Mormon Musings

The Holy Ghost, the third member of the Godhead, is not an independent revelator.  He does not put forth His own views or His own point of view.  Rather, He is the messenger of the first two members of the Godhead and is commissioned to deliver the mind, will, purposes, and words of God the Father and Christ the Son to God's children.  And so, when Nephi informs us that those who receive the gift of The Holy Ghost--those who are baptized by fire--are enabled to speak with the tongue of angels, to speak the words of Christ, he is in essence unfolding to use the marvelous oneness of The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost, and the angels of God.  They speak with one and the same mind.  That is, what an angel declares is what Jesus or The Father would have declared, and the message is delivered by the power of the Spirit.  (see also John 16:13) Robert Millet, The Holy Spirit, page 194

There is no doubt, if a person lives according to the revelations given to God's people, he may have The Spirit of The Lord to signify to him His will, and to guide and to direct him in the discharge of his duties, in his temporal as well as his spiritual exercises.  I am satisfied, however, that in this respect, we live far beneath our privileges. Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 12:104

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. . . . 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 Sp...

There is a way by which persons could keep their conscience clear before God and man, and that is to preserve within the spirit of God, which is the spirit of revelation to every man and woman.  It will reveal it to them even in the simplest of matters, what they shall do, by making suggestions to them.  We should try to learn the nature of this spirit, that we may understand its suggestions, and then we will always be able to do right.  This is the grand privilege of every Latter-day Saint.  We know that it is our right to have manifestations of the spirit every day of our lives. ...From the time we receive the Gospel, go down into the waters of baptism and have hands laid upon us afterwards for the gift of the Holy Ghost, we have a friend, if we do not drive it from us by doing wrong.  That friend is the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost which partakes of the things of God and shows them unto us. This is a grand means that the Lord has provided for us, that we may k...

Following baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there comes a second ordinance: “Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Articles of Faith 1:4). That sweet, quiet voice of inspiration comes more as a feeling than it does as a sound. Pure intelligence can be spoken into the mind. The Holy Ghost communicates with our spirits through the mind more than through the physical senses. This guidance comes as thoughts, as feelings through promptings and impressions. We may feel the words of spiritual communication more than hear them and see with spiritual rather than with mortal eyes. Prayer and Promptings Elder Boyd K. Packer, October 2009 General Conference https://www.lds.org/study/ general-conference/2009/10/ prayer-and-promptings?id=p13- p14#p13

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. And such an approach is correct and useful. We should seek diligently to recognize and respond to promptings as they come to us. However, an important aspect of baptism by the Spirit may frequently be overlooked in our spiritual development. 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 t...

To comprehend more fully the process whereby we may obtain and always retain a remission of our sins, we need first to understand the inseparable relationship among three sacred ordinances that provide access to the powers of heaven: baptism by immersion, laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the sacrament. Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins “is the introductory ordinance of the gospel” 16  of Jesus Christ and must be preceded by faith in the Savior and by sincere repentance. This ordinance “is a sign and a commandment which God has set for [His children] to enter into His kingdom.” 17  Baptism is administered in the authority of the Aaronic Priesthood. In the process of coming unto the Savior and spiritual rebirth, baptism provides a necessary  initial cleansing  of our soul from sin. The baptismal covenant includes three fundamental commitments: (1) to be willing to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, (2) to always rememb...

You can make every decision in your life correctly if you can learn to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This you can do if you will discipline yourself to yield your own feelings to the promptings of the Spirit. Study your problems and prayerfully make a decision. Then take that decision and say to him, in a simple, honest supplication, “Father, I want to make the right decision. I want to do the right thing. This is what I think I should do; let me know if it is the right course.” Doing this, you can get the burning in your bosom, if your decision is right. . . . When you learn to walk by the Spirit, you never need to make a mistake. President Marion G. Romney, General Conference October 1961

If we do not enjoy the Spirit of the Lord, there are reasons that we ourselves can assign for the absence of that Spirit.  The practice of the Saints, if good, will always bring the Spirit of the Lord, and keep that Spirit with them day to day.  I am aware that the Spirit is grieved with different individuals for different causes; some do not attend to their prayers in the season thereof, they do not attend to their duties of the present moment, they do not concentrate their feelings, but allow their minds to wander like the fools’ eyes to the four winds of heaven, hence they are left to grope for themselves as the blind for the wall.  But those who live up to their duties, the duties of the present hour, and always make those duties the primary duties of life, live in the light of the Lord, and walk in the path laid down by the Savior of the world; they are never in the dark, for the light of the Lord is shining upon them. Jedediah M. Grant, Journal of Discourses 3:58...

