Tag Archives: Holy Ghost

RS/EQ: Baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost

Our seventh lesson in the Joseph Smith manual for this year’s course of study is entitled, “Baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost.” In May of 1829, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery went to the banks of the Susquehanna River and were there met by John the Baptist, who conferred upon them the authority to baptize. They were the first two baptized in this dispensation, and soon others followed, including members of Joseph’s family, which brought him much joy. He taught that the ordinance of baptism is necessary for salvation, and it is a sign and a symbol ordained … Continue reading →

A Beautiful Family Home Evening

We do Family Home Evening whenever our schedule allows us. We most often do it on my husband’s day off, and with his work shift changing periodically, sometimes we’ll meet together on Sunday, or Tuesday, or Friday – just whenever we can work it in peacefully. We had our Family Home Evening this afternoon, strangely enough, and we found it one of the sweetest we’ve ever had. I’d like to share the highlights with you, if I may. My daughter is working on her Faith in God award and one of the suggested goals is to give a Family Home … Continue reading →

No Counterfeit for Peace

The other night, I sat working with my daughter on her Faith in God requirements, one of which is to read several scriptures pertaining to the Holy Ghost and then discuss the role of the Holy Ghost in our lives. She underlined the passages, and then next to one of them wrote in the margin, “The Holy Ghost never lies.” I’ve been thinking about that perceptive comment ever since. The Holy Ghost works hand in hand with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. As the third member of the Godhead, He is one with them in unity and purpose, all … Continue reading →

Teaching Your Children to Recognize the Spirit

One of the most important things we can do to help our children is to teach them how to recognize the spirit. It can be difficult for an adult to recognize the promptings of the Holy Ghost, but it is important to help your children recognize these promptings. There are several things that you can do to help your children. The most important is to talk to your children about the Holy Ghost. You can explain to them that the Holy Ghost can be felt as a warm feeling in their hearts or sometimes a thought that enters into their … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: “Flesh and Blood Hath Not Revealed It Unto Thee”

Posted on by

As we continue to study Lesson 13 in the New Testament manual, we come across a beautiful testimony of the divinity of the Savior by the apostle Peter. I would like to explore the idea of testimonies and where they take root from as we examine Matthew 16:13-19. Following the second miracle of the loaves and fishes, Jesus asks His disciples who men say He is. I found verse 13 a bit confusing, as Christ refers to himself as “I the Son of man”. I thought about how Satan referred to Moses as the son of man rather than the … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: The Signs of the Times

Posted on by

All too often, we hear about “the signs of the time.” Perhaps we look at the great disasters that have befallen the world in the last few years, the wars and rumors of wars, and think these are signs of the Savior’s coming. Interestingly enough, the early Saints looked at various disasters, trials and tribulations and thought the Savior would soon return to Earth. I believe it was Brigham Young who admonished a brother to continue with temporal preparation, and in the Wilford Woodruff manual last year, the prophet noted that he would look for signs of the Savior’s coming, … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Wandering Through the World

Posted on by

As disciples of Christ, we must seek to put Him and His kingdom first. This becomes clear as we study Matthew 6:22-23 and 7:13-14. In the first section, we are told to keep our eye single to the glory of God, and in the section we are reminded of the narrow gate and the strait path we must follow to return to His presence. It becomes clear as we study these four verses that the presence of God is not something we can just “wander” into. First, let’s look at the verses in chapter 6. Make sure you take note … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Worship in Spirit and in Truth

The last time we reviewed the scriptures, we discussed Christ’s role as living water. Today, as we study John 4:15-38, we further that discussion by centering on the spiritual nature of our worship of the Savior. Heavenly Father wants us to worship Him not just in form but in Spirit (vs. 24 JST). As we keep commandments and perform ordinances, it can be easy to focus on the temporal aspects of those forms of obedience. In short, it can be simpler to celebrate the physical act of baptism but neglect the spiritual portion. We can fulfill the duties of our … Continue reading →

When Pride Goeth

Recently I was struck with the similarity between two of the kings in the Old Testament, the first being King Darius and the other King Ahasuerus. We know their stories; King Darius sent Daniel to the lions’ den, and King Ahasuerus signed the decree that would mean the death of the Jews, until Esther stepped in. What is it that these two men had in common? Their pride. In each instance, they were prevailed upon by men in their court to do something they knew was wrong, and because the men used flattering words, the kings caved in and acted … Continue reading →

General Conference: “That We May Always Have His Spirit to Be With Us”

In his talk “That We May Always Have His Spirit to Be With Us,” Elder David A Bednar speaks about how we can make sure that we are in tune with the Spirit. Elder Bednar opens his talk by speaking about baptism and the covenant that we enter into at baptism. He then talks about receiving the Holy Ghost. He then says that although we should be focused on listening to the Spirit we also need to make sure we are not distracting from the Spirit. He says: “We should also endeavor to discern when we “withdraw [ourselves] from the … Continue reading →