Prophets and apostles teach that survival in the world today depends on the ability to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Those who trust in the Lord and are guided by inspiration will find solutions that are urgently required.
“When you were confirmed a member of the Church, you received the right to the companionship of the Holy Ghost,” President Thomas S. Monson reminds each member of the Church. “He can help you make good choices. When challenged or tempted, you do not need to feel alone. Remember that prayer is the passport to spiritual power.”
He also counsels, “Make every decision you contemplate pass this test: What does it do to me? What does it do for me? And let your code of conduct emphasize not 'What will others think?' but rather 'What will I think of myself?' Be influenced by that still, small voice. Remember that one with authority placed his hands on your head at the time of your confirmation and said, 'Receive the Holy Ghost.' Open your hearts, even your very souls, to the sound of that special voice that testifies of truth."
A Pattern to Follow
President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, says that “Heavenly Father has given a simple pattern for us to receive the Holy Ghost not once but continually in the tumult of our daily lives. The pattern is repeated in the sacramental prayer: We promise that we will always remember the Savior. We promise to take His name upon us. We promise to keep His commandments. And we are promised that if we do that, we will have His Spirit to be with us (see D&C 20:77, 79). Those promises work together in a wonderful way to strengthen our testimonies and in time, through the Atonement, to change our natures as we keep our part of the promise."
A Matter of Survival
“No one of us can survive in the world of today, much less what it will become, without personal inspiration,” warns President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
“The gift of the Holy Ghost operates equally with men, women, and even little children,” President Packer says. “It is within this wondrous gift and power that the spiritual remedy to any problem can be found,” he teaches, and then quotes from the Book of Mormon: “And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, not only men but women also. Now this is not all; little children do have words given unto them many times, which confound the wise and the learned” (Alma 32:23).
President Packer also teaches that “perhaps the single greatest thing I learned from reading the Book of Mormon is that the voice of the Spirit comes as a feeling rather than a sound. You will learn, as I have learned, to ‘listen’ for that voice that is felt rather than heard.”
Learn to Ask
“One of the great lessons that each of us needs to learn is to ask,” Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles says. “Why does the Lord want us to pray to Him and to ask? Because that is how revelation is received.”
Elder Scott testifies, “The scriptures give eloquent confirmation of how truth, consistently lived, opens the door to inspiration to know what to do and, where needed, to have personal capacities enhanced by divine power. The scriptures depict how an individual’s capacity to conquer difficulty, doubt, and seemingly insurmountable challenges is strengthened by the Lord in time of need. As you ponder such examples, there will come a quiet confirmation through the Holy Spirit that their experiences are true. You will come to know that similar help is available to you.”
And he notes that “I have seen individuals encountering challenges who knew what to do when it was beyond their own experience because they trusted in the Lord and knew that He would guide them to solutions that were urgently required.”
Elder Scott says, “Two indicators that a feeling or prompting comes from God are that it produces peace in your heart and a quiet, warm feeling. … The more closely you follow divine guidance, the greater will be your happiness here and for eternity—moreover, the more abundant your progress and capacity to serve. I do not understand fully how it is done, but that guidance in your life does not take away your agency. You can make the decisions you choose to make. But remember, the disposition to do right brings peace of mind and happiness.”
Elder Scott also cautions, “Communication with our Father in Heaven is not a trivial matter. It is a sacred privilege. It is based upon eternal, unchanging principles. We receive help from our Father in Heaven in response to our faith, obedience, and the proper use of agency.”
