Hales - The Holy Ghost - April 2016

Elder Hales speaks about the Holy Ghost.  He begins by talking about the light of Christ.

• I begin by acknowledging the Light of Christ, which is given to “every man [and woman] that cometh into the world.” All of us benefit from this holy light. It is “in all and through all things,” and it allows us to distinguish right from wrong.
  

The Light of Christ is given to all men but the Holy Ghost is different.

• But the Holy Ghost is different from the Light of Christ. He is the third member of the Godhead, a distinct personage of spirit with sacred responsibilities, and one in purpose with the Father and the Son.

At baptism, hands are placed on our head and we are given the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  This gift allows us to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost and His direction in our lives when necessary.  One of the key roles that the Holy Ghost has is providing personal revelation to us.

• The Holy Ghost provides personal revelation to help us make major life decisions about such things as education, missions, careers, marriage, children, where we will live with our families, and so on. In these matters, Heavenly Father expects us to use our agency, study the situation out in our minds according to gospel principles, and bring a decision to Him in prayer.

Seeking the guidance of the spirit should not limit our agency.  We should take things to the Lord after we have pondered them and then seek confirmation of our plans with Him.

• I remind all of us that the Holy Ghost is not given to control us. Some of us unwisely seek the Holy Ghost’s direction on every minor decision in our lives. This trivializes His sacred role. The Holy Ghost honors the principle of agency. He speaks to our minds and our hearts gently about many matters of consequence.
  

As a parent, we can play a big part in helping our children learn about the Holy Ghost.  We should encourage our children to pray, listen, and ponder on the messages that they personally receive from the Holy Ghost.

• Let us encourage our children and others to follow the direction of the Holy Ghost. In doing so, let us follow the example of the Holy Ghost ourselves, leading through gentleness, meekness, kindness, long-suffering, and love unfeigned.

Finally, Elder Hales shares that we receive special blessings from Heave through our experiences with the Holy Ghost.

• Through the Holy Ghost, we experience “the multitude of [Christ’s] tender mercies” and miracles that do not cease.
  

Elder Hales spoke with plainness and simplicity when he described the role of the Holy Ghost.  Several talks recently have pointed out how the gospel is so complex it provides the gateway to our eternal salvation, yet it is so simple that a child can understand it.  Elder Hales words in this talk are so basic, so simple, and so clear, that we can't make any mistake in our understanding of the role of the Holy Ghost.  In my life, I am going to try to spend a few more minutes trying to listen after prayers, more time trying to work out decisions and then taking them to the Lord in prayer asking for confirmation, and more time learning to listen to the Spirit throughout my day.  I would encourage you to do the same.