The Holy Ghost

The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead.  He is a personage of Spirit, not having a body of flesh and bones.  This means that He can dwell within each one of us.  I like to portray this as the influence of the sun.  There is only one sun, but it's warmth and light can be felt by all. 

His primary purposes are to bear witness of the Father and the Son, reveal the truth of all things, and to sanctify those who have repented and become baptized.   There are many 'voices' that compete for our attention in this busy world and they can easily drown out spiritual impressions if we're not careful.  The voice of the spirit is distinct in the way that it:

-is a still voice of perfect mildness Helaman 5:30

-is a still small voice 1 Kings19:12
-pierces to the very soul 3 Nephi 11:3
-causes our hearts to burn 3 Nephi 11:3

Listening to the quiet whisperings of the spirit comes in a variety of ways including experiencing feelings, thoughts, and impressions.  Some of these feelings include love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, faith, and hope.  Who wouldn't want to feel any of those feelings?  We need to strive constantly to listen to these promptings and valiantly and courageously act on them.  Doing so will give us better direction in our lives, all of the aforementioned feelings, and the constant companionship of one of the members of the Godhead.  I testify that having the Holy Spirit as our companion is vital in everything we do.

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

Fundamental to our beliefs as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is our belief in the Book of Mormon.  This book is miraculous in nature and has many insights on the principles of Jesus Christ.  Joseph Smith Jr. translated and published this ancient-American record in March 1830.  It is a record of a people that populated the American continent and covers their history from around 600 B.C. to approximately 421 A.D.   The climax of the Book of Mormon is found in the middle of the record when Jesus Christ appears to the people there soon after being resurrected.  Reading from and pondering the Book of Mormon will increase your faith in Jesus Christ as well as an increase your desire and ability to follow His teachings.  You can find out for yourself that the truths taught in the Book of Mormon are true by asking God.  What do you have to lose?  I have asked my Father in Heaven if this record is true and He has answered my prayer.  I have enjoyed the peace that this brings into my life.  This is why I have sacrificed two years of my life: to share what I have learned with others.  I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that living the teachings contained therein will bring greater happiness in this life as well as in the life to come.  

Look Not Behind Thee

Why do we have New Years Resolutions?  Aren't we all perfect the way we are?  Of course not, we all have things to work on and improve, that's why we set these goals.  However, a lot of the time I think that we look at all of the negative things we do, when we should be looking to the future.

Many of us focus on the things of the past.  Our Heavenly Father, however, has an eternal perspective and sees us where we are, where we can be, and how we can get there.  We should look forward for this new year and set goals that will help us get where we need to be.  Don't look back on the past sins and transgressions of yester-year, but rather focus on what we can do this year, this month, this week, this day, and this hour.  Remember:

Faith Points to the Future

Forgive and Forget

The Best Is Yet to Be

Leaving the Past in the Past

The Best is yet to Be
By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland