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| Source These four words—“Receive the Holy Ghost”—are not a passive pronouncement; rather, they constitute a priesthood injunction—an authoritative admonition to act and not simply to be acted upon. |
My message focuses on the importance of striving in our
daily lives to actually receive the Holy Ghost. I pray for and invite the
Spirit of the Lord to instruct and edify each of us.
The Gift of the Holy Ghost
In December of 1839, while in Washington, D.C., to seek
redress for the wrongs done to the Missouri Saints, Joseph Smith and Elias
Higbee wrote to Hyrum Smith: “In our interview with the President [of the
United States], he interrogated us wherein we differed in our religion from the
other religions of the day. Brother Joseph said we differed in mode of baptism,
and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. We considered that
all other considerations were contained in the gift of the Holy Ghost”
(Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 97).
The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead; He is a
personage of spirit and bears witness of all truth. In the scriptures the Holy
Ghost is referred to as the Comforter (see John 14:16–27; Moroni 8:26), a
teacher (see John 14:26; D&C 50:14), and a revelator (see 2 Nephi 32:5).
Revelations from the Father and the Son are conveyed through the Holy Ghost. He
is the messenger for and the witness of the Father and the Son.
The Holy Ghost is manifested to men and women on the earth
both as the power and as the gift of the Holy Ghost. The power can come upon a
person before baptism; it is the convincing witness that Jesus Christ is our
Savior and Redeemer. Through the power of the Holy Ghost, sincere investigators
can 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 of the Holy Ghost is bestowed only after proper and
authorized baptism and by the laying on of hands by those holding the
Melchizedek Priesthood. The Lord declared:
“Yea, repent and be baptized, every one of you, for a
remission of your sins; yea, be baptized even by water, and then cometh the
baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost. …
“And whoso having faith you shall confirm in my church, by
the laying on of the hands, and I will bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost upon
them” (D&C 33:11, 15).
The Apostle Paul made this practice clear to the Ephesians
when he asked:
“Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they
said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
“And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And
they said, Unto John’s baptism.
“Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of
repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which
should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
“When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the
Lord Jesus.
“And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost
came on them” (Acts 19:2–6).
Baptism by immersion is “the introductory ordinance of the
gospel, and must be followed by baptism of the Spirit in order to be complete”
(Bible Dictionary, “Baptism”). The Prophet Joseph Smith explained that “baptism
is a holy ordinance preparatory to the reception of the Holy Ghost; it is the
channel and key by which the Holy Ghost will be administered. The Gift of the
Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, cannot be received through the medium of
any other principle than the principle of righteousness” (Teachings: Joseph
Smith, 95–96).
The ordinance of confirming a new member of the Church and
bestowing the gift of the Holy Ghost is both simple and profound. Worthy
Melchizedek Priesthood holders place their hands upon the head of an individual
and call him or her by name. Then, by the authority of the holy priesthood and
in the name of the Savior, the individual is confirmed a member of The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and this important phrase is uttered:
“Receive the Holy Ghost.”
The simplicity of this ordinance may cause us to overlook
its significance. These four words—“Receive the Holy Ghost”—are not a passive
pronouncement; rather, they constitute a priesthood injunction—an authoritative
admonition to act and not simply to be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:26). The Holy
Ghost does not become operative in our lives merely because hands are placed
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
seek, to work, and to so live that we indeed “receive the Holy Ghost” and its
attendant spiritual gifts. “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” (D&C
88:33).
What should we do to make this authorized admonition to seek
for the companionship of the third member of the Godhead an ongoing reality?
Let me suggest that we need to (1) sincerely desire to receive the Holy Ghost,
(2) appropriately invite the Holy Ghost into our lives, and (3) faithfully obey
God’s commandments.
Sincerely Desire
We first should desire, yearn for, and seek the
companionship of the Holy Ghost. You and I can learn a great lesson about
righteous desires from the faithful disciples of the Master described 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).
Do we likewise 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? Receiving the Holy
Ghost starts with our sincere and constant desire for His companionship in our
lives.
