January: How does the Holy Ghost help me learn?

How Does the Holy Ghost Help me Learn

How do you know that the Holy Ghost is telling you something?  (As class members respond, you can use the notes below to validate or expound upon what they say.  Any that are missed, you can fill in for them.)

A "burning in the bosom."  

• See D&C 9:8.  

• The Spirit can cause our hearts to pound and a feeling of high heat to come inside our chest.  This, however, is a more uncommon way for people to experience the Holy Ghost than we sometimes think, so if you have never felt that way, don't worry.  But if you have, that was a powerful message from the Holy Ghost.
• President Kimball said that most revelations that come from the Spirit, even to the Prophet of God, come as deep impressions, rather than dramatic events.  Quote 1

A good, strong feeling.  

• Let me tell you about Karen Beckham.  When she was just a little girl, she started reading the Book of Mormon for the first time.  When she got to a particular verse "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded..." she just had a strong feeling about this verse, so she got up and found a red pencil and marked that verse in her Book of Mormon.  (New Era, August 1998, p. 46)  
• Have you ever been reading the scriptures and just felt a strong feeling about one of them, strong enough to love it and want to mark it?  You were being instructed by the Holy Ghost.  
• John 5:39 tells us the scriptures testify of Christ, and they do it through the Holy Spirit.  Do you have a strong feeling that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God or that President Monson is the Lord's prophet today?  You got that feeling from the Holy Ghost.

A good idea.  

• Have you ever felt like you were guided to love your family or friends more by forgiving them or helping them in a particular way?  The Holy Ghost guided you to do that.
• (D&C 11:12)  The Spirit leads us to do good.

Clear and distinct directions.  

• After praying about a problem, have you ever suddenly received a thought in your mind about what you should do?  The Holy Ghost put that thought there.  
• (D&C 11:13,14)  The Spirit enlightens our minds.  Joseph Smith said that you may "feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas..."  (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 151)  
• (There is a beautiful and amazing story about how the Spirit guided an LDS police officer to find a kidnapped baby in the February 2001 Ensign, "Turn Here!" by Richard A. Dove)

Belief in Jesus Christ.  

• Do you believe that Jesus is the Savior of the World?  You gained that testimony through the Holy Ghost.  
• President Marion G. Romney said, "Every person who knows or has ever known that Jesus is the Christ has received that witness from the Holy Ghost." (April 1974 General Conference)  
• (See Matthew 16:13-18)  What is the Rock upon which Jesus was going to build His church?  
• Joseph Smith commented on this scripture, "What rock?  Revelation." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 274)
• You know, just like Peter the Apostle did, not because someone else told you, but because your Father in Heaven revealed it to you through the Spirit.  Each member of the Church is invited to build upon this rock, the rock of personal testimony revealed through the Holy Ghost.

Warning.  

• Have you ever wanted to do something and had a strong feeling that it was a bad choice?  The Holy Ghost warns us away from mistakes or sins.  (Alma 14:11).  
• Elder Kenneth Johnson, one of our General Authorities, even before he was a member of the Church, felt the influence of the Holy Ghost warning him away from danger.  As a young boy, never having heard of the Word of Wisdom, he went out to play with his friends one time, and found them huddled in a circle with smoke rising in the air above them.  One of them had found a package of cigarettes and they were all smoking them.  They tried and tried to get Kenneth to join in, but he had a strong feeling that he should not do it.  As he walked home, without being able to play with his friends, he had a good feeling inside.  That, of course, was also the Holy Ghost, this time telling him that he chose right.  Even our friends who are not members of the Church and have not yet received the Gift of the Holy Ghost can at times have the guidance of the Holy Ghost.  In fact, that is how they are eventually led to the gospel.

Comfort of forgiveness.  

• Have you ever prayed for Heavenly Father to forgive you of something you did wrong, and afterwards you felt that you were forgiven?  God communicates those feelings to us through the Holy Ghost.  (See Enos 1:1-5)

Peace.  

• Have you ever felt a comforting feeling, even while you were going through a time of sadness of hardship?  That most certainly was the Holy Ghost.  (D&C 6:23)

Love and Joy.  

• Have you ever felt spiritually uplifted--filled with love, peace or joy--during the sacrament, while listening to a talk, in a class, or after offering sincere prayer?  That was the Holy Ghost.  "Verily, verily, I say unto you..."  --remember that whenever the scriptures say this phrase, it is a signal that something very important is about to be said--  "...I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy."  (D&C 11:13) In fact, that is a very good way to tell whether something is just your own imagination or whether it is the Holy Ghost: The Holy Ghost brings joy.

We often enjoy reading fantasy stories about young people who have incredible quests to accomplish, and who have special powers or gifts to help them achieve those impossible missions, but the Gift of the Holy Ghost is a much more powerful ally by far than any imaginary magical power any character in any book ever had.  Your mission in life of returning to your Heavenly Father and helping other people to do so as well is much more important with a much more glorious reward than any storybook quest ever imagined.  President Romney said, "The importance of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost is beyond expression." (April 1974 General Conference)  Without the blessing of the Holy Ghost, we will spend our lives lost and confused, but with its constant companionship, we can do anything the Lord requires of us, and manage any problem earth life throws in our way, and still be filled with joy, love and peace.

Quotes

1. “The burning bushes, the smoking mountains, … the Cumorahs, and the Kirtlands were realities; but they were the exceptions. The great volume of revelation came to Moses and to Joseph and comes to today’s prophet in the less spectacular way—that of deep impressions, without spectacle or glamour or dramatic events.  Always expecting the spectacular, many will miss entirely the constant flow of revealed communication.” (In Conference Report, Munich Germany Area Conference, 1973, p. 77; quoted in October 1991 General Conference.