The Holy Ghost Changes Us from Within

2 Nephi 32:5 - "For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do." 

Elder Parley P. Pratt - "The gift of the Holy Ghost...quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands, and purifies all the natural passions and affections, and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates, and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings, and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity. It develops beauty of person, form, and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being” Parley P. Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology and a Voice of Warning 

Elder Neal A. Maxwell - “Whatever the decibels of decadence, these need not overwhelm the still, small voice! Some of the best sermons we will ever hear will be thus prompted from the pulpit of memory—to an audience of one” 

Milton Camargo - “Recently a loved one said to me, 'I believe personal revelation to be true. I believe the Holy Ghost will show me all things I should do. It is easy to believe when I feel my bosom burn with undoubting conviction. But how can I have the Holy Ghost always speak to me at this level?' To my loved one and to all of you, I would say that I too would like to constantly feel those strong impressions from the Spirit and always see clearly the path to follow. But I don’t. However, what we might feel more often is the still, small voice of the Lord whispering to our mind and heart: 'I am here. I love you. Go on; do your best. I will support you.' We don’t always need to know everything or see everything. The still, small voice is reaffirming, encouraging, and comforting —and many times that’s just what we need for the day. The Holy Ghost is real, and His impressions are real —the big ones and the small ones.” 

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Transcript

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SPEAKER_02 0:12

Welcome to Seek This Jesus, a daily podcast dedicated to drawing closer to the Savior through the powerful truths found in the Book of Mormon. Each episode, we focus on one verse that helps us walk more faithfully in his footsteps.

SPEAKER_03 0:31

The gospel of Jesus Christ is not simply about receiving information. It is about becoming a new creature in Christ. Heavenly Father desires more for us than outward obedience or occasional spiritual experiences. He desires a change of heart. Through the influence of the Holy Ghost, our desires can become more aligned with God's desires. Our attitudes can improve, and our lives can gradually reflect the character of Christ. As Nephi concludes his teachings on the doctrine of Christ, he emphasizes the role of the Holy Ghost in the life of a disciple. After teaching about faith, repentance, baptism, and enduring to the end, he explains one of the great blessings available to those who receive the Holy Ghost. The Spirit is not merely a source of occasional guidance. He becomes a constant companion who teaches, refines, and blesses us throughout our lives. Nephi thirty two verse five. For behold, again I say unto you that if you will enter in by the way and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do. As we study this verse today, along with teachings from Elder Parley Pratt, Elder Neil A Maxwell, and Milton Gamargo, we will consider how the Holy Ghost changes us from within and helps us become more like Jesus Christ. This is part one of Second Nephi thirty two five. When we read this verse, it is easy to focus on the phrase that the Holy Ghost will show unto you all things what you should do. While that certainly includes guidance and direction, the influence of the Holy Ghost reaches much deeper than helping us make decisions. The Holy Ghost changes us. Few teachings describe the transformation more powerfully than the words of Elder Parley Pratt The gift of the Holy Ghost quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands, and purifies all the natural passions and affections, and adopts them by the gift of wisdom to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates, and matures all the fine toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity. It develops beauty of a person, form, and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation, and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being. This remarkable description teaches that the Holy Ghost touches every aspect of our lives. He affects how we think, how we feel, how we react, and how we treat others. The Holy Ghost does not simply tell us where to go, he helps us become who we are meant to be. The world often encourages us to seek independence by trusting ourselves above all else. Yet true spiritual freedom comes from learning to follow the Spirit. As we become more dependent upon the Holy Ghost, we actually become less dependent upon the world's opinions, distractions, temptations, and pressures. The Holy Ghost teaches us self control. He helps us improve our attitudes. He helps us see clearly when the world creates confusion. He refines our desires and strengthens our ability to choose what is right. Over time, his influence makes us stronger disciples of Jesus Christ. One reason we sometimes fail to recognize the transforming power of the Holy Ghost is because we expect dramatic spiritual experiences. We may think that spiritual growth only occurs during powerful moments of revelation. Yet the Holy Ghost often works in quieter ways.

