Listening to the Spirit

Jan. 31, 2011

A young mother was frustrated and concerned that her children were once again fighting and arguing with each other when there came to her mind the scripture in the Book of Mormon, “neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another…. But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another and to serve one another.”
A college graduate sat with her professors during her “Graduate Oral Evaluation”. One of them looked at her and asked “At what reading level will the average deaf student read at the time of his HS graduation?” As she pondered the question a vision was brought to her mind and she vividly recalled the classroom and the exact seat she was sitting in when the professor had taught that the average deaf student will graduate from HS at 6th grade reading level.
An elderly sister was stressed with many worries when she decided to go to the temple early one morning. As she backed out of her driveway she noticed a single red rose standing tall and straight in the morning light. Then she heard a voice declare, “I know you and I love you.”
We could go on and on sharing wonderful experiences of the Spirit. They are glorious and fulfilling and we can have them every day. They are all encompassing and they are private and pertinent. They are our connection with Deity.
I’ve taken my talk, Listening to the Spirit, from two General Conference talks; President Eyring’s April 1991 talk – To Draw Closer to God and President Oaks’ October 2010 talk – Two Lines of Communication and also from Elder Anderson’s article in the December 2010 Ensign – A Gift Worthy of Added Care. It was enjoyable and refreshing to review all three talks and I appreciate the opportunity to study about Listening to the Spirit because it is so important to each of us.
We must learn to recognize and listen to the promptings of the Spirit In order to enjoy the blessing of personal revelation. President Oaks said, “The personal line is of paramount importance in personal decisions and in the governance of the family.” “We pray to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ and He answers us through His Holy Spirit.” The mission of the Holy Ghost is to testify of the Father and the Son, to guide us into truth, and to show us all things we should do. This personal line of communication with our Heavenly Father through His Holy Spirit is the source of our testimonies of truth, of our knowledge and of our personal guidance from a loving Heavenly Father. It is an essential feature of His marvelous gospel plan, which allows each one of His children to receive a personal witness of its truth. “
President Eyring adds, “It is the Spirit which will bear record to your heart as you read the scriptures, as you hear the Lord’s authorized servants, and as God speaks directly to your heart. You can listen and hear if you believe that the scriptures are accurate when they describe the Holy Ghost this way; “Yea, thus saith the still small voice, which whispereth through and pierceth all things, and often times it maketh my bones to quake while maketh manifest.” He goes on to say, “Now, I testify it is a small voice, it whispers, not shouts. And so you must be very quiet inside. That is why you may wisely fast when you want to listen. And that is why you will listen best when you feel, “Father, thy will, not mine, be done.” You will have a feeling of “I want what you want.” Then the still small voice will seem as if it pierces you. It may make your bones to quake. More often it will make your heart burn within you, again softly, but with a burning which will lift and reassure.” You will know!!
Our kind and loving Heavenly Father knew that our venture on earth would bring us much turmoil and confusion, so He wisely set in place the gift of the Holy Ghost in our mortal lives. Elder Anderson says, “This is a gift of enormous power. The Holy Ghost bearth record of the Father and of the Son. The Holy Ghost teaches us all things and brings all things to our remembrance. He guides us to truth and shows us things to come, enlightens our mind and fills our soul with joy. By His power we may know the truth of all things.”
President Woodruff told us, “Let us labor to obtain the Holy Spirit. This is the Spirit we must have to carry out the purposes of God. We need this gift more than any other. We should pray to the Lord until we get the Comforter. This is what is promised to us when we are baptized.”
In the 19th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord says to us, “Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing, yea, even more than if you should obtain the treasures of earth….”
It was President Packer who said, “No one of us can survive in the world of today, much less in what it soon will become, without personal inspiration. We must believe that even in our weaknesses, the still, small voice we feel comes from our Father. We must pray and ask and seek and then not be afraid when answers come into our heart and mind. Believe they are divine. They are.” In the Doctrine and Covenants we are promised that we can know the source of our promptings but simply asking; “Father, is this of you?” Then we can know of a surety that it has come from Him and if you know with a surety, then doubt not but act upon those promptings.
In February 1847 Joseph Smith appeared to Brigham Young in a dream or a vision and told him to “Tell the people to be humble and faithful and sure to deep the Spirit of the Lord and it will lead them right. Be careful and not turn away the small still voice; it will teach them what to do and where to go; it will yield the fruits of the kingdom.”
President Eyring goes on to tell us, “If you want greater clarity in understanding and believing the still, small voice, there is no better medicine than greater obedience. Jesus said unto His disciples, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
And then again President Oaks reminds us that “the direct, personal channel of communication to our Heavenly Father through the Holy Ghost is based on worthiness and is so essential that we are commanded to renew our covenants by partaking of the sacrament each Sabbath day. In this way we qualify for the promise that we may always have His Spirit to be with us, to guide us. “
What a marvelous blessing we have been given to be able to partake of the Sacrament each week and thereby renew those covenants and begin each week anew with the Spirit as our guide. Along with this blessing we must provide quiet, reflective times and learn how to listen. We must study our scriptures; our conference talks, and we must ask for the guidance of the Holy Ghost. We must teach our children how to recognize the voice of the Spirit. When our son Daniel came home from his mission he told me that he had learned that the first thing his investigators had to learn was how to discern the spirit. Once they had learned that, they were receptive to the teachings. We must consciously look for our blessings and acknowledge them before the Lord. We must show gratitude and thanksgiving to our Father who blesses us so abundantly. We must keep the commandments and repent when we do not. We must “draw near unto Him” and he will draw near unto us. We must be able to say, “I know you and I love you.” Then we will enjoy the blessing of the Holy Ghost in our lives; a blessing that we can have and should use each and every day. However, it does not end there.
President Monson admonishes us to never postpone a prompting. “We watch. We wait. We listen for that still, small voice. When it speaks, wise men and women obey. We do not postpone following the promptings of the Spirit.”
Elder Anderson concluded his article with a wonderful blessing for the Saints. He quotes from the Doctrine and Covenants 45:57 and says, “The Lord, speaking of His Second Coming, emphasized that the gift of the Holy Ghost must be powerfully active among His Saints: ‘For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived – verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day.’ “As we give greater care to this divine gift, we “shall abide the day” and again live with our Heavenly Father. As disciples of Christ, we must make the gift of the Holy Ghost a conscious, daily, prayerful part of our lives.”

I add my testimony to his that we will not only abide the day, but that we will enjoy the day. If you worthily seek and respond to the Holy Spirit we will feel the love and comfort of our most Gracious Father in Heaven. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ is the Church He organized and ministered to during His mortal existence. I know the the Scriptures are the words of the Lord and are for our study and our comfort. I know that if we follow the Prophets and stay close to their teachings we will not be lead astray but will have greater strength to resist the adversary. I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers in the manner best for us. I know that He loves each of us with a love that we can not quiet comprehend but that we feel deeply in our souls. I know that through the Gift of the Holy Ghost we can commune with our Father and He will us. Through this gift we can feel His arms around us as we mourn and as we rejoice. It is my prayer that I will always remain worthy of the Gift of the Holy Ghost and that I will use it daily to "draw near" unto my Father.

This is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

"Eve and the Choice Made in Eden"

At the suggestion of Laura, today I purchased a book titled, "Eve and the Choice Made in Eden" by Beverly Campbell. It expounds on the concepts taught about the partaking of the fruit. A choice made by Eve in the garden.

I am still in the process of reading the book but have been excited by several of the thoughts she suggests. She quotes from the prophets and apostles; past and present to help explain the original plan of our Father.

I would like to share some of these suggestions. I do this not solely for the benefit of others but also for my own benefit that I might review them again and feel of the same joy that I've felt as I've read them initially.

At the beginning of the book she quotes from Elder John A. Widtsoe:
"In life all must choose at times. Sometimes, two possibilities are good; neither is evil. Usually, however, one is of greater import than the other. When in doubt, each must choose that which concerns the good of others - the greater law - rather than that which chiefly benefits ourselves - the lesser law. The greater must be chosen whether it be law or thing. That was the choice made in Eden."

As was Eve's choice in the Garden, I think that generally women do choose the greater law, that which benefits others more often than that which benefits ourselves. So often I see mothers; young and old, sisters in the gospel, sisters in families, friends at work or elsewhere, make the choice to serve others rather than self.

