Listening to the
Spirit will save all our lives
22 Jan 2017 – jjp
Fifteen years ago, Tara was back
East visiting my parents with the kids.
I was busy at work with a large time sensitive data center migration
project, working some long hours so that we could get done before the start of
Fall semester. One Sunday, in
Priesthood, I was talking with a few brethren in the ward about the possibility
of going to the park on Saturday and playing baseball. After a long week at work, Saturday came
around, and I should have been doing some work around the house, but like some
sort of adult Tom Sawyer, I decided I would rather be playing baseball.
As I was grabbing my mitt and
bat, the thought came to me that I should stay and do the work around the house
that I needed to finish. I ignored it, left the house, and walked over to Dick
Keele’s house, to see if him and his boys wanted to play. They were too busy that morning to play. The thought came again that maybe I shouldn’t
go. I shrugged it off and walked over to
someone else’s house that said they wanted to play. They too were too busy to play, and again
came the thought that maybe I shouldn’t go.
Again I shrugged it off, and walked down the street.
On the
site where Provo Peaks Elementary is was a school called Farrer, which had a
ball diamond where people played pickup games on Saturdays. I figured I could walk down there and just
play with whoever was down there, and if no one was playing, it was a nice day,
I would at least enjoy the weather. The
ball diamond wasn’t in the best shape.
When it was wet, mud was everywhere.
When it was dry, the ground was hard, with all kinds of divots and the
like. I got down there, there were some
people playing, so I joined them.
Somewhere in the pickup game we were playing, I decided to try to turn a
single into a double. I rounded first
base, started running to second, and decided I needed to slide into second
base. Unfortunately, the girl covering
second base was standing over the plate, and instead of ramming into her, I
rammed my foot into the hard uneven ground right in front of the base. I ended up shattering my ankle.
I was
carried to a car, and eventually got to the hospital. Within short order, I was in surgery getting
my ankle repaired. For not the last time
in her life, Tara got a call from someone that started “I am with John at the
hospital…” I spent the night in a
hospital room, not able to sleep, alternating between: thinking about how dumb
I was, asking the nurse if it was time to go, wondering what they did with my
pants, and lamenting that I hadn’t listened to the small promptings to not play
baseball that day.
Tara
had to drive back home on short notice.
I spent the first couple of days not able to do a whole lot, I even
slipped and fell once trying to get the mail, and was stuck in the doorway
while I figured out how to get up safely.
I spent a month in a wheelchair, a few months on crutches, and still had
the large work project to work on. This
gave me plenty of time to think about the consequences of not listening to a
prompting of the Spirit when it came.
I hope
I have learned that lesson. I try harder
to listen when the promptings of the Spirit come. I’m not always perfect at it, but since that
incident so many years ago, I hope I have been better at listening. I certainly have tried. While learning that lesson didn’t save me
from the consequences of what happened, I am a better person for having
learned.
The purposes and
mission of the Holy Spirit
All those that are baptized into
the church afterwards had hands laid on their heads and given the gift of the
Holy Ghost. For those that have received
that gift, and try to live the life of a disciple of Christ, the Holy Ghost
becomes a constant companion. He is with
us, active and constant. He is there
with us, to comfort us in times of trial and sorrow, to testify of truth when
hear it, to inspire us when we are ready to listen. The Holy Ghost also helps to protect us from
danger, both physical and spiritual, he strengthens us as we try to do what is
right, he helps us stay close to the Savior, helps us know when we need to
apply the Atonement in our lives, and we are sanctified, made clean again
through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Ghost
is a member of the Godhead, and he works to help us on the path to return to
our Heavenly Father again.
1 - The Holy Ghost
testifies of truth, helps us to remember those truths. He inspires and is a conduit for revelation
Joseph
Smith describes his search for truth prior to the restoration, and in response
to the reading of James chapter 1 verse 5, describes the influence of the Holy
Ghost, testifying of truth. He said:
“Never did any passage of scripture
come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine.”
I won’t pretend to know what he
felt at that moment, but I know what I have felt, as I have read scripture, and
I have heard truth - in sacrament meetings, Stake and General Conferences, in
the temple, in countless church meetings, in quiet reflect times, and in other
settings. In Moroni 10:5 we read that
“by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” I have felt truth in my mind and in my heart. Over and over again in my life, the Spirit
has testified of truth to me. Every
Sunday here in this room, I feel the Spirit as I listen to you and as I partake
of the Sacrament.
On my mission I saw over and over,
people who had just come in contact with the Gospel. They started to read the Book of Mormon, and
wanted to know if it was true. I have
knelt in prayer with them, and have seen and felt as their prayers were
answered. It is kind of miraculous. Their lives were changed. I have prayed to know the Book of Mormon is
true. I know it is true. The Gospel is true. All of it.
