Joseph Smith has said, “It is the privilege of the children of God to come to God and get revelation.”

About a year ago, it had seemed I had completely forgotten that principle as I experienced a major crisis of faith. I didn’t know why at the time, but I felt disconnected from God. There were a number of issues that my family and I needed His help with, but it seemed He was not speaking to me anymore. I began to wonder if He ever had. So, I began to search for Him. Because I felt spiritually separated I turned my search into a purely intellectual pursuit.

I studied some of the right things and many of the wrong things. I didn’t read the Book of Mormon much. After all, I knew what was in it. What more could I learn from that book? When my wife would read an Ensign article to me, I would say something like, “Do you really think the answers are that simple?” And so it was, that I wandered on strange roads and wide paths, letting go of the rod and being completely overcome by the mists of darkness. Eventually, there began to be a fevered desperation to my search as I continued to feel lost and alone not really understanding why God would not speak to me as he had in the past.

I began to experience great anxiety because I felt complete alone and separated from God. I even went to see a therapist and I didn’t find God there either.

Ironically, it was a final reasoned thought that broke me free from over intellectualizing my religion. I realized that if I had the brightest mind and 1000 years to search everything mankind had ever written, I could not find or prove God this way.  I was reminded of the scripture in 2 Timothy 3:7, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” There is really no way to describe what I was involved with at the time better than that.

Finally, one night…I broke down. I began to sob and to pray. I promised I would stay on my knees until He talked to me again. I spent 4 hours on my knees that night and didn’t hear anything, so I gave up on my promise and hardened myself toward Him again. I pridefully said to myself, who else would spend 4 hours in sincere prayer for nothing. I was putting in the required effort, why was He still silent? See, He really isn’t there. Days later, I would feel broken again by the trials in my life and try again. It went on this way for several weeks.

During this time, a family member and close friend gave me a certain book by a popular LDS writer. He was adamant that I read it…so much so, that he would check in on my progress. I resented this for awhile, but finally gave in. With each passing page my heart was softened as a read about a man with a similar problem. I was about ¾ of the way through the book when I became aware of an awful truth, a truth that found me with such force; I was physically weakened by it. In a moment of perfect clarity, I was aware that the world had become my god…worldly knowledge, worldly pursuits and worldly things. These were the things that occupied all my thoughts and my time. I did not love the things of God. I did not love the scriptures, I did not love to be in Church, and I did not long to be in the Temple.

This time, I took an entirely different approach to prayer. I remember feeling truly repentant that I had let the things of the world replace the things of God in my life. I knew that I had never needed His guidance more. So, I prayed the most humble prayer I ever remembered praying.  It was more than just words and in a sense more like a communion of spirit between He and I.

Personal revelation has since become a very real and very powerful part of my life.

If I had to make any observations about why I could not hear His voice and how I came to again, it would have to be that revelation requires a certain preparation of the heart. In the Book of Enos, Enos speaks of his wrestle before God and his struggling in the spirit. For me, this struggle is an attempt to find all the hard and dark places in my heart and remove them. It is recognition that I can’t change my heart on my own…for this, I need Jesus Christ. It is my attempt to make myself willing and teachable. As I struggle this way, I often feel the world falling away. My fear, my pride, the way I see myself, the way I see others changed in that moment. The Lord seems very pleased when I present myself in this way, because the times I have made this offering, I have been generously rewarded, often being completely overcome by the Spirit.

There are some very good things to learn from church leaders and the scriptures about my experience.

Joseph Smith  said, “Remember that without asking we can receive nothing; therefore, ask in faith, and ye shall receive such blessings as God sees fit to bestow upon you. Pray not with covetous hearts that ye may consume it upon your lusts, but pray earnestly for the best gifts.”  And “that a man could learn more about the things of God by looking into heaven for five minutes than by reading all the books ever written upon the subject of religion.”