My thoughts are drawn to my daughter-in-law (I add the "in-law" for clarification only since I think of her as my own daughter) Jenni who is in her 8th month of pregnancy. She could tell you her exact week but since I came from an older generation where we simply counted months, I'll say her "eighth month". During the labor of her first child, she was pushed to the limits of her ability to endure a very hard and long labor only to be rushed into emergency surgery for a C-section delivery. We were all very thankful to a kind and loving Heavenly Father who protected both her and baby Preston but it still is difficult for Jenni to imagine doing it all over again. Since she has become pregnant with a second child she has wished that she could have a normal birth this time. However, we all know that she will do whatever is necessary to bring this child into this world. A choice for the greater good rather than a choice for herself.

It is not unusual to the conscious observer to find that same quality in many woman's lives!! Perhaps, we inherited it from our mortal mother Eve.

Another passage in Beverly's book caught my attention and my heart. In chapter 4 she labels a subsection, "God's Unique and Special Gift of Discernment" and therein she discusses "the ability to see beyond the literal to the divine essential" as being God's gift to women. "Daily, women must make decisions based on things not seen or even known clearly. Often these decisions require great leaps of faith. Frequently these decisions must be based on what serves the greater good for the greatest number. Often such decisions require women to set aside their own well being in favor of another's.

Again, another daughter comes to mind. My oldest daughter Tessha suffers from some difficult health issues which often put her in her bed for days at a time. She truly does strive to be up and active and involved in life for she loves life, but the situation does not always allow her those wishes. However, she still reaches out in service to others. She is preparing to make a journey by bus over several hundreds of miles to be in Jenni's home and help her prepare for this baby. She prepared herself for this service by giving up the chance to travel with us so that she could "rest up" and be ready to help Jenni once she arrived in Seattle. A another choice for the greater good.

I'm sure we could all add story after story of this concept.

Beverly continues, "The very process of bearing children illustrates this truth dramatically. It is a source of strength and comfort to many women to know that inherent in their divine nature is this innate ability to be in tune with God's purposes." It is "innate" for us to "be in tune with God's purposes". Let me say that again. It is "innate" for us to "be in tune with God's purposes". How majestic! How glorious!

"Even more awe-inspiring is the knowledge that the Lord has such abiding faith in women's judgment and wisdom. By His very actions, He has shown women that He wants them to claim and properly act on this gift. Women are surely beloved of the Lord for Him to have placed them in such a position. As He relies on women to embrace the greater law, to bow to the greater commandment, He affirms their intellect, their integrity and their righteousness."

These are a few of her thoughts to Up Lift My Soul.

What Did We Learn From Conference??

Flora Harrington, a dear friend of mine (and of Seth's) sent me this email. I felt that she has put it so explicitly that I have asked and received her permission to post her comments on this blog. Over the past several months I have worried and wondered about the future for Dad and myself, but even more so for each of your families. And I have been comforted and reassured that "if we will turn our ourselves and our families to the Lord,if we will continue to do all that we know to be right and if we will trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not unto our own understanding, the day will come when He will guide us to Holy places where we will be engaged in the preparation for the His return. I have no greater joy than to know that my children know how to listen to and follow the promptings of the Spirit!! I have learned much from each of you and I appreciate you and admire you because of it. We have each been blessed with great families to learn from and associate with. And the Lord expects the best from us.

At the bottom of Flora's remarks you'll find a video that Janet Gilliand sent to me. It is wonderful!!

Latter-day Preparations: What We Learned at Conference-
Remember past General Conferences when we were told to grow gardens, put in a supply of food, prepare 72-hour kits, get out of debt, and put our houses in order by preparing every needful thing?
The Church's instructions on provident living still stand, of course, and there are wonderful resources available to help us. But when was the last time such counsel received significant attention in General Conference?
As best I can recall, there was a turning point when President Hinckley, after an extensive sermon in a priesthood session on financial preparations, said, "Now that's all I'm going to say about that." It may have been the last time he mentioned physical preparations in a General Conference address.
During the five sessions of conference just completed, I attempted to write down every admonition, instruction, exhortation, suggestion or recommendation given by the speakers. I collected 430 items of counsel in all, but,

No one talked about food storage.
No one advised putting together emergency kits.
No one exhorted us to get out of debt.
No one said to grow a garden.

There were only three references to financial matters (Elder Watson, Bishop Burton and Elder Christofferson) and all of them were warnings against excesses and greed, not about preparations.
Many sense that things could soon break loose - that it wouldn't take much to put many prophesied events about the last days into motion. At this time of turmoil throughout the world, a roller coaster economy, crime, thugocracies, natural disasters, looming inflation and even nuclear threats, it would seem a natural time for our leaders to talk about nuts-and-bolts preparation - to tell us what we should do next.
Well, they did. But not in a direction some may have expected. (And the rumor du jour, that the call-out of Israel to flee to its tents was imminent, failed again - surprise, surprise.)
We've been hearing about food storage and other preparations since 1936. The way I see the talks this conference, those days are over. Members who haven't prepared physically are not very likely to start now simply because two or three more General Authorities plead with them.
This is not to suggest we'll never hear counsel about physical preparations again in General Conference, but rather it appears the emphasis is shifting from physical preparation to spiritual preparation - to build strength of heart, mind and spirit for whatever is coming, and especially to become more proficient at receiving personal revelation.
Those who watched conference hoping for a fish found that they instead were instructed how to fish. Of the 29 individuals who addressed us, 16 of them spoke about the Holy Ghost - how we can cultivate the gift of the Holy Ghost, how to improve our sensitivity to promptings, how to purify our lives so we can hear gentle spiritual communications, and related counsel - in other words, how we can gain personal instruction to guide us through coming events from the Source that knows everything. In speaking order:

Elder Scott: Consistently strive to recognize and follow the feelings prompted by the Spirit. Sister Matsumori: Help others become more familiar with promptings of the Spirit.
Elder Clayton: Be humble so you can hear the word of the Lord.
President Uchtdorf: Listen for the Father's voice for it leads to the ministration of the
Holy Spirit.
Elder Oaks: Listen and feel of God's love.
Elder Hales: Yield to the influence of the Holy Ghost.
Elder Watson: Be temperate in all things as guided by the Holy Ghost.
Elder Anderson: Turn away from pride, anger and impure thoughts.
President Packer: The Holy Ghost communicates to our spirit with promptings and impressions. President Eyring: Learn to follow inspiration.
President Monson: Refrain from anger so you will have the Spirit with you.
Elder Perry: Listen to the Spirit for guidance.
Bishop Burton: Let virtue garnish your thoughts.
Sister Dibb: Use the safety equipment of scriptures, prophets, and the Holy Ghost.
Elder Nelson: Cultivate spiritual discernment.
Elder Ringwood: Be sensitive to the Holy Ghost.
The emphasis on these basic principles suggests that we haven't been following them as we should. Which brings to mind the well-known story of Vince Lombardi, legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers. Every season, even after the Packers had won two Super Bowls, Lombardi would address his players and start with the basics: "Gentlemen, this is a football." (And Max McGee, the team's star receiver who scored the first touchdown in Super Bowl history, would say, "Not so fast, coach, not so fast.")
There wasn't a player who didn't already know what Lombardi would say - blocking, tackling, mental alertness. But he said it over and over because they fell short on execution. Our leaders are obviously telling us it's time to execute the basics better and bulk up our spiritual preparations to match whatever we've prepared for our physical survival.
Having a house full of wheat, beans and rice will be insufficient if we are not strong in spirit and mind as we face prophesied events.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqaesQ2EE8w

"That He May Write Upon Our Hearts"

Today in Relief Society Pres. Park taught the lesson from Pres. Henry B. Eyring's August's First Presidency Message. His article is titled: "That He May Write upon Our Hearts" and he tells us that "parents should teach their children to pray...(because)the child learns both from what the parents do and what they say." "In time, when the children are away from home and family, prayer can provide the shield of protection that the parent will want so much for them to have."

Ocassionally I hear from one of my children and they tell me of an experience they've had with prayer. I am always so full of gratitude for children who have learned to go to the Lord and then to listen and obey. I am also thankful for the many times we gathered together as a family to have prayer. I am also grateful to their father who said to us, "We will read our scriptures and have family prayer every day." He told me that soon after we were married and I know he made it a part of our family life. I can still see him at the head of the table with his scriptures in his hands, reading to us as we ate our breakfast before heading out for the day. I also remember the many prayers we had together before leaving home on a trip. And there are those quiet times when we now have our own prayer together.

