As I knelt to pray, the only thing I could do was to pour out all my worries to God and try to find confirmation that the road I was about to take was the road He wanted me to take. I had asked this many times before, and the answer had always been the same-that indeed it was the right thing for me. But I was not too sure. This time, I wanted assurance. However, He gave me something else that I needed: courage. The Holy Ghost whispered to me, “You’ll be fine.” Oddly enough, I truly felt that I would be fine.

Looking back at that short moment of struggle, the Holy Ghost’s reassurance gave me a strong push in the direction I knew He wanted me to go. There will be times in our lives when we will go through changes, be stripped of everything familiar or be thrown far from our comfort zones because it is necessary. In all our pursuits, tough as they may seem, if we keep the Holy Ghost as our companion, we will truly be fine.

RECEIVING PERSONAL REVELATION

When I was first introduced to the idea of going to study in China, I dismissed it immediately. I did not even entertain the idea. The little knowledge I had about China told me to steer away and choose another path. I thought, “China? Facebook, Youtube and Google are blocked there. Why on earth would I go to such a place?” However, my mother counseled me to ask the Lord if it was still a good opportunity for me.

Day by day, I prayed and patiently waited for an answer. I asked again and again, “Heavenly Father, should I go? What should I do for me to know if this is really the right decision or not?” It took me a whole month to receive an answer. It was during General Conference, last October. Particularly when Elder Neil L. Andersen’s spoke about President Nelson’s quick response to prophetic counsel:

“President Spencer W. Kimball challenged all present to lengthen their stride in taking the gospel to the entire world. Among the countries President Kimball specifically mentioned was China, declaring, ‘We should be of service to the Chinese. We should learn their language. We should pray for them and help them.’”

I thought it was a funny coincidence, but I knew it was the Lord giving me an answer. Elder Nelson’s talk wasn’t even about this solely, but I felt as if the words were spoken specifically for me to hear. It was a personal revelation, from Him, through the Holy Ghost.

President Russell M. Nelson could not have described what it means to receive personal revelation better, “Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen!… As you repeat this process you will “grow into the principle of revelation.”

THE HOLY GHOST IN ALL OUR PURSUITS

Personal revelation comes in many forms, but it will always come because we have the companionship of the Holy Ghost. I was taught by this experience of mine, that in everything that I do-in all my pursuits- the Holy Ghost should always be present. Then will we be guided spiritually no matter what we do, no matter where we are in the world.

Of course, even after receiving a clear answer, I still worried about not being able to go to Church every Sunday. There were still things that I was afraid of, unfamiliar with and anxious about. However, a month after I arrived, I was able to find a local Mormon congregation in a country where the LDS church is not
established yet.

Truly, “the Lord will assist us in all our righteous pursuits, through the revelations of the Holy Ghost,” as President Nelson said. President Nelson continues to encourage us to “to stretch beyond [our] current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation” and if we do so, we will be given the “knowledge and understanding [we] seek.” 

The post From Home to China: Keeping the Holy Ghost in All My Pursuits appeared first on morefaith.ph.

But aside from keeping the commandments and staying away from sin, what else are you actively doing to receive guidance from the Holy Ghost? Here are three ideas to consider.

Do every good thing.

We can exert a bit of extra effort to try and do every good thing, even if it seems mundane. Prophet Moroni taught “All things which are good cometh of God”. When we’re prompted to do good, we can be sure that it is an errand from Heavenly Father. When you are prompted to greet a particular person at church, do it. When you are prompted to bring home snacks for your little sister or brother, do it.

It does not matter how ordinary or subtle the impression, because many promptings come that way. What is ordinary for us may not be so for Heavenly Father. As taught by Elder Rasband, we should not doubt an impression whether it seems to come from our own thoughts or from God. He also taught that we must act on the first prompting. Consistently acting on the first impression will enhance our capability to listen to the still small voice because we are actively tuning our spiritual ears.

Surround ourselves with good.

President Thomas S. Monson declared, “[The] Spirit cannot be present at the kinds of activities in which so much of the world participates.” He also taught that we must be alert in our world that has moved so far from spirituality and “reject anything that does not conform to our standards.”

When we stand in holy places, no worldly frequency can block out the Spirit. We do this by befriending people that share our standards, listening to uplifting messages, joining in church activities, performing community service with different faiths and basically staying in a positive environment.

The Apostle Paul taught that “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.” We become a natural man if we choose “to be influenced by the passions, desires, appetites, and senses of the flesh rather than by the promptings of the Holy Spirit.” So remember that the power to decide who or what influences us is also the power to gain the Spirit.

Seek the Spirit’s guidance and then act on it.

President Monson, while relating a childhood experience with prayer, said “Not a day has gone by that I have not communicated with my Father in Heaven through prayer, … as you do so, you will be entitled to His inspiration and guidance in your life”

Note how he chose to use the word “entitled.” Being entitled means having a right to something, but maintaining that right means doing something else. In how many instances, do we only pray for guidance because it has become part of our daily prayer script, or as part of a rote prayer in class. Praying for guidance is by all means good, but what do we do afterwards? Do we rely on it during the course of our day? Do we ponder and seek for what Heavenly Father is trying to tell us?

Jesus Christ taught “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” This verse contains three actions words; ask, seek, and knock. Praying for guidance doesn’t mean that all things will automatically be put into place. The guidance of the Spirit requires action and work, sometimes even hard work, which is sometimes described in the scriptures as “wrestling” with God.

Are your spiritual ears still listening?

The world is changing rapidly and many of those changes are harmful for our spirituality. Temptations are everywhere, even in the mobile phones we carry in our pocket. The Internet, which we use every day, is filled with misleading concepts and the philosophies of men. The guidance of the Holy Ghost had never been more vital. Through conscious effort, we can filter out the unwanted noise, and allow the still small voice of the Spirit to guide us safely back to our heavenly home.

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“Making righteous choices will help get you on the path of righteousness and make sure you don’t wander.” – Paul V. Johnson

It was a bright summer afternoon, perfect for a trip back to Manila. My husband, my brother-in-law and his wife spent a couple of days in Tarlac for the elections. After spending some time with the family, we decided it was best to make our way back to the city before the ever-present traffic struck.

The trip back home was a smooth one. The digital navigator, Waze, told us where to go to reach our destinations faster, and warned us when we were about to get into congested traffic. We relied on this travel guide so much.

Everything went well until we reached Quezon City. My brother-in-law missed an instruction from Waze, and turned right into a wrong alley. Suddenly, all four of us started to notice that we were traversing a strange and very unfamiliar place. At that point,  Waze’s instructions became confusing for us. The roads started to get narrow, to the point that we did not know if there was ever a way out, and we encountered a lot of dead ends and people who banged on our windows and the back of the car. My sister-in-law and I were starting to get anxious. I decided to offer a prayer in my heart asking the Lord to help my brother-in-law find a way out.

After a few more turns, we found people that knew the place so we asked them for directions. They were kind and encouraging, and they helped us find the way back to the road we were supposed to take. After a few minutes, we were back on the main road, ready to go home.

That experience left a profound impression on all of us present inside the car. To me, it spoke volumes about the impact of making righteous choices and how one foolish decision can make a huge difference. Here are things I realized.

1. There is a guiding voice.

Like the travel app Waze, there is also a voice that can help us in making righteous choices. This voice is the Holy Ghost. This “still, small voice” guides us and tells us which choices can bring happiness and peace, and which choices can lead us down dark, scary paths. We need to listen promptly to the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. A missed prompting can have consequences.

1. Choices affect everyone.

We may sometimes think that it’s okay to make wrong choices every now and then because we’re the only ones who will suffer the consequences. Unfortunately, that is not true. An unwise choice affects our loved ones, too. Because my brother-in-law missed an instruction, all of us in the car became anxious and unsure. When we make choices, let us think of how it also affects those who love us.

1. Wrong choices make us feel lost.

Like the story of the prodigal son, eventually, our unwise choices will catch up to us. We may feel lost, that there is no way back, or that the impressions we receive from the Holy Ghost are confusing. Fear, uncertainty, and discouragement can sometimes overpower our hearts.

