THE SAVIORS INSTRUCTIONS TO THE APOSTLES ABOUT THE HOLY GHOST

John 14, 15, & 16

In the last hours of Christ’s life he taught his apostles about the Holy Ghost – This blog will be about:

What the Holy Ghost does    &    

What we must do to receive the Holy Ghost

WHAT DOES THE HOLY GHOST DO?

·        He is a comforter

·        Will abide & dwell with you forever

·        Teach you all things

·        Bring all things that Christ has taught to your remembrance

·        Testify of Christ & Glorify Christ

·        Gives testimony of Jesus Christ and His works and the works of His servants

·        Guide in all truth – lead us to truth

·        Show all things to come

·        Witness that the gospel is true

·        Cleansing agent to purify and sanctify us from all sin

·        Reprove the world of sin

·        Lead one to know of future events

·        Inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness and charity

·        Instruct and enlighten the minds of those who, through their faithfulness have obeyed the commandments of the Father and the Son

·        Is in perfect unity with Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ always carrying out their will.

·        Helps us live righteously and receive the blessings of the gospel
Guide us in our decisions and protect us from physical and spiritual danger

WHAT MUST WE DO TO RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST?

·        Get to know Him

·        We are to put into our lives a Christ type peace

·        Do not let our hearts be troubled or be afraid

·        Bear witness of Christ to others

·        Receive the ordinances of baptism and confirmation by one with the proper authority

·        Strive to stay on the path that leads to eternal life.

·        Repent

Jesus Christ knew the apostles would have a hard time adjusting to His absence and they would need help in carrying on with the work of spreading the gospel and being witnesses of Christ.  

He taught them about the Holy Ghost in order to help them fulfill their stewardship.  Having the Holy Ghost gave the Apostles the power they needed to fulfill their mission.  The Holy Ghost would 

1.     testify to them the truthfulness of their work

2.     testify that Jesus is the Christ

3.     gain inspiration who the new Apostles should be

4.     inspiration of how to proceed with the work

5.     be a guide in all of their activities

a.     what message to prepare

b.     how to plan for the future direction of the church

c.      give them the courage to speak up

d.     the opportunity to speak

e.     enable them to speak clearly

6.     The Holy Ghost was also there to testify to the new converts and those investigation of the truthfulness of Christ’s mission

 

There are numerous accounts of people in the scriptures that listened to the Holy Ghost and were blessed. Below I have only included those that listened and obeyed when it came to the birth of Jesus Christ. Notice how they obeyed and then the blessing they received because they did obey:

1. Mary and listened to the Holy Ghost and accepted the challenge. Their blessing – they had the great opportunity to bear and raise the Son of God.
2. Zacharias and Elisabeth listened to the Holy Ghost and were blessed to be the parents of John the Baptist, one of the greatest missionaries of all time. AND because they listened his name was John (which is God’s will) instead of a name they would have picked out themselves.
3. Zacharias listened to the Holy Ghost (Luke 1:67-29) and gave an incredible prophesy about John the Baptist and his role in this life.
4. The Wisemen listened and went a different way after seeing Christ and because they listened their lives were spared.
5. The Holy Ghost told Simeon to go to the temple. Because he obeyed he was able to see the Christ child.

Does this not tell us that when we listen to the Holy Ghost and obey we obtain great blessings and nothing that God wants us to do will be impossible.  (Luke 1:37)

The Holy Ghost is not only there for the Apostles but for you also.  He can comfort you, guide you, protect you, and help you gain a testimony of Jesus Christ.

I have often felt the Holy Ghost in my life.  Sometimes he has come to comfort me when in need, other times he has given me direction in what I need to do, sometimes he has inspired me to say the right thing at the right time.  More than once I have felt strong to call someone, only to find out that they were in need.

The Holy Ghost is there for you also --- 

Now is the time to learn about Him and what he can do in your life.

An excellent way to learn about the Holy Ghost is to study the words of our modern Prophets and Apostles 


The Holy Ghost  Great recap of who and what the Holy Ghost is. 


Talk  by Dallin H. Oaks. "Witness of Christ" ----"Spiritual gifts come by the power of the Holy Ghost, that all the faithful may be benefited. One of these gifts is “to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.”  

 

 "In His plan of happiness, He included a provision for you to receive help with such challenges and decisions during your mortal life. That assistance will come to you through the Holy Ghost as spiritual guidance. It is a power, beyond your own capability, that a loving Heavenly Father wants you to use consistently for your peace and happiness." Richard G Scott

"This is the Christ in whom I believe and of whom I testify.  That knowledge comes from the word of scripture, and that testimony comes by the power of the Holy Ghost. It is a gift, sacred and wonderful, borne by revelation from the third member of the Godhead. I believe in the Holy Ghost as a personage of spirit who occupies a place with the Father and the Son, these three comprising the divine Godhead." Gordon B Hinckley

"“The Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil.”  ^..."The Savior promised His disciples: “If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth.” He further describes this gift as “the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost." Kenneth Johnson

 "The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead, and with the Father and the Son, He knows all things (see D&C 35:19; 42:17). He has several important roles; foremost among them is to teach and testify of the Father and the Son (see 3 Nephi 28:11). Other roles are that He reveals the truth of all things (see Moroni 10:5) and He leads to do good (see D&C 11:12)."  Jay Jensen

"To me, the gift of the Holy Ghost is as important to man as sunshine and water are to the plants. You take them away, and the plants would die. You take the Holy Ghost out of this Church, and this Church would not be any different than any other church. And it is manifest in so many ways in the lives and the devotion of the members of the Church." Le Grande Richards

Excellent talk given at a BYU devotional "The Holy Ghost: Glorifying Christ"  By Neal Maxwell ---"The overall gift of the Holy Ghost truly is one of the greatest blessings available to members of the Church."

You can receive personal revelation from God by living His gospel and having the gift of the Holy Spirit.