A companion in His absence
This is a talk I gave at the baptism of a boy I used to babysit. He asked me to speak on the Holy Ghost. He was baptized shortly after his 8th birthday.
After graduating from Dixie College, I decided to transfer to Utah State University in Logan. I was entering the real world. I didn’t know anyone attending school there and I didn’t have any relatives living there. I would be going about this alone. My mother, who faced a similar situation years before, knew this would be a challenging and sometimes troublesome process. She, by divine nature, wanted to provide for me what she could so I would be taken care of and adjust easily. She knew she couldn’t go with me, so she provided the next best thing.
My mother had a dear friend who was instrumental in her conversion and growth in her early years as a member of the church. Her name was Wanda. I knew Wanda as the woman whose nostrils made me giggle. Wanda and her husband, Frank, just so happened to live in Logan. Frank was a professor at Utah State. Wanda and Frank took on the role as surrogate parents for me. They were always there when I needed something. I was always welcome in their home when I was homesick or sad. Wanda would call me occasionally just to see how I was doing. Frank provided guidance in my decisions at school and even helped me find buildings on campus when I was lost. Their companionship made my experience at Utah State more meaningful and successful.
Likewise, when our Heavenly Father was preparing to send us to Earth, He knew he couldn’t come, but he, too, did not want us to enter the world alone. He provided us with a companion who, like Frank and Wanda, would be there to help us make decisions, to guide us, to show us the way when we are lost, and to comfort us. This companion is the Holy Ghost.
Each person who comes to Earth has the wonderful blessing of the influence of the Holy Ghost, but when you are confirmed after your baptism you are given the Gift of the Holy Ghost. This means you can have the Holy Ghost with you every day for the rest of your life.
The Holy Ghost can bless your life in many ways. The inspiration of the Holy Ghost will guide you toward truth and help you make the right decisions. The Holy Ghost can inspire your thoughts and even warn you of danger. The Holy Ghost, also called the Comforter, can calm your fears, fill your soul with love, and bring peace to your mind. Providing the companionship of the Holy Ghost is one the greatest blessings and outpouring of love from our Father in Heaven.
However, the companionship of the Holy Ghost is conditional. The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead. The Holy Spirit cannot reside in unholy places. Unless you are striving to be your very best and repenting when you do wrong, you cannot have the Holy Ghost with you. If we are to return to live with our Father in Heaven again, it is very important that we have the Holy Ghost to guide us. The Holy Ghost will testify of truth and tell us the way we should go. We should live worthy of this wonderful blessing by choosing the right every day.
After graduating from Dixie College, I decided to transfer to Utah State University in Logan. I was entering the real world. I didn’t know anyone attending school there and I didn’t have any relatives living there. I would be going about this alone. My mother, who faced a similar situation years before, knew this would be a challenging and sometimes troublesome process. She, by divine nature, wanted to provide for me what she could so I would be taken care of and adjust easily. She knew she couldn’t go with me, so she provided the next best thing.
My mother had a dear friend who was instrumental in her conversion and growth in her early years as a member of the church. Her name was Wanda. I knew Wanda as the woman whose nostrils made me giggle. Wanda and her husband, Frank, just so happened to live in Logan. Frank was a professor at Utah State. Wanda and Frank took on the role as surrogate parents for me. They were always there when I needed something. I was always welcome in their home when I was homesick or sad. Wanda would call me occasionally just to see how I was doing. Frank provided guidance in my decisions at school and even helped me find buildings on campus when I was lost. Their companionship made my experience at Utah State more meaningful and successful.
Likewise, when our Heavenly Father was preparing to send us to Earth, He knew he couldn’t come, but he, too, did not want us to enter the world alone. He provided us with a companion who, like Frank and Wanda, would be there to help us make decisions, to guide us, to show us the way when we are lost, and to comfort us. This companion is the Holy Ghost.
Each person who comes to Earth has the wonderful blessing of the influence of the Holy Ghost, but when you are confirmed after your baptism you are given the Gift of the Holy Ghost. This means you can have the Holy Ghost with you every day for the rest of your life.
The Holy Ghost can bless your life in many ways. The inspiration of the Holy Ghost will guide you toward truth and help you make the right decisions. The Holy Ghost can inspire your thoughts and even warn you of danger. The Holy Ghost, also called the Comforter, can calm your fears, fill your soul with love, and bring peace to your mind. Providing the companionship of the Holy Ghost is one the greatest blessings and outpouring of love from our Father in Heaven.
However, the companionship of the Holy Ghost is conditional. The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead. The Holy Spirit cannot reside in unholy places. Unless you are striving to be your very best and repenting when you do wrong, you cannot have the Holy Ghost with you. If we are to return to live with our Father in Heaven again, it is very important that we have the Holy Ghost to guide us. The Holy Ghost will testify of truth and tell us the way we should go. We should live worthy of this wonderful blessing by choosing the right every day.
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