In a March 2002 Ensign article, James E. Faust said that the first requirement to receiving revelation is “to try honestly and sincerely to keep God’s commandments.” While obedience is certainly a requirement for revelation, I believe the Lord does not require a perfect offering to have this gift. If he did, none of us would ever hear anything. What he does require is our personal best offering. For this we need to search ourselves and be completely honest with ourselves about the effort we are making to meet Him. We can’t carry on any pretenses with God about whether we are sincerely trying to keep His commandments or not. He truly sees everything that we are. This kind of self deception only hurts us and ultimately causes the kind separation I had experienced last year.

Bruce R. McConkie offered a summary of the scriptural account of Nephi and his brothers, Laman and Lemuel:

Speaking of the revelations received by his father, Nephi said: “… he truly spake many great things … which were hard to be understood, save a man should inquire of the Lord. …”

Of these same revelations, Laman and Lemuel said: “… we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken. …”

Nephi asked: “Have ye inquired of the Lord?”

They replied: “We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.”

Then Nephi came forth with this glorious pronouncement: “How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts?

“Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.”

Through this experience, I have learned that I cannot successfully navigate life without the gift of revelation and the constant whisperings of the spirit that come from it. I have learned that to receive this gift we are required to present ourselves before the Lord in a certain way.

It may be true that the pure in heart shall see God, but I know it’s true that those trying to be pure heart hear Him.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

The book Michael refers to is, “The Holy Secret” by James Farrell

This talk was originally posted on millennialstar.org

As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream, as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints( D&C 121:33).

That’s powerful. However, not all revealed knowledge is of equal value. Some knowledge is more valuable because it is knowledge that “saves”. The Book of Mormon contains knowledge that when properly applied opens up the heavens and allows us to be recipients of the things of the Spirit.

For example, Nephi teaches the essentials of the Doctrine of Christ in just nine verses (2 Nephi 31:13-21). If we’re interested in being true followers of Christ these nine verses have the potential to open the path to our exaltation if we focus our attention and faith thereon.

As I’ve mingled with the saints for the last forty years, one of the great surprises of my life, is when I early on discovered that some of the most capable thinkers I encountered were focused on knowledge that doesn’t save.

As I got better acquainted with these wonderful saints, by their own admission, the Holy Ghost is scarcely evident in their lives. They live good lives, are active in the church, know a lot about the Master, but don’t know Him for a very good reason—He is far from the thoughts and intents of their hearts. It seems odd that members who are active in the church can fix their focus on the “gospel” in a way that stymies their Spiritual progress.

I hope each of us will assess where our focus is; if we find we’re feasting on “intellectual mammon” instead of the words of Christ I hope we will repent and will turn our focus on Christ.

At this point some of those reading this post will think I am referring to the absence of gospel study. This certainly would be a problem, but the main point I am trying to make is that even those who study the “gospel” on a daily basis can end up feasting on” intellectual mammon”.

Feasting on the Word of Christ vs. Feasting on Intellectual Mammon

If you’re asking yourself what does he mean by “intellectual mammon” then I’d better give a definition to this term. A basic definition of mammon is money, the love of which is the root of all evil.

Is money evil, no—but the love of it can be.

Another way to think of mammon is that it eventually causes those who feast on it to oppose God. Mammon can divert our love from God to the things of the world. The scripture call this idolatry: every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god (D&C 1:16).

Mammon is Anything that Draws us Away from Loving God.

The reason the love of money is evil is because we’re told to love God, not money. You cannot serve God, and money (Matthew 6:24). It is the same with intellectual mammon. The reason the love of the things of the intellect can be evil is because we’re told to love God, not the intellect. You cannot serve God and the intellect.

Is the intellect evil, no—but the love of it can be. Why, because it opposes God in that it can distracts us from the “strait” and narrow path (2 Nephi 31:18).

Let’s turn to the scriptures for help with this thought.

O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.

But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God. 2 Nephi 9:28 – 29

The scriptures say it so well!

