The Holy Ghost Can Lead Us To Truth

The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. One of the missions of the Holy Ghost is to testify of truth. "And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;" Acts 15:8

Here are some more things the scriptures teach us about the Holy Ghost:

--The scriptures speak about being able to be "filled with the Holy Ghost". "And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost." Acts 13:52

--Prophecy comes from the Holy Ghost. "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter 1:21

--The gift of the Holy Ghost is given by the laying on of hands.
"15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money." Acts 8:15-20

--The Holy Ghost is also known as the Comforter. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14:26

--Some of the fruits of the spirit are: "... love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22,23

--There are many gifts of the spirit which we may develop. "7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 1 Cor. 12:7-11

If we have the spirit with us, we can discern truth from error, good from evil, righteousness from unrighteousness. But we must learn to recognize the spirit, and how it communicates with us so that we can follow his guidance. Modern day scripture gives us some guidance on how to use the spirit in discerning truth. "But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right." Doctrine and Covenants 9:8 This has been a method that has helped me all of my life. What I like most about this method is that it gives us the chance to think and study for ourselves to know what is truth. Then when we ask God, He can confirm if our decision is right. The scripture goes on to tell us, "But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong..." Doctrine and covenants 9:9 I think this method is much simpler and easier than just asking an open question. It's much harder for me to discern the whisperings of the spirit if I were to ask a question like, "Which church should I join?". If, instead, I were to study about different religions, then I would have a better idea for what I felt was the right one. Then I could ask God, and if I had chosen the right one, the Spirit would confirm in my mind and heart that my decision was correct. That answer is much simpler to give, and allows me the learning process.

Another scripture that has guided me in following the spirit is this one:
"Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart." Doctrine and Covenants 8:2 I have had the experience many times of having not only a confirmation in my heart, but in my mind as well. That brings a surety that prompts many people to use the words, "I know..." when bearing testimony. They might say, "I know that God loves us." The may have never seen God, but the surety in their mind and heart help them to just "know".

I am thankful for the gift of the Holy Ghost, which helps me to feel in my heart, and know in my mind. I'm thankful for the direction that I have received from the Holy Ghost throughout my life. One example from my own life was when I decided to serve a mission for our church. I felt the promptings of the Spirit telling me that I should serve a mission to Chinese speaking people. When I told others about this prompting, I knew that it sounded kind of outrageous, but I couldn't deny the promptings of the Spirit. Once I had received that prompting, I had to move ahead with faith that it would happen. I was called to serve a mission in Taiwan. That experience helped me to understand how the Spirit communicates with me so that I would be able to teach others that while I was a missionary.

I am thankful for the guidance of the Spirit in my life. I am thankful to know that in this confusing world, I can seek knowledge and truth, and have it confirmed by God through the Holy Ghost.