I would like to begin my talk by reading part of a scripture: “Every soul who believeth … , and is baptized by water for the remission of sins, shall receive the Holy Ghost (D&C 84:64).”
President Packer spoke about the Holy Ghost in the following October 1994 General Conference. I will read some part of his talk:
[Child bears testimony of the Holy Ghost]Following baptism, in the ordinance of confirmation, you received, or will receive, the gift of the Holy Ghost.
While the Holy Ghost may inspire all mankind, the gift carries the right to have it as a “constant companion” (see D&C 121:46). It is “by the power of the Holy Ghost [that you] may know the truth of all things” (Moro. 10:5).
The Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel more than you hear. It is described as a “still small voice” (see D&C 85:6). And while we speak of “listening” to the whisperings of the Spirit, most often one describes a spiritual prompting by saying, “I had a feeling …”
The scriptures are full of such expressions as “The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened” (D&C 110:1), “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart” (D&C 8:2), and “Speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts” (D&C 100:5).
The prophet Enos said, “While I was thus struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mind” (Enos 1:10). Enos then related what the Lord put into his mind.
The voice of the Spirit speaks gently, prompting you what to do or what to say, or it may caution or warn you. Ignore or disobey these promptings, and the Spirit will leave you. It is your choice—your agency.
The Savior said: “If ye love me, keep my commandments.
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide [stay] with you for ever;
“Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” (John 14:15–17.)
(SOURCE: Boyd K. Packer, “The Gift of the Holy Ghost,” Friend, Jul 1995, inside front cover)
Talk Source:
This is a true story about how the Holy Ghost can protect and guide us from the life of Willard Rosander. It was recorded in the Friend magazine in August 2008 and written as if Willard was telling the story to you:
In 1878, President John Taylor called Saints to settle in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado. Early in the twentieth century, Pa moved our family to that desolate land.
Our new farm was littered with rocks. Before we could till the ground, we had to clear them away. Using a wheelbarrow, Ma and I carted away the small rocks. There was only one way to remove the boulders—blow them up with dynamite.
Pa dug under each one as far as he could and placed the dynamite underneath. He was careful to set each charge in just the right place so that the blast would tear the boulder completely apart. Finally everything was ready for Pa to light the fuse. Mama herded us children out of danger.
Boom!
The first boulder exploded into hundreds of fragments and a cloud of dust. When the dust settled, the boulder had disappeared. I now had to pick up the pieces and fill the hole with dirt.
We repeated the process, Pa lighting the dynamite and I clearing away the shattered rock. By the end of the third explosion, I was growing tired of picking up rocks and wanted to be in on the “real” work—lighting the dynamite. I took a few steps toward Pa.
“Willard, stay back!” my mother called.
I scowled. At nine, I was the oldest and believed I was a man.
As I started back to the homestead, a sense of danger ran through me. A whispering in my heart warned me that something was wrong.
I didn’t understand. I wasn’t in any danger. I was well away from the blasting. Certain that I had imagined the voice, I concentrated on what Pa was doing. Maybe he’d see that I was nearly grown and ready to work alongside him.
The feeling of danger grew.
I recalled the promise my father had made at the time of my confirmation: “I bless you with the power of discernment. Listen to the Spirit. It will guide you and protect you from harm.”
I tried to ignore the voice, but it wouldn’t be still. I could no longer pretend that I didn’t hear the insistent whisper.
I bless you with the power of discernment.
The words were as clear now as they had been when Pa pronounced the blessing more than a year earlier. If I wasn’t in danger, maybe the voice was telling me that someone else was. Ma was hanging clothes on the line, my little sister pulling at her skirts. I grinned at the picture they made. My smile faded as I realized that I couldn’t see three-year-old Hyrum.
“Hyrum!” I shouted. “Hyrum!” Shading my eyes from the sun, I squinted into the distance. Then I saw him—heading straight toward the field, chubby legs churning.
I took off after him, running and praying and shouting all at the same time. “Pa!” I screamed, waving my arms to attract his attention.
His back turned to me, Pa couldn’t see my warning or Hyrum toddling toward disaster.
I reached Hyrum at the same moment the boulder exploded. Throwing my body over his, I shielded him the best I could. Sharp rock fragments rained down on me, pummeling my head, back, and legs.
Hyrum began to squirm. “Heavy,” he said. “Let me up.”
I rolled off. My body screamed with pain, but I scarcely noticed. Gently, I ran my hands over my little brother. “Are you all right?”
He wiggled away from me and stood. His chin wobbled, but he appeared unhurt. “Scared,” he said.
“I was scared, too.” I pulled Hyrum to me and hugged him.