Even “Gospel Study” or the Church itself can be Transformed into Mammon

Some readers may be thinking at this point, “OK, Jared, you said earlier that even those who study the gospel can end up feasting on intellectual mammon. Please explain how you reach this conclusion.”

Hugh Nibley wrote:

“All objects of our attention are not equally worthy of our devotion”. Approaching Zion, Hugh Nibley, P. 525.

As members of the church what is the object of our devotion? If it is anything other than God then we may be feasting on mammon. There are many examples of this. Elder Uchtdorf identified the church as a possible source of mammon when he taught:

The Church, with all its organizational structure and programs, offers many important activities for its members aimed at helping families and individuals to serve God and each other. Sometimes, however, it can appear that these programs and activities are closer to the center of our heart and soul than the core doctrines and principles of the gospel… We have to be careful that the center of our testimony is not located in the social dimension of the Church community or the wonderful activities, programs, and organizations of our wards and stakes. Ensign, Nov. 2005, P. 100.

Those of us who are involved in scholarly gospel pursuits and who associate themselves with Sunstone, Dialogue, F.A.I.R., blogging and other like efforts need to be wary of intellectual mammon crippling our testimony, spirituality, and our access to things of the Spirit. This can happen by allowing our devotion to be focused on these things instead of the Lord.

Elder Dallin Oaks insightful talk about how our strengths can lead to our downfall taught:

Satan can also attack us where we think we are strong—in the very areas where we are proud of our strengths. He will approach us through the greatest talents and spiritual gifts we possess. If we are not wary, Satan can cause our spiritual downfall by corrupting us through our strengths. Ensign, Oct. 1994, P. 11.

Summary

Those who desire to be joint-heirs with Jesus Christ need to be wary of those things that have the potential to divert our devotion from the Lord. Some things are obvious like porno, others things are more subtle, such as devoting ourselves to studying “gospel subjects” like Mother in Heaven, blacks and the priesthood, Adam God, the Second Coming of Christ, Book of Mormon geography, and a host of other interesting subjects. Did I say we shouldn’t study these subjects? No, I didn’t. I am saying that should we become devoted to these and other “gospel subjects” we can lose sight of the primary purpose of the gospel.

Some among us, in our zeal, get caught up in devoting ourselves to the church or to other organizations and the end result is detrimental to our goal of being true followers of Christ.

My understanding of the scriptures and my experience as I have sought to be a follower of Christ has taught me that the very best way to stay on course is to acquire and maintain the gift of the Holy Ghost. We’re told that the Holy Ghost, ”will show unto you all things what ye should do.” (2 Nephi 32:5).

I hope all of us will diligently seek to fulfill our baptismal covenant and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and once we have this gift, to grow in it until we have the constant companionship of this member of the Godhead. <–>

Our Heavenly Father has revealed that it is His work and glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1:39). In other words, to make it possible for each of us to become as He is-a God. The promise continues-He will give us all that He hath (D&C 84:38).

Heavenly Father’s plan is to give us power, the unimaginable power to create worlds without end (Moses 1:4, 33) and to possess knowledge, all knowledge such that there is not anything save we’ll know it (2 Nephi 9:20).

Just as a journey of a thousand miles beings with the first step the path to exaltation has a point of beginning. Joseph Smith had this in mind when he said:

“When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top and so it is with the principles of the Gospel - you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation.” (Teaching of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 348)

There are many principles of exaltation we need to learn. The 4th Article of Faith shows the way by teaching us what the first four principles we need to focus on are.

We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Members of the church are very familiar with this Article of Faith. Each of these basic principles builds on the other until the ordinance of being baptized and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost is accomplished.

The scriptures emphasize over and over the importance of receiving baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost (2 Nephi 31:13, Moroni 6:1-4). We’re also taught that after baptism we need to continue to repent and seek to obtain a remission of our sins by fire and the Holy Ghost (D&C 19:31).

There are two parts to baptism; first, baptism by water, second baptism by fire and the Holy Ghost.