That has been testified to me over and over in my life, through the
Spirit. If there ever is a doubt, the
Spirit reminds me that I know.
2 - The Holy Ghost
strengthens us as we try to do what is right
In the
book of Mormon, we read about the people of Alma, who after being converted and
baptized, left their lands, and found themselves subject to the king of the
Lamanites, and Amulon, who put burdens on the people. The scriptures say that Amulon began to
persecute Alma and his brethren, and put tasks upon them, and taskmasters over
them. Here is what happened:
And it came to pass that so great were their
afflictions that they began to cry mightily to God.
And Amulon commanded them that they should
stop their cries; and he put guards over them to watch them, that
whosoever should be found calling upon God should be put to death.
And Alma and his people did
not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out
their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their
hearts.
And
it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their
afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of
the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and
deliver them out of bondage.
And I
will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that
even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and
this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and
that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in
their afflictions.
And
now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren
were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could
bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and
with patience to all the will of the Lord.
What burdens do we have? Do we have the faith to ask for help? When we struggle, and call on the Lord, He
always helps. The Spirit can sustain us,
comfort us, and help our burdens become light.
Do we worry about how well we
serve? The Spirit can help us be better
at our callings, no matter the calling.
In the New Testament, we see the change that comes over Peter after
receiving the Holy Ghost. Peter becomes
the rock the early church needed after the Savior ascended into heaven. We have been taught today about the Gifts of
the Spirit. They are wonderful, and help
us be better people than we might be otherwise.
Through the gifts of the Spirit, we are made better disciples. We are better at whatever calling we are
serving in, better home and visiting teachers, better parents. Those gifts can give us strength at important
times in our lives. Our burdens can be
lifted.
3 - We are sanctified
by the reception of the Holy Ghost
What
role does the Spirit play in purifying our lives, in making us clean? In 3 Nephi 27:20, the Lord said:
Now this is
the commandment: Repent, all ye
ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost,
that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.
We are made clean through the
workings of the Spirit. Each week, if we
are prepared through repentance, we can walk out of Sacrament meeting clean,
having renewed our covenants, through the sanctification of the Holy Ghost.
2 Nephi
31:17-20:
Wherefore, do the things
which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do;
for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate
by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance
and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your
sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.
And then are ye in
this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life;
yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments
of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost,
which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the
fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way
ye should receive.
And now, my beloved
brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would
ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus
far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in
him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty
to save.
Wherefore, ye must press
forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness
of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye
shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to
the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
It is
possible, Brothers and Sisters, if we live in a way that we have the constant
companionship of the Holy Ghost.
4 - Have the Spirit
with us constantly
In a recent General Conference
talk, President Eyring talked about the need to live in a way to have the
constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.
He said:
“For many reasons, we
need the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. We desire it, yet we know
from experience that it is not easy to maintain. We each think, say, and do
things in our daily lives that can offend the Spirit. The Lord taught us that
the Holy Ghost will be our constant companion when our hearts are full of
charity and when virtue garnishes our thoughts unceasingly (see D&C 121:45).
For those who are
struggling with the high standard needed to qualify for the gift of the
Spirit’s companionship, I offer this encouragement. You have had times when you
have felt the influence of the Holy Ghost. It may have happened for you today.
You can treat those
moments of inspiration like the seed of faith that Alma described (see Alma 32:28). Plant each one.
You can do that by acting on the prompting you felt. The most valuable
inspiration will be for you to know what God would have you do. If it
is to pay tithing or to visit a grieving friend, you should do it.
Whatever it is, do it. When you demonstrate your willingness to obey, the
Spirit will send you more impressions of what God would have you do for Him.
As you obey, the
impressions from the Spirit will come more frequently, becoming closer and
closer to constant companionship. Your power to choose the right will increase.
You can know when these impressions to act for
Him are from the Spirit rather than from your own desires. When the impressions
square with what the Savior and His living prophets and apostles have said, you
can choose to obey with confidence. Then the Lord will send His Spirit to
attend you.” (End quote)
Stroke!
Brothers
and Sisters, I am grateful for the influence of the Holy Ghost in my life. At the beginning of December, I was away on a
work trip. On Thursday afternoon that
week, I was in a session of the conference I was at, and suddenly felt terrible
and exhausted. I’m not sure that
description does the feeling justice, I felt horrible. I got out of my seat, climbed over some
people, and went out into the hall. My
CIO, who was on the trip with me, just happened to be walking by then, and told
me I looked terrible. I had missed
breakfast and lunch, so I went and found something to eat and drink, and sat
down for about an hour. I figured I had
done too much without eating. After an
hour, I felt a bit better, and went back to the conference. That night I sat through a long dinner still
not feeling totally well.