By then Pa had reached us. Tears tracked through the dirt and grime on his face. His big arms circled us, squeezing tight. “How did you know that your brother was in danger?”
I hesitated, not sure how to explain. “A voice told me that something was wrong. I didn’t pay attention at first, but it kept poking at me until I had to listen.” I paused, then confessed the part that stung my conscience. “If I had listened the first time, Hyrum wouldn’t have wandered away. He’d never have been in danger.”
Pa laid his big hand on my shoulder. “But you did listen. That’s the important thing.” Pa took a deep breath. “That was a mighty brave thing you did, Willard.”
“I prayed, Pa. I was praying so hard the words nearly choked me.”
“So was I, Son. So was I.”
Ma and my little sister came running. Laughing and crying at the same time, Ma hugged me and Hyrum. Soon, all of us were hugging and crying.
A sweet feeling of peace settled around my heart as I knelt by my bed that night. My prayers took longer than usual as I thanked Heavenly Father for the whisperings of the Spirit in my heart.
(SOURCE: Alisa McBride, “A Whispering in the Heart,” Friend, Jan 2001, 40)
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Do you like presents? Would you like to receive a special gift from God?
After you are baptized, worthy Priesthood holders will place their hands on your head to give you the gift of the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost is a wonderful gift!
The Holy Ghost can comfort us. [Read D&C 88:3]: “Wherefore, I now send upon you another Comforter, even upon you my friends, that it may abide in your hearts, even the Holy Spirit of promise; which other Comforter is the same that I promised unto my disciples, as is recorded in the testimony of John.”
The Holy Ghost can be with us always. [Read part of the Sacrament Prayer in D&C 20:77]: The Sacrament prayer says if we “are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them”.
I am grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Bear testimony, with mention of Holy Ghost.
Talk Source:
Print and display the following visual aid from “Lesson 13: The Baptismal Covenant,” Primary 3: Choose the Right B, (1994) while the child gives this short talk:
A covenant is a two-way promise between God and a person. If you make a covenant, you will makes promises to God, and God makes promises to you. If you do not keep your end of the covenant, God can not keep His part.
When we are baptized, we promise to obey the commandments. Heavenly Father will give us blessings if we are obedient.
[Read the poster]Bear testimony of obedience/baptism.
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This talk is taken from the April 2010 General Conference
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By By Mary N. Cook First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency
Have you ever been afraid and discouraged as you’ve faced a challenge that seemed far beyond your ability? Have you ever wanted to give up?
Imagine how Joshua, the successor to the great prophet Moses, must have felt, knowing that he was to lead the children of Israel to the promised land. At times I’m sure he wanted to give up. But the Lord comforted him by reminding him three times to be strong and courageous (see Joshua 1:6–9). With faith that God would be with them, the children of Israel committed, “All that thou commandest … we will do” (Joshua 1:16).
The scriptures are full of accounts of men and women who showed great courage to do whatever the Lord commanded, even when the tasks seemed impossible, even when they may have wanted to give up.
What does the Lord want you to do? He wants you to be a valiant and virtuous [child] of God, dedicated to living each day so that you can be worthy to receive the blessings of the temple and return to Him. In today’s world that will take courage. You have the plan of salvation, which makes it possible to do this. Moral agency, the ability to choose, is an essential part of this plan. You’ve already made some good choices. Before you were born, you made the choice to come to earth to receive a body and to prove yourself. You’ve made the choice to be baptized … You are now experiencing mortal life, where you continue to make choices, to learn, and to grow. Making sacred covenants and receiving the ordinances of the temple is another important step in the plan.
As you are growing older, … the path is becoming steeper, and you may want to give up. Life is more challenging, filled with decisions and temptations at every turn. Satan will blow winds of confusion that may cause you to question if this is the path you want to take. You may be tempted to try another route, even when signs of danger are posted. You may doubt your abilities, and you may wonder as one young woman did, “Is it really possible to remain virtuous in today’s world?” The answer, my young friends, is “Yes!” And my counsel to you is similar to that given by Winston Churchill during World War II: never, never, never give up! (see “Never Give In” [speech, Harrow School, London, England, Oct. 29, 1941]).
… We each need the help of the Savior to follow the plan and return to our Father in Heaven. … “Because the Savior loves you and has given His life for you, you can repent. … The Savior’s atoning sacrifice has made it possible for you to be forgiven of your sins” (Young Women Personal Progress [booklet, 2009], 71).
