(Prior to
beginning the lesson, follow through with last week’s goal/experience and
encourage discussion about what they learned-this week should be about going to
the temple)
Receiving the Holy
Ghost
Let’s start by reviewing the basic, yet profound, characteristics
of the Holy Ghost. What do we know about
him?
-He’s a third member of the God Head (D&C
130:22)
-He is a “personage of the spirit”
-He works in perfect unity with Heavenly Father and Jesus
Christ
-He helps us live righteously and receive the blessings of
the Gospel
-He witnesses of the Father and the Son (2 Nephi
31:18)
-He reveals and teaches the truth of all things (Moroni
10:5)
-He is the only way you can receive a sure testimony of
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ
-He will show unto you all things that you should do 2 Nephi 32:1–5
-He will guide you in your decisions
-He will protect you from spiritual and physical harm
-Through him, you can receive gifts of the spirit D&C
46:9–11
-He is the comforter John
14:26
-He can fill you with hope and perfect love Moroni
8:26; D&C
36:2
-Through
His power, you are sanctified as you repent, receive the ordinances of baptism
and confirmation, and remain true to your covenants (see Mosiah 5:1–6; 3 Nephi 27:20; Moses 6:64–68).
-He is the
Holy Spirit of Promise (see Ephesians 1:13; D&C 132:7, 18–19, 26). In this capacity, He confirms that the
priesthood ordinances you have received and the covenants you have made are
acceptable to God. This approval depends on your continued faithfulness.
-Everyone
can feel the Holy Ghost, but to have him as a constant companion and to receive
the full blessings of the Holy Ghost one must be baptized and then confirmed
members of the Church by the laying on of hands, by someone with proper
authority. (The difference between the influence of the Holy Ghost/light of
Christ and the GIFT of the Holy Ghost)
-“The Prophet Joseph Smith
taught: “You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view
of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but
half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half—that is, the
baptism of the Holy Ghost” (History of the Church, 5:499). We were baptized by immersion
in water for the remission of sins. We must also be baptized by and immersed in
the Spirit of the Lord, “and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and
by the Holy Ghost” (2 Ne. 31:17).”
(Bednar, That We)
My Favorite Analogy
The stop light! (Show a picture of a stop light)
Red: Stop! Don’t do that! Physical/spiritual danger, repent
Yellow: Be careful! Warnings of all kinds
Green: Go, do! Testify, teach. Act!
No matter what analogies we use, no matter what blessings
we focus on, the Holy Ghost is simply one GIANT blessing. If we take advantage of this priceless gift
our lives will only be better than they would have otherwise been. And chances are, the lives of those around
you will also be affected in a positive way.
“The Holy Ghost does not become operative in our lives merely because
hands are placed upon our heads and those four important words are spoken. As
we receive this ordinance, each of us accepts a sacred and ongoing
responsibility to desire, to seek, to work, and to so live that we indeed
“receive the Holy Ghost” and its attendant spiritual gifts. “For what doth it
profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift?
Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in
him who is the giver of the gift” (D&C 88:33).” (Bednar, Receive)
But the question remains: Once you are conferred a member
of the Church and are given the Holy Ghost how exactly to you RECEIVE it?
That phrase at the end of the blessing demands, “RECEIVE
the Holy Ghost”. It doesn’t simply say,
“The Holy Ghost is now yours” or “Enjoy the Holy Ghost”. It doesn’t even say, “Utilize the Holy
Ghost”. Why does it say RECEIVE?
-It is a call to ACT
-It is recognition of the need for us to do our part
-It is a declaration that while we are entitled to the
constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, that he will always be near, but that he
CAN NOT help us if we do not CHOOSE to accept him; if we do not INVITE him.
The Do’s and Don’ts
“If something we think, see, hear, or do
distances us from the Holy Ghost, then we should stop thinking, seeing,
hearing, or doing that thing. If that which is intended to entertain, for
example, alienates us from the Holy Spirit, then certainly that type of
entertainment is not for us. “ (Bednar,
That We)
-As teens we often focus on what we CAN’T (or shouldn’t)
do. The Word of Wisdom. The Law of Chastity. The Sabbath Day. It probably seems like there
are oodles and oodles of additional, compounding “restrictions”. Lying, cheating, stealing, etc. Some of them are not even temptations, while
others are true struggles. Gossiping,
being selfish with our time/resources, coveting. Everyone is different when it comes
to the focus of their struggles. But we
ALL STRUGGLE. And, if you’re like me, we
all need motivation to keep going, to keep trying!
That’s when the light bulb went on for me! While listening to Elder Bednar’s talks (Receive the Holy Ghost, and That we May Always Have His Spirit To Be With US) it finally hit me! The ever important WHY! Why do we do/not do all these things? Is it to make us happy? Yup. Is it to help us stand out? Yeah. Is it to make us better people? Yeah. Is it to be obedient? Absolutely. But the core reason we ACT in accordance to the things we have been taught is to be worthy of, to invite, and to embrace the Holy Ghost! “Fundamentally, all gospel teachings and activities are centered on coming unto Christ by receiving the Holy Ghost in our lives.” (Bednar, Receive) The other reasons we behave as we do are all fine. They are all good. But those are mere consequences, positive as they may be, of obedience. The true, most important purpose behind all these instructions from the Lord is to give us every tool he has to keep us and our homes filled with the Holy Ghost! We can DO anything, we can BECOME anyone, we can SERVE everyone when we listen to and obey the Holy Ghost. Why do we follow the teachings of the Gospel? So we can RECEIVE the Holy Ghost! Mind Blown!
Mosiah
3:19 (We will always be an enemy to God as natural men unless we have the
Holy Ghost)
Now let’s focus on the DO’s. These are the most important. I’m of the opinion that if we submerge
ourselves in the DO’s there won’t any time for the DON’Ts, and soon they aren’t
even temptations (While I'm fully confident in this theory, don't for a minute think that I've perfected this. I'm just as human as the next person). So what shall we DO to
RECEIVE the Holy Ghost?
“These four words—“Receive the Holy Ghost”—are
not a passive pronouncement; rather, they constitute a priesthood injunction—an
authoritative admonition to act and not simply to be acted upon.” (Bednar,
Receive)
PRACTICE!
-Seek first for a sincere desire (3 Nephi
19:6, 9), “Do we likewise remember to pray earnestly and
consistently for that which we should most desire, even the Holy Ghost? Or do
we become distracted by the cares of the world and the routine of daily living
and take for granted or even neglect this most valuable of all gifts? Receiving
the Holy Ghost starts with our sincere and constant desire for His
companionship in our lives.” (Bednar, Receive)
-“We cannot compel, coerce, or command the Holy
Ghost. Rather, we should invite Him into our lives with the same gentleness and
tenderness by which He entreats us (see D&C 42:14).” (Bednar, Receive)
-Put yourselves in situations where you: serve, hear/play
music, watch wholesome church videos etc., enjoy the outdoors, participate in
various forms of art, etc.
-Thoughtfully act each day, focusing on how you treat
other people and how you spend your time
-Strengthen appropriate relationships with family members
and friends
-Seek virtuous thoughts, actions, and language
-Worship in your homes, at church and in the temple
-Follow the commandments
-Meaningful personal and family prayer
-Study/feast upon the words of Christ
-Diligent and exacting obedience
-Faithfulness and honoring of covenants (through virtue,
humility, and service)
-Worthily partake of the sacrament each week
-Have a positive attitude
-Act when you think you’re being prompted
*How do we know if it’s a prompting from the Holy
Ghost? Practice. Only GOOD things come from our Heavenly
Father. If we ever feel like we are prompted
to do something but are unsure if we’re just fooling ourselves into thinking
it’s a prompting or if it actually is one, act (so long as it’s a positive
prompting, what’s it going to hurt)! You’ll find out from what happens next if
you were prompted or not. From those
trial and error opportunities you’ll be able to learn what’s a prompting and
what’s not. Never hesitate to do
something positive; something the Lord would be pleased you had done. Whether it was a prompting, or an idea of
your own making, you’ll be serving Him and can’t go wrong.
“Praying, studying, gathering, worshipping,
serving, and obeying are not isolated and independent items on a lengthy gospel
checklist of things to do. Rather, each of these righteous practices is an
important element in an overarching spiritual quest to fulfill the mandate to
receive the Holy Ghost. The commandments from God we obey and the inspired
counsel from Church leaders we follow principally focus upon obtaining the
companionship of the Spirit. Fundamentally, all gospel teachings and activities
are centered on coming unto Christ by receiving the Holy Ghost in our lives.”