1. There are people who can help you.

Fortunately, because of the Lord’s love for us, He provides us with people who know the paths we’re taking, and who understand the steps we need to take to find our way back to the main road. They are our parents, our siblings, our friends, and our Church leaders. These people want us to find our way back to the right path. We need to trust them and rely on their love. The road back may be long and painful, but with these people on our side, we can endure.

1. There is a way back.

Lastly, we may feel that we have made enough wrong choices that there is no way we can return to that great, wonderful path we were once traversing. That is not true. We can always come back, we can always change, we can make the right choice again. Robert D. Hales gave beautiful encouragement when he said:

“Whoever you are and whatever your past, remember this: it is not too late to make that same choice and follow Him.” (Read full talk here.)

Like the father of the prodigal son, the Lord will welcome us with open arms. He loves us and He wants us to return to His presence.

The righteous choices we make can lead us to different roads. Life is full of these roads. That’s why we need to always listen to that Guide the Lord has given to each and every one of us. One wrong choice can bring heartbreaking consequences, but that is why He has provided a way for us to turn around and correct our course. May we consistently consider what is important and eternal as we make our every day choices.

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A testimony is a declaration of the gospel truths we know

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf counseled us to include 5 foundational truths in our testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

• Heavenly Father lives and we are His children.
• Jesus is the Christ. He is the Savior of the world and the Only Begotten Son of the Father in the flesh.
• Joseph Smith is a prophet of God through whom the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored in our day.
• The Book of Mormon is the word of God and another testament of Jesus Christ.
• President Thomas S. Monson, his counselors, and the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are the prophets, seers, and revelators in these latter-days.

Sharing a story is not sharing a testimony

While it is not inappropriate to share a story when we bear our testimonies, it is important for us to understand that sharing a story does not equate to sharing a testimony. We can share a relevant spiritual experience that helped build our testimonies but we can make the story brief and focus on the gospel truths we have learned from that experience. We can skip the little details such as what time we left the house or whether the sun was shining or not. We can make the story short if we identify the main event or the part of the story that led us to the obtaining of a testimony of a gospel principle.

Some experiences are not meant to be shared

Most of us, if not all, have spiritual experiences that helped us gain a testimony of the gospel. However, some of these experiences are very personal and sacred and we must ponder whether to share them with others or not. A testimony is not meant for public confessions either, so we are counseled to prayerfully consider the personal experiences we wish to share. If we are prompted to share these experiences, we can keep them general and not discuss specific details.

Tears are not a necessary part of feeling the Spirit

Some people, while bearing their testimonies, may swell up in tears because they feel the Spirit very strongly. However, we must not confuse showing a strong emotion with having a real or powerful testimony. We must understand that it is okay not to have free-flowing tears when we bear our testimonies.

Expressions of gratitude are not a testimony

We often hear people expressing gratitude for having the gospel in their lives, for their families and friends, for trials that made them stronger, etc. during testimony meetings. While there is no rule that we cannot express gratitude while bearing our testimonies, we must know that expression of gratitude is not a testimony. If we want to express our gratitude to our families, friends and Church leaders, we can personally thank them after the testimony meeting.

A testimony is not an exhortation or a sermon

When we share our testimonies, our objective is to share the gospel truths that we know by the power of the Holy Ghost. A testimony is not intended to call everyone to repentance, to live righteously, to obey the commandments, or to pay a full tithe. It is not intended to preach the congregation a doctrine either. We can do this the next time we are given the opportunity to speak in sacrament meeting.

Merely saying, “I have a testimony” is not a testimony

It is not wrong to say that we have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but shouldn’t we expound more on our actual testimony? We can continue by sharing the specific principles of the gospel that we know are true.

While all these tips are helpful reminders for us, the most important reminder is that spiritual truths manifested unto us by the power of the Holy Ghost can stand on their own. We do not need to make it more appealing and it is not necessary that it be eloquently worded because “[t]he things of God knoweth no man, but [by] the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11). When we bear our testimonies, the Holy Ghost will testify to the hearts of those listening that the things we have shared are true. As we continue to bear our testimonies, the testimonies of others will be strengthened as well as our own.