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From the April 2010 General Conference! I made some modifications so that the talk would be easier for children to read. ~Jenny
The story is told of two [fishermen] who hired a bush plane to fly them to a remote lake for their annual fishing trip. Following a successful outing, the pilot returned to retrieve them. However, he quickly informed the fishermen that his small plane would not support them, their equipment, and the added weight of the fish they had caught. A second flight would be required.
Now, the sportsmen were not interested in paying for a second round-trip. So after a promise to pack tightly and a small bonus payment, the pilot reluctantly agreed to attempt the flight.
The fishermen grinned knowingly as the pilot forced the aircraft into the air. However, seconds later the plane stalled and crashed into a large, flat swampy area at the end of the lake.
The plane had stalled as it flew because of a well-known phenomenon called “ground effect.” Ground effect is created when air is compressed between the aircraft’s wings and the earth’s surface—when they are in close proximity. In this case, as the bush plane inched its way upward out of ground effect, it was required to fly on its own power, which it simply could not do.
Fortunately there were no serious injuries, and after regaining their senses, one of the fishermen asked the other, “What happened?” The second replied, “We crashed on takeoff—about a hundred yards (91 m) from where we ended up last year!”
Like the two sportsmen, occasionally we believe that there must be an easier way [than following the rules. This is wrong. S]trict obedience to God’s laws brings His blessings and failure to abide by His laws leads to foreseeable consequences.
At the time of his appointment as President of the Church, Harold B. Lee said: “The safety of the Church lies in the members keeping the commandments. … As they keep the commandments, blessings will come.”
… Just as flying out of ground effect with more weight than an aircraft’s wings can sustain will lead to disastrous consequences, our partial or selective compliance with God’s laws will fail to bring the full blessings of obedience.
(“When the Lord Commands” By Elder Bruce A. Carlson, April 2010 General Conference)
Talk Source:
Do you know the name of the person who organized The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; established a bank, a newspaper, and a printing office; supervised the building of the Church’s first temple; initiated extensive missionary work; made a translation of the Bible; received keys of authority from Moses, Elias, and Elijah; and translated the Book of Mormon?
If you answered Joseph Smith, you are correct.*
Joseph lived with his large family on a farm. He worked very hard helping his father and brothers clear trees from the land, care for their animals, and plant crops. Because his help was needed on the farm, he rarely was able to attend school.
When he was fourteen years old, there was great excitement in his community about religion. There were many churches, and each one thought it had the truth. Joseph did not know which church he should join.
He loved Heavenly Father and wanted to do what was right. He wanted to choose the right church to join. He said, “What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?” (JS—H 1:10.)
One day while he was studying the Bible, he read, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). Joseph decided to ask Heavenly Father which church was right and which he should join.
On a beautiful spring morning, he went to a grove of trees and knelt to pray. As he began to pray, a frightening, evil power came over him. He felt that he was going to be destroyed. As he called out to Heavenly Father to save him, a pillar of light came from heaven and rested upon him. The evil feeling vanished, and he saw two bright and glorious Beings standing above him in the air. One of Them spoke to Joseph, calling him by name, and said, pointing to the other, “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (JS—H 1:17).
Joseph saw Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ; he listened carefully as Jesus told him not to join any of the churches.
Joseph wanted to choose the right. Heavenly Father and the Savior were pleased with his desire and helped him understand what was right. Because Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ knew that Joseph Smith would always strive to choose the right and be obedient to whatever They asked him to do, They chose him to restore the true church to the earth.
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Abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost (Rom. 15:13).
It had been only a few months since Peter’s father, Dr. Mattias Koteles, a professor at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, had attended an important scientific conference in Austria. On his return, he had told his family an exciting story that had nothing to do with the conference but that he had heard from one of the American doctors. It was about a young boy named Joseph Smith who had been visited by God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. And it was claimed that the Church that Joseph Smith had organized was God’s true Church.
What if it’s true? Peter had hoped, excitedly. Only a few weeks before, his teacher at school had told the class that there was no God and that the worth of religion was just something that people imagined. While he was listening to his teacher, it had seemed to Peter that a voice in his mind was telling him that his teacher was wrong. That night he had knelt beside his bed and prayed that he would know for sure. Afterward, he had been filled with a warm and happy feeling, and he knew that God lives.
Dr. Koteles had brought back a pamphlet that explained about Joseph Smith, and Peter had read it over and over with growing excitement. He wanted with all his heart to find out more about Joseph Smith and this church. The pamphlet said that an angel had given Joseph some ancient records and that the translation he had made of them with the help of God was published in a book of scriptures called the Book of Mormon. If he could get a copy of this book to read, he would be able to find out if Joseph Smith’s story was true. He thought of the promise that he had read in the pamphlet: “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost” (Moro. 10:4).
Peter’s mother had listened to Papa with tight lips, and Peter could tell that she was angry. He heard his parents talking that night when they thought that he was asleep. Peter felt ashamed to be listening, but he was anxious to hear more about the Church …
“Mattias, how could you do this, filling Peter’s head with this nonsense? He’s only ten years old. It’s not only useless, but it could be dangerous for him as well as for us. The government is being very understanding right now, but things could change any moment. Remember that we are Hungarians. Such things are discouraged. Have you forgotten the revolution and the foreign tanks in the streets? You must know that this American church would never be approved by the State Office of Church Affairs.”
“Mama, I am a patriotic Hungarian. My father gave his life for Hungary. But above every man’s duty to his country is his duty to God.”
“But, Mattias,” protested Mama, “an American church? Everyone would think the same. How could you favor an American church and be a loyal Hungarian? It could only mean trouble.”
“There are members of this church all over the world. It is not an American church. I listened to Dr. Jensen talk about its teachings far into the night. I asked many questions. What he told me is just what the Bible teaches. If the story is true, and I feel in my heart that it is, then this is God’s church. Would you have me turn away from God?”
“Mattias, it is only an impossible dream, this idea of yours about a true church. I refuse to hear any more about it. When the State Office of Church Affairs recognizes this church of yours, then I will discuss it. Until then I want you to promise that you will say no more about it to me or to Peter.”
“All right, Mama,” replied Peter’s father, but his voice was filled with sadness.
Neither of his parents mentioned the matter the next day. Peter knew that his mother had not read the pamphlet and that she did not intend to read it. After supper, when he was helping his mother put away the dishes, he asked, “Do you believe that there is a God, Mama?”
“When I was a little girl, my mother taught me about God. I felt that He was very near. As I grew older, I saw much that was wrong in the churches, but this feeling of God’s closeness was something apart from going to any church. Nothing has changed for me since then. But even if this church that your father has found is God’s church, it would be better for us not to know. We could never be a part of it. It would take a miracle. We are Hungarians, and it is no use.”
Perhaps she’s right, Peter thought, but he couldn’t stop thinking about it. He decided that if there was a true church, God would want him to find it, and only God could help him. He began to pray every night to know if the church described in the pamphlet was true and, if it was, to be able to become a member of it.
Then the miracle happened! It was the end of June, and the streets of Budapest were filled with people enjoying the warm summer sunshine. After school Peter lingered on the bank of the Danube River for a long time. The river seemed especially beautiful that day, and he had been late getting home from school. His mother said nothing about it, though, and all through supper she was strangely silent, her cheeks glowing pink with excitement.
Papa watched her curiously and finally asked, “Mama, what is it? Tell us.”
Silently she left the table, returning with the strudel for dessert and a page of the government’s daily newspaper. She handed the paper to her husband, and he read silently, then passed it to Peter.
Mama had circled a small article in the middle of the page that said: “The State Office of Church Affairs has concluded its investigation and announces full recognition of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a legal institution and authorizes citizens of the Hungarian People’s Republic to be members and attend meetings of this religious organization.” The article went on to say that the Church was holding a meeting that night and another on Sunday and that representatives of the First Presidency of the Church would be there.
“I checked your pamphlet,” Mama said, “and it is the same church. I thought that I would never see it happen. Even now I do not understand how such a thing came to be. Surely God must be with this church.”
“What does it mean, Papa?”
“It means that the State Office of Church Affairs has said that it will allow this church to have meetings in Hungary. It is allowed to teach people about Joseph Smith and the gospel and to baptize people who wish to be members.”
“The miracle,” breathed Peter, staring at his mother.
“Yes, the miracle,” she said.
“Now we will talk of this!” exclaimed Dr. Koteles, and his eyes shone with excitement.
“Yes,” said Mama simply. She took the pamphlet out of her apron pocket and began to read it aloud. As she read, Peter felt as if he would burst.
They went to the meeting on Sunday and were surprised at how many attended—almost sixty people. Peter listened to all that was said, but it was hard for him to understand everything. After the meeting, Dr. Koteles and Peter shook hands with some of the Church officials, and one of them wrote down the Koteles’s name and address. He said that he would send some elders to visit them and bring them a copy of the Book of Mormon.
A couple of days later Peter heard their doorbell ring and ran to answer it. How he hoped that the Latter-day Saint elders had come so that he could know for sure that they represented God’s true church!
Peter’s heart was pounding as he opened the door and saw two men in dark suits. They introduced themselves, and as they smiled and shook hands with Peter, he suddenly realized that he already knew the truth: These elders were members of the true Church; they had been sent by a prophet of God, and he, Peter, was going to be a member too.
Talk Source:
There is a hill in western New York called Cumorah. It may appear to be an ordinary hill, but for hundreds of years an extraordinary treasure lay hidden in it. When this sacred treasure was finally brought forth, it began to change the world.
Over eighteen hundred years had gone by since Jesus lived upon the earth, and people had changed His doctrines and teachings. These changes caused a great deal of confusion, especially for fourteen-year-old Joseph Smith, Jr. Joseph believed in Jesus Christ and wanted to follow His teachings, but the religious leaders in the Palmyra, New York, area where he lived all had different ideas about how that should be done.
Finally Joseph decided what he must do. One sunny morning he walked through his father’s fields into a grove of maple, hickory, and beech trees where he could be alone. On winter days Joseph went to the grove to tap trees for rich maple syrup, but this spring day he had something else in mind.
Joseph had read in the Bible that if a person doesn’t know something, he can ask God for wisdom. So Joseph found a secluded spot in this grove and knelt to ask God which church was right.
As Joseph began to pour out the feelings of his heart, a powerful darkness overcame him. Just as he felt he was about to be destroyed, he called to God for help, and a glorious light appeared directly over his head, breaking the grasp of the horrible power. In the light he saw two Beings. One pointed to the Other and said, “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
The Son, Jesus Christ, told Joseph that none of the churches was true.
Later, to Joseph’s surprise, when he told people this wonderful message, they became angry and began to persecute him and his family. But he knew he’d seen a vision, and all the persecution in the world could not make him deny it.
Three years later, while Joseph was praying for further truth, light spread throughout the dark room where he slept in his family’s log home. An angel who called himself Moroni told Joseph about a book of scripture containing the fulness of the gospel. The book was written on gold plates and hidden in a nearby hill. After Moroni left, Joseph lay thinking about the experience. Suddenly the room grew bright once more, and Moroni again appeared and delivered his message. And he appeared yet again that night to instruct Joseph. Right after Moroni left the third time, the rooster outside crowed and sunlight began melting away the night. Joseph got up and went to the fields to do his chores. He was so tired that he could not work, so his father sent him home to rest.
Joseph started home, but as he tried to cross a fence he fell exhausted to the ground. As he lay there, Moroni once more came and repeated the message of the night before. He then told Joseph to tell his father about all that had happened.
Joseph’s father recognized that the message was from God; he directed Joseph to do as Moroni had instructed. Joseph hurried to the hill, Cumorah, where he found the sacred record inside a stone box beneath a large stone. Once more Moroni appeared. This time he told Joseph to come back again a year later.
Once a year Joseph went back to the Hill Cumorah, and Moroni taught him more each time. Joseph’s mother, Lucy Mack Smith, later wrote that Joseph occasionally told the family some of the things he had learned. He would describe the people who once lived on the American continent—their clothes, means of travel, cities and buildings, methods of warfare, and religious worship, as if he had lived among them.
During this time Joseph married Emma Hale and continued to tell others about the revelations he received. Still, few people believed him, and many continued to persecute him and his family.
In 1827, Joseph received the plates and began translating them. In 1830 the Book of Mormon was printed and the Church was officially organized. Within a few months, missionaries were taking the Book of Mormon to other parts of the United States and to Canada. Many people were touched by the wonderful Spirit that accompanies the book.
Zina Diantha Huntington Young first encountered the Book of Mormon when she was fourteen years old and living in Watertown, New York. She later wrote, “One day on my return from school I saw the Book of Mormon, that strange, new book, lying on the window sill of our sitting-room. I went up to the window, picked it up, and the sweet influence of the Holy Spirit accompanied it to such an extent that I pressed it to my bosom in a rapture of delight, murmuring as I did so, ‘This is the truth, truth, truth.’ ” (See Ensign, March 1984, page 37.)
From the Hill Cumorah in New York, the Book of Mormon is going out to all the world. The book, or selections from it, is now available in eighty-three languages.
The Book of Mormon is a great treasure! Its truths are worth far, far more than the gold it was written upon. It has changed and will continue to change the world.
Talk Source:
Fourteen-year-old Joseph Smith was worried about religion. He didn’t know which church to join. One day he read in the Bible, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, … and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).
Joseph decided he would do as the scripture said and ask God which church was the right one to join. He went to a grove of trees near his home to pray.
As he prayed, a bright light appeared above his head. Then Joseph saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Jesus told him not to join any of the churches. He also told him many other things.
When the pillar of light and the Heavenly Beings left, Joseph was lying on his back. He felt a peaceful joy at what he had seen and heard. Joseph returned home and told his family about his experience.
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