(Bednar, receive)
“In February of 1847 the Prophet Joseph Smith
appeared to Brigham Young in a dream or vision. President Young asked the
Prophet if he had a message for the Brethren. The Prophet Joseph replied: “Tell
the people to be humble and faithful, and be sure to
keep 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” (see Teachings
of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young [1997],
41; emphasis added). Of all the truths the Prophet Joseph might have taught
Brigham Young on that sacred occasion, he emphasized the importance of
obtaining and keeping the Spirit of the Lord.” (Bednar, That We)
Several years after the Prophet Joseph Smith was
martyred, he appeared to President Brigham Young and shared this timeless
counsel: “Tell the people to be humble and faithful and [be] sure to keep the
Spirit of the Lord and it will lead them right. Be careful and not turn away
the small still voice; it will teach [you what] to do and where to go; it will
yield the fruits of the kingdom. Tell the brethren to keep their hearts open to
conviction so that when the Holy Ghost comes to them, their hearts will be
ready to receive it. They can tell the Spirit of the Lord from all other
spirits. It will whisper peace and joy to their souls, and it will take malice,
hatred, envying, strife, and all evil from their hearts; and their whole desire
will be to do good, bring forth righteousness, and build up the kingdom of God.
Tell the brethren if they will follow the Spirit of the Lord they will go
right” (Teachings: Joseph Smith, 98).
*As a mom I have learned that each person feels the
spirit differently. Some feel it best
through music, others through service, silent reflection/prayer, personal study/reading,
various art mediums, physical experiences outdoors (hiking and other athletic
occassions) or simply by being outside.
Just as we all have a way we learn best scholastically, we all have ways
we hear and recognize the spirit better than others. (Ensign
Article)
“…the Holy Ghost often
teaches our children in the ways they learn best. The Prophet Joseph Smith
taught that the Spirit talks to us in our language and in ways we can
understand. The Holy Ghost adapts His language to be understood by all, even
little children. “Our Heavenly Father is always available to us. He adapts to our
level of understanding. ‘If He comes to a little child, He will adapt himself
to the language and capacity of a little child’ (Joseph Smith, in History of the Church, 3:392).” (Boyack, Helping Children)
“We also learned that people “hear” the Holy Ghost in a variety of ways.
I was teaching a Sunday School lesson to relatively new converts, and I asked
the question, “How do you feel the Spirit?” Their answers were very
enlightening. One said, “I feel clarity in my thoughts.” Another said, “I have
a warm feeling inside,” while another shared, “I feel a deep sense of peace.” A
woman who had been a member for a few months said, “I feel prickles all over!”
And several stated that they occasionally would “hear” a voice speaking to them
or that new ideas would come to them.” (Boyack, Helping Children)
” As we gain experience with the Holy Ghost, we
learn that the intensity with which we feel the Spirit’s influence is not
always the same. Strong, dramatic spiritual impressions do not come to us
frequently.” (Bednar, That We)
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has taught: “In its more familiar
forms, revelation or inspiration comes by means of words or thoughts
communicated to the mind (see Enos 1:10; D&C 8:2–3), by sudden enlightenment (see D&C 6:14–15), by positive or negative feelings about proposed
courses of action, or even by inspiring performances, as in the performing arts.
… ‘Inspiration comes more as a feeling than as a sound.’”2
(If we have time to delve into scriptures and talk about
analogies etc.)
The Liahona: A Type and Shadow for Our Day
1 Nephi
16:14-29 (How the Liahona worked) Small and simple things
1 Nephi
18:8-22 (Liahona failed until they repent and Nephi is in charge again)
pride, wickedness, contention
Alma
37:38-46 (How the Liahona worked, comparison to the Holy Ghost)
Testimony
I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who never leaves us stranded. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that the blessings of the Holy Ghost are eternally ours if we but desire them and invite him into our lives. Our Father in Heaven is waiting to bless us and guide us back to Him. He has given us our own individual Liahonas. It's our turn to act; to reach out and embrace it. I know that if we do this, our lives will unfold in ways we could never imagine possible. We can become the kind of people our Heavenly Father knows we can become if we allow the Holy Ghost to show us how.
Applicable Cop Stories:
-"What did you think was going to happen?"
-Prompting to approach the car from the passenger side
I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who never leaves us stranded. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that the blessings of the Holy Ghost are eternally ours if we but desire them and invite him into our lives. Our Father in Heaven is waiting to bless us and guide us back to Him. He has given us our own individual Liahonas. It's our turn to act; to reach out and embrace it. I know that if we do this, our lives will unfold in ways we could never imagine possible. We can become the kind of people our Heavenly Father knows we can become if we allow the Holy Ghost to show us how.
Applicable Cop Stories:
-"What did you think was going to happen?"
-Prompting to approach the car from the passenger side