How I Recognize Truth
In my pre-mormon days, Brad was explaining some of the tenets of the gospel. One of those was the Holy Ghost.
OK. I'd heard of that one before. In most other Christian faiths, it's not really seen as an entity, but rather something you gain as an intrinsic part of yourself when you are "born again."
Brad went on to say that after baptism, you receive an ordinance when you are confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and most importantly, you receive the Holy Ghost as your constant companion.
I'll tell you that I found this particular doctrine quite offensive. I believed in Christ after all. I was born again. I already had the Holy Ghost, didn't I?
If you look at the Holy Ghost as some kind of transforming agent, this is going to sound weird. Plus, if you are someone that believes in the Trinity, (ie that God, Christ, and Holy Ghost/Spirit are one-in-the-same), this is probably going to go against everything you believe.
What we believe is that the big three are separate. God is literally God the Father. Christ is literally the son of God, and the Holy Ghost is the bearer of all truth. All separate, but all one in purpose.
Furthermore, Mormons don't think that unless you are a Mormon, you don't have the Holy Ghost. We regularly teach our kids at pre-baptism ages to recognize the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost can and does visit you when you are exposed to anything bearing eternal truth with an open mind and heart. The difference is that at baptism, we are granted the right to have His, (the Holy Ghost's), constant companionship as opposed to occasional visits. Being someone who has only lived a third of her life with promised constant companionship of this particular member of the Godhead (the Holy Ghost), I can attest to the tangibility of this difference.
Like all blessings, this one is predicated on our own actions. God only holds up his end of the deal if we hold up ours. In order to enjoy this right to constant companionship, we must live our lives in a way that would not offend the presence of the Holy Ghost. Consider if Christ came to visit you. Would you really watch that raunchy show you really like to watch on Thursday nights? Or would you do something more spiritual and uplifting with Christ in the room? I would venture to guess, that if you are a follower of Chirst, your answer is pretty clear. You also probably wouldn't wear your daisy duke shorts or string bikini around him either. You wouldn't smoke a cigarette around him and you wouldn't use foul language.
We believe that you should avoid doing anything that might offend God. Because when you do offensive things or partake in things that would offend Him, the Holy Ghost hightails it out of there, and you lose the guidance and promptings He can give you when He's around. We believe that the Holy Ghost is literally God's messenger. When people say God prompted them or God spoke to them, it's really the voice of the Holy Ghost doing His job for God, bearing truth, guiding us, and helping us make the best decisions when we ask for things in humble prayer.
Once I understood the Holy Ghost this way, and it was a while before I wrapped my head around it, I began to be able to recognize His presence. It is often difficult to distinguish His voice as it is often so quiet among the other negative ones in my head or in the world, or among the clamor and rush of daily life. But I've gotten better at it. With every year that passes, I have honed my listening ear and programmed myself to ask for His presence when trials and questions beset me. I've also learned how to invite Him. I've learned that during those times when I don't feel like I can hear Him, I find an activity that will help me put my heart in a place that is able to hear again. Sometimes this is controlling my temper with my kids or husband. Sometimes this is watching a Mormon Message , and sometimes it is listening to or reading a talk from General Conference. Other times I might need to listen to good music or read my scriptures.
Usually I will entreat the Holy Ghost before or after one of these activities with prayer, and He always returns, reminding me that when I allow filth, discordance, or chaos in my life, He has no desire to be around me. And actually, no one wants to be around me when I have allowed myself to succumb to worldly ideas or perceptions. I don't even want to be around myself then.
The constant companionship of the Holy Ghost is the greatest of gifts in this life. Feeling his presence is spiritually addictive, and it is something I wish all could feel. When I am listening to a talk from General Conference that really speaks to me on a particular day, the Holy Ghost can feel almost overwhelming, like a great force that one cannot ignore, physically draining to the point that I feel like I cannot contain it. The Holy Ghost brings tears to the eyes of even the most manly of men.
Sometimes with the pure joy that fills me when His heavy presence is near, I think about the prolific ignorance of so many, and it rubs raw places in my heart wishing that if only they could feel what I do, they would never want for the pleasures that the world tries to offer. Certainly, if I was always doing what I'm supposed to, I'd look back and wonder what took me so long to get to this point where he is always near.
