He is one of the three characters we believe in, whose office it is to administer to those of the human family who love the truth.
The Spirit of God: God is here; his influence fills immensity. He has his messengers throughout all the works of his hands. He watches every one of his creatures; their acts, their affections, and thoughts are all known to him: for his intelligence and power fill immensity. Not that his person does, but his Spirit does; and he is here teaching guiding and directing the nations of the earth.
You need the Spirit of the Almighty to look through a man and discern what is in his heart, while his face smiles upon you and his words flow as smoothly as oil. (3:225) Thrust a man into prison and bind him with chains, and then let him be filled with the comfort and with the glory of eternity, and that prison is a palace to him. Again, let a man be seated upon a throne with power and domin- ion in this world, ruling his millions and millions and with- out that peace which flows from the Lord of Hosts-with- out that contentment and joy that come from heaven, his palace is ap rison; his life is a burden to him; he lives in fear, in dread, and in sorrow. But when a person is filled with the peace and power of God, all is right with him.
Is it not also your ex- perience that, when you meet persons in the streets, in your houses, in your offices. or in your workshops, more or less of an influence attend them which conveys more than words can? By this the Father knows his children. Jesus knows his brethren, and the angels are acquainted with those who delight to associate with them and with those who hate them. This knowledge is obtained through that invisible influence which attends intelligent beings, and be- trays the atmosphere in which they delight to live. (8:57) Without the light of the Spirit of Christ, no person can truly enjoy life. (8:66)
You hearken to that still small voice that whispers eternal truth, that opens the visions of eternity to you that you can discern, understand and follow, and the foul spirits that throng the air, and that fill our houses if we let them in, will not have power over you. (15:7) Every individual that lives according to the laws that the Lord has given to his people, and has received the bless- ings that he has in store for the faithful, should be able to know the things of God from the things which are not of God, the light from the darkness, that which comes from heaven and that which comes from somewhere else. This is the satisfaction and the consolation that the Latter-day Saints enjoy by living their religion; this is the knowledge which every one who thus lives possesses. (16:163) Discourses of Brigham Young, pp. 30-35. Compiled by Elder John A. Widtsoe
Elder C. W. Penrose, an accepted writer on Mormon doctrine, writes, "It is by His Holy Spirit, which permeates all things, and is the life and light of all things, that Deity is everywhere present. * * By that agency God sees and knows and governs all things."
Never let the torch go out....It may flicker and get low but God's Holy Spirit will renew you and give you the strength and courage to go on. ~ Grandma Clarissa
In all of these examples—familiar to each of us—the Holy Ghost acts in his office as a teacher and revelator, communicating information and truths for the edification and guidance of the recipient.
Revelation from God serves all five of these purposes: testimony, prophecy, comfort, uplift, and information.
We need the constant guidance of that Spirit. We live in an age of deceit.
Prayer is not just between two because the Holy Ghost is always present in every prayer.
Evangelizing is a mission for everyone in the Church. The Holy Spirit puts words in our lips which we could never find ourselves and predisposes the hearer to hear.
We all know that human judgment and logical thinking will not be enough to get answers to the questions that matter most in life. We need revelation from God. And we will need not just one revelation in a time of stress, but we need a constantly renewed stream. We need not just one flash of light and comfort, but we need the continuing blessing of communication with God.
“Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven."
“Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.
Prayer and fasting will allow us to be susceptible to spiritual promptings. Communicating with Heavenly Father while purposefully abstaining from food and drink allows us to “loose the bands of wickedness [and] to undo the heavy burdens.”18 Prayer, combined with fasting, will provide so that when we “call, … the Lord shall answer; … [and when we] cry, … he shall say, Here I am.”
Much of the confusion existing in human conceptions concerning the nature of the Holy Ghost arises from the common failure to segregate His person and powers. Plain ly, such expressions as being filled with the Holy Ghost. and His falling upon persons, have reference to the powers and influences that emanate .. Chost may in this God, and which are characteristic of Him: for e way operate simultaneously upon many persons even though they be widely separated, whereas the actual per oom of the Holy Ghost cannot be in more than one place at a time. Yet we read that terough the power of the Spirit. the I Father and the Son oprate in their creative acts and in their general dealings with the human family. The Holvi Ghost may be regarded as the minister of the Godhead. carrying into effect the decisions of the Supreme Council.
With all his scientific knowledge man knows but little respecting the enginery of creation; and yet the few forces known to him have brought about miracles and wonders, which but for their actual realization would be beyond belief. These mighty agencies, and the mightier ones still to man unknown, and many, perhaps, to the present condition of the human mind unknowable, do not constitute the Holy Ghost, but are the agencies ordained to serve His purposes.
As the conducting medium in an electric circuit is capable of conveying but a limited current, the maximum capacity depending upon the resistance offered by the conductor and, as separate circuits of different degrees of conductivitv may carry currents of widely varying intensity, so human souls are of varied capacity with respect to the higher powers. But as the medium is purified, as obstructions are removed, so resistance to the energy decreases, and the forces manifest themselves with greater intensity.
He will reveal all things necessary for the soul'sadvancement.
The power of the Holy Ghost then, is the spirit of prophecy and revelation; His office is that of enlightenment of the mind, quickening of the intellect, and sanctification of the soul.
Not a truth has ever been made the property of humankind except through the power of that great Spirit who exists to do the bidding of the Father and the Son.
The authority to so bestow the Holy Ghost belongs to the higher or Melchizedek Priesthood, whereas water baptism may be administered by a priest officiating in the ordinances of the lesser or Aaronic Priesthood. This order of authority, as made known through revelation, explains that while Philip had authority to administer the ordinance of baptism to the converted Samaritans, others who held the higher Priesthood had to be sent to confer upon them the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead.He is a Spirit, in the form of a man. The Father and the Son are personages of tabernacle; they have bodies of flesh and bones. The Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit, and has a spirit body only. His mission is to bear witness of the Father and the Son and of all truth. (P. 38.) As a Spirit personage the Holy Ghost has size and dimensions. He does not fill the immensity of space, and cannot be everywhere present in person at the same time.He is also called the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Truth, and the Comforter.38.) His mission is to teach us all truth. He partakes of the things of the Father and the Son and reveals them to those who serve the Lord in faithfulness. It was through the teachings of the Comforter, or Holy Ghost, that the teachings of Jesus Christ were recalled by the apostles. It is through the teachings of the Holy Spirit that prophecy comes. (P. 38.)
It is a mistake, when we are called upon to confirm a someone a member of the Church, to say. "Receive ye the gift of the Holy Ghost." We should say. "Receive the Holy Ghost.That covers everything and they get the gift.What is the gift of the Holy Ghost? Nothing more nor less than the right to the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
Every man may receive such a manifestation from the Holy Ghost when he is seeking for the truth, but not the power to call upon the Holy Ghost whenever he feels he needs the help, as a man does who is a member of the Church.
Now if we find ourselves in this condition of unbelief or unwillingness to seek for the light and the knowledge which the Lord has placed within our reach, then we are liable or in danger of being deceived by evil spirits, the doctrines of devils. and the teachings of men. And when these false influences are presented before us, we will not have the distinguishing understanding by which we can segregate them and know that they are not of the Lord. And so we may become prey unto the ungodly, to the vicious,to the cunning, to the craftiness of men.
If we are humble, if we are diligent in the service of the Lord, if we seek to serve him with an eye single to the glory of our Father in heaven (keeping in mind that he has asked for that service with a full heart, with all our might, with all our mind, and with all our strength), we will not go astray. We will not be seduced by evil spirits nor by the spirits of men, but we will be led and directed by the Spirit of God.
