Let the Holy Spirit Guide

The Unspeakable Gift of the Holy Ghost
I came to earth with power to choose.
Good choices bless me and my family too.
As a child of God I receive special light.
The Holy Ghost helps me to know what is right.

I love this primary song which teaches about two of my favorite gifts, agency and the Holy Ghost.

I received the gift of agency when I was born. I brought it with me. Agency was so important to our Heavenly Father’s plant that a war was fought in heaven so that we could have it here on earth.

I love the gift of agency, but making good choices is not always easy. To help me make good choices, after my baptism, I received the remarkable gift of the Holy Ghost.

The gift of the Holy Ghost is unlike any other gift I have ever received. I will never outgrow it. It will never wear out. It will never break. It will never go out of style. It is a gift that will last my whole life, and I can use it every day.

In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Holy Ghost is described as an unspeakable gift. “God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost.”

The Holy Ghost is so valuable that a wealthy man might pay to receive this gift if he understood its worth, but it is not for sale. It is only available through Priesthood Authority.

Personal Revelation
We believe in revelation. Our prophet receives revelation for the Church. Our Bishop receives revelation for the ward. Parents can receive revelation for their families. But there is more. We believe in personal revelation, through the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Personal revelation is just that. Personal. Because my needs are not like yours, revelation does not come in just one size. It comes tailor-made to suit our individual needs.

I can get revelation on my “to do” list, while you are getting revelation on your sick child. You can get revelation on your budget, while I am getting revelation about my health. You can get revelation about your calling, while I am getting revelation on my wandering child.

As a child, I sometimes wondered how we could each get revelation at the same time. How can the Holy Ghost talk to me and you at the same time? How can he be everywhere at once? I learned that the Holy Ghost can be compared to the sun.

The sun is not standing next to me, but I can see its light and feel its warmth every day. You can feel it too. All over the world people can be warmed by the sun. The Holy Ghost works in much the same way.

In our family we have a fun tradition. When someone in our family is baptized they receive a Holy Ghost Box. The box is decorated to look like a gift, and it contains objects that represent the Holy Ghost in some way. Some of our favorites are a flashlight, a compass, and a small piece of blanket material.

The Spirit Giveth Light
A flashlight is a handy thing to have when you are walking around in the dark. In life, we sometimes walk in darkness, because we don’t know what to do. We may also walk in darkness when we are confronted with evil.

“And the spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.”

Most of us find the Holy Ghost helpful when making big decisions. Who shall I marry? Where shall I go to college? Which house should I buy? Should I take this job? I find that the Holy Ghost can help me not only with big decisions, but also with every day decisions.

One Sunday night, I was overwhelmed with the things on my “to do” list for Monday morning. It was tempting to get an early start on the laundry and housework, but I wanted to keep the Sabbath Day Holy.

I prayed for guidance, and the Holy Ghost gave me specific instructions on things I could do to make Monday go smoother, without breaking the Sabbath day.

All things Which You Should Do
A compass is a handy thing to have with you when you are hiking in the mountains. It can help you if you are lost. In life there are many kinds of mountains, and there is more than one way to be lost. The Holy Ghost can help us when we don’t know what to do.

“For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.”

One day I had a desire to go to the temple. I had an evening assignment for which I wanted to be in tune. I planned my day to include the temple. You can guess what happened. Everything went wrong. I planned to go in the morning. It didn’t work out. I lost my car keys. I couldn’t find my recommend.

I planned to go in the early afternoon. I got an urgent phone call. Someone needed my help.

By mid-afternoon, it looked impossible and I was wearing out. I needed a nap. I would not be able to go to the temple that day. Disappointed, I lay down for a nap, and was soon awakened by an urgent prompting. “Go to the temple, NOW.”

Now? I wondered. Is there even time? Barely. I hurriedly dressed and left immediately with just enough time to do initiatory and get back for my assignment.

In the temple, as my names were being prepared, I noticed a patron’s name on the wall. Cindy Jewkes. My college roommate was Cindy Jewkes. We had lost touch with each other. Could it be the same Cindy?

I approached a woman waiting her turn. It took a moment for us to recognize each other. We had changed a bit. We had just enough time for a hug and to exchange contact information before her name was called.

The window of time was narrow. Had I been five minutes earlier, or five minutes later, I would have missed her.

Our True Eternal Friend
“But 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…”

Because the Holy Ghost is the comforter, we include a small piece of soft blanket material in each Holy Ghost Box.

When Christ was on the earth he promised he would send
The Holy Ghost to comfort us our true eternal friend.

We all will have times when we need the comfort that the Holy Ghost can give. I remember a time in my life when I was very sad and worried. Something in my life had gone terribly wrong, and there was nothing I could do. It was out of my control. I desperately needed the comforter.

I prayed for Heavenly Father to send the Holy Ghost to comfort me. For many days, I had the comforting words of hymns come into my mind during the day. The words were sweet and meaningful. They brought peace into my heart.

Let the Spirit heal our hearts
Through his quiet, gentle pow’r.
May we purify our lives
To receive him hour by hour.

Please come back tomorrow for part 2 of Let the Holy Spirit Guide

Linda Garner