The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint published another video about how the brethren of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles hear the voice of the Spirit. This video is of Elder Dale G. Renlund.
Image Credit: Screenshot from video
It’s time for General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!
General Conference is a biannual conference where members of the Church listen to the prophet, apostles, and other church leaders speak to the world about Jesus Christ and His gospel.
I wrote about General Conference before and you can read more about it here.
To read, listen to, or watch General Conference you can visit the Church’s website.
This video of a summarized part of the talk “The Miracle of Hope” given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland during the last General Conference is worth watching again and again. You can watch or read the address in its entirety here.
Image Credit: Screenshot from the video
To hear the voice of the Spirit can be both in the literal sense to hear an audible voice and also to have a feeling inside of you, an inner voice, telling you what to do.
There are times when God will give you audible commands and you can hear a disconnected voice, but these are not as frequent as the still small voice inside of you. We often do not need God shouting at us, but instead the gentle promptings.
The Scriptures share Elijah’s experience:
“And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” —1 Kings 19: 11–12
The Holy Ghost can speak to us in multiple ways, each customized to how we recognize that voice. Sometimes it might be a burning in our chest, what we like to call the warm fuzzies, or it might be thoughts of things we need to do, or it can be a good feeling about something we read. That’s not an extensive list, but some things to give you an idea of what to look for.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave his view of how he is able to hear the voice of the Spirit.
You can watch how others are also able to #HearHim.
One final thought: There is a saying, “You want to talk to God, you pray. You want God to talk to you, you read the scriptures. If you don’t feel like you are hearing the Spirit, perhaps the best place to start is in the scriptures.
Image Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we don’t have one person who gives talks or sermons each week during our sacrament meeting. Instead, speakers are selected from the members of the congregation and are asked to prepare a talk. I was recently asked to speak, and the subject of the talk was to be based on a recent speech given at General Conference. The talk was Spiritually Defining Memories by Elder Neil L. Anderson. I thought I would also share it here.
During General Conference this year we celebrated the 200 year anniversary of Joseph Smith’s First Vision. The experience was so powerful that, despite facing opposition, this 14-year-old boy testified of the experience again and again throughout his life stating,
“I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did, in reality, speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true. … I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it.”
Joseph Smith continued to testify of Jesus Christ and God the Father until his untimely death. As he turned himself over to his captors at Carthage Jail, knowing that he would not return, he wrote, “I am going like a lamb to the slaughter, but I am calm as a summer’s morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men.”
Elder Neil L. Anderson referred to experiences like these as our “spiritually defining experiences.” He said:
“There is a lesson for us in the Prophet Joseph’s example. Along with the peaceful direction we receive from the Holy Ghost, from time to time, God powerfully and very personally assures each of us that He knows us and loves us and that He is blessing us specifically and openly. Then, in our moments of difficulty, the Savior brings these experiences back into our mind.”
One experience stands above the rest– something I return to when times are tough and I find myself doubting.
Several years, I was in my room reading when I suddenly felt the desire to pray. I knelt down and began to pray. I don’t remember getting much further than addressing Heavenly Father when I was overcome with the most overwhelming sense of love from my Heavenly Father. As I basked in that heavenly feeling, there was little more I needed to say. I simply said, “Thank you” and closed my prayer.
With this experience I can completely relate with Elder Anderson when he said:
“When personal difficulty, doubt, or discouragement darken our path, or when world conditions beyond our control lead us to wonder about the future, the spiritually defining memories from our book of life are like luminous stones that help brighten the road ahead, assuring us that God knows us, loves us, and has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to help us return home. And when someone sets their defining memories aside and is lost or confused, we turn them toward the Savior as we share our faith and memories with them, helping them rediscover those precious spiritual moments they once treasured.”
Though my experience was a spiritually defining moment, it is still several years old. We are entitled to personal revelation and the companionship of the Holy Ghost on a daily basis. We just need to ensure we are positioning ourselves to be receptive when the Lord sees fit to bless us.
Elder Anderson reminds us:
“We hear Him in our prayers, in our homes, in the scriptures, in our hymns, as we worthily partake of the sacrament, as we declare our faith, as we serve others, and as we attend the temple with fellow believers. Spiritually defining moments come as we prayerfully listen to general conference and as we better keep the commandments.”
We have recently heard President Russell M. Nelson say:
“I invite you to think deeply and often about this key question: How do you hear Him? I also invite you to take steps to hear Him better and more often.”
Embrace your sacred spiritually defining memories. Believe them. Write them down. Share them with your family. Trust that they come to you from your Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son. Let those memories bring patience to your doubts and understanding to your difficulties.
