In the Bloggernacle a writer needs to have a good title to get noticed in the aggregators. It’s also a good idea to have something worthwhile to say. I think I’ve got both. I hope you’ll hang in there for a few minutes and read what I’ve have to say. There is a 1 to 5 star rating system at the end. After reading this, please rate how meaningful of a read it was to you.
For this post I’ve decided to be less formal. I’m going use my experiences in life to illustrate the workings of the Spirit. I’d like to discuss sacred things with you, like I would with a loved one.
As the title says, I am writing about the Holy Ghost. Obtaining the Holy Ghost is where it’s at, at least that what we’re told by church leaders. They tell us there is nothing more important we can do. I agree with that counsel. Not just because church leaders teach it, but because of what I’ve experienced.
As a young man I lost interest in the church and one day just stopped going. I was about 15 years old. No one in my family was active so it wasn’t a big deal. One of the reasons I left was I got tired of hearing about how wonderful it was to be born in the covenant and how we must have been among the great and noble spirits in the preexistence. Problem was, I wasn’t born in the covenant. My father wasn’t even a member. So the message turned out to be, “you’re a second class spirit”. I agreed and left church thinking I’d never return.
I really did feel second class because of what I had been taught at church. The church and its leaders didn’t provide what I needed at that time in my life. When the family is breaking down like mine was, the church can’t always make up the difference. I needed a strong male influence and it wasn’t available to me.
It was easy to find friends who liked to party and have a good time. I spent a lot of time at keg parties and driving around with my buddies. I dropped out of school too, so I had a lot of free time, no money but a lot of time. I got a job at a car dealership and made a little money. Things weren’t going well for my family, it was a tough time.
With that background I want to point out something about the Spirit that I learned in those days. It was there for me in spite of how I was living my life. I didn’t understand doctrine in those days, but I did know something was with me, and I knew it was “the spirit”. In fact, I told it to get lost on more than one occasion. I did this when I felt like doing something wrong and then this “inner voice” would nag at me to stop. I would successfully ignore it, it would go away for while, only to return. I did a lot of wrong things in those days, but it was there in the background and didn’t give up on me. When I needed something or was afraid I would pray silently, never on my knees, but in my heart. I knew someone was listening.
Now some may want to argue with this, but I testify that Heaven Father was there for me. I have no doubt He is there for many others like me. You may know someone who fits this description, possibly a loved one. Don’t give up on them! That’s part of my message today. Please don’t make a final judgment on anyone; the Lord hasn’t given us the ability to do that. Pray for them, don’t judge them!
Lost Souls
I was a lost soul, plain and simple; a lost soul of the teenage variety. For reasons I don’t entirely understand the Lord in His condescensions decided to provide me with a miraculous experience to bring me back to the fold. He left the ninety and nine and came for me. I’m not going to relate this experience now, but I’ll provide a link later in this post for those interested.
Lost souls come in many varieties. Teenagers, adults, seniors can all be as I was, a lost soul. My definition of a lost soul is anyone who is without Holy Ghost in their lives. This is especially true for those who have been baptized to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost but haven’t fulfilled this covenant yet.
Surprisingly, many members of the church who are active, good people can be in this dilemma. This is a true paradox. How can someone who is an active Latter Day Saint be without God? I’ve been active in the Lord’s church for over forty years and based on my observation and experience, I believe there are many members who enjoy the culture of the church but don’t diligently seek the companionship of the Holy Ghost. They do many things in the church, even hold leadership positions. They speak the language of the church and the scriptures, but haven’t done what it takes to acquire the Spirit as promised when they were baptized.
Do you agree or are you ready to give me a 1 star rating? Bear with me a little longer before you make up your mind.
Consider what the scriptures and the modern day prophets have to say on the subject. First consider the state of the church at the time of the Savior. How did it get that way? The Lord called prophets–Moses and other mighty prophets to bless the children of Israel but the church arrived at a point where they crucified their God.
How many times has the gospel been restored to the earth from the days of Adam to our day? Why did it fail each time? Are we so different today? Given enough time would our generation do the same as past generations? I think we would, but the Lord has told us He will not allow that to happen in this last dispensation.
What about the awful arithmetic found in the parable of the Ten Virgins? Fifty percent of the membership fails! We’re told that the fact their called virgins means they were active in the church, worthy in many ways, but lacking the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Those without the Holy Ghost were not admitted to the wedding even when they plead with the Lord to be admitted. Remember, the parable refers to the ten virgins as being wise and unwise, not righteous and wicked. They all had testimonies of Jesus, but only five were valiant in that testimony. The difference between them was having the Holy Ghost or not.
The Key to Obtaining the Holy Ghost is in the Sacrament
In my opinion the key to obtaining the Holy Ghost is found in the Sacrament. Each week active members take the sacrament. It is the main reason we go to church. The sacrament prayer teaches us what we need to know about obtaining the Holy Ghost. We’re taught to remember the Savior and His experience in mortality. In the two prayers the word remember is used four times. We’re instructed twice to take upon us His name, and twice to keep His commandments. If we will do this then we’re promised two times that we can have His Spirit to be with us.
The Doctrine of Christ
If we follow the instruction in the sacrament prayer we will come to know and understand, and then experience the Doctrine of Christ. The Doctrine of Christ is contained in the Scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon. The Doctrine of Christ teaches us that we need to be baptized with water and with the Spirit. The baptism of the Spirit is referred to in the scriptures as the baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost.
Lastly, each of us need to make sure we are learning the Doctrine of Christ at Church? For those who frequent the Bloggernacle, how often do you find the Doctrine of Christ being addressed by those who blog or comment? Go to the aggregators and the titles of the post will give you an idea.
Summary
I feel all of us need to be desperately seeking the Holy Ghost. If the Doctrine of Christ isn’t being taught at church or in the Bloggernacle then we can conclude we’re experiencing a spiritual famine. Spiritually starving LDS are those who are walking in a field ripe with spiritual nourishment but lack the knowledge to harvest the bounty. We need to obtain the knowledge of how to harvest the necessary nourishment. This knowledge can be obtained from the scriptures and the words of the modern day prophets. I hope all of us will rivet are attention on the things that matter most and set those things that matter least aside. Acquiring the companionship of the Holy Ghost is the most important thing we can be found doing.
Do you believe this true?
Here is the link I mentioned above.
I hope you will rate how you feel about this post. Click on one of the stars below. Thanks
Well said. It was for similar reasons that I started my blog.
Kudos, Congrats, hey-hey-hey, I am in shock.
Someone in a blog actually WANTS to talk THE most important things……..yes, I’ve found a few here and there, but just this moment, I checked back on a few of the comments I’ve made trying to preach Christ and getting the H.G. and lifting one’s self above the world….and only once did someone pay any attention to my comments.
Your site gets five from me.
KEEP UP the great work.
I would call us Orthodox LDS. We GET it. We LOVE it. We PREACH it. We SHARE it. The kind of things that forward the process of “immortality and Eternal life”.
THANKS for your energy and truths.
God Bless you in your journey as well.
Hey Daniel–
Thanks for coming by and thanks for your kind words.
Hi Sharon from Tennessee–
Thanks for your kind words and encouragement.
I agree, too many of our wonderful church members in the Bloggernacle are missing out by not including the Doctrine of Christ in their post and comments.
Keep commenting in all the blogs.
Jared,
I have noticed that many get hung up on Joseph Smith’s history in the blogs I have read. I have been thinking about this a lot lately and I am considering writing a post about it. My thoughts in relation to this are if a person has prayed about whether or not Joseph Smith was a prophet and has received an affirmative answer that he was, then anything in his history has essentially been justified by the Lord because of that affirmation. Like it or not, any issues that come up will not be with JS anymore and his choices, but with the Lord, because if He has told us through the Spirit that JS was a prophet, then He is telling us JS’s life is justified before Him. JS’s history can be hashed over and people can say they lost their testimony after finding out about JS’s history, but really have they not just turned against the testimony they have received and are saying that JS is NOT justified before the Lord?
Assuming that God is who He says He is and that He knows all from the beginning to the end I would say that it is quite an interesting thing to see people gain testimonies of JS and then lose them as they “find out more” later. Essentially, they are saying God is a liar because of JS’s life, but if the Lord justified him and we accept him, no matter what he did, then why should we worry about his history? If we listen to the Spirit and BELIEVE it, no matter what else comes forward, then will we not be justified before the Lord too? Otherwise, if we turn on the knowledge given us, are we NOT justified any longer, because we assume we know better than God?
I agree that having the gift of the Holy Ghost is essential and when it speaks to us, we MUST listen and obey, no matter what happens or comes up later. Otherwise we are calling God a liar and saying that somehow we now know better than He does…..if that isn’t foolish I don’t know what is.
Jen,
I agree with you. In my mind the Lord gave us the Book of Mormon through the prophet Joseph Smith as our “touchstone”. We have an invitation from the Lord to know by the power of the Holy Ghost if it is true. When anyone receives that witness then it follows they should be true to it regardless of the difficult question that come up in church history.
With a testimony of the Book of Mormon it necessarily follows we have a testimony of the church and those who lead it. As we live our lifes and seek guidance from the Lord for the myriad of concerns we have as mortals, we start having experiences with the Holy Ghost guiding us. As these witnesses accumulate our testimonies become grounded and rooted. Our faith grows and our ability to access the things of the Spirit grows.
The Lord says it this way:
That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day. D&C 50:24
Jared,
I would be interested in how you support this statement:
“the Lord has told us He will not allow that to happen in this last dispensation.”
If your only support is a footnote added to the D&C in 1981, I would caution you about being so sure about it. There is plenty of scriptural support that the Gentile church will not make it.
As you know, I too believe that that baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost is essential. Mormon 6:4 states that we must be cleansed by the Holy Ghost before we can be numbered with the church of Christ. How many do you think belong to the church by this definition?
