Answers from Church Leaders
How Can I Be Guided by the Spirit?
As we seek the Holy Ghost, He will be a trustworthy, reliable, and beloved companion.
From an address given at the seminar for new mission leaders on June 24, 2023.
When we were confirmed members of the Church after baptism, we received a certificate of baptism and confirmation. But what good does that certificate do hanging on a wall or being displayed in a scrapbook if we do not use the gift we have been given?
We need to competently seek and rely on the Holy Ghost.
How to Seek the Spirit
Seeking the Holy Ghost involves more than simply being confirmed a member of the Church. It is naïve to think that just because we have received the gift of the Holy Ghost and an accompanying certificate, all we need to do is to say, “OK. I am ready. Reveal!”
Spiritual Work
Acts of personal, private devotion are integral to our seeking the Holy Ghost. The spiritual work of seeking the Spirit includes:
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Praying fervently to the Father with faith in Jesus Christ. In our prayers, as we express our gratitude to God, we will be better able to recognize His mercy in our lives.
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Consistent and focused scripture study. Feasting on the words of Christ, as found in the scriptures, stimulates personal revelation.
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Keeping God’s commandments, because “the gift of the Holy Ghost is the right to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost as we are worthy.”
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Worthiness. That means we try our best to keep God’s commandments and do not rationalize sinful behavior. When we stumble, we repent. If we do not, we limit the ability of the Holy Ghost to say anything to us other than, “You need to repent!” We are unlikely to receive any other revelation until we do.
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Honoring covenants we have made with God. One part of honoring our covenants is to conscientiously prepare for and worthily partake of the sacrament each week.
Learning to Recognize the Spirit
Despite a solid foundation of spiritual work, we still need to learn to recognize the voice of the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost communicates in different ways to different people at different times. The voice of the Holy Ghost is not loud or noisy but mild and still, like a whisper. It can be stunningly simple and plain. It can be piercing or burning. It affects both the mind and the heart. It brings peace, joy, and hope—not fear, anxiety, or worry. It is enlightening and delicious, not muddling.
For me, revelation frequently comes in short, terse, imperative directives, such as “Go!,” “Do!,” and “Say!” Or it may come as ideas, usually coupled with a nudge to act on those ideas. Such knowledge and understanding may be conveyed without words. Rarely does revelation come with clear explanations of why we should do something.
Seeking the Spirit involves eliminating distractions. To receive personal revelation, we need to walk away from worldly noise. We do not receive revelation when we are angry, agitated, or frustrated, or even simply preoccupied. Rather, we create an environment that fosters feeling and recognizing the Spirit.
Rely on the Spirit
Once we have sought and been blessed by the Spirit in our lives, are we done? Of course not. The goal is to rely on the Spirit as we do the Savior’s work.
Relying on the Spirit really means that we act in faith, trusting that God will lead and direct us and that the Holy Ghost will magnify our efforts.
Learning to rely on the Holy Ghost means that we put our confidence and faith in Jesus Christ. We should rely on the Spirit rather than our own talents and abilities. The Holy Ghost will magnify our efforts far beyond what we can do on our own.
Acting in faith and putting our confidence and faith in Jesus Christ does not mean being paralyzed if we do not feel an affirmative prompting.
How Do I Know If It’s the Spirit or Own My Thoughts?
One of the most common questions is, “How do I know whether the thought I have is my own or if it is from the Holy Ghost?” This is a reasonable question. But perhaps a better question to pose to ourselves is this: “Should I act on this particular thought?”
The prophet Mormon gave some criteria to determine whether we should act on a particular thought: it promotes believing in our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ; it promotes loving and serving Them; and it promotes doing good. If the thought meets these criteria, then does it really matter whether it was planted directly by the Holy Ghost in that exact moment or if the thought arose thanks to a lifetime of experiences and prior decisions? In reality, it does not.
Learning to seek and rely on the Spirit is a life skill, not just a temporary way to get through a mission or through a crisis. As we seek the Holy Ghost, He will be a trustworthy, reliable, and beloved companion.