A man may receive manifestations of the Holy Spirit.and then he may sin and the Spirit withdraws. He is left to himself, and he will forget, to a very large extent the things he learned before. But when a man has known the power of God, and partaken of it and then turns away, knowingly defying the truth, there is no forgiveness for him.
All who partake of this, the greatest of sins, sell themselves as did Cain to Lucifer. They learn to hate the truth with an eternal hatred, and they learn to love wickedness. They reach a condition where they will not and cannot repent. The spirit of murder fills their hearts and they would, if they had the power, crucify our Lord again, which they virtually do by fighting his work and destroy it and his prophets.
THE LIGHT OF CHRIST. The Holy Ghost shoulda not be confused with the Spirit which fills the immensity of space and which is everywhere present. This other Spirit is impersonal and has no size, nor dimension; it proceeds forth from the presence of the Father and the Sonand is in all things. We should speak of the Holy Ghost as a personage as "he" and this other Spirit as "it", although when we speak of the power or gift of the Holy Ghost. we may properly say "it".
The inspiration which was promised to all flesh bvethe Lord through the prophecy of Joel, is not the promiseof the Holy Ghost, but the promise of the guidance of theLight of Christ, or the Spirit of Truth, which is given toevery man who comes into the world. It is through thisSpirit that the inspiration comes to those who are not members of the Church. This Spirit has been poured out andis the active agency by which the great discoveries in thesemodern times have been accompished. It is this Spirit whichthe Lord declares he will withdraw from the world, andwhich he said to Noah would "not always strive with man,"and not the Holy Ghost which they never had. It is thisSpirit which led Columbus in his discoveries.
There is no forgiveness for denying the First Comforter. But if a man received honor enough to have the presence of the Son, he would also have the knowledge of theFirst Comforter and should he turn away, his sin wouldbe unpardonable. A man could not deny the Second Comforter any more than he could the first. If a man getsknowledge enough to have the companionship of the Sonof God, the chances are his call and election would be sure.
That is the explanation, a spiritual light and power that is divine proceeds forth from the presence of God and fills the immensity of space; that is how you reconcile the personality of God with God's everywhereness.
The baptism of fire, without doubt, had reference to the purifying qualities of the Holy Ghost, which, like fire, consumes or destroys the unholy affections of those who are made partakers of it. Those portions of the Holy Ghost which assumed the form of tongues, and were rendered visible had the appearance of fire.
Moses was baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire, so that when he came down from mount Sinai, after being with the Lord many days, his face shone with that brilliancy that the children of Israel could not endure the brightness and intensity of the light, but fled and stood afar off. Moses was obliged to veil his face to hide the glory of his countenance from Israel. It is this same fire that has so often been exhibited by holy angels, when they have appeared in their glory to mortals. It was this same fire that rested upon the tabernacle and camp of Israel, for forty years in the wilderness. It was this same fire that broke forth among the rebellious ones, and consumed them by thousands. It was this same fire that consumed the sacrifice offered by Elijah, and even consumed the stones of the altar and great quantities of water, poured upon the same. It was this same fire that filled the temple of Solo- mon at the time of its dedication. It is this same fire that surrounds the Holy One of Israel: hence, Paul calls Him. "a consuming fire." It was this same fire which all who sincerely received John's baptism, had the promise of being baptized with. It was this same fire and Holy Ghost that descended from heaven like a rushing mighty wind, on the day of Pentecost-that was seen in the form of cloven tongues that controlled the tongues of the disciples to speak in many languages unknown to themselves.
Time would fail us to speak of the thousands of other examples in both the Old and New Testaments, where God manifested His blessings through obedience to some simple ordinance or requirement. The means ordained, through which many blessings were given, were in many instances entirely arbitrary, and apparently had no con- nection, as a cause producing the effect: in most instances, these arbitrary means were instituted to try the faith of the people; for if they had not faith sufficient to obey any command, however simple, God would not bestow the blessing. What could have been more simple than the means referred to in the last two paragraphs? And yet. how great were the blessings which followed these simple acts!
We know that God is a personage in whose image man is made; that He has a body of spiritual substance; and that His divine attributes are reflected In man’s nature ... But He, of Himself, is not everywhere present. Even we poor, mundane, men and women operate through agents—machines or messengers. We use the telegraph or telephone, and now, the radio, to transmit our thoughts to far away places. We need not go there in person. About such a conception there is nothing really mysterious. This is the key to the misunderstanding which has vexed and is vexing many a seeker after God. He and His power have been confused, until the worship due Him has been given to His power.
God is a person, of form and dimension. Therefore, He cannot, personally, be everywhere present at the same time. But, from His abode issues an influence, filling all space, and permeating every created thing, animate and inanimate. This influence or medium is called the Holy Spirit. It is not to be confused with the Holy Ghost, the third member of the Godhead. Through the Holy Spirit messages are conveyed to the Father to every creature, and from every creature to the Father. It is the means by which all of God’s creations are ever before His eyes and under His control. It is the means of man’s constant access to his Father.
How long man remained in the first estate, is not known. Undoubtedly, however , it was long enough to enable him to become thoroughly familiar with the manifestations of all forms of the spirit substance. Only when education in this division of the universe was completed were we permitted to enter the next estate.
God must be, therefore, in possession of other agencies whereby his will may be transmitted to his pleasure to the uttermost confines of space. The chief agent employed by God to communicate his will to the universe is the holy spirit, which must not be confused with the Holy Ghost, the personage who is the third member of the Godhead. The holy spirit permeates all the things of the universe, material and spiritual. By the holy spirit the will of God is transmitted. It forms what may be called the great wireless system of communication among the intelligent beings of the universe. The holy spirit vibrates with intelligence; it takes up the word and will of God as given by him or by his personal agents, and transmits the message to the remotest parts of space.
By the holy spirit, God is always with us, and "is nearer than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet."
It is conceivable that the thunders and the lightnings, the movements of the heavenly bodies, the ebb and flow of the oceans, and all the phenomena known to man, are only manifestations of the will of God as transmitted and spread by the measureless, inexhaustible, all-conducting holy spirit.
The holy spirit fills all things, and by its means the thoughts and minds of these increasing intelligent beings re everywhere felt. Intelligence permeates the universe.
Such quotations, from the men intimately associated or acquainted with the early history of the Church, prove that Joseph Smith taught in clearness the doctrine that a subtle form of matter, call it ether or Holy Spirit, pervades all space; that all phenomena of nature, including, specifically, heat, light and electricity, are definitely connected with this substance. He taught much else concerning this substance which science will soon discover, but which lies without the province of this paper to discuss.
By the doctrine of the ether, it is made evident all the happenings in the universe are indelibly inscribed upon the record of nature. A word is spoken. The air movements that it causes disturbs the ether. The ether waves radiate into space and can never die. Anywhere, with the proper instrument, one of the waves may be captured, and the spoken word read. That is the simple method of wireless telegraphy. It is thus that all our actions shall be known on the last great day. By the ether, or the Holy Spirit as named by the Prophet, God holds all things in His keeping. His intelligent will radiates into space, to touch whomsoever it desires. He who is tuned aright can read the message, flashed across the ether ocean, by the Almighty. Thus, also, God, who is a person, filling only a portion of space is, by His power carried by the ether, everywhere present.
The ether of science though material is essentially different from the matter composing the elements. So, also, in Mormon theology, is the Holy Spirit different from the grosser elements. In science there is a vast distinction between the world of the elements, and that of the ether; in theology, there is an equally great difference between the spiritual and material worlds. Though the theology of Joseph Smith insists that immaterialism is an absurdity, yet it permits no overlapping of the earthly and the spiritual.
It must not be overlooked that the broad statement of this doctrine was made by Joseph Smith, at least as early as 1832, at a time when the explanation of light phenomena on the hypothesis of a universal ether was just beginning to find currency among learned men; and many years before the same hypothesis was accepted in explaining the phenomena of heat and electricity.
Had Joseph Smith been the clever imposter that some claim he was, he probably would not have dealt in any way with the theories of the material world, at least would not have claimed revelations laying down physical laws; had he been the stupid fool, others tell us he was, his mind would not have worried itself with the fundamental problems of nature.
However that may be, it is certain that Joseph Smith, in the broad and rational statement of the existence of an omnipresent, material though subtle substance, anticipated the workers in science. In view of that fact, it is not improbable that at some future time, when science shall have gained a wider view, the historian of the physical sciences will say that Joseph Smith, the clear-sighted, first stated correctly the fundamental physical doctrine of the universal ether.
The question is often asked, is there any difference he. tween the Spirit of the Lord and the Holy Ghost? The terme are frequently used synonymously. We often say the Spirit of God when we mean the Hoy Ghost; we likewise save the Holy Ghost when we ve meane Spirit of God. od. The Holy Ghost is a personage in the Godhead, and is not that which lighteth every man that comes into the world. It is the Spirit of God which proceeds through Christ to the world, that enlightens every man that comes into the world, and that strives with the children of men, and will continue to strive with them, until it brings them to a knowledge of the truth and the possession of the greater light and Holy Ghost. If, however, he receives that o testimony of the then sin against it, the Spirit of God At greater light, and with him, and the Holy Ghost will wholly depart from will cease to strive him. Then will he persecute the truth: then will he seek the blood of the innocent; then will he not scruple at the commission of any crime; except so far as he may fear the penalties of the law, in consequence of the crime, upon himself.
If a man is baptized and ordained to the holy priest- hood, and is called upon to perform duties which pertain to that priesthood, it does not follow that he must always have the Holy Ghost present with him when he performs his duty, but every righteous act which he may perform legally will be in force and effect, and will be acknowl- edged of God, whether he hath much or little of the Holy Ghost, but the more of the Spirit of God he possesses in ministrations, the better for himself, and those will not suf- fer any loss unto whom he administers.
Therefore, the presentation or "gift" of the Holy Ghost simply confers upon a man the right to receive at any time, when he is worthy of it and desires it, the power and light of truth of the Holy Ghost, although he may often be left to his own spirit and judgment.
The Holy Ghost as a personage of Spirit can no more be omnipresent in person than can the Father or the Son, but by his intelligence, his knowledge, his power and in- fluence, over and through the laws of nature, he is and can be omnipresent throughout all the works of God. It is not the Holy Ghost who in person lighteth every man who is born into the world, but it is the light of Christ, the Spirit of Truth, which proceeds from the source of intelli- gence, which permeates all nature, which lighteth every man and fills the immensity of space. You may call it the Spirit of God, you may call it the influence of God's intel- ligence, you may call it the substance of his power. No matter what it is called, it is the spirit of intelligence that permeates the universe, and gives to the spirits of men understanding just as Job has said. (Job 32:8; Doc. and Cov., Sec. 88:3-13.)
The Father and the Son possessing the same mind, the same wisdom, glory, power and fulness: Filling all in all—the Son being filled with the fulness of the Mind, glory and power, or, in other words, the Spirit, glory and power of the Father—possessing all knowledge and glory, and the same kingdom: sitting at the right hand of power, in the express image and likeness of the Father—a Mediator for man—being filled with the fulness of the Mind of the Father, or, in other words, the Spirit of the Father: which Spirit is shed forth upon all who believe on his name and keep his commandments: and all those who keep his commandments shall grow up from grace to grace, and become heirs of the heavenly kingdom, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ; possessing the same mind, being transformed into the same image or likeness, even the express image of him who fills all in all: being filled with the fulness of his glory, and become one in him, even as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one. 3 From the foregoing account of the Godhead, which is given in his revelations, the Saints have a sure foundation laid for the exercise of faith unto life and salvation, through the atonement and mediation of Jesus Christ, by whose blood they have a forgiveness of sins, and also, a sure reward laid up for them in heaven, even that of partaking of the fulness of the Father and the Son, through the Spirit. As the Son partakes of the fulness of the Father through the Spirit, so the saints are, by the same Spirit, to be partakers of the same fulness, to enjoy the same glory; for as the Father and the Son are one, so in like manner the saints are to be one in them, through the love of the Father, the mediation of Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit; they are to be heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.
Nothing is a greater injury to the children of men than to be under the influence of a false spirit, when they think they have the Spirit of God.
In this conference, we will hear truths that inspire us to change, improve, and purify our lives. Through personal revelation, we can prevent what some call “general conference overwhelm”—when we leave so determined to do it all now. Women wear many hats, but it is impossible, and unnecessary, to wear them all at once. The Spirit helps us determine which work to focus on today.13
It is by means of the Holy Ghost that personal revelations are received. It is the Spirit that communicates with our spirit in receiving revelation. The Savior promised, “God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit” (D&C 121:26).
The Spirit communicates our prayers to Heavenly Father. Paul taught the Romans this principle when he said, “The Spirit also helpeth . . . : for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26).
The Prophet Joseph Smith explained: All things whatsoever God in his infinite wisdom has seen fit and proper to reveal to us, while we are dwelling in mortality . . . are revealed to our spirits precisely as though we had no bodies at all; and those revelations which will save our spirits will save our bodies. [Teachings, p. 355]
Personally I am not disheartened. I am concerned, but I do not live in terror. It has been said that the late President J. Golden Kimball once attended a stake conference session in which the speaker who preceded him occupied nearly all the time with a scorching call to repentance and that when Brother J. Golden followed him, he simply said, “Well, brothers and sisters, I suppose the best thing for all of us to do is to go home and commit suicide.”
This tremendous truth—that every soul is enlightened by the spirit of Christ and endowed with the ability to respond to its guidance—is perfectly understandable when we remember that mortals are, by inheritance, spirits. They are the natural-born spirit children of God. It is, therefore, natural that there persists in every human soul, form antemortal spirit life, the capacity to instinctively respond to the promptings of the Spirit.
There are only five prayers: Please (Petition); Thank-you (Thanksgiving); I'm sorry (Contrition); Wow (Praise); Yes, I will (Obedience). The Holy Spirit eventually changes all our prayers to "wow" and "yes."
Finally, he maintained his consecration in the midst of the deepest deprivation anyone can know. President Brigham Young taught us that in the course of the astonishing Atonement, the Father withdrew both his presence and his Spirit from Jesus, and, further, even cast a veil over Jesus (JD 3:206). Thus Jesus became utterly and totally alone! There then came that great cry of forsakenness! “Nevertheless,” Jesus did not “shrink,” but, instead, “finished [his] preparations unto the children of men” (D&C 19:18–19). Just as he promised premortally, even when he might have reflected a little credit upon himself for the glorious Atonement, meek Jesus, instead, gave all the glory to the Father (D&C 19:19).
God has given us one of the most sacred unions on this earth when He ordained the marriage of man and woman, and it should never be entered into lightly. It is not unlike the union of His Holy Spirit with His people. God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth. And God sent His Son, Jesus, to be joined with His bride, the church. In like manner, the true joining of ... man and woman is in spirit as well as heart. ~ Pastor Miles
Hence, it is infinitely important that the affections and desires should be, in a measure, changed and renewed, so as to cause him to hate that which he before loved, and to love that which he before hated: to thus renew the mind of man is the work of the Holy Ghost
Jesus himself, though the Son of God, and possessed of all power in heaven and on earth, did not generally exer- cise his power without an ordinance. Hence, we read of great multitudes of the sick and afflicted being healed by the laying on of his hands. He also put his hands upon little children, and prayed for them, and blessed them. At one time he went up into a mountain, and called "unto him whom he would; and they came unto him. And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach." (Mark iii. 13. 14.) He laid his hands upon a woman who had been bound by Satan eight- een years, and she was delivered from the evil spirit. (Luke xiii. 13-16.) Jesus said that all believers in his Gospel should receive certain signs, among which it was promised that "they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall re- cover." (Mark xvi. 18.) Jesus put his hands upon a blind man and he was partially healed; and he put his hands again upon his eyes, and he was fully restored.
