Guidance of the Holy Gost

Following baptism, we are confirmed and invited to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost. When we partake of the sacrament we renew the baptismal covenants to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ, to keep His commandments and to always remember Him. In turn, we are promised that we will “always have his spirit to be with [us]” (D&C 20:77).

One of life’s great blessings and challenges is to always have the Holy Ghost with us to guide and comfort us through life’s ups and downs.

As I was studying one of President Henry B. Eyring’s talks from the October 2015 General Conference, “The Holy Ghost as Your Companion,” I was touched by the following words: "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.”

The young prophet, Samuel exemplified this pattern. “Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and [Samuel] did let none of his words fall to the ground” (1 Sam. 3:19). Samuel consistently heard the words of the Lord and acted on them.

How do you and I follow this pattern? The key is to desire and to pray for the guidance of the Spirit. As we do so, striving to keep the commandments, impressions will come. When they do, we must write them down right away so that we don’t forget them and then, when action is required, we must do our best to implement them. For example, while reading President Eyring’s words, I had the impression that I should include them in a blog post. I wrote down the impression in my journal and I’m now writing.

The Lord respects our agency. If He gives us an impression through the Spirit and we fail to hear and act on it, He will respect our decision and give us fewer impressions.

On the other hand, if we hear, record and act on an impression, He will give us more impressions. The pattern is expressed in these words: "That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day” (D&C 50:24).

How can we be sure an impression came from the Spirit? "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” (Henry B. Eyring, “The Holy Ghost as Your Companion,” Ensign, Nov. 2015).

I pray that we will live worthy of the guidance of the Spirit, that we will listen to the whisperings of the “still small voice,” that we will record the impressions that come and that we will act on them. This is a pattern that will lead us and our loved ones back to God’s presence in His Celestial Kingdom.

"Superstars Aren't Made in the Spotlight"

On March 8, 2016 I read an article in the online version of USA Today. The author, Nicole Auerbach, announced USA Today's selection for the player of the year--Denzel Valentine. In the article she made a statement that caught my attention: "Superstars aren’t made in the spotlight; they’re made when no one is watching... Each offseason, Valentine made lists of goals he wanted to accomplish to get better in some facet of his game. The lists used to be longer than they became as he grew older. But he made sure to check each item off, whether it required endless hours in the gym with his older brother, Drew, or making the smart choice for dinner instead of the more delicious one."

The behind-the-scenes work Denzel did to become the player he is today reminded me of my own modest outside-the-spotlight efforts to become a good enough basketball player to qualify for our high school varsity team.

In grade school and high school I was usually the tallest person in the class. If my memory is accurate, I was six feet tall by the time I was 14 years old. However, at the same time I wasn't well coordinated. Figuratively, I couldn't walk and chew gum at the same time. As a result, even though I liked basketball, I wasn't very good at it.

In the sixth grade my tryout for the basketball team was unsuccessful. During my sophomore year I decided to try out again. I had practiced a lot since my previous, failed attempt. Again my efforts fell short.

I was still determined to qualify, so almost every night after school I went home, picked up my basketball and practiced by myself at the church gym for one to two hours.  In addition, though I didn't have a basketball hoop at home to practice shooting, I did practice dribbling and passing. I was determined to become a better player on my own, even if I didn't make the school team.

I also gained more skill by playing on the church young men's team. We had a good coach who took an interest in me and helped me to further develop my skills.

My many hours of basketball practice finally paid off in my junior year.  I made the junior varsity team and played on the starting squad throughout the season.

I went out for basketball again in my senior year and made the varsity team. Although I didn't play on the first string, I was usually the first one substituted. I even started in one game after playing an especially good game against Caldwell High School.  In that game I shared high point honors.

I certainly didn't become a superstar by any stretch of the imagination. However, I did learn a valuable lesson. To be successful in any endeavor, it takes determination, discipline, patience and a lot of hard work when no one is watching. If I could change anything during that period of time, I would have worked even harder.