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The scriptures describe feeling the Spirit as a “burning in the bosom” and the “heart burning within” (D&C 9:8, Luke 24:32). Having this kind of feeling must be a powerful witness from the Spirit. However, not everyone has had this experience. Does that mean that they have never felt the Spirit?

It is a common misconception that feeling the Spirit is solely the “burning in the bosom.” We may sometimes feel left out or unworthy because we have never felt such a witness, but there is more to the “burning” than we know. Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Twelve Apostles taught that the “burning” is a “feeling of comfort and serenity” (Ensign, March 1997, 13). When the Spirit speaks to us, we do not hear a voice; rather we receive a feeling or impression.

The feeling or impression that we receive may be one of the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. Other times, we receive impressions that persuade us to do good, to forgive, to do justly, to serve others, to pray, and to be more Christ-like. When we feel a mighty change of heart and a desire to obey the commandments, or when we have questions and sudden ideas come to our mind that enlighten our understanding, it is the Spirit speaking to us. When we are discouraged and we feel a gentle comfort, that everything will be for our good, it is the Spirit calming our soul. Everything that influences us to do good and to follow the Lord Jesus Christ comes from the Spirit.

A prompting from the Spirit does not come like a lightning bolt or loud thunder; rather it comes in subtle peaceful ways that sometimes go unrecognized. If we are not careful, these subtle impressions might be drowned by worldly voices that attract our attention. It is important that we remain receptive to the promptings as they come, to instruct and guide us.

While understanding the language of the Spirit is very important, it is also important that we understand that feeling the Spirit requires personal preparation. This preparation includes obedience to the commandments of God, striving to keep our thoughts and actions clean, and resolving to act upon the promptings that we receive. Using our agency to choose is also essential, because we are here to act and not to be acted upon. We cannot just wait for spiritual impressions to instruct us on everything that we must do. Often times, we make a choice and ask for confirmation from the Lord. Receiving spiritual impressions is not passive. It requires personal effort and preparation.

Hence, feeling the Spirit comes in different ways. The secret to knowing if we have felt the Spirit is knowing the ways in which the Spirit speaks to us.

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The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead, also known as the Comforter. Unlike Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost does not have a body of flesh and bones, but is a “personage of Spirit” (D&C 130:22). The Holy Ghost being a personage therefore cannot be in different places at the same time. When people say that they have felt the Holy Ghost or the Holy Ghost fell upon them, it is not the person that they felt but the Holy Ghost’s influence, power or gifts.

The Holy Ghost witnesses of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the truth in all things (1 Corinthians 12:3, Moroni 10:5). When Jesus told His disciples of His death and resurrection, he also told them that when He ascended into heaven, the Holy Ghost would be their guide.

“… It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” (John 16:7)

“… when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

“He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” (John 16:13–14)

This promise from the Lord still stands to this day because the Holy Ghost not only guides prophets or apostles, but also all those who have received the gift of the Holy Ghost upon confirmation as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

A revelation from the Holy Ghost “leaves an indelible impression on [a man’s] soul, one that is not easily erased. It is Spirit speaking to spirit, and it comes with convincing force” (Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., 5 vols. [1957–66], 2:151). An impression from the Holy Ghost can be so profound that a man cannot mistake it for anything else.

The prophet Moroni also explains that if we pray, the Holy Ghost can manifest unto us the gospel truths contained in the Book of Mormon, saying, “… when ye shall read these things… I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:3-5).

The constant companionship of the Holy Ghost depends on our righteousness, obedience and sincere invitation. Elder David Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught, “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.”

It is important to note that the Spirit can “withdraw from us” or “avoid us.” This statement is supported by the verse we read in the Book of Genesis where the Lord says, “My spirit shall not always strive with man.”  Elder Kevin W. Pearson, a General Authority of the Church, further warned, “If you lose the Spirit, you are lost.”

As we strive to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost in our lives, we will have the power to resist evil and the power to discern truth from deception; we will not wander in a mist of darkness and our desire to live righteously will be increased.

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