I promise you that as you willingly acknowledge and carefully treasure the spiritually defining memories in your life, more and more will come to you. Heavenly Father knows you and loves you. And He is actively involved in your life.
Image Credit: The Salt Lake Temple-Dallas Golden, Man Praying- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
This post might be a little different from my usual writing, but to be honest, I wasn’t sure what to write about this week, and this experience keeps coming to mind. I hope sharing it will be meaningful to someone who is looking to understand the Holy Ghost.
This past Tuesday, I got up early and headed out for a hike up a nearby canyon. I’d previously discovered a small herd of moose there and wanted to photograph them. It turned out to be a beautiful and intense experience that reminded me of how real and personal the promptings of the Holy Spirit can be when we choose to listen.
Before I dive into the story, here are a few additional resources from leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on hearing and heeding the Spirit.
Elder M. Russell Ballard
Elder Gerrit W. Gong
Elder Gary E. Stephens
Elder David A. Bednar
Now, here’s the experience, as I recorded in my journal that day. Background: I’m at a small lake and there is a small bull moose and a group of three others. There’s a diagram at the bottom to help you visualize.
I was standing with my back to the water’s edge when the smaller bull moose came running down the hill toward the spot where I was set up with my camera. I had nowhere to go. I could have moved toward the moose and dodged around a clump of bushes to my left. I could have gone right along the shoreline, but I didn’t feel comfortable being there because that left me in the wide open where I would have nothing to hide behind.
My other and best option was to retreat back and to the left, behind the clump of bushes and up a small hill to a ridge. That route would afford me a bit of coverage before I was back in pretty much the same path of the charging moose.
I’ve heard (though I’m not sure it’s true) that moose have been known to charge people into the water and hold them under the water with their antlers.
I dashed to the side and up the small hill. I don’t think the moose really saw me standing by the water because he stopped when I made my dash. Moose don’t have good vision.
The moose continued to the waterside and stopped right where I had been standing moments earlier. From my new position atop the hill, I felt safe enough to photograph him, with the bushes now between us.
After a minute or so, I began to feel unsafe where I was standing and felt prompted to move. There was a couple standing on the ridge near me, and as I left, I told them I felt like it was unsafe to be stay. They chose to remain.
I moved farther up the ridge, where I could still see the moose and to get some more photos. The bull moose where I had been standing was eating the bushes and slowly worked his way through them.
Suddenly the moose charged at the couple, who were standing on the ridge about 10 feet away. They ran down the other side of the hill, but the moose kept chasing them until they veered off the trail and the moose kept running along the trail. If I had stayed where I was on the ridge I would have been directly in his path, but I would have been extremely too close for comfort and I would have been backed into a corner of trees, with no escape if the moose decided to change directions.
After standing on the ridge for a couple of minutes, I again felt prompted to move, so I moved back down closer to the water. I know it was a spiritual prompting. Soon after I moved, the second larger bull moose and two cows went running exactly where I had just been standing.
Looking back on that morning, I can see clearly how those subtle spiritual promptings from the Holy Ghost protected me. I didn’t hear a voice. But the quiet feelings of “move now” and “this isn’t safe” came at exactly the right times. I believe the Holy Ghost was guiding me.
It’s a reminder to me that personal revelation is real. The Spirit doesn’t just speak during big moments of life—He also speaks in small moments, on mountain trails, and in situations we don’t expect. Our job is to be in tune enough to listen and act.
Since I’ve probably done a poor job explaining the layout of the land and the events, I’ll draw a poor picture to diagram it.
Orange arrows = Me
Blue arrows = first moose
Green arrows = the three other moose
Image Credit: Dallas Golden/Google Maps
Incidentally, here is a helpful article on what to do if you’re ever attacked by a moose—something worth knowing if you spend time in moose country. While moose are usually calm and non-aggressive, they can become extremely dangerous if they feel threatened, especially during the rutting season or if a cow is protecting her calf.
I’ve personally hiked within 10 to 15 feet of a cow moose who simply sat there, casually munching on bushes and watching us pass. It felt peaceful—but I was very aware that the situation could have turned bad in an instant. Moose are massive, powerful animals, and it doesn’t take much to provoke them if you’re too close or if they feel cornered.
It’s a good reminder: respect wildlife, keep your distance, and always be aware of your surroundings. Having a little knowledge ahead of time can make all the difference.
Today I’m going to continue re-sharing the short video series the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been publishing. Today M. Russell Ballard shares how he hears the voice of the Savior. It seems like we don’t give ourselves enough quiet to hear the influence of the Spirit. I recognize that I don’t give the Lord enough time as I’m often on my digital device not allowing the Lord to speak through the quiet promptings.
Image Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints