Tonight I was drawn to Elder Robert D. Hales' talk. With Savior of the World play and the upcoming holiday season, I have been having a strong desire to make this Christmas season more memorable. Obviously the best way to do that is to center it more around the Savior. So, this talk seemed a good place to start.
Elder Hales said, "Some may ask, how can I know (that He lives) for myself? We know He lives because we believe the testimonies of His ancient and living prophets, and we have felt God’s Spirit confirm that the testimonies of these prophets are true."
He then relates numerous scriptural accounts that testify of Him. He includes this, "We know that the Father and the Son have feelings for us. The book of Moses records, “And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept.”"
He then asks this very important question, "In matters of personal belief, how do we know what really is true?" And then answers it with this, "I testify that the way to know the truth about God is through the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost, the third member of the Godhead, is a personage of spirit. His work is to “testify of [God]” and to “teach [us] all things.”
However, we must be careful not to constrain His influence. When we do not do what is right or when our outlook is dominated by skepticism, cynicism, criticism, and irreverence toward others and their beliefs, the Spirit cannot be with us. We then act in a way that the prophets describe as the natural man"
Numerous times in my life I have had a sure witness through the Holy Ghost that God lives, that Jesus is His Son and my Redeemer and that they love me. I felt it in simple everyday circumstances and I have felt it in miraculous (at least to me) ways. Whether these circumstances are great or small, it happens in the same way; through the Holy Ghost. But, these witness seem only to come, when I am searching and my heart is open to receive them.
So this holiday season, amidst the hustle and bustle, the tinsel and wrapping; my hope is that I can put all that aside and lead myself and my family towards a better, closer relationship to Him, whose birth we celebrate.
Elder Hales concludes with this beautiful statement, "Even more, with your own testimony of God, you will be able to bless your family, your posterity, your friends, your own life—all those you love. Your personal knowledge of God is not only the greatest gift you will ever give, but it will bring you the greatest joy you will ever have."
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