Blessings that Come from the Gift of the Holy Ghost

I had another opportunity to speak in another ward this week.  My dear friend, Pam, had her son's mission farewell that same day, so I took her spot to speak so she could enjoy her day with his son and their extended family that came to celebrate with them.  Knowing that the talk I gave last week didn't really fit the subject given me, I felt I should just begin again with a new talk. Here is what I came up with:

As the Savior knew the end of His earthly ministry drew near, He prepared His apostles by assuring them in the book of John “And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever” (John 14:16) and “If I go not away, the Comforter will not come until you, l but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” (John 16:7)

Even though these words were spoken to His Apostles of the ancient church, they are still promised to each of us as members of his Church today.  As we are worthy of it, the Holy Ghost will abide with us too. 

Having the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost affords us many blessings—besides the assurance that we are doing what the Lord would have us do.  I’d like to share some thoughts today on a few of those blessings of having the Holy Ghost as our constant companion—the utilization of receiving the Holy Ghost.

President Boyd K. Packer, in the Seminary Centennial celebration in January, taught us that “the gift of the Holy Ghost will protect you in enemy territory.”  He said: “You have been taught all of your lives about the gift of the Holy Ghost, but teaching can only go so far. You can and, in fact, you must go the rest of the way alone to discover within yourself how the Holy Ghost can be a guiding and protective influence.

“For young men and young women, the process is the same. Discovering how the Holy Ghost operates in your life is the quest of a lifetime. Once you have made that discovery for yourself, you can live in enemy territory and will not be deceived or destroyed. No member of this Church—and that means each of you—will ever make a serious mistake without first being warned by the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

“Sometimes when you have made a mistake, you may have said afterward, ‘I knew I should not have done that. It did not feel right,’ or perhaps, ‘I knew I should have done that. I just did not have the courage to act!’ Those impressions are the Holy Ghost attempting to direct you toward good or warning you away from harm.

“There are certain things that you must not do if the lines of communication are to remain open. You cannot lie or cheat or steal or act immorally and have those channels remain free from disruption. Do not go where the environment resists spiritual communication.

“You must learn to seek the power and direction that is available to you, and then follow that course no matter what.” 

Elder Dallin H. Oakes quoted our prophet today when he taught: “President Thomas S. Monson has declared ‘We are surrounded by immorality, pornography, violence, drugs, and a host of other ills which afflict our modern-day society.  Ours is the challenge, even the responsibility not only to keep ourselves unspotted form the world but also to guide our children and others through the stormy seas of sin surrounding us that we might one day return to live with our Heavenly Father.’  Truly we need the guidance of the Spirit and we must be diligent to do those things necessary to have the companionship of that Spirit.  Specifically we must keep the commandments, pray, study the scriptures, and repent weekly as we partake of the sacrament.”

Now I have had occasional experiences in my life when I have felt the Holy Ghost specifically protect me from harm, danger or accident.  But I have more often felt His influence as I choose to live in obedience to the commandments, petitioning my Heavenly Father in daily prayer, searching for scriptural direction and keeping myself away from influence in my mind and body that would do me ill. In my family life, my calling, my work, I feel the Spirit leading and guiding me as I seek to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost.

Another blessings of having the Holy Ghost as a constant companion is the comfort He is able to provide. Sister Margaret Nadauld, former General YW president, once said “You too are loved by the Lord, just as the disciples of old.  You are loved more than you will ever know.  He wants you to be successful in your life’s mission!  You don’t have to face the experiences of this life alone, nor have you been sent here to fail.

“For this reason,” she continued, “a holy gift was given to you at the time of your baptism….The Holy Spirit can be with you always and guide you back to Him….

“The Lord promises us that 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 and prayer.”

I have two personal experiences with the Holy Ghost blessings me with comfort that I’d like to share.  The first occurred a couple of years ago.  I had gone to my doctor for a regular check-up.  After a routine imaging test, I ended up having a little spot that did not look like the radiologists thought it should.  Consequently, I ended up in an MRI.  An MRI is a big, thick, metal donut shaped machine that makes very loud sounds and because of the safety concerns the operator is forced into the adjoining room to work it—leaving me as the patient in this cold, loud, scary place by myself.  I was scared, knowing the unwanted outcome of this test could potentially alter my life, my family’s life and all the normal things I was comfortable doing.  I knew that my Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers.  So while this big, clangy, scary machine was working all around me, I prayed that I could feel a sense of His care and some degree of comfort.  Almost as soon as I thought those words, I felt a warmth and peace that I knew could only be the Holy Ghost.  The Holy Ghost also instantly brought to my mind the words of a hymn that offered additional reassurance and calm.

The second incident just happened Friday night.  My dad called me just before 4 PM that afternoon.  He and my mom were on the freeway on their way to the University of San Francisco hospital. He had just received a phone call we have been praying, hoping and waiting for.  A kidney was there for him. He has been on dialysis for 3 1/2 years and has been on the transplant short list for almost a year.  He sounded excited and relieved.  They live in California, 900 miles away from me.  As soon as I hung up the phone, I was overcome with emotions and dropped to my knees with gratitude for this wonderful news, again to ask my Heavenly Father for His blessing—to bless my dad that this kidney will be a match, that the surgical team will be guided my His hand, that the transplant will be successful and that my dad might be healed with this miracle of modern medicine.  As I finished my list of requests, I thought to add one more.  I asked that even though I was two states away and unable to be there with them in person, I asked that I could feel the Lord’s will and know that whatever happened would be okay.  As I stood up –and throughout the night—I felt a calm, sweet peace that I know comes only from the Holy Ghost.

Now I know that not all prayers are answered that quickly—but when you really need to be comforted, the Holy Ghost is there immediately if you are worthy of it to bring the peace and clam each of us needs from time to time, even if it is just to strengthen us to keep dealing with the situation we worried about in the first place.

Finally, the other blessing of the Holy Ghost comes in His role as a testifier.  Again, from Sister Nadauld, “This Holy Spirit can help you really understand deep down inside the most important truth ever known—that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and that because of Him every one of us who has ever lived will one day live again.  And because of Him we can repent or wrongdoing and get on the path that leads us back to our Heavenly Father.  That is what the Atonement is the Holy Spirit will testify of that truth to our hearts as we seek to know, and He testifies to others as we bear testimony of these truths to them.”

The Holy Ghost will let you feel for yourself when someone teaches you something true.  Each of us has to figure out how He speaks to us. But once you know that, (and the more you feel His presence with you, the easier it gets) you will feel Him testify over and over to you of truth.  Each time I read the Book of Mormon, for example, I take Moroni’s challenge with a sincere heart having real intent and ask if the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  And invariably, the Holy Ghost will tell me it is.  It doesn’t matter how many times I have done this before.  It is still truth, and He will testify of that to me.

The Holy Ghost is a protector, a comforter, a testifier.  He is a remarkable member of the Godhead.  He is always willing to be with us as we do those things the Lord has outlined as required for that blessed companionship.   And each week as the sacrament prayers are said, we hear those requirements again and the promise is made to us once more.