Later, in Pres. Eyring's message he talks about "Learning to Seek His Will". Sometimes this is a difficult lesson to learn, but I've found it to be one of the most valuable lessons of my life. It brings peace and happiness. It also teaches personal lessons that can only be learned by listening and allowing His will to become our own. One such lesson I learned at the time of Alisha's birth. I continue to learn from His will what he would have of me. It is always a comfort to know that He is mindful of me (and of you) and that He has a plan for each of us.

There are times in each of our lives when we are unsure of what is ahead for us and we pray for assurance and comfort. I know that you know the Lord listens and answers those prayers. It's interesting that President Erying puts it this way, "Those answers (are) the most clear when what we want is silenced by an overpowering need to know what God wants. It is then that the answer from a loving Heavenly Father can be spoken to the mind by the still, small voice and can be written on the heart."

We had a discussion of the meaning of the word "heart" and I thought it remarkable that the dictionary defines "heart" as ...."the whole personality, the emotional or moral as distinquished from the intellectual nature, one's innermost being, the center, the essential part, the memory."

Isn't it wonderful that through searching for the Lord's will for us we allow him to write His will upon our very heart. As we strive for that in all we do and in all we pray for, we will truely become one with our Father.

I bear my testimony that He loves us beyond what we can comprehend in our minds but with a love that we can always feel in our hearts. That we begin to understand Him by listening, trusting and following His will. That He will write it upon our hearts and that He has always and will always assist us in our eternal progression because it is "His work and His glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of (you and me)."

I love you all. Mom

Submission to the Eternal Father

There is one mightier than we all. One who knows all and who loves us beyond comprehension. If we but learn to trust and obey we will be will blessed eternally.

"The Savior's perfect submission to the Eternal Father is the very essence of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Christ's example teaches us that a broken heart is an eternal attribute of godliness. When our hearts are broken, we are completely open to the Spirit of God and recognize our dependence on Him for all that we have and all that we are. The sacrifice so entailed is a sacrifice of pride in all its forms. Like malleable clay in the hands of a skilled potter, the brokenhearted can be molded and shaped in the hands of the Master."A broken heart and a contrite spirit are also preconditions to repentance."

In light of the fact that two more glorious spirits have come to our family, I think it is appropriate to recall what President Brigham Young said concerning parents. It would be wise to remember that once you become a parent you are always be a parent.


Daily Gems
Parents Can Best Teach by Example
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"President Brigham Young instructed parents by saying:

"'If each and every one of us who are parents will reflect upon the responsibilities devolving upon us, we shall come to the conclusion that we should never permit ourselves to do anything that we are not willing to see our children do. We should set them an example that we wish them to imitate.' (Journal of Discourses, 14:192)

"If we are to instill faith in our children, they must see us demonstrate our faith in their young lives. They must see us on our knees daily, asking the Lord for His blessings and expressing our gratitude unto Him. They need to see us using our priesthood to administer to those in need, and to bless our children. They need to see us reverently worshiping in our sacrament meetings. They need to see us cheerfully and willingly giving of our time and talents to the building of the Lord's kingdom here on earth. They need to see us proving our faith by the payment of our tithes and offerings to Him. They need to see us diligently studying and discussing the scriptures to increase our faith and understanding."

Topics:
parents, teaching, example
(L. Tom Perry, "Train Up a Child," Ensign, May 1983, 78)

"And Nothing Shall Offend Them"

"During a perilous period of war, an exchange of letters occurred
between Moroni, the captain of the Nephite armies, and Pahoran, the chief
judge and governor of the land. Moroni, whose army was suffering because of
inadequate support from the government, wrote to Pahoran 'by the way of
condemnation' (Alma 60:2) and harshly accused him of thoughtlessness,
slothfulness, and neglect. Pahoran might easily have resented Moroni and
his message, but he chose not to take offense. Pahoran responded
compassionately and described a rebellion against the government about
which Moroni was not aware. And then he responded, 'Behold, I say unto
you, Moroni, that I do not joy in your great afflictions, yea, it grieves
my soul. . . . And now, in your epistle you have censured me, but it
mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your
heart' (Alma 61:2, 9).

"One of the greatest indicators of our own spiritual maturity is revealed in how we respond to the weaknesses, the inexperience, and the potentially offensive actions of others. A thing, an event, or an expression may be offensive, but you and I can choose not to be offended--and to say with Pahoran, 'it mattereth not.'"
(David A. Bednar, "And Nothing Shall Offend Them," Ensign, Nov. 2006, 91)