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What If I Don’t Seem to Feel the Spirit?

By Victoria Passey

Church Magazines

Consider these three ideas to learn more about how the Spirit speaks to you.

Photograph by Catherine Frost

After we are baptized, we are confirmed as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and are invited to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by one who holds priesthood authority. This gift gives us the right to the Holy Ghost’s constant companionship so long as we keep the commandments.

Our connection to the Holy Ghost helps us follow President Russell M. Nelson’s invitation to “Hear Him.”¹ As President Nelson counseled, “It has never been more imperative to know how the Spirit speaks to you than right now.”² What can we do if we think we can’t or don’t feel the Spirit? Here are a few of many possibilities.

1. Understand the roles of the Holy Ghost and how He speaks in many ways.

When we are trying to feel the Spirit, it’s important that we start with an understanding of who the Holy Ghost is and how He speaks to us. Each person may receive revelation in different ways; for example, some people more commonly feel warmth while others more often feel peace. Such promptings and feelings can come to each of us in various ways at different times. Think back on previous times when you felt the Holy Ghost. Consider writing down what you felt during those times. Doing so may help you see how the Spirit speaks to you and help you recognize when you feel that way now—which is evidence of the Holy Ghost in your life. Here is a sampling of what several prophets and apostles have taught about the nature of the Holy Ghost:

• President Nelson: “In the Godhead, the Holy Ghost is the messenger. He will bring thoughts to your mind which the Father and Son want you to receive. He is the Comforter. He will bring a feeling of peace to your heart. He testifies of truth and will confirm what is true as you hear and read the word of the Lord.”³

• President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency: “To always have the Spirit with us is to have the guidance and direction of the Holy Ghost in our daily lives. We can, for instance, be warned by the Spirit to resist the temptation to do evil. … If we partake of the sacrament in faith, the Holy Ghost will then be able to protect us and those we love from the temptations that come with increasing intensity and frequency. The companionship of the Holy Ghost makes what is good more attractive and temptation less compelling. That alone should be enough to make us determined to qualify for the Spirit to be with us always. Just as the Holy Ghost strengthens us against evil, He also gives us the power to discern truth from falsehood.”⁴

• Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead; He is a personage of spirit and bears witness of all truth. In the scriptures the Holy Ghost is referred to as the Comforter (see John 14:16–27; Moroni 8:26), a teacher (see John 14:26; D&C 50:14), and a revelator (see 2 Nephi 32:5). Revelations from the Father and the Son are conveyed through the Holy Ghost. He is the messenger for and the witness of the Father and the Son.”⁵

• Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “Remember the Lord’s promise: ‘I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy’ (Doctrine and Covenants 11:13). I love that assurance. Joy that fills our souls brings with it an eternal perspective in contrast to day-to-day living. That joy comes as peace amidst hardship or heartache. It provides comfort and courage, unfolds the truths of the gospel, and expands our love for the Lord and all God’s children.”⁶

• Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “Three revealed truths that bring us to a knowledge of the Holy Ghost … are that the Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead, the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit, and the gift of the Holy Ghost comes by the laying on of hands. … Three answers to the question ‘How does the Holy Ghost help you?’ [are that the] Holy Ghost warns, the Holy Ghost comforts, and the Holy Ghost testifies.”⁷

• President Boyd K. Packer (1924–2015): “These very delicate, fine spiritual communications are not seen with our eyes nor heard with our ears; it is a voice that one feels more than hears. … The voice of the Spirit is described in the scriptures as being neither loud nor harsh, not a voice of thunder, neither a voice of great tumultuous noise, but rather as still and small, of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it can pierce even the very soul and cause the heart to burn.⁸

You can learn more about how the Holy Ghost speaks in the “Holy Ghost” topic entries in General Conference and Gospel Topics.

Consider: How have I felt the Holy Ghost speak to me?

2. Keep your covenants.

Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost is inseparably connected with our baptismal covenant, and covenants require effort on our part to receive the promised blessings. We are reminded of what we’ve promised to do and what we’re promised in return each week as we partake of the sacrament: we promise to take upon us the name of Christ, to always remember Him, and to keep His commandments, and we are promised to always have His Spirit with us as we do so (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79).

To receive the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, we must do our part. Consider this counsel from Church leaders as a start:

• President Nelson: “As we seek to be disciples of Jesus Christ, our efforts to hear Him need to be ever more intentional. It takes conscious and consistent effort to fill our daily lives with His words, His teachings, His truths.”⁹

• President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency: “The need to keep our personal temple clean in order to have the companionship and guidance of the Holy Ghost explains the importance of the commandment to partake of the sacrament on the Sabbath. … The renewal of our covenants by partaking of the sacrament should also be preceded by repentance, so we come to that sacred ordinance with a broken heart and a contrite spirit (see 2 Ne. 2:7; 3 Ne. 12:19; D&C 59:8). Then, as we renew our baptismal covenants and affirm that we will ‘always remember him’ (D&C 20:77), the Lord will renew the promised remission of our sins, under the conditions and at the time he chooses. One of the primary purposes and effects of this renewal of covenants and cleansing from sin is ‘that [we] may always have his Spirit to be with [us]’ (D&C 20:77).”¹⁰