SPEAKER_00 5:14

Elder Neil A Maxwell taught Whatever the decibels of decadence, these need not overwhelm the still small voice. Some of the best sermons we will ever hear will be thus prompted from the pulpit of memory to an audience of one.

SPEAKER_03 5:36

What an important truth for our day. The world has become increasingly loud. We are surrounded by constant noise, opinions, distractions, and demands for our attention. Yet no matter how loud the world becomes, the still small voice remains available to those who are willing to listen, even to an audience of one. The challenge is not usually what the Spirit is absent, the challenge is whether we are creating enough room to hear him. Many of the Spirit's most important teachings come through quiet impressions. A scripture suddenly carries new meaning. A memory teaches a needed lesson. A feeling of peace settles into our heart. A gentle prompting encourages us to make a small correction in our course. These experiences may seem ordinary, but they are often how the Holy Ghost gradually changes us. Milton Carmago explained.

SPEAKER_01 6:43

I believe the Holy Ghost will show me all things I should do. It is easy to believe when I feel my bosom burn with undoubting conviction. But how can I have the Holy Ghost always speak to me at this level? To my loved one and to all of you, I would say that I too would like to constantly feel those strong impressions from the Spirit and always see clearly the path to follow. But I don't. However, what we might feel more often is the still small voice of the Lord. Whispering to our mind and heart, I am here, I love you. Go on, do your best, I'll support you. We don't always need to know everything or see everything. This still small voice is reaffirming, encouraging, and comforting. And many times that's just what we need for the day. The Holy Ghost is real, and his impressions are real, the big ones and the small ones.

SPEAKER_03 7:46

The Holy Ghost does not always overwhelm us with dramatic manifestations. More often he patiently encourages, reassures, teaches, and refines us day by day. Many of us spend our days moving from one responsibility to another. We manage work, family, church service, schedules, goals, and countless distractions. In the middle of all that activity, it can become easy to overlook the quiet influence of the Holy Ghost. Yet some of the most meaningful growth in our lives comes through those quiet impressions. As we consistently seek the companionship of the Holy Ghost, we begin to notice changes within ourselves. We become more patient, we become more charitable, we react differently to challenges, we recover more quickly from discouragement, we become less concerned about the approval of the world and more concerned about pleasing God. These changes often happen so gradually that we hardly notice them. We may feel like we are making little progress, but when we look back over months or years, we can often see how much the Lord has changed us through the influence of His Spirit. The Holy Ghost can help us in every area of life. He can strengthen our relationships, he can improve our attitudes, he can help us overcome weaknesses. He can increase our understanding of the scriptures. He can bring peace during difficult seasons and confidence during uncertain times. The key is learning to listen. The Spirit speaks, but we must make room to hear him. As we pray, study the scriptures, worship, repent, and keep our covenants, we invite his influence into our lives. The more consistently we listen, the more clearly we recognize his voice. The ultimate purpose of the Holy Ghost is not simply to help us make better choices. His purpose is to help us become more like Jesus Christ. So here is today's challenge. Take a few minutes tonight to reflect on how the Holy Ghost has influenced your life during the past year. Instead of focusing only on dramatic spiritual experiences, look for the small changes he may have helped bring about in your attitudes, desires, relationships, and discipleship. Then offer a prayer of gratitude for those quiet influences and ask for greater sensitivity to his voice in the coming week. Thank you for listening to Seek This Jesus. I hope this message helps you draw a little closer to the Savior Jesus Christ. Please, don't let this podcast be your only scripture time today. As we open the scriptures for ourselves, the Spirit will teach us things no podcast ever could. If you are exploring the truths of the Book of Mormon for the first time, you can receive a free copy using the link in the description found in every episode of Seek This Jesus. I invite you to come back tomorrow for another verse and message to help you stay focused on Jesus Christ. Until next time, keep seeking this Jesus.