Faith in a divine message is one thing, but knowledge is another. Faith leads to obedience, but knowledge follows obedience. Faith is the result of evidence presented to the mind from without; but knowledge is the result of the operations of the Holy Ghost directly upon the mind, which gives greater certainty than can be obtained in any other way
Do not deceive yourself, and suppose that you can receive this pre- cious gift, by merely asking for it, when you are not willing to obey the ordinances which God has ordained through which you are to receive this blessing. Do not flatter your- self that God will hear your prayers when you ask for His Spirit, if you do not obey. Your prayers will be a mockery. unless you are willing to obey whatever is required, how- ever simple the ordinances may be.
"As the mind passes the boundaries of the visible world, and enters upon the confines of the more refined and subtle elements, it finds itself associated with certain substances in themselves invisible to our gross organs, but clearly manifested to our intellect by their tangible operations and effects." "The purest, most refined and subtle of all these substances—is that substance called the Holy Spirit." "It is omnipresent." "It is in its less refined particles, the physical light which reflects from the sun, moon and stars, and other substances; and by reflection on the eye makes visible the truths of the outward world."
The fact that we are more realistic must not mean that we trust the Holy Spirit any less or are less generous.
Culture embraces the totality of a people's life; how they relate: To each other; To other Creatures; To God.... The human person is always situated in a culture..... Grace supposes culture....When a community is evangelized, the Holy Spirit enriches its culture.... The different cultures of the church are the jewel bedecked bride.
The source of diversity among people and cultures is the Holy Spirit...but at some point He brings about unity....When we...aspire to diversity (without the holy Spirit), we become self-enclosed, exclusive ad divisive....whenever we attempt to create unity on the basis of our human calculations, we end up imposing a monolithic uniformity.
The Holy Spirit mobilizes attentiveness to others, not an unruly activism.
Prayer is a key. Pray to know what to stop doing and what to start doing. Pray to know what to add to your environment and what to remove so the Spirit can be with you in abundance. Plead with the Lord for the gift of discernment. Then live and work to be worthy to receive that gift so that when confusing events arise in the world, you will know exactly what is true and what is not. Serve with love. Loving service to those who have lost their way or who are wounded in spirit opens your heart to personal revelation. Spend more time—much more time—in places where the Spirit is present. That means more time with friends who are seeking to have the Spirit with them. Spend more time on your knees in prayer, more time in the scriptures, more time in family history work, more time in the temple. I promise you that as you consistently give the Lord a generous portion of your time, He will multiply the remainder.
But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.
In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.
I have made my own list of ten questions about our experiences with the Holy Ghost. 1. Have you ever felt unexpectedly fresh, new, and happy? 2. Have you felt lifted and overwhelmed by music? 3. Have you had flashes of insight? 4. Are there principles and passages that light you up? 5. Have you seen God show up in your life? 6. Have you felt awe at God’s creations? 7. Have you felt intrusive peace? 8. Have you ever just-trusted—and it felt good? 9. Have you felt guided? 10. Has the Spirit given you a profound love and concern for someone?
The tricky question is, how often should we be having such distinct experiences with the Holy Ghost? What does it feel like to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost? I worried about that question for many years. I knew that I had great experiences—once in a while. But there were also vast tracts of ordinary life. If I were truly experiencing the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, would I be having a lot more flashes of insight, a lot more kindness and goodness, a lot more revelation?
He is one of the three characters we believe in, whose office it is to administer to those of the human family who love the truth.