Spek
spektator–
I understand the point you’re making about the Gentile church. I’ve wondered how many belong to the church by the definition in Moroni 6:4. I can’t worry about everyone, but I can worry about myself and family.
Following are a few quotes from prophets and a few scriptures that touch on your question. I’ll see if I have anything else in my files.
The Lord’s church will stand the test of time. I bear my sacred witness that because I know of the divinity of this work, I know that it will prevail;…I know that our Lord and Master Jesus Christ is the head of the Church; that He has daily communion through agencies known to Him, not only with the leaders in high positions, but also with individual members as they keep the commandments of God. (73-11, p. 147) Teachings of Harold B. Lee, p. 379
This kingdom will last until the end. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was restored in 1830 after numerous revelations from the divine source; and this is the kingdom, set up by the God of heaven, that would never be destroyed nor superseded, and the stone cut out of the mountain without hands that would become a great mountain and would fill the whole earth. (76-25) Never again will the sun go down; never again will all men prove totally unworthy of communication with their Maker; never again will God be totally hidden from his children on earth. Revelation is here to remain. Prophets will follow each other in a never-ending succession, and the secrets of the Lord will be revealed without measure. (60-09) Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 433
Then, before the Second Coming, gathered Judah, as directed by Ephraim, shall build up anew the Old Jerusalem and prepare therein a holy temple; and gathered Ephraim, aided by Manasseh, shall build a New Jerusalem in an American Zion and prepare therein a holy temple. It is to these two temples in particular that the Lord shall come at his glorious return, and it is from these two cities—Zion in America and Jerusalem in Old Canaan—that the governance and worship of the world will be directed. New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p. 586
D&C 100:13, 105:9. Also, the 10th Article of Faith
Jared,
Joseph Smith said:
“…for if Zion will not purify herself so as to be approved in all things, in His sight, He will seek another people, for His work will go on until Israel is gathered, and they who will not hear his voice, must expect to feel His wrath.” (TPJS p. 18
So who is right? Lee and Kimball or Joseph Smith? The sun may never set, but it may be a different people.
As far as building the city of New Jerusalem, the last quote you have is not correct according to the Book of Mormon. Speaking of us, the Gentiles, the Lord said in 3 Nephi 21:22-23:
“But if they will repent and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance;
And they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem.”
This clearly indicates that the building of New Jerusalem and the temple will be directed, not by Ephraim, but by the remnant of Jacob, assisted by repentant Gentiles and the house of Israel.
Read 3 Nephi 16. Who are the believing Gentiles? Who rejects that fulness of the gospel? When the Gentiles reject the gospel, the last shall be first and the first shall be last (1 Nephi 13:42), with the gospel going to the house of Israel. 3 Nephi 16:10-11
Rober Millet called this scripture ‘spooky’ because it foreshadows the end of the recognition of the restored Gentile church. Ignore this message at your own peril.
spektator–
I sent you an email.
Thank you for your posting in general and specifically for this post. I first read it some days ago. At the same time I reviewed other posts. For several days, this and other posts contributed to a significant increase in how much I sought and experienced the warming influence of the Spirit.
Perhaps I’ll review this one and others again for another boost.
Do you know if it is possible to add a “reminder” feature to a site that I could use to have the same post sent to me on a periodic basis? I think I’d use it for this post if it were available. I’ve thought I’d offer such a feature if I ever created one specific site I’ve thought of creating and had the resources to do it.
Nathan–
I’m humbled by your kind words. I’m please you’ve found something useful on my blog.
I am not very knowledgeable about the workings of a blog. I selected the most basic one I could find. My technical skills are lacking. I am not aware of a feature that would send out a post on a periodic basis. Next week I’ll check into it and if I find anything I’ll post it here.
Nathan,
So far I haven’t found anything that will send out a post periodically.
Your testimony is touching. Your assumption that the Lord is not to allow His Church to fail is correct. However, all indications are, that Most of it’s members will fail when the time comes for separating the Sheep from the Goats in order to build Zion. For Zion can only be built by those who are Pure in Heart.
Specktator is right. Only it will be the PEOPLE who fail.
The feelings you experienced as being a second class citzen of God are common among many who have experienced similar things with their own associations with self righteous members who feel that the Blood of Ephriam Alone constitutes exceptionalism in the eyes of God. The Pharasies believed the same concerning their Own Blood. How correct were they ?
In time God has promised to correct this conditon and is what I think is being referred to in the 85th & 112th sections of the D&C, as well as many Biblicle referrences to this effect contained in latter day prophecy…Isaiah being the chief among those prohecies concerning our day & the Lord’s Covenant People.
Isaiah doesn’t paint a very pretty picture of us. Those like yourself, the Lord promises to Redeem in time. The vast majority will be Cast Out when the Lord sends His Final Prophet & Servant to clean the Lord’s House of Unrighteous & Self righeteous deterents to the building the City of Zion in preparation for the Lord’s Return….Not likely someone from the ranks of the staus quo as per Isaiah. They have all become Modern Day Pharasies that need a Good Kick in the A___!
God Bless You & those of us like you.