" (Gospel Principles, The Holy
Ghost).
2. 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. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto
you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you" (John 14:26-27).
3. "By
the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.... Wherefore,
nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is. And ye
may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort
you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the
faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever."
(Moroni 10:5-7).
4. "The [Gift of
the Holy Ghost] can come only after proper and authorized baptism and is
conferred by the laying on of hands, as in Acts 8:12–25.... The gift of the
Holy Ghost is the right to have, whenever one is worthy, the companionship of
the Holy Ghost. For those who receive this gift, the Holy Ghost acts as a
cleansing agent to purify them and sanctify them from all sin" (Bible
Dictionary, p. 704).
5. "Those who
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and remain worthy can enjoy His
companionship throughout their lives. The Holy Ghost has a sanctifying,
cleansing effect upon us. The Holy Ghost testifies of Christ and helps us
recognize the truth. He provides spiritual strength and helps us do what is
right. He comforts us during times of trial or sorrow. He warns us of spiritual
or physical danger. The Holy Ghost provides the power by which we teach and
learn. The gift of the Holy Ghost is one of our Heavenly Father’s most precious
gifts. Through the power of the Holy Ghost we can feel God’s love and direction
for us. This gift is a foretaste of eternal joy and a promise of eternal
life" (Preach My Gospel).
How the Holy Ghost Influences and
Reveals Truth to Us
6. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance"
(Galatians 5:22-23).
7.
"Every thing which inviteth and
enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God....
Every thing which inviteth to... believe in Christ, is sent forth by the
power... of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of
God. But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ,
and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it
is of the devil" (Moroni 7:13, 16-17).
8. For the natural man
is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever
and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off
the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and
becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing
to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a
child doth submit to his father.
As
we see and feel the fruits of the Spirit in ourselves, our families, or others,
we can know that what we are learning, reading, observing, hearing, or thinking
is of God.
Q How does having the
Holy Ghost with us help us to be more Christlike?
9. "Yea, 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. Now, behold, this is the
spirit of revelation" (D&C 8:2-3).
10.
"Behold, you have not
understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no
thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that 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" (D&C 9:7-8).
11.
"Be faithful and diligent in
keeping the commandments of God, and I will encircle thee in the arms of my
love. Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God.... Verily, verily, I say unto
you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you
cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these
things. Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from
God?" (D&C 6: 20-23).
As in this example, the Holy Ghost may
reveal truth to us with feelings of peace and love in our hearts. He may reveal
truth to us as we see the fruits and strength of the Spirit in our family as a
result of living the restored gospel.
Q How did you learn to
recognize the presence or promptings the Holy Ghost? How do you know when
you're receiving revelation?
Q How has the Holy
Ghost revealed these truths to you? How has this knowledge helped you to become
more Christlike? What other differences has this knowledge made in your life?
·
God
is our loving Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer
·
The
Book of Mormon is the word of God and Jesus Christ restored His Church through
Joseph Smith
·
Jesus
Christ leads His Church today through prophets and apostles
12a. The prophet Nephi saw
our day and warned: "They shall contend one with another; and their
priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach with their
learning, and deny the Holy Ghost.... Because of pride, and because of false
teachers, and false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted.... Yea, wo
be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of
God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost!" (2 Nephi 28:4, 12, 26).
Q Why is it important
to seek to gain a testimony through the Holy Ghost and not some other means?
What are the potential pitfalls of relying on human reasoning alone?
Q Why is it important
to be humble as we seek to grow our testimonies and receive revelation? How can
skepticism or self-will prevent us from receiving revelation?
12b. Nephi continued:
"Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we
need no more of the word of God, for we have enough! For behold, thus saith the
Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon
precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken
unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom;
for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We
have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have. Cursed is
he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken
unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of
the Holy Ghost" (2 Nephi 28:29-31).
Q Why should we continually
seek to invite and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost? To follow God's
prophets?
Principles for Inviting the Holy Ghost and Receiving Revelation
Exercise Faith to Repentance
and Obedience
13. “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the
doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:17).