On
Saturday, when I woke, I felt bad again.
I was home then, Tara said I didn’t look good. This was the morning of our Ward Christmas
party. I went to the party, still not
feeling great, didn’t eat much, and tried to stay busy helping clean up
after. Later that afternoon, Tara was
shopping for groceries, I was home with the little kids working on my
computer. All of the sudden, I wasn’t
able to type or use my mouse. I had no
control of my right arm. It felt like
the circulation in my arm had been cut off.
The first thing I did was to make sure my shirt wasn’t cutting the
circulation off. It wasn’t. I stood up, and was very dizzy and
wobbly. The first thing I thought was
“did I miss lunch? Should I eat
something?” I have a long history of
just ignoring physical issues, and that weekend was certainly no exception. Immediately after that, came a clear and distinct
prompting that said “There is something incredibly wrong here.” That was all the prompting was, but I
listened. Tara didn’t answer her phone. My home teacher was out of town. Bishop Ringer was in North Orem, I called our
Home Priest Group leader, Jason Ensign.
I said “I think I am having some sort of medical problem, can you come
over?” He was at my house in no
time. We went to the emergency room, and
I was very quickly taken in. I had
suffered a stroke.
This
isn’t a story with a bad ending. After
all, I am standing here sharing it with you.
I had gotten to the hospital quickly, the doctors and nurses took care
of my quickly, and I got the medicine I needed quickly. I had a small pea sized stroke in a sensitive
area of the brain. It was on the border
between the inner capsule, which sends signals back and forth to and from the
body, and the hypothalamus, which does all kinds of stuff for us. If I had waited, the stroke likely would have
gotten much worse, if I survived it at all.
Modern medicine saved my life.
Well trained doctors and nurses saved my life. Jason Ensign saved my life. Before any of that, listening to the
prompting of the Holy Spirit saved my life.
As far
as strokes go, I guess you could say I had a good one. I am back at work now. You see a LOT of doctors when you have a
stroke, and most of them have cleared me to return to day to day life. I still struggle a little with light
sensitivity, with noise and talking behind me, with people that talk very fast,
and for some reason, I get a bit cold for a little while after I eat a meal,
but I am certainly on the mend. I will
always be grateful to those that helped me on December 3, 2016; to that the
prompting of the Spirit that came; and that I listened.
I
was recounting this to the Stake President while I was waiting to be discharged
from the hospital a few days later. One
of the things he said in response was “listening to the Lord’s prompting will
save all our lives.”
Listening to the
Spirit will save all our lives
Brothers
and Sisters, the companionship of the Holy Ghost is important enough to our
Father in heaven that he allows for us to enjoy the constant companionship of
the Spirit as early as eight years old, if we are lucky enough to be baptized
that young. Weekly, we come to Sacrament
meeting to partake of the Sacrament, renew our covenants, and a part of the
associated promises include that we may always have his Spirit to be with us. It is important enough that it is part of
both sacrament prayers.
The
Spirit is our tether to the Savior and His atonement. No matter what our circumstances, and what
all we feel like we need to work on, we can always turn to our Father in Heaven
and our Savior Jesus Christ for help.
They love us, and want the absolute best for us. Our Savior truly understands our pains, our
trials, our struggles, and is always there to help us. He knows us, and knows how to help. He can help us see clearly both where we are,
where we need to be, and can show us the progress we are making along the way,
even when that progress is small amounts at a time.
Specific
and clear promptings of the Spirit come at important times along the way. When we listen, we are always blessed. When we follow, we are always blessed.
Brothers
and Sisters, I am grateful for the influence of the Holy Spirit in my
life. I have certainly been blessed when
I have listened to those specific and clear promptings, no matter how small
they may be. I am grateful for the
constant companionship, always there, whether I think about it or not. His influence is there, as a kind of
undercurrent in the flow of my life.
Steady, strengthening, and comforting.
It is a wonderful gift from our Father in Heaven.
The
atonement of Jesus Christ is real. Yes,
it is available to us when we make mistakes.
The atonement is also available to us as we try to live the way we
should, is a strength to us when we try to do what is right.
Having
the Spirit in our lives is our bell weather.
I testify that we will never go wrong by following the Spirit. I testify that we can get better than we are
today at listening for, recognizing, and following the promptings of the Holy
Spirit. I have tried in my life and have
been blessed for it. Listening to the
Spirit saved my life. Listening to the
Spirit will ultimately lead me and you to Eternal Life, and help save us,
if we allow him. In the name of Jesus
Christ, amen.
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