Spiritual Musing: The Holy Ghost

I was blessed to have the opportunity to teach Relief Society last Sunday. The lesson was based on President Eyring's October 2015 General Conference talk entitled "The Holy Ghost as Your Companion". 

From last week's spiritual musing post, it's no secret that happiness has seemed to evade me for the past few months. While I set some goals to prioritize my life and focus on things to make me happy, I think the real purpose of those goals is to help me feel more of the Spirit in my life. So this lesson's topic was a great way to remind me of the many blessings of the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Elder Eyring starts out his talk by stating his objective (as a teacher, I love that he does this). He says it this way: 

My purpose today is to increase your desire and your determination to claim the gift promised to each of us after we were baptized. During our confirmation we heard these words: “Receive the Holy Ghost.” From that moment, our lives changed forever. 

As I read this, I interpreted desire to be the acknowledgement that we want to have the Spirit. In order to increase this desire, President Eyring goes through a list of blessings that we receive through the gift of the Holy Ghost. These are:

1. The Holy Ghost protects us and those we love from danger and from sin.
2. It warns us of evil and strengthens us to do good.
3. It makes us desire to do good, and makes sin less attractive.   (see Mosiah 5:2)
4. It allows us to discern truth from falsehood (especially spiritual truths that are vital for our return to our Heavenly Father).
5. It gives us hope and comfort in trials (especially when dealing with the death of a loved one).

Just from reading this list, looking for examples of these in the scriptures, and contemplating how I have seen these blessings in my own life already helps me increase my resolve to have these blessings more abundantly in my life.

But President Eyring acknowledges that we know that it is difficult to maintain the Spirit in our lives. That is where determination comes in. In my mind, determination means that we are willing to do anything to have the Spirit. Here are the things President Eyring suggested for qualifying for the gift of the Holy Ghost:

1. Let charity and virtue abound in your life (see D&C 121:45). Love others. Stand in holy places.
2. Act on each small moment of inspiration.
3. Pray with faith.
4. Know the scriptures.
5. Learn to recognize how the spirit speaks to you.

This post is seriously just a quick skim through his talk. Within these teachings, he gives examples taken from the life of his own father.  Go read it here! It's wonderful.

But by far, the most wonderful thing I experienced while I shared this lesson on Sunday was the simple, small hug of the Spirit reminding me that my Heavenly Father loves me and wants to bestow all of his promised blessings upon me. As I shared my thoughts, I began to cry because I knew the Spirt was in that room testifying of what I taught. I knew that, even through my unhappy moments in the last few months, my Father in heaven was aware of me. I've promised Him that I will strive to live more worthy of the gift of the Holy Ghost that I received shortly after I was baptized. I will not forget that gift.