The Gift of the Holy Ghost is the baptism of the spirit. It gives us the right, as long as we liver worthily, of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.
His role is to be a witness to truth, and a witness of the Father and the Son. Thus, the surest testimony a person can receive is through the influence of the Holy Ghost. A person can see miracles and still not be converted - only the Holy Ghost can do that.
He also serves as a guide, who can be relied upon to direct us right in our choices and actions, and to warn us of error and sometimes of danger.
In order to receive these blessings, we must keep ourselves in tune with the spirit. If we are not worthy, he will not stay with us. We must also obey and follow his promptings if we expect to continue to receive them.
It is by this gift that I know that Jesus is the Christ, the only source of salvation. It is by this gift that I know that Thomas S. Monson is truly the Lord's prophet, and that the church is true.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Thoughts on the Lord's Followers Being a Light to the World, and Saviors of Mnn
Today at church a speaker based his talk around the idea that Christ has asked us to be a light to the world. He started with Mathew 5:14 and also quoted D&C 103:9, which not only says that we are to be a light unto the world, but that we are also to be saviors of men. The emphasis was that Christ is the light of the world, and we are to show his light to all. We are to do as He would do in bringing all who are willing to salvation.
Another scripture quoted in this talk was Luke 4:18, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set a liberty them that are bruised." Here Jesus describes his role on earth.
When we are baptized and make covenants with our Savior, we promise to be his witnesses and his servants. His work should be ours. So...
It should be our goal to share the gospel with love to all who will hear, as He would and did and does. It should be our goal to bring his spirit into people's lives where it can heal the brokenhearted, deliver captives from their captivities of illness, sin, error, and other things that bind men. It should be our goal to help everyone see truth, and set them at liberty through his gospel.
Into my mind, though our speaker did not mention this, came the Lord's statement of his mission and purpose from Moses 1:39, that his work and his glory is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." It came to me that if this is the Lord's goal and the purpose of all that He does, and if I am sincere about being his servant and furthering his cause, then the most important goal that I have should be to do whatever I can to contribute to this goal. My mission statement in life should reflect that my highest goal is to help bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
I, of course, can do nothing compared to Master, and very little compared to many of his authorized servants who are so much more capable than I. But what I can do, I should do; and I can love those around me. I can comfort them when they sorrow, I can bless them through my service. I can testify to them of Jesus and so let the spirit teach them the things of eternal life. These things should be my highest goals. I hope that I can do better at keeping these goals in mind, and acting accordingly.
Another scripture quoted in this talk was Luke 4:18, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set a liberty them that are bruised." Here Jesus describes his role on earth.
When we are baptized and make covenants with our Savior, we promise to be his witnesses and his servants. His work should be ours. So...
It should be our goal to share the gospel with love to all who will hear, as He would and did and does. It should be our goal to bring his spirit into people's lives where it can heal the brokenhearted, deliver captives from their captivities of illness, sin, error, and other things that bind men. It should be our goal to help everyone see truth, and set them at liberty through his gospel.
Into my mind, though our speaker did not mention this, came the Lord's statement of his mission and purpose from Moses 1:39, that his work and his glory is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." It came to me that if this is the Lord's goal and the purpose of all that He does, and if I am sincere about being his servant and furthering his cause, then the most important goal that I have should be to do whatever I can to contribute to this goal. My mission statement in life should reflect that my highest goal is to help bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
I, of course, can do nothing compared to Master, and very little compared to many of his authorized servants who are so much more capable than I. But what I can do, I should do; and I can love those around me. I can comfort them when they sorrow, I can bless them through my service. I can testify to them of Jesus and so let the spirit teach them the things of eternal life. These things should be my highest goals. I hope that I can do better at keeping these goals in mind, and acting accordingly.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
What Baptism Means to Me
Baptism is the gateway ordinance by which one enters the kingdom of God.
We covenant to serve Him and one another, to bear one another's burdens, to obey his commandments, and to remember Him always. In return, He promises that we can have his spirit to be with us.
In the performance of this ordinance, we are immersed in water. This is symbolic of several things, such as being washed clean from our sins, or burial of the old sinful self and resurrection as a new-born child of God.
Jesus said, "Except a man be born of the water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
Once we are baptized and confirmed, we are officially members of the Lord's church, and we have begun the path of ordinances that will lead us back to Him.
Baptism is incomplete if not accompanied by the gift of the Holy Ghost, which will be next week's subject.
What does all of this mean to me? It means that a loving God has provided a way for me to be cleansed of sin, enter his church, and begin on the road home to Him. It means that He has provided authorized agents who hold his priesthood, and who can perform the ordinance of baptism with his full authority and backing.
It is yet another evidence of his love for us.
We covenant to serve Him and one another, to bear one another's burdens, to obey his commandments, and to remember Him always. In return, He promises that we can have his spirit to be with us.
In the performance of this ordinance, we are immersed in water. This is symbolic of several things, such as being washed clean from our sins, or burial of the old sinful self and resurrection as a new-born child of God.
Jesus said, "Except a man be born of the water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
Once we are baptized and confirmed, we are officially members of the Lord's church, and we have begun the path of ordinances that will lead us back to Him.
Baptism is incomplete if not accompanied by the gift of the Holy Ghost, which will be next week's subject.
What does all of this mean to me? It means that a loving God has provided a way for me to be cleansed of sin, enter his church, and begin on the road home to Him. It means that He has provided authorized agents who hold his priesthood, and who can perform the ordinance of baptism with his full authority and backing.
It is yet another evidence of his love for us.
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