An Unspeakable Gift...

"That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day" (D & C 50:24)

Tonight I want to know more.  I want to know more of the life of Christ, and I want to know what he feels about me.  I want to feel more of his love tonight.  I am reminded of the hymn, "More Holiness Give Me".  I love two tender requests in that hymn that say this: "More strivings within", and  "More sense of his care".  Tonight I desire that holiness that brings a sense of what he feels about me, and the desires within me to strive to be better.  A sort of plea to Him who can give me more holiness.

Elder Craig C. Christensen, talked at the most recent General Conference about a conversation with his son Ben during the Bountiful Utah Temple open house.  As Ben approached Elder Christensen about feelings he was having, Elder Christensen shared about what he called an 'unspeakable gift from God'.  Tonight I want to share my feelings about what this gift means to me.

I remember seeing my Dad feel the Holy Ghost a lot of the time growing up.  When I say, "I saw him feel", what I mean is, the St. Anthony tears never quite dry.  Seeing my Dad get emotional very often was touching to me. this was his way of expressing the feelings of the Spirit. I remember the first time I felt that way.  I had received a blessing before the school year started and I don't know why, but for some reason, that overwhelming feeling of love from my Dad to me was real.  I remember crying alot that night.  Feelings of the Spirit didn't always come in the form of tears, and since those first drops fell down my little boy cheeks, I have come to know the Spirit is expressed in many different ways.  One thing I do know is that no matter how one chooses to express those feelings, I know they are real and they come from within.  I love the Holy Ghost, and I love the tender merciful moments that I have been blessed to have.

Elder Christensen said in his address;

The Holy Ghost loves us and wants us to be happy.  Since He knows the challenges we will face, He can guide us and teach us all things we must do to return and live with our Heavenly Father once again.

I bear testimony of this truth.  I have felt the Holy Ghost in my most difficult challenges.  I have felt the gentle promptings to live a certain way and do certain things.  I do know that the Holy Ghost wants us to be happy, and therefore will do everything he can to help us establish a relationship with our Father in Heaven. 

Elder David A. Bednar, has spoken recently in a Mormon Message video about light. He teaches that the light of Christ is given to all men on this earth.  As we consistently heed the promptings of the light of Christ, that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day (D & C 50:24).  As the light grows brighter, we receive greater light.  The Holy Ghost is the brighter light, and that light grows brighter as we give heed to that counsel and love. One day that light will have perfected itself in our lives.  We will see the Savior's face and know that he is (D & C 93:1).  He will proclaim as he proclaimed thousands of years ago that he is the Light of the world (John 9:5).  I can't wait for that day.  I look forward to seeing his face and feeling that infinite love he offers.  I want more of that light tonight.  I want to be better and do better.  The reality of the world around us grows clearer as the light of the Holy Ghost grows within us.  We start to see things as they really are. (Jacob 4:13).

Tonight I see the need to be more worthy to feel the influence of the Holy Ghost in my life.  This unspeakable gift has the power to guide me to eternal life.  I want to make more consistent right choices to have that power.

Why is it so easy to disregard some of the promptings of this unspeakable gift?  Why do we insist on doing other things that block out those precious feelings?  Why do we sometimes do everything we can to push away those feelings of love that only come as small acts of love gently pulling us back toward heaven?  The world gets louder, yet the still small voice still remains small.  My greatest fear is to lose that voice, to lose that light.  Just as consistent right choices allow the light to grow, consistent wrong choices dims the light until we find ourselves "past feeling" (1st Nephi 17:45).  When the light has fainted down far enough that only darkness remains, then the "darkness comprehendeth it [the Light] not" (D & C 6:21).

May we all strive during this 'gift-giving' season to come to know the Light.  The unspeakable gift has been already given.  May we heed It's promptings and desire tonight "more strivings within" in order to receive a better "sense of his care".  I testify that more holiness will be given because of His love for each one of us.

 Shon