Rick found out this week that he'll be losing his job next week. So we are back on the hunt for a good fit. This trial has been a tough one, but we will get through it.
I gave a talk in church on Sunday and felt led to go in a different direction than I had previously wanted to go. One of my primary teachers came up to me after sacrament and said that it was exactly what she needed to hear. I was so grateful to hear that!!
Here's my talk--
Good Morning, today I’ve been asked to give a talk on Elder Rasband’s last conference address entitled, “ Build a fortress of spirituality and protection.” He begins his talk by describing how his grandfather had helped build the Heber fort in Utah. The settlers built the fort for their own safety and protection. Forts were commonly built with a watchtower for someone to stand on so that they could view the surrounding area of any danger. Being upon the watchtower they could see danger coming, much faster than anyone on the ground. Elder Rasband compares the person standing on the watch tower to our Prophet because our Prophet can warn us of danger as well. He says this, “Our Prophet who stands at the watch tower of our fortress has taught, “in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting and constant influence of the holy ghost.” With that in mind, I wanted to focus my talk on the holy ghost, because if we allow the holy ghost into our homes, we are protecting our homes just like a spiritual fortress. If we create an atmosphere in our homes where the holy ghost can reside, then we provide opportunities for the Holy Ghost to teach, testify, comfort and guide us.
In my research about the holy ghost, I came across this story told by Elder Gary E. Stevenson-(paraphrased but they were hiking and he was about to climb onto a big rock when his dad suddenly took him off the rock and said not to climb that rock. Later they found out that a rattlesnake had been sunbathing on top of that rock. His father had felt a prompting not to have his son climb that rock) I love that story.
I love my calling in the primary, I think primary is the best. If it’s been awhile since you’ve felt the spirit, I would invite you to come and visit us in primary.
I love this primary song called, "the holy ghost"-
When Christ was on the earth, he promised he would send the holy ghost to comfort us, our true, eternal friend, the holy spirit whispers with a still small voice he testifies of God and christ and makes our hearts rejoice and when we are confirmed by sacred priesthood power the holy ghost is given to us to guide us every hour oh may i always listen to that still small voice and with his light i’ll do what's right each time i make a choice.
Whenever I have lost something, I always turn to the holy ghost for help in finding it. When we are unsure of a situation, we can pray that we will be able to discern whether or not it’s good or bad.
If we are feeling all alone in the world and like nobody's there for us, I testify that if we pray for comfort, we will receive it.
The holy ghost has been my constant companion for as long as I can remember. If i start to feel scared, I immediately pray to my Heavenly Father to send the holy ghost to comfort me. The holy ghost can comfort us like nobody else can, because he carries the love of Christ thru him. He testifies of Christ. If you trust in heavenly father, that he’s in control then thru the holy ghost you can have access to what you need.
Elder Rasband says, “if we pay attention to the promptings that come to us, we will grow in the spirit of revelation and receive more and more spirit driven insight and direction.” So in other words, the more that we rely on the spirit the more in tune to the spirit we will be. I love that we can receive so much inspiration from the holy ghost and receive our own personal revelation. One important part of learning from the holy ghost is figuring out how the holy ghost speaks to you. The amazing thing about the holy ghost is that he knows that we each learn differently, therefore he teaches us differently. I’m a visual learner, so when I lose something and I’m praying for guidance to help me find that lost thing I will have an image come in my brain of where I should look. It’s quite fascinating actually, that he’s so in tune with how I learn. I also feel very warm inside and I cry when I’m feeling the spirit. I also feel sick to my stomach if I’ve making a wrong choice. Some of you may feel the spirit totally differently, and that’s awesome because you also learn differently than me. Some of you may get goose bumps, or have words brought to your minds, there's so many ways that the spirit can teach. It’s just another testament to me that Heavenly Father knows us individually.
I’m so grateful that I was given this opportunity to talk today because in researching for this talk I learned something new about the holy ghost. The holy ghost does all the things that I’ve previously mentioned, but he also does something else that I had never heard before. The holy ghost also delivers the blessings of the atonement of Jesus Christ into our lives. Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught, “the gift of the holy ghost is the messenger of grace by which the blood of Christ is applied to take away our sins and sanctify us.”
Did you catch that?
It is the holy ghost that cleanses our sins and purifies us. If you were to ask me, who cleanses our sins? I would’ve said Jesus. While it is Jesus’ atonement that made it possible for us to be cleansed from the stain of sit, it is the holy ghost as the messenger or deliverer of the atonement who actually does the cleansing.
Alma 32:12- Now they after being sanctified by the holy ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence.
Moroni 6:4-And after they had been received unto baptism and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the holy ghost they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ.
Pres. Eyring said, “if you have felt the influence of the holy ghost during this day, or even this evening, you may take it as evidence that the atonement is working in your life. For that reason, and many others, you would do well to put yourself in places and in tasks that invite the promptings of the holy ghost, the reception of the holy ghost cleanses us through the atonement of Jesus Christ.”
I shared a personal story about when I felt the Holy Ghost powerfully in my life. It was during the first time that I went through the temple and lots of Ricks extended family and mine had gone through with me in support. When I walked into the celestial room, I was greeted with hug after hug, meeting new family members. I had this overwhelming feeling of feeling loved, comforted and at peace that I was in the house of the lord. I also had a glimpse of how it will feel when I pass away, to be greeted by so many family members, many that I have never met before and an assurance that I felt very loved. It was an amazing experience.
I hope that we can all strive to make our homes place where the holy ghost can reside, because that is how we build our spiritual fortress from the world.
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