Joseph Smith taught:

“You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half-that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost” History of the Church, 5:499.

Receiving both the baptism of water and the Spirit is essential to receive salvation. Yet, I hear so few talks on this subject in our meetings. In fast and testimony meetings-I’ve never heard anyone bear testimony that they received the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost. Yet, I’ve heard many testimonies where members tell about promptings of the Spirit. At this point in my understanding, I have come to believe that members can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost without receiving the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost. This appears to be taught by Nephi:

…take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism-yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost…2 Nephi 31:13

Based on my observation, having been active now for forty years, I have come to believe that many members are on the verge of receiving important manifestations of the Spirit if they would only diligently seek for them. They have fulfilled everything needed by keeping the commandments, but appear to be content with what they have. They do not hunger and thirst for more so they receive according to their desires (Ether 3:2).

On the other side of the coin, there are members who, though not “worthy” as those above, who experience a crisis, and in their desperation plead with the Lord and receive from the abundant mercy found in Christ, and receive a remission of their sins by fire and the Holy Ghost because of their faith (Helaman 5:38-49).

Summary

The invitation is to “come unto Christ” and receive according to our desires. I hope all of those who read this post will take the Lord’s invitation seriously. I hope that all of us will be like Lamoni’s father and will say to the Lord in earnest:

…What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken?  Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day?  Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy. Alma 22:15

Otherwise,”…what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift?  Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift. D&C 88:33

<–>

“A little over six months into my [calling as a Bishop], I visited one evening with one of the brethren in my ward who suffered from what turned out, unfortunately, to be a fairly common problem. He was a good man, very active and serving in a leadership position. A returned missionary, he had been married in the temple to an outstanding woman. They had some great kids, and to every appearance they had it ‘all together’ spiritually speaking. Yet he was obviously troubled as he sat down across from me, and it didn’t take long to discover why.

‘I don’t think I believe in the Church anymore’, he said abruptly, ‘and I guess maybe I ought to be released.’”  I Need Thee Every Hour, Blaine M. Yorgason, p. 83-85.

This brother had the courage to confront his feelings and tell his Bishop how he really felt. I wonder how many, seemly active, men and women in the church today harbor the same unspoken concern? In my opinion, there are many. This concerns me and is the main reason I came to the bloggernacle and started this blog.

The story continues:  Bishop Yorgason listened as this brother told his story and soon realized the source of the problem. “He unveiled a series of sad events and circumstances, mostly economic though also martial, that had occurred, he said bitterly, ‘even though I always paid a full tithing!’

At length I began to ask him questions pertaining to such things as his personal and family prayer habits, his temple attendance, his feelings about family home evening, and so forth. Neither did it take me long to recognize that he was one of that significant number of individuals (for a good portion of my adult life, myself included) who have relatively firm testimonies of the truthfulness of the Church and the gospel, who serve willingly and have enjoyed the blessings of the temple, but who are not yet committed enough to focus on keeping all the commandments or giving their lives wholly to the Lord. When I pointed this out to him, however, and suggested that the source of his difficulties might be not only spiritual but related directly to his own behavior, he was not only upset but deeply hurt. ‘How can you say that?’ he demanded. ‘I have always been active in the Church, and so has my family!’ ‘Yes, you have,’ I responded, ‘if active means merely attending meetings, doing your home teaching, and serving in your calling.’

‘What else could it mean?’

Well according to what you have told me tonight, your personal prayers are dictated by your schedule, you never pray with your wife before you go to bed or when you arise, you never study the scriptures except during Church classes, you use your temple recommend two or three times a year but find the experience boring and tedious, and you stopped holding family home evening at least two years ago because they always turned into family brawls. Now correct me if I am wrong, but I believe each of these things has been commanded, daily or at least regularly, by the Lord…

‘So, you’re saying I’m not really active?’

He was stunned by my question, and his belligerence had completely evaporated…He smiled a little sadly. ‘I guess the truth does hurt, doesn’t it.’ I Need Thee Every Hour, Blaine M. Yorgason, p. 83-85.

This story illustrates how anyone of us can get caught up in spiritual slothfulness, “because of the easiness of the way” that Alma warned his son about (Alma 37:46).

In order to have the companionship of the Spirit, the Lord has given us a “to do list”. When we fail to follow the relatively easy to do list, we leave ourselves open to the wiles of the devil and the natural man. We then can become prey to a host of spiritual viruses that assault our Spiritual immune system and weaken us to the point where we find ourselves, though “active”, one day saying, “I don’t think I believe in the Church anymore.” <–>

In a now famous talk given by President Hinckley in Oct 1998 Priesthood Meeting, our optimistic prophet struck a surprisingly pessimistic tone when he said:

“There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed. I hope with all my heart that we shall never slip into a depression. I am a child of the Great Depression of the thirties. I finished the university in 1932, when unemployment in this area exceeded 33 percent… We are carrying a message of self-reliance throughout the Church. Self-reliance cannot obtain when there is serious debt hanging over a household… I urge you, brethren, to look to the condition of your finances. I urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt to the extent possible. Pay off debt as quickly as you can, and free yourselves from bondage.”

An Astonishing Prophecy

Recently I came across a prophecy reportedly given in 1989 by Iohani Wolfgramm. Brother Wolfgramm, I’ve learned, is a Tongan brother known for his spiritual gifts. Elder Oaks referred to him in a talk entitled, “Miracles”, published in June 2001 Ensign. It is a word of mouth, fragmented pronouncement without a source. I would normally file it under the heading of unreliable prophecy, but I decided to keep it for further evaluation. Following is part of what he is reported to have said regarding an economic collapse:

“The Big economic collapse which leads to chaos will occur in the last year of the 2nd term of the son of George Bush who will become president.”

Someone commenting that the patriarch must mean that President Bush (the 1st Pres. Bush) would be re-elected. Patriarch Wolfgramm then replied (remember, this is 1989) that it wasn’t that Pres. Bush, but that it was the son of Pres. Bush who would become president that he was referring to.

I’ve been able to trace discussion on this prophecy as far back as 2003 on the internet. Does anyone know more? I hesitate to pass this kind of thing on, but I want to learn more about this prophecy. Do any of you reading this have more information?

Summary

I feel to echo the words of President Hinckley, and say it is important for all of those who follow the prophets to double, and redouble our efforts to be prepared as church leaders have told us for these many years.

I’ll close this post with the words of another prophet, Ezra Taft Benson who said:

“The revelation to store food may be as essential to our temporal salvation today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah” (”Prepare Ye,” Ensign, Jan. 1974, 69).

The doctrine of premortality teaches that we were born as spirit children to heavenly parents. In the premortal world of spirits we grew into adult spirits. We experienced many things there that prepared us to come to this life where a veil of forgetfulness is placed over our memory so we can learn to walk by faith while in mortal life.

Following are a few key points related to this doctrine:

1. Mankind are the sons and daughters of God (D&C 76:24).

2. Jesus Christ is the first born of God’s spirit children (1 Colossians 1:13-19, D&C 93:21).

3. We were instructed and prepared for life on earth while in premortality (D&C 138:56).

4. There was a “war” in heaven over the plan of salvation. Lucifer sought to take away the agency of man. (Revelation 12:7, Moses 4:3).

5. Those who followed Lucifer (satan) became evil spirits and will never have a body. (Moses 4:3, Mosiah 3:6).

6. Some were foreordained to be God’s prophets and leaders (Abraham 3:22-23).

7. “Privileges” in this life result from our faithfulness in premortality (Alma 13:3-5).

8. Life on earth is designed to accomplish two things: 1) give us experience, 2) try us to determine our future reward (D&C 76:43).