14. "Sometimes we try to [gain a testimony]
backward. For example, we may take this approach: I will be happy to live the
law of tithing, but first I need to know that it’s true. Maybe we even pray to
gain a testimony of the law of tithing and hope the Lord will bless us with
that testimony before we have ever filled out a tithing slip. It just doesn’t
work that way. The Lord expects us to exercise faith. We have to consistently
pay a full and honest tithe in order to gain a testimony of tithing. This same
pattern applies to all the principles of the gospel, whether it is the law of
chastity, the principle of modesty, the Word of Wisdom, or the law of the
fast" (Bonnie L. Oscarson, October 2013 General Conference).
15. "And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and
lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the
visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect
love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer" (Moroni 8:26).
16. "The Lord hath said he dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts
of the righteous doth he dwell.... I desire that ye should... contend no more
against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you the name of
Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in
whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in
thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow
upon you." (Alma 34:36-38).
17. "That which is of God is light; and he that
receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light
groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day" (D&C 50:24).
18. "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in
my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his
love" (John 15:10).
Q What are some key commandments for you to have the
Holy Ghost with you?
·
Pray often
·
Study the scriptures daily
·
Keep the Sabbath Day holy
·
Keep the Word of Wisdom
·
Keep the Law of Chastity
·
Live the Law of the Fast
·
Follow the Prophet
·
Love and serve others
·
Sacrifice
Q How does keeping
commandments, such as the Word of Wisdom, help us invite the Holy Ghost and
receive revelation?
Reverence
20a.
"The adversary tries to smother
[the voice of the Spirit] with a multitude of loud, persistent, persuasive, and
appealing voices: Murmuring voices that conjure up perceived injustices.
Whining voices that abhor challenge and work. Seductive voices offering sensual
enticements. Soothing voices that lull us into carnal security. Intellectual
voices that profess sophistication and superiority. Proud voices that rely on
the arm of flesh. Flattering voices that puff us up with pride. Cynical voices
that destroy hope. Entertaining voices that promote pleasure seeking.
Commercial voices that tempt us to “spend money for that which is of no worth”
and/or “labor for that which cannot satisfy” (2 Nephi 9:51). Delirious voices
that spawn the desire for a 'high' "(James E. Faust, September 1993 BYU
Fireside).
20b.
"My first radio was a crystal
set. It was hard to tune to the frequency of a particular radio station. I had
to literally scratch the receiving wire whisker over the top of the rough
crystal to find the right pinpoint, a little valley or peak on the crystal where
the signal was received. Just a millimeter off on either side of that point and
I would lose the signal and get scratchy static. Over time, with patience and
perseverance, good eyesight, and a steady hand, I learned to find the signal
point on the crystal without too much difficulty. So it is with inspiration. We
must attune ourselves to the inspiration from God and tune out the scratchy
static. We have to work at being tuned in. Most of us need a long time to
become tuned in" (James E. Faust, April 2004 General Conference).
21.
"The voice of the Spirit is
described in the scripture as being neither 'loud' nor 'harsh.' It is 'not a
voice of thunder, neither … voice of a great tumultuous noise.' But rather, 'a
still voice of perfect mildness,
as if it had been a whisper,' and it can 'pierce even to the very soul' and
'cause [the heart] to burn.' (3 Ne. 11:3; Hel. 5:30; D&C 85:6–7.) Remember, Elijah
found the voice of the Lord was not in the wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in
the fire, but was a 'still small voice.' (1 Kgs. 19:12.) The Spirit does
not get our attention by shouting or shaking us with a heavy hand. Rather it
whispers. It caresses so gently that if we are preoccupied we may not feel it
at all." (Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, Jan 1983, 51)
When seeking revelation from the Holy
Ghost, go to a quiet place that is free from distraction (such as TV). Be
grateful for the blessings of the Lord and subdue your soul before Him. Doing
so will prepare you to receive revelation.
Q
What does it mean to be reverent? How
does reverence help us to receive revelation from the Holy Ghost?
22. "In
our individual study and classroom instruction, we repeatedly emphasize the
importance of recognizing the inspiration and promptings we receive from the
Spirit of the Lord.... We should also endeavor to discern when we “withdraw
[ourselves] from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no place in [us] to
guide [us] in wisdom’s paths that [we] may be blessed, prospered, and
preserved” (Mosiah 2:36). Precisely because the promised blessing is that we
may always have His Spirit to be with us, we should attend to and learn from
the choices and influences that separate us from the Holy Spirit.
"The
standard is clear. If something we think, see, hear, or do distances us from
the Holy Ghost, then we should stop thinking, seeing, hearing, or doing that
thing. If that which is intended to entertain, for example, alienates us from
the Holy Spirit, then certainly that type of entertainment is not for us.
Because the Spirit cannot abide that which is vulgar, crude, or immodest, then
clearly such things are not for us. Because we estrange the Spirit of the Lord
when we engage in activities we know we should shun, then such things definitely
are not for us" (David A. Bednar, April 2006 General Conference).
19. "Nothing in this life is of greater worth than the supernal gift of the Holy Ghost. It is the source of joy, peace, knowledge, strength, love, and every other good thing. With the Atonement, it is the power by which we may be changed and made strong where we are weak. With the priesthood, it is the power by which marriages and families are sealed together eternally. It is the power by which the Lord makes Himself manifest unto those who believe in Him. Every good thing depends on getting and keeping the power of the Holy Ghost in our lives. Everything depends on that.... To that end, Jesus Christ entered a garden called Gethsemane, where He overcame sin for us.... [that] you and I may be forgiven of our sins [and] that we may be endowed with His power.... What then shall we do? We will “take upon [us] the name of [the] Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given [us]; that [we] may always have his Spirit to be with [us].” Everything depends on that." (Lawrence E. Corbridge, General Conference October 2008).
Q What does it mean to
tune into the Holy Ghost? How do we get and stay in tune? How can we know if we
are out of tune?
Record
Spiritual Experiences and Follow Received Revelation
23. "One Sunday I
attended [a] meeting... in Mexico City. I vividly recall how a humble Mexican
priesthood leader struggled to communicate the truths of the gospel in his
lesson material. I noted the intense desire he had to share those principles he
strongly valued.... He recognized that they were of great worth to [those]
present. In his manner, there was an evidence of a pure love of the Savior and
love of those he taught....
"I
was deeply touched. Then I began to receive personal impressions as an
extension of the principles taught by that humble instructor. They were
personal and related to my assignments in the area. They came in answer to my
prolonged, prayerful efforts to learn.
"As
each impression came, I carefully wrote it down. In the process, I was given
precious truths that I greatly needed in order to be a more effective servant
of the Lord.... After each powerful
impression was recorded, I pondered the feelings I had received to determine if
I had accurately expressed them in writing. As a result, I made a few minor
changes to what had been written. Then I studied their meaning and application
in my own life.
"Subsequently
I prayed, reviewing with the Lord what I thought I had been taught by the
Spirit. When a feeling of peace came, I thanked Him for the guidance given. I
was then impressed to ask, “Was there yet more to be given?” I received further
impressions, and the process of writing down the impressions, pondering, and
praying for confirmation was repeated. Again I was prompted to ask, “Is there
more I should know?” And there was. When that last, most sacred experience was
concluded, I had received some of the most precious, specific, personal
direction one could hope to obtain in this life. Had I not responded to the
first impressions and recorded them, I would not have received the last, most
precious guidance.
"What
I have described is not an isolated experience. It embodies several true
principles regarding communication from the Lord to His children here on earth.
I believe that you can leave the most precious, personal direction of the
Spirit unheard because you do not respond to, record, and apply the first
promptings that come to you" (Richard G. Scott, October 2009 General
Conference).
Q How have you found
the principles taught in this example to be true?
Q How does consistently
following promptings from the Holy Ghost lead us to receive more promptings?
Be
dilligent, consistent, and patient in seeking revelation
The prophet
Alma used the analogy of faith being a seed that grows into the tree of
testimony and taught:
24a. "If ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the
tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with
patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold
it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life" (Alma 32:41).
24b. "But if ye neglect the tree, and take no
thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat
of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away...
Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit
thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ground is barren, and ye
will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof"
(Alma 32:38-39).
Q Why does God want us
to be diligent, consistent, and patient while seeking a testimony?
Q What do you need to change in your life to have more of the blessings of the Holy Ghost?
