Why did Pres. Nelson plead with us to “lay hold” upon this gift — the Holy Ghost, when we are all baptized members and have been confirmed to receive the gift? – have we opened that gift?
My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation. Let this Easter Sunday be a defining moment in your life. Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly.
With Moroni, I exhort you on this Easter Sabbath to “come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift,” beginning with the gift of the Holy Ghost, which gift can and will change your life. (Pres. Nelson)
We may be on the path to our baptism of fire and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Or we may have had that experience and are pressing forward to receive the second comforter. We progress at different rates. No matter where we are, the process remains the same, though the trials may be different.
The Holy Ghost inspires and guides all who are seeking Truth. That’s how it worked for Joseph Smith when he was seeking truth. Maybe some people call this the Holy Spirit or Light of Christ. Whatever you want to call it — these spiritual promptings come from our God and guide us to receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Trust God and be Grateful — Recognize His Hand
Looking at that advice — we need unshakeable faith in God. We need to rely on Him and not on the arm of flesh. Which means, I have to be thankful for my trials. I mean, really grateful for them, believing that God is blessing me through the difficult people and circumstances that I am currently dealing with. This is not always easy, or never is. Most of the time I have to work on it. But Joseph has some good advice:
“If you will thank the Lord with all your heart, every night, for all the blessings of that day; you will eventually find yourself exalted in the kingdom of God.” (Joseph Smith)
“Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things. …
“And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things.”6
I think for some people, it’s difficult to see the hand of God in all things. But I believe that once you start to recognize His hand, you will see it more often. Kind of reminds me of that joke-story about the man on the roof of his house during a flood, who prayed to God to save him, yet he did not recognize that God was sending the rowboat, the motorboat, and the helicopter. God interacts with us. We just need to recognize it more often.
Perfect Brightness of Hope
When I was a little girl, my dad would tell us this silly joke (my goodness, another joke, where is my mind today) which has stayed with me through the years. Perhaps you know it as well. It’s kind of dumb, and I don’t tell jokes well, but here goes. It was Christmas, and the kids hung up their Christmas Stockings. The next morning, one of the kids found pony poop in his stocking and he was very disappointed –“ah it’s just poop!” The other child looked in his stocking and exclaimed, “Oh it was a pony, but he got away!”
Best to hope.
Love of God and All Men
Not always so easy. It’s easy to love those who love you, but not so easy to love those who do you wrong. In his book, Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis points out that it is easy to love the likeable:
However, the virtue of “charity” comes by choosing to act lovingly toward the unlikeable. Lewis writes, Jesus says, “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven… For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” MATTHEW 5:44-47 (ESV) . . .
. . The rule for all of us is perfectly simple. Do not waste time bothering whether you “love” your neighbour; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less. . . .
Press Forward
Hugh Nibley has some good advice about pressing forward and living peacefully:
The key to living peacefully amid the clamor of life, according to Hugh, is to “cultivate a sort of bio-feedback with the Spirit.” Then, he states, “you can walk as calmly and confidently as if all the uproar and confusion of compulsory moving-day were behind us all.” Hugh continues:
“When the Saints were driven . . . out of Nauvoo in the middle of night and the dead of winter, Joseph appeared to Brigham and said to him repeatedly just two things:
“Tell the Saints to get the Spirit of the Lord,” and “Don’t be in a hurry!” On the few occasions when I have been willing to take that advice seriously I have flourished like the green bay tree — the rest of the time has been a struggle, and no need for it.”(20)
Feast Upon the Words of Christ
Feasting is a descriptive word and certainly implies enjoying the feast. I really think it takes some time to get into a feast. But it certainly helps to be reading, as that is when questions come to mind.
“Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon… (Pres. Nelson)
Endure the Trials
I think by enduring trials, we use all of the other items in this list. Joseph Smith said we need to be grateful, to thank God everyday. I believe it helps to be very precise about this. Look around you, and notice the hand of God in your life and thank Him.
Orson Spencer observed, “[Joseph] is remarkably cheerful for one who has seen well-tried friends martyred around him, and felt the inflictions of calumny—the vexations of lawsuits—the treachery of intimates—and multiplied violent attempts upon his person and life, together with the cares of much business.” [69]
Wait on the Lord’s Timetable
To be sure, there may be times when you feel as though the heavens are closed. But I promise that as you continue to be obedient, expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord’s timetable, you will be given the knowledge and understanding you seek. Every blessing the Lord has for you—even miracles—will follow. That is what personal revelation will do for you. “(Pres. Nelson)
I think we need to seek for the gift of the Holy Ghost and ask God for it. Before we seek to know Christ personally, we must receive the baptism of fire. So, I think it is out of order to seek the face of the Lord before we receive the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the administrator or the mediator for the Telestial Kingdom — our world today. (D&C 76:86) He guides us to the higher Godhead of Jesus Christ and Elohim. Jesus Christ is the mediator of the Terestrial Kingdom — the world in the garden of Eden and the world in which Zion will flourish. Christ will be there. But first things first — and that is our climb to the next level, the Zion level. And that is the reason we need the gift of the Holy Ghost. He will guide us to Christ. And Christ will then guide us to Eternal life.