9. Everyone born into earth-life is innocent (D&C 93:38).

10. God’s purpose is to help each of His children become perfect, even as He is (Moses 1:39, Matt 5:48).

Adam, our progenitor, “the first man,” was, like Christ, a preexistent spirit, and like Christ he took upon him an appropriate body, the body of a man, and so became a “living soul.” The doctrine of the pre-existence revealed so plainly, particularly in latter days-pours a wonderful flood of light upon the otherwise mysterious problem of man’s origin. It shows that man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the earth in a temporal body to undergo an experience in mortality. It teaches that all men existed in the spirit before any man existed in the flesh, and that all who have inhabited the earth since Adam have taken bodies and become souls in like manner.

Jesus, however, is the firstborn among all the sons of God-the first begotten in the spirit, and the only begotten in the flesh. He is our elder brother, and we, like Him, are in the image of God. All men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother, and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity.

Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, Anthon H. Lund,
First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (As quoted in Encyclopedia of Mormonism [Macmillan, 1992], vol. 4, pp. 1668, 1670).

Since “all men and women are in [that] similitude,” obviously there were both male and female spirits in heaven. Elder James E. Talmage wrote:

We affirm as reasonable, scriptural, and true, the eternity of sex among the children of God. The distinction between male and female is no condition peculiar to the relatively brief period of mortal life. It was an essential characteristic of our pre-existent condition, even as it shall continue after death, in both disembodied and resurrected states… (”The Eternity of Sex,” Millennial Star, 24 August 1922, p. 530.)

My initial goal in coming to the Bloggernacle was to mingle with LDS who are seeking to fulfill their baptismal covenant by receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. I assumed that with the vastness of the internet’s reach I’d find multiple sites where church members discussed things of the Spirit and shared spiritual experiences in a meaningful way. However, I quickly learned that most LDS who post and comment in the Bloggernacle have other priorities.

LDS author James Farrell observed:

“Many [LDS] today carry a secret: We do not love what we have been commanded to love. We do not love what is holy. Although we might reverence things that are deemed holy - the temple, for example, and the scriptures, and the Sabbath - we do not love them. Not really. Not with our whole souls.” The Holy Secret, James Farrell

The apostle John on this subject said:

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15

There is a significant difference between reverencing the Lord and loving Him. If one truly desires to be a follower of Christ and to be perfected in Him then the first order of Spiritual business is to fulfill our baptismal covenant and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Without taking this step all the others steps we take in the church and in life have less meaning and effectiveness.

Lorenzo Snow taught:

There are men among us who possess the gift of healing, and might have great faith; but they do not exercise the gift, they do not live for it, and, therefore, do not have the power to use it so effectually as they might… I wish to impress upon you, my brethren and sisters that there are Elders among us endowed with Spiritual gifts that may be brought into exercise through the aid of the Holy Ghost.  The gifts of the Gospel must be cultivated by diligence and perseverance.  The ancient Prophets when desiring some peculiar blessing, or important knowledge, revelation or vision, would sometimes fast and pray for days and even weeks for that purpose. JD 23:194 -195, Lorenzo Snow, May 6th, 1882

My Goal for the Second Year in the Bloggernacle

The title of the blog is LDS Alive in Christ. To be alive in Christ means we are experiencing the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the coming year I am going to focus on helping those who visit this site with information that will aid them in growing in their gift of the Holy Ghost.

If this is a subject of interest to you please bookmark this site.  If you have material you would like to bring to my attention please email me:  diligentlyseek@gmail.com

The power is within each of us to grow in the things of the Spirit. I hope this site will provide information and motivation for each of us to realize are potential with the gifts the Lord urges us to seek after.

In closing, I would like to express that out of all the experiences I’ve had in life there is nothing that even comes close to the beauty and splendor of the manifestation of the Spirit the Lord has given to me.  When I have repented and sought Him diligently He has been there. Sometimes I wish He wouldn’t wait so long to respond, but I’m not going to counsel the Creator.

