When I was a young man in high
school, one of my passions was American football. I played middle linebacker. The coach worked the team
hard, teaching us the basics. We practiced until the skills
became natural and automatic. During one play against
our biggest rival, I had an experience that has
helped me over the years. We were on defense. I knew my assigned opponent,
and as the play unfolded, he moved to my right into
the line of scrimmage. There was a lot of noise
from players and fans. I reacted as the coach
had taught us and followed my man into the line, not
knowing if he had the ball. To my surprise, I felt the
ball partially in my hands. I gave it a tug, but my
opponent didn't let go. As we tugged back and
forth, amid all the noise I heard a voice yelling,
"Packer, tackle him!" That was enough to
bring me to my senses, so I dropped him on the spot.
I have wondered how
I heard that voice above all the other noise. I had become acquainted
with the voice of the coach during
the practices, and I had learned to trust it. I knew that what
he taught worked. We need to be acquainted
with the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and we
need to practice and apply gospel teachings until they
become natural and automatic. These promptings become the
foundation of our testimonies.