Come, Follow Me
What are the roles of the Holy Ghost?

What are the roles of the Holy Ghost?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

The Holy Ghost, a member of the Godhead, bears witness of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. He is the source of personal testimony and revelation. He can guide us in our decisions and protect us from physical and spiritual danger. He is known as the Comforter, and He can calm our fears and fill us with hope. Through His power, we are sanctified as we repent, receive saving ordinances, and keep our covenants. In order to serve effectively as priesthood holders, it is essential that we learn to listen to and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

Resources to Help You Prepare

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

What personal experiences could you share with the young men that would teach them about the roles of the Holy Ghost?

Why is it important for the young men to learn to recognize and follow the promptings of the Spirit? How can you help them to be worthy of and seek His companionship?

What can the young men do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.

Teaching in the Savior’s Way

The Savior shared simple stories, parables, and real-life examples to teach in a way that made sense to His disciples. What personal experiences can you share with the young men to help them understand the roles of the Holy Ghost and feel a desire to seek and be worthy of such experiences?

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

  • Our quorum: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?

  • Our duties: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?

  • Our lives: Remind the quorum of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?

If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a quorum presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the quorum; approximately 25–35 minutes

After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help quorum members understand the doctrine.

  • Write the following questions on the board: Why do we need the Holy Ghost? How can the Holy Ghost help us? Invite the young men to search Elder Gary E. Stevenson’s talk “How Does the Holy Ghost Help You?” or watch the video “Voice of the Spirit,” looking for answers to the questions on the board. As appropriate, share experiences you have had with receiving inspiration from the Holy Ghost, and invite the young men to share any experiences they have had. They could also share things they will do to better listen for and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

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  • Find some stories from recent general conference talks that illustrate the various roles of the Holy Ghost. Consider including President Henry B. Eyring’s experience with his son or with the Austrian Saints in “My Peace I Leave with You” or Elder Juan A. Uceda’s experience as a missionary in Peru in his talk “The Lord Jesus Christ Teaches Us to Pray.” Invite each young man to read one of the stories, retell it to the quorum in his own words, and identify the role of the Holy Ghost in that story. Encourage the young men to share their own experiences when the Holy Ghost has helped them.

  • Invite the young men to search the following scriptures, identify the role of the Holy Ghost in each, and share how His influence can bless them: John 14:26; 15:26; Galatians 5:22–23; 2 Nephi 32:5; 3 Nephi 27:20. The young men could also search sections of Elder Robert D. Hales’s talk “The Holy Ghost” to learn about roles of the Holy Ghost. Invite the young men to list times in their lives when they will need the influence of the Holy Ghost. When will it be important for the Holy Ghost to show them what they should do? At what times might the young men need to feel the comforting influence of the Holy Ghost? Consider sharing a personal experience when you have received the help of the Holy Ghost.

  • Show one of the videos listed in this outline, and ask the young men to listen for what the video teaches them about receiving guidance through the Holy Ghost. Ask each young man to share something he learns. Invite them to think about and write down how they feel about this quote and the importance of living worthy of and following the Spirit. Encourage them to ponder what they can do to more fully seek the companionship of the Holy Ghost.

  • Invite the young men to look in the hymnbook in the Topics index under “Holy Ghost” to find a hymn that teaches about how the Holy Ghost can help us. Ask them to share lines from the hymns they chose. Consider singing one of the hymns as a quorum.

3. Plan to Act

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

  • Ask the young men to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a quorum to apply what they have learned?

  • Give the young men a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.

  • Remind the young men that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.

Related Youth Activities

Plan a Mutual activity that will help the young men apply what they learned in this lesson.