The Lord explaining this said:

Behold, I am God; give heed to my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore, give heed unto my word. D&C 12:2

Using the language of the scriptures—following are three kinds of communication the Lord extends to His children: 1) An invitation to follow Him, 2) A warning to those who are falling from grace, and 3) Encouragement to those who are steadfast.

An Invitation from the Lord

Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price

Come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long

Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father

Whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive

Come unto me and your souls shall live

Come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost

come unto me…and signs shall follow them that believe in my name

Canst thou be humble and meek, and conduct thyself wisely before me? Yea, come unto me thy Savior

Words of Warning from the Lord

Now it is high time to awake out of sleep

Cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance

They were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased

For thou hast rejected me many times because of pride and the cares of the world

O that ye would awake; awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell

And make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof

Arouse the faculties of your souls; shake yourselves that ye may awake from the slumber of death

Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you

These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus

Your days of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late

And thus we can plainly discern, that after a people have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God, and have had great knowledge of things pertaining to righteousness, and then have fallen away into sin and transgression, they become more hardened, and thus their state becomes worse than though they had never known these things.

Blessed are Ye

Consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven

Blessed are those who come unto me

Blessed are they who will repent and turn unto me

Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen

Blessed are ye because of your faith

Blessed are ye if ye shall keep my commandments

Blessed are ye if ye have no disputations among you

Ye are blessed, for the testimony which ye have borne

For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me

And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father

And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.

VERILY, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am

Nevertheless, I am currently trying to determine if an “impression” I received a few days ago, is from the Lord, or the workings of my mind.

I have been researching and praying about a particular business pursuit I have been involved with for years. Something I’ve been doing on the side from my main business, but would like to spend more time doing. So far, I haven’t been successful at this endeavor even though I have invested considerable time and money.

A few months ago I went to the temple with the express purpose of receiving help regarding this business endeavor. I left the temple with the conviction that I should continue my research and investigation, in other words, intensify my effort.

I did this and the results were expensive and discouraging. As I reviewed my results, I ask myself, why in the world am I wasting my effort on this losing endeavor?

While in this frame of mind, I felt “enlightenment” come to me, so every delicate in its influence, and lasting only a few moments, encouraging me to continue with the endeavor.

As I write this I am torn between the rational and the spiritual—mixed emotions. Was I prompted by the Spirit? I’m not certain, but I know what I’m going to do. I am going to trust my prompting, take another step in this endeavor, and then wait on the Lord. I always consult with my wife in these matters, she feels the same way.

I have faith that the Lord will lead me to the next step if He is the author of the prompting. If not, then I will abandon this endeavor with a clear conscience. I already have another business endeavor I am ready to move on to.

The Words of the Prophets

I like to review the words of the prophets when I am seeking help from the Lord. Following are two quotes that I am currently focusing my attention on.

“Seldom will you receive a complete response all at once. It will come a piece at a time, in packets, so that you will grow in capacity. As each piece is followed in faith, you will be led to other portions until you have the whole answer. That pattern requires you to exercise faith in our Father’s capacity to respond.” Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer, Elder Richard G. Scott, March 31, 2007

“…promptings of the Spirit are so subtle and so quiet that sometimes it is very, very difficult to know whether an answer is “yes” or “no.” Sometimes it’s very difficult to know whether you have been spoken to by the Spirit or not….the Spirit usually speaks in feelings, thoughts, ideas, and impressions. The voice of the Spirit is still and small, and if we’re looking for something more, or if we’re not being very quiet and attentive, we’ll likely miss the answer when it comes.” Receiving Answers to Our Prayers, Gene R. Cook, P. 94.<–>

The prophet Joseph Smith touched on this subject. He explained the difference between the Holy Ghost and the gift of the Holy Ghost:

There is a difference between the Holy Ghost and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Cornelius received the Holy Ghost before he was baptized, which was the convincing power of God unto him of the truth of the Gospel, but he could not receive the gift of the Holy Ghost until after he was baptized. Had he not taken this sign or ordinance upon him, the Holy Ghost which convinced him of the truth of God, would have left him. History of the Church 4:555.

I think it is accurate to say that most of the manifestations of the Lord’s Spirit given to mankind come by the Light of Christ. The Holy Ghost is a gift for the saints and the Light of Christ is a gift for all men.

Church members have the right to the gift of the Holy Ghost, but I wonder how many actually receive it. Elder Bruce R. McConkie said:

In practice, members of the Church enjoy the companionship of the Spirit from time to time as they manage, by obedience, to get in tune with the Infinite. New Witness for the Articles of Faith, page 257.

This is a far cry from the words we hear each week while partaking of the sacrament, “…that they may always have his Spirit to be with them.” Moroni 4:3

We live in prosperous times; the scriptures teach that prosperity is the enemy of spirituality (Helaman 12:2).

Resisting the Holy Ghost-LDS Style

Before making my list of ways ACTIVE Latter-Day-Saints “resist” the Holy Ghost, I admit, that compared to what I have been given, I live far beneath my possibilities.

This list is not intended to make LDS feel bad about themselves. To the contrary, this list is designed to educate and to help motivate.

1. Making the programs and activities of the church the basis of our testimony.

A testimony comes from the Spirit of the Lord as we diligently seek Him in prayer; not from the trappings of the church. A testimony can flourish without buildings, dynamic leaders, and programs. The real power of the church is in the Spirit inspired testimonies of it members. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf addressing this challenge said:

The Church, with all its organizational structure and programs, offers many important activities for its members aimed at helping families and individuals to serve God and each other. Sometimes, however, it can appear that these programs and activities are closer to the center of our heart and soul than the core doctrines and principles of the gospel. “Christlike Attributes—the Wind beneath Our Wings,” Ensign, Nov. 2005, 100

2. Being active in the church, but not the gospel.

It’s possible to be active in the church but inactive in the gospel. To be acceptable to the Lord we need to be active in both (D&C 10:67). Being active in the church is easy, just like being active in a club or a worth while organization. Being active in the gospel means we are repenting. The scripture refer to it as the “gospel of repentance” (D&C 13:1). If we are not actively repenting, we’re inactive in the gospel.

3. Failing to understand our baptism covenant.

When we were baptized with water we received half of our baptism. The other half is to be baptized by the Holy Ghost. The scripture referred to this as the baptism of fire.

And this is my gospel—repentance and baptism by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost… D&C 39:6

If we’re not actively seeking for the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost we lack understanding of the very basics of the gospel.

Joseph Smith taught, “The baptism of water, without the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost attending it, is of no use; they are necessarily and inseparably connected” (History of the Church, 6:316).

4. Stiffednecked attitude.

The scripture, particularly the Book of Mormon, use this term to describe church members who get caught up in the things of the world to the exclusion of the things of the Spirit. Struggling to keep the ten commandment is only part of being stiffednecked, it also includes “looking beyond the mark”, where members get caught up in controversial interpretation of church policies, doctrines, and history that in turn derail their spiritual growth. Elder Joseph B.Wirthlin describing this condition said:

… when we cling to our sins, our pleasures, and sometimes even our perceived obligations; resist the influence of the Holy Ghost; and put aside the words of the prophets; we then stand at the shore of our own Galilee, nets tightly entangling us. We find ourselves unable to leave them behind and follow the living Christ. “Follow Me,” Ensign, May 2002, 15

Summary

Resisting the Holy Ghost, as I have described it in this post, can be done more or less innocently. The parable of the ten virgins depicts ten church members, five who have acquired the gift of the Holy Ghost, and five who have not. The difference between the two groups is explained by the words, wise and foolish, not good and evil. Concerning the wise virgins the Lord said:

For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived… D&C 45:57

The wise virgins fulfilled their baptism covenant and received the gift of the Holy Ghost while the foolish allowed themselves to be distracted and deceived.