Appropriately Invite
We more readily receive and recognize the Spirit of the Lord
as we appropriately invite Him into our lives. 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 (see D&C 42:14).
Our invitations for the companionship of the Holy Ghost
occur in many ways: through the making and keeping of covenants; by praying
sincerely as individuals and families; by searching the scriptures diligently;
through strengthening appropriate relationships with family members and
friends; by seeking after virtuous thoughts, actions, and language; and by
worshipping in our homes, in the holy temple, and at church. Conversely,
casualness about or the 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 avoid us altogether.
As King Benjamin taught his people, “And now, I say unto
you, my brethren, that after ye have known and have been taught all these
things, if ye should transgress and go contrary to that which has been spoken,
that ye do withdraw yourselves from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no
place in you to guide you in wisdom’s paths that ye may be blessed, prospered,
and preserved” (Mosiah 2:36).
Faithfully Obey
Faithfully obeying God’s commandments is essential to
receiving the Holy Ghost. We are reminded of this truth each week as we listen
to the sacrament prayers and worthily partake of the bread and water. As we
pledge our willingness to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, to
always remember Him, and to keep His commandments, we are promised that we may
always have His Spirit to be with us (see D&C 20:77). Thus, everything the
Savior’s gospel teaches us to do and become is intended to bless us with the companionship
of the Holy Ghost.
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.
Reflect on the reasons we worship in the house of the Lord
and in our Sabbath meetings. Yes, we serve our kindred dead in the temple—and
our families and friends in the wards and branches in which we live. And yes,
we enjoy the righteous sociality we find among our brothers and sisters. But we
primarily gather together in unity to seek the blessings of and instruction
from the Holy Ghost.
Praying, studying, gathering, worshipping, serving, and
obeying are not isolated and independent items on a lengthy gospel checklist of
things to do. Rather, each of these righteous practices is an important element
in an overarching spiritual quest to fulfill the mandate to receive the Holy
Ghost. The commandments from God we obey and the inspired counsel from Church
leaders we follow principally focus upon obtaining the companionship of the
Spirit. Fundamentally, all gospel teachings and activities are centered on
coming unto Christ by receiving the Holy Ghost in our lives.
You and I should strive to become like the stripling
warriors described in the Book of Mormon, who did “perform every word of
command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto
them. …
“… And they are strict to remember the Lord their God from
day to day; yea, they do observe to keep his statutes, and his judgments, and
his commandments continually” (Alma 57:21; 58:40).
Testimony
The Lord has declared that The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints is “the only true and living church upon the face of the
whole earth” (D&C 1:30). This restored Church is true because it is the
Savior’s Church; He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). And it
is a living church because of the workings and gifts of the Holy Ghost. How
blessed we are to live at a time when the priesthood is upon the earth and we
can receive the Holy Ghost.
Several years after the Prophet Joseph Smith was martyred,
he appeared to President Brigham Young and shared this timeless counsel: “Tell
the people to be humble and faithful and [be] sure to keep the Spirit of the
Lord and it will lead them right. Be careful and not turn away the small still
voice; it will teach [you what] to do and where to go; it will yield the fruits
of the kingdom. Tell the brethren to keep their hearts open to conviction so
that when the Holy Ghost comes to them, their hearts will be ready to receive
it. They can tell the Spirit of the Lord from all other spirits. It will
whisper peace and joy to their souls, and it will take malice, hatred, envying,
strife, and all evil from their hearts; and their whole desire will be to do
good, bring forth righteousness, and build up the kingdom of God. Tell the
brethren if they will follow the Spirit of the Lord they will go right”
(Teachings: Joseph Smith, 98).
I pray we will sincerely desire and appropriately invite the
Holy Ghost into our daily lives. I also pray each of us will faithfully obey
God’s commandments and in reality receive the Holy Ghost. I promise the
blessings described by the Prophet Joseph Smith to Brigham Young are applicable
to and attainable by every individual who hears or reads this message.
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