"And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of."
Here, Jehovah is speaking to Moses, however, it is comforting for us to know that the Lord will be with us, as well, to guide and direct our paths. This was Sister Rogers' very first time participating in a lesson and presenting a verbal contribution. Sister Cunningham remarked that it was as a 'Sunbeam Smiling Moment', being a first effort and well done. Thanks to Sister Rogers for her willingness to take part!
An announcement was made that the YW and YM need family ancestor's names in order to perform baptisms and confirmations on their next Temple trip June 4th. Please contact Steve Wasden or Amy Hendricks if you have names to contribute or if you need further information. This is a great way to support our youth and encourage Temple attendance.
Sister Gail Wasden presented our lesson today from an October 2015 general conference talk by President Henry B. Eyring.
Sister Wasden began by discussing President's opening comment that he hoped to increase our desire and determination to claim the gift promised to each of us after we were baptized. A wonderful gift conferred upon us during our confirmation as members of the Church. A single sentence commanding us to "Receive the Holy Ghost". At that moment, our lives were changed for good forever. We spent a few minutes reminiscing over individual baptisms and confirmations, comparing the performance of the ordinance from yesterday to today. Mention was made that in earlier times the phrase may have been given as "Receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost", but now is stated as "Receive the Holy Ghost". As we receive the Holy Ghost as a companion, we are very much like missionaries in their companionships: we are together all the time - as long as we are living worthy of having the blessing of the Spirit to be with us always.
President Eyring reminds us of the sacrament prayers and how that promise is fulfilled:
"O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them."
President Eyring then tells us the glorious promise we may receive by living in accordance with the promises we make:
"That they may always have his Spirit to be with them." (Doc. & Cov. 20:77, emphasis added.)
If we are true and faithful to our part of the covenant, we can have the Spirit of the Holy Ghost to be with us, guiding and directing our daily lives.
He reminds us that, in recent years, the Lord's servants have been placing added emphasis on keeping the Sabbath Day holy in our worship of Heavenly Father. The quality of our Sacrament meetings and the talks given need to be full of the Spirit so that we can feel His presence. The Holy Ghost helps to protect us against the temptations of the world, making good choices more attractive and strengthening us against evil. The Holy Ghost also helps us to discern truth from falsehood, especially now in a time when clever deception makes finding the truth harder every day. If we have the constant presence of the Holy Ghost in our lives, we will not need a physical 'sign' to show us the way.
As President Eyring says, "The truths that mark the way home to God are verified by the Holy Ghost. . . Confirmation of truth comes to a son or daughter of God who has claimed the right to receive the Holy Ghost. Since falsehoods and lies may be presented to us at any time, we need a constant influence of the Spirit of Truth to spare us moments of doubt."
A quote from Elder George Q. Cannon urged all to make "a constant quest for the Spirit to be with us". President Eyring said he could make the same promise as Elder Cannon, that if we pursue that course, we "will never lack for knowledge" of the truth, "never be in doubt, or in darkness," and our "faith will be strong,[our] joy . . . full."
Even as we know we need the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, it is not easy to maintain that relationship. We often do or say things daily that can offend the Spirit and make it difficult to stay close to the Spirit. We should act upon the promptings we feel from the Holy Ghost. President Eyring says that the most valuable inspiration we will have will be to know what God would have us to do; that when we demonstrate our willingness to obey, "the Spirit will send you more impressions of what God would have you do for Him." Then as we obey, the impressions from the Spirit will come more frequently and our power to choose the right will increase. He says, "When the impressions square with what the Savior and His living prophets and apostles have said, you can choose to obey with confidence. Then the Lord will send His Spirit to attend you."
President Eyring gives an example in a story about his father, years ago, when his work took him to Australia. He was alone on Sunday, but wanted to take the sacrament. He was unable to locate any information about Latter-day Saint meetings, so he started walking. Each time he came to an intersection, he prayed to know which way to turn. "After walking and making turns for an hour, he stopped to pray again. He felt an impression to turn down a particular street. Soon he began to hear singing from. . . an apartment building close by. He looked in the window and saw a few people seated near a table covered with a white cloth and sacrament trays.
". . . it was something wonderful to him. He knew the promise of the sacrament prayer had been fulfilled: "Always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them".
President Eyring says his father never talked about his spirituality, he just kept doing little things for the Lord that he felt prompted to do. "Over the years, when he needed it, the Holy Ghost was there as his companion."
On another occasion, President Eyring was with his father in the hospital as President Eyring's mother who had suffered from cancer for many years, passed away. His father shed no tears because the Holy Ghost had many times testified to him of the plan of a loving Heavenly Father, a Savior who had broken the power of death and the reality of the temple sealing shared with his wife and family. He knew she would return to her heavenly home and be welcomed there with honor. He knew it to be true through the Spirit of the Holy Ghost.
As they left the hospital and arrived at his parents' home, his father excused himself to go into his bedroom. After a short while, he returned to the living room with a pleasant smile on his face. He said to the family members gathered there, "I was worried that Mildred would arrive in the spirit world alone. I thought she might feel lost in the crowd." Then he said brightly, "I prayed just now. I know Mildred is all right. My mother was there to meet her." His father, praying in faith, recognized the whisperings of the Spirit and was used to receiving answers to prayer that give comfort and direction.
President Eyring tells us that, "When we accept the promise of having the Spirit with us always, the Savior can grant us the purification required for eternal life, the greatest of all the gifts of God" (see Doc. & Cov. 14:7)
As we have the Holy Ghost as a companion, we will be able to better recognize truth. The world is in commotion today and will continue to become even more confusing before the Second Coming. The adversary will try everything to discourage us from resisting temptation. We need to include as part of our testimony, the fact that we are grateful for the truthfulness of the gospel. As we are presented with ideas and opinions we should ask for personal confirmation of anything we may have doubts about. Sister Cunningham mentioned that as we (humans) grow in understanding, we gain knowledge of what our Father wants for us by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Current events will have an effect on us as we live in the world at large, and it is up to each of us to verify what is truth by praying in faith for answers and then listening for the Spirit to confirm what is right. With the Holy Ghost as a constant companion, we will be able to stand steadfast and immovable through the turmoil ahead.
Your bloggess,
Karen
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