And the easier it is for us to distinguish between the voice of the Spirit and our own thoughts or imaginations. The more experience we have with him, the more familiar he becomes. Have you ever had an impression come into your mind to say or do or avoid a certain thing-a sudden impression that seemed to come just “out of the blue”? That may have been the Holy Ghost speaking to you. Now, looking back on those days, we marvel at the unforeseeable blessings that never would have come if we had made the “logical” decision. But the still, small voice became less still over the next few weeks, and we ultimately decided to go. There appeared to be no justification for it in fact, our circumstances made a move seem foolish. Just over a year after we were married, my wife and I began to sense an inexplicable urging to move to another state. When I consider where my family and I might be now without their message, I’m so grateful to those two elders for following the whispering of the Spirit. What might we have heard? How might our lives have been changed-or the lives of others? If not for two missionaries who heeded an impression several years ago to turn down a certain street in Dallas, Texas, someone else would probably be answering your question today. We shouldn’t stop listening when the prayer is over! I wonder how many times we’ve knelt and asked the Lord to “lead, guide, and direct” us through the day, only to jump up and rush through our routines without once listening for the “still, small voice” of the Spirit. This next point, I think, is very important. It is a feeling which cannot be described, but the nearest word we have is ‘burn’ or ‘burning.’ Accompanying this always is a feeling of peace, a further witness that what one heard is right.” ( Ensign, May 1976, p. Dilworth Young of the First Quorum of the Seventy shares his own experience: “If I am to receive revelation from the Lord … his word will come into my mind through my thoughts, accompanied by a feeling in the region of my bosom. What should we expect to hear? It won’t be something mysterious or unnatural it may not seem very dramatic. The problem, though, is learning to recognize an answer. “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good.” ( Alma 37:37.) We all know we should pray-frequently, sincerely, with genuine faith. We need to go directly to the Lord in prayer for guidance in our decisions. (See John 14:26 D&C 84:85.) I’ve noticed that most of the personal revelations in my own life come in that way. 32:3.) If we are searching the scriptures, we have the assurance that the Holy Ghost will recall pertinent passages to our minds at the very moment we need them. Nephi exhorted us to “feast upon the words of Christ for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.” ( 2 Ne. Many times the guidance we need will come right out of the scriptures. “To get this revelation,” explained Brigham Young, “it is necessary that the people live so that their spirits are as pure and clean as a piece of blank paper that lies on the desk … ready to receive any mark the writer may make upon it.” ( Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 4:24), we must be obedient and pure if we are to receive the personal revelation promised the Saints.

If we do, we will soon come to understand what is meant by the “guidance of the Spirit.” More than that, we will experience that guidance often.īecause “the Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples” ( Hel.

How do we prepare ourselves to be led by the Spirit? I believe that we must live in constant worthiness, read and ponder the scriptures regularly, and frequently pray in faith. All we need to do is make sure that we’re ready to receive the guidance at any time. The Lord knows exactly what guidance we need, and when it will help us most, so we don’t have to worry about that. We cannot control him, nor should we want to his direction comes in his own way and in his own time. I do know that we have to prepare ourselves before we can receive direction from the Holy Ghost. The second part of the question-how to do it-is not easy to answer.

But the words of that ordinance are not, “We give you the Holy Ghost,” but rather, “Receive the Holy Ghost.” When we seek and obtain the guidance of the Spirit, we are literally fulfilling that instruction. Remember that when we were confirmed as members of the Church, we received the gift of the Holy Ghost. The very first thing we must do is believe that the Holy Ghost is a real person, and that he actually will communicate with us. Allison, administrative assistant, Church Missionary Department “The Spirit,” of course, is the Holy Ghost.

Spirit daily