"... by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ye  may  know  the  truth  of  all  things." Moroni 10:5

"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."' —David A. Bednar, " Receive the Holy Ghost "

I am … afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they are led by him. I am fearful they settle down in a state of blind self-security. … Let every man and woman know, by the whispering of the Spirit of God to themselves, whether their leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates. Brigham Young Discourses of Brigham Young,  sel. John A. Widtsoe (1941), 135.

The spirit speaks through the voice of the conscience. President David O. McKay 

The office of the Spirit, when given in ancient times, was to make manifest truth—to quicken the memory of the man of God, that he might communicate clearly things which he had once learned, but partially forgotten.  For instance, the Apostles heard, during three years and a half, many sermons and a vast amount of conversation and private teaching. The office of the Spirit of truth was to bring to their remembrance the things that Jesus had formerly taught them. So it is the office of the same Spirit in these days to bring to our remembrance the words of the ancient Prophets and Apostles, and the words of Jesus, inasmuch as we have faith and confidence in God. Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses  6:349-50

The words written in the scriptures and spoken in general conference are for us to “liken them unto [ourselves],” not for reading or hearing only.   Too often we attend meetings and nod our heads; we might even smile knowingly and agree. We jot down some action points, and we may say to ourselves, “That is something I will do.” But somewhere between the hearing, the writing of a reminder on our smartphone, and the actual doing, our “do it” switch gets rotated to the “later” position. Brethren, let’s make sure to set our “do it” switch always to the “now” position! As you read the scriptures and listen to the words of the prophets with all your heart and mind, the Lord will tell you how to live up to your priesthood privileges. Don’t let a day go by without doing something to act on the promptings of the Spirit. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, April 2011 General Conference  http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/your-potential-your-privilege?lang=eng

“As an Apostle I listen now to the same inspiration, coming from the same source, in the same way, that I listened to as a boy.  The signal is much clearer now.” President Boyd K. Packer - Ensign,  Nov. 1979, 21

How do you educate your conscience? I suggest five principles.  First , if you really want an educated conscience,  feast regularly upon the words and the love of Jesus Christ . What does that mean? Seriously make a daily program to study the scriptures. Ponder the scriptures and meditate upon them. Be still. Perhaps you will read only one verse a day, but you're going to read the word of the Lord. Memorize some of the scriptures. It's like programming a computer. Get them into your heart. If you feast upon the words of Christ, then the Holy Ghost will bring to your remembrance the things you need to do, based upon the guidance that you have received on a moment-by moment basis. The Church will teach us principles, and the Holy Ghost will teach us specific practices and specific applications. Second, when you pray, listen . Look on your prayers, not as a time to counsel the Lord, but as a time to take counsel from him. I really believe too many times we go down a che...

Elder Bruce R. McConkie in a message to institute and seminary people on this campus several years ago used this physical illustration to distinguish between the Spirit of Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. It was very instructive and impressive to me. He said, "The Spirit of the Holy Ghost could be compared to a radio transmitter; you and I, to the radio receivers. The radio waves would be the Spirit of Jesus Christ." This physical symbol illustrates the difference. The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead who performs very specific functions on this earth—to sanctify, to guide, to witness, to testify of the Father and Son and things pertaining to their kingdom, and to confirm the promise of the Father when you and I enter into a covenant relationship in the waters of baptism. When we renew our covenants in other ordinances the Holy Ghost confirms the promise of the Father to us, his covenant children, that if we will live true we will have peace in this world and eternal li...

 "We treasure the word of God not only by reading the words of the Scriptures but by studying them. We may be nourished more by pondering a few words, allowing the Holy Ghost to make them treasures to us, than by passing quickly and superficially over whole chapters of scriptures."  (President Henry B. Eyring, Ensign, Feb. 2008, 7)

The Holy Ghost . . . quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands, and purifies all the natural passions and affections, and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates, and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings, and affections of our nature Parley P. Pratt ( Key to the Science of Theology  [1978], 61).