• President Eyring: “For many reasons, we need the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. We desire it, yet we know from experience that it is not easy to maintain. We each think, say, and do things in our daily lives that can offend the Spirit. The Lord taught us that the Holy Ghost will be our constant companion when our hearts are full of charity and when virtue garnishes our thoughts unceasingly (see D&C 121:45). … When you demonstrate your willingness to obey, the Spirit will send you more impressions of what God would have you do for Him. As you obey, the impressions from the Spirit will come more frequently, becoming closer and closer to constant companionship. Your power to choose the right will increase.”¹¹

• Elder Stevenson: “It is vital to our physical and spiritual safety that we keep the gift of the Holy Ghost. We begin to do so by striving to keep the commandments, having individual and family prayers, reading the scriptures, and seeking loving and forgiving relationships with family and loved ones. We should keep our thoughts, actions, and language virtuous. We should worship our Heavenly Father in our homes, at church, and, whenever possible, in the holy temple. Stay close to the Sprit, and the Spirit will stay close to you.”¹²

• Elder Richard G. Scott (1928–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “Our Father expects you to learn how to obtain … divine help by exercising faith in Him and His Holy Son, Jesus Christ. Were you to receive inspired guidance just for the asking, you would become weak and ever more dependent on Them. They know that essential personal growth will come as you struggle to learn how to be led by the Spirit.”¹³

Consider: What can I do to more fully honor my covenants with God?

3. Seek help and trust in the Comforter.

Even when we are living worthy of the Holy Ghost and doing what the Lord asks of us, in the depths of depression and similar mental health trials, we may still find it especially difficult to feel the Holy Ghost. “An inability to feel the Spirit, or a general feeling of apathy or numbness, is often a symptom of poor mental health. God has not forsaken you.”¹⁴ If mental health might be limiting our ability to feel the Spirit, we can counsel with trusted loved ones, Church leaders, and mental health professionals; remember experiences when we have felt the Spirit in the past; and make our homes into places of peace where the Spirit can dwell.¹⁵

When we struggle to feel the Spirit, or to feel anything at all, we can have faith in Heavenly Father’s love for us. We can trust the Savior’s promise, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you” (John 14:18). And we can continue to pray for the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, to bring us peace in the future.

We can also remember that God has given us many other means to help us feel of His love. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has said, “Because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are.”¹⁶ When we are having a hard time feeling the Spirit, we can trust and lean on those truths.

Consider: Who can I counsel with about my feelings? How else can I recognize God’s love and blessings in my life while I wait to feel the Spirit again?

The Gift of the Holy Ghost

“Our Father in Heaven knew that in mortality we would face challenges, tribulation, and turmoil; He knew we would wrestle with questions, disappointments, temptations, and weaknesses. To give us mortal strength and divine guidance, He provided the Holy Spirit, another name for the Holy Ghost.

“The Holy Ghost binds us to the Lord. By divine assignment, He inspires, testifies, teaches, and prompts us to walk in the light of the Lord. We have the sacred responsibility to learn to recognize His influence in our lives and respond.”

Elder Ronald A. Rasband, “Let the Holy Spirit Guide,” Liahona, May 2017, 93.

Notes

1. Russell M. Nelson, “Hear Him,” Liahona, May 2020, 88.

2. Russell M. Nelson, “Hear Him,” 90.

3. Russell M. Nelson, “Hear Him,” 90.

4. Henry B. Eyring, “The Holy Ghost as Your Companion,” Liahona, Nov. 2015, 104.

5. David A. Bednar, “Receive the Holy Ghost,” Liahona, Nov. 2010, 94.

6. Ronald A. Rasband, “Let the Holy Spirit Guide,” Liahona, May 2017, 93.

7. Gary E. Stevenson, “How Does the Holy Ghost Help You?,” Liahona, May 2017, 120.

8. Boyd K. Packer, “How Does the Spirit Speak to Us?,” New Era, Feb. 2010, 3.

9. Russell M. Nelson, “Hear Him,” 89.

10. Dallin H. Oaks, “‘Always Have His Spirit,’” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 59

11. Henry B. Eyring, “The Holy Ghost as Your Companion,” 105.

12. Gary E. Stevenson, “How Does the Holy Ghost Help You?,” 120.

13. Richard G. Scott, “To Acquire Spiritual Guidance,” Liahona, Nov. 2009, 7.

14. “At times I have difficulty feeling the Spirit because I feel numb, Does this mean I am doing something wrong and have lost the Spirit?” Mental Health: Help for Me, ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

15. These ideas are summarized from “At times I have difficulty feeling the Spirit because I feel numb, Does this mean I am doing something wrong and have lost the Spirit?” Mental Health: Help for Me, ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

16. Jeffrey R. Holland, “None Were with Him,” Liahona, May 2009, 88.