I want to commend you for your courage to take this step. Many people have the opportunity as you’ve had to make covenants with God and have chosen not to for a number of reasons. You stand at the head of a great lineage. I can assure you that if you stay true to these covenants you’ve made today and continue to progress, you and thousands after you will be blessed for generations and eternity.
Today I’ve been asked to speak about the Gift of the Holy Ghost. This is a great honor.
Our lives are like a long journey to a faraway land. Today you’ve begun your journey Gary. Symbolically, today you have entered the gates of Baptism. You are officially on your journey. These are your first steps in following Christ. He is simply and utterly thrilled that you have made this decision, as are all of us here who support you.
Jesus knew that the journey would be fraught with difficulties and challenges. It is dangerous. It can fail. He knew this because when we took upon Him our sins and weaknesses, he learned what it would be like to be Gary, or Tim, or anyone. He understands us better than we know ourselves. And so he knew we would need help.
He knew that we would have forks in the road and we wouldn’t know which path to take.
He knew we would meet people on the way who would tempt us to go down dark paths and thwart his plan.
He knew we would be alone, sometimes desperately so, and would long for a friend or our home.
He knew we may even question whether we should have ever gone on this journey at all.
Knowing this, Christ has given us the Gift of the Holy Ghost as a companion. This is a supreme Gift to help us on our way. A light to guide us when all other lights go out.
We are taught that “the Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit, a separate and distinct member of the Godhead. He is a witness or testifier of the power of God, the divinity of Christ, and the truth of the restored gospel.”
Regarding this Gift Jesus said:
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My Name – He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you.”
Also, he said “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth”
We are taught that “The Holy Ghost works in perfect unity with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, fulfilling several roles to help us live righteously and receive the blessings of the gospel.
He “witnesses of the Father and the Son” (2 Nephi 31:18) and reveals and teaches “the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:5). We can receive a sure testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ only by the power of the Holy Ghost. His communication to our spirit carries far more certainty than any communication we can receive through our natural senses.
As we strive to stay on the path that leads to eternal life, the Holy Ghost can guide us in our decisions and protect us from physical and spiritual danger.
A lot of times we talk about how the Holy Ghost feels – some describe it as a warm feeling. Others describe it as a burning in your heart. As a newly baptized member of the Church who will now have the Holy Ghost throughout your life, I want to share some of what I’ve learned about how to recognize it in your life. I’m significantly older than you, and I am still learning so be patient with yourself.
One way to recognize the Holy Ghost is to watch for the fruits of the spirit in our lives. The apostle Paul taught us this when he said the following: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” In other words, having the Holy Ghost in your life will produce fruit. It will make you better. You will more love. It can give you peace. It can make you more patient. It will help you develop Christ-like qualities.
I want to add to this list based on my own experience.
The Holy Ghost can help us feel happy and calm.
It can help us be confident and strong.
It can help us feel light.
The Holy Ghost can literally help you be smarter and your mind clearer.
You feel a love for others and for the Lord.
You are more forgiving and less impatient.
You want to service others.
Gary, the Holy Ghost is a personal comforter. Even as he is working with each of us, he is able to help all of us in our own ways. Your needs may be different than mine, and that’s ok. He’s capable and able to be what you need him to be.
Unfortunately, another way we learn to recognize the Spirit is by understanding how we feel when he is not with us. When we sin, we push him away. This can happen when we surround ourselves with unrighteous people or things. Each of us in this room has had this experience of not being worthy of having the Holy Ghost as our companion. And in these moments we feel differently. We feel unhappy. Heavy. Dark. Empty. Defensive. The Holy Ghost leaves in this instance not because he doesn’t love us, but because he cannot stand sin. However, each of us can also repent and in this way, draw closer to him.
Imagine Christ is the chalk board and we are the magnet. As we do what we should, we draw near to him and begin pulling closer. The power of the Holy Ghost becomes more apparent the closer we get. We can feel it. When we sin we intentionally rebel and pull ourselves from him. The power is still there, but it is less powerful. Notice that Christ hasn’t moved at all. We decide, based on our actions, if we will draw near and feel the power or not based on our actions.
We are reminded of our responsibility each week when we partake of the sacrament. In the prayer we promise to take the name of Christ on us. We promise to always remember Him. And we promise to keep his commandments which he has given us. In return, He promises that we’ll always have His Spirit to be with us. It is a wonderful bargain for us.
At the end of the day, the question is: why do we need the Holy Ghost. Why is this Gift important? As I said at the beginning we are all on a journey. Each of us has a path we must follow. Each journey will be different. Some paths are hard. Some must overcome great mountains, others traverse great rivers. But each and every path is leading us to the same place. As our companion the Holy Ghost will get us ready for our arrival. Along the way He will refine us. He will purify us. That’s why receiving the Holy Ghost is sometimes referred to as a Baptism of Fire. Fire removes the impurities, whether from water or steel. In the same way, the Holy Ghost will mold and shape us to become more like our Savior. Each day as we press forward with Him he will help us get ready for that day when we arrive at a new set of gates. These gates be very different from the ones we entered originally. Through the gates I imagine there is a white city, royal and beautiful. It’s massive. Clean. Holy. It’s beyond description. God is the King there. He intends each of us to find our way to Him. These are the gates of the Kingdom of God, and here we will be instructed how to become more like him. Here we will rest with Him forever.
Gary, in a minute you will have hands placed on your head and you’ll be conferred a member of the Church and will be given the Gift of the Holy Ghost. It is your gift to enjoy forever. It is better than any gift we can receive. Over time you will develop an increased understanding of the Holy Ghost in your life and will be so eternally grateful for your Father in Heaven, for his Goodness and Mercy.
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