The Holy Ghost is THE reason that I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, because in the end, no matter how logical some doctrine may sound, or how perfectly it may fit into our perception of the world, man will always find a way to discredit it with their own brand of logic. It is ONLY through the whisperings of the Holy Ghost that we can recognize truth. And it's not limited to church either. The Holy Ghost is that feeling you feel when you see some magnificent formation in nature, or witness the miracle of birth, or feel touched when you see people being kind and loving to each other. The Holy Ghost will tell you what is truth--what is of God, and where His hands have been.
Unfortunately, life can easily get in our way and drag us down to where we forget Him. We forget what He feels like so easily. This is why we Mormons have so many "restrictions" and "rules" and why our religion so permeates the things we do every week and not just on Sunday. This is why Church is three hours long! We need constant reminders so that we can continue to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
My friends, there is no other congregation I have been part of where I have felt God's presence so strongly. Certainly He is everywhere. Certainly, Mormons don't have the copyright on truth. Truth can be found everywhere. But how else will you know it is truth and thus of God unless he tells you? And how will He tell you if you don't ask? And how will you be able to hear the answer if the things you do make Him not able to be around you? After all, God cannot dwell in unclean places.
It is my solid and unwavering testimony that the Holy Ghost is real, and that wherever truth is, there will He be also. And we can feel Him if our lives reflect our best efforts. He will meet us where we are if we are doing all that we know how to do.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
John 14 (KJV)
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another aComforter, that he may babide with you for ever;
OK. I'd heard of that one before. In most other Christian faiths, it's not really seen as an entity, but rather something you gain as an intrinsic part of yourself when you are "born again."
Brad went on to say that after baptism, you receive an ordinance when you are confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and most importantly, you receive the Holy Ghost as your constant companion.
I'll tell you that I found this particular doctrine quite offensive. I believed in Christ after all. I was born again. I already had the Holy Ghost, didn't I?
If you look at the Holy Ghost as some kind of transforming agent, this is going to sound weird. Plus, if you are someone that believes in the Trinity, (ie that God, Christ, and Holy Ghost/Spirit are one-in-the-same), this is probably going to go against everything you believe.
What we believe is that the big three are separate. God is literally God the Father. Christ is literally the son of God, and the Holy Ghost is the bearer of all truth. All separate, but all one in purpose.
Furthermore, Mormons don't think that unless you are a Mormon, you don't have the Holy Ghost. We regularly teach our kids at pre-baptism ages to recognize the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost can and does visit you when you are exposed to anything bearing eternal truth with an open mind and heart. The difference is that at baptism, we are granted the right to have His, (the Holy Ghost's), constant companionship as opposed to occasional visits. Being someone who has only lived a third of her life with promised constant companionship of this particular member of the Godhead (the Holy Ghost), I can attest to the tangibility of this difference.
Like all blessings, this one is predicated on our own actions. God only holds up his end of the deal if we hold up ours. In order to enjoy this right to constant companionship, we must live our lives in a way that would not offend the presence of the Holy Ghost. Consider if Christ came to visit you. Would you really watch that raunchy show you really like to watch on Thursday nights? Or would you do something more spiritual and uplifting with Christ in the room? I would venture to guess, that if you are a follower of Chirst, your answer is pretty clear. You also probably wouldn't wear your daisy duke shorts or string bikini around him either. You wouldn't smoke a cigarette around him and you wouldn't use foul language.
We believe that you should avoid doing anything that might offend God. Because when you do offensive things or partake in things that would offend Him, the Holy Ghost hightails it out of there, and you lose the guidance and promptings He can give you when He's around. We believe that the Holy Ghost is literally God's messenger. When people say God prompted them or God spoke to them, it's really the voice of the Holy Ghost doing His job for God, bearing truth, guiding us, and helping us make the best decisions when we ask for things in humble prayer.
Once I understood the Holy Ghost this way, and it was a while before I wrapped my head around it, I began to be able to recognize His presence. It is often difficult to distinguish His voice as it is often so quiet among the other negative ones in my head or in the world, or among the clamor and rush of daily life. But I've gotten better at it. With every year that passes, I have honed my listening ear and programmed myself to ask for His presence when trials and questions beset me. I've also learned how to invite Him. I've learned that during those times when I don't feel like I can hear Him, I find an activity that will help me put my heart in a place that is able to hear again. Sometimes this is controlling my temper with my kids or husband. Sometimes this is watching a Mormon Message , and sometimes it is listening to or reading a talk from General Conference. Other times I might need to listen to good music or read my scriptures.
Usually I will entreat the Holy Ghost before or after one of these activities with prayer, and He always returns, reminding me that when I allow filth, discordance, or chaos in my life, He has no desire to be around me. And actually, no one wants to be around me when I have allowed myself to succumb to worldly ideas or perceptions. I don't even want to be around myself then.
The constant companionship of the Holy Ghost is the greatest of gifts in this life. Feeling his presence is spiritually addictive, and it is something I wish all could feel. When I am listening to a talk from General Conference that really speaks to me on a particular day, the Holy Ghost can feel almost overwhelming, like a great force that one cannot ignore, physically draining to the point that I feel like I cannot contain it. The Holy Ghost brings tears to the eyes of even the most manly of men.
Sometimes with the pure joy that fills me when His heavy presence is near, I think about the prolific ignorance of so many, and it rubs raw places in my heart wishing that if only they could feel what I do, they would never want for the pleasures that the world tries to offer. Certainly, if I was always doing what I'm supposed to, I'd look back and wonder what took me so long to get to this point where he is always near.
The Holy Ghost is THE reason that I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, because in the end, no matter how logical some doctrine may sound, or how perfectly it may fit into our perception of the world, man will always find a way to discredit it with their own brand of logic. It is ONLY through the whisperings of the Holy Ghost that we can recognize truth. And it's not limited to church either. The Holy Ghost is that feeling you feel when you see some magnificent formation in nature, or witness the miracle of birth, or feel touched when you see people being kind and loving to each other. The Holy Ghost will tell you what is truth--what is of God, and where His hands have been.
Unfortunately, life can easily get in our way and drag us down to where we forget Him. We forget what He feels like so easily. This is why we Mormons have so many "restrictions" and "rules" and why our religion so permeates the things we do every week and not just on Sunday. This is why Church is three hours long! We need constant reminders so that we can continue to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
My friends, there is no other congregation I have been part of where I have felt God's presence so strongly. Certainly He is everywhere. Certainly, Mormons don't have the copyright on truth. Truth can be found everywhere. But how else will you know it is truth and thus of God unless he tells you? And how will He tell you if you don't ask? And how will you be able to hear the answer if the things you do make Him not able to be around you? After all, God cannot dwell in unclean places.
It is my solid and unwavering testimony that the Holy Ghost is real, and that wherever truth is, there will He be also. And we can feel Him if our lives reflect our best efforts. He will meet us where we are if we are doing all that we know how to do.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
John 14 (KJV)
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another aComforter, that he may babide with you for ever;
17 Even
the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth
him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you,
and shall be in you.
18 I will not leave you acomfortless: I will bcome to you.
Moroni 10:5 (Book of Mormon)
And by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things.
Moroni 10:5 (Book of Mormon)
And by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things.
And would that not be your conscious!!!!
ReplyDeleteActually, your conscience is different. We call it The Light of Christ which everyone has access to. It's the thing that instills us with the innate desire to do good. However, sometimes what is good and what is not good can be difficult to decipher which is where the Holy Ghost comes in. Plus your conscience doesn't have anything to do with revealing the mysteries of the Universe. The Holy Ghost actually can reveal those things.
DeleteIf you don't listen to your conscience...it stops talking to you. One cannot dull mind & body with processed foods, medicines, television, alcohol, etc. that the world has to offer & still feel the holy ghost through all that static.
ReplyDeleteThe constant companion of the Holy Ghost does more than testify of truth when He is constantly around. He enable right choices, right decisions, quickens understanding, &
Great post!
ReplyDelete