I have been interested in the Holy Ghost and how he acts in our lives for some time. Of the members of the Godhead, he obviously is most accessible to us in this life. It struck me rather profoundly at one point that when we are talking about receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, that we are actually talking about the opportunity to have a member of the Godhead as our constant companion. That is pretty incredible when you stop to think about it. I have read a little about the Holy Ghost and find that he has many ways that he can be an influence in our lives. He can be a guide, a revealer of truth, a confirmer of truth, a comforter, a warning voice, and a cleansing fire. He also is referred to by many names reflecting those influences: Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Spirit of God, and Holy Spirit.
When I was a child and a youth growing up in the church I remember a point when I wanted to “gain my own testimony of the gospel.” We often hear our leaders talk about this and I wondered how this was supposed to occur. When I was 13 or 14 years old I started reading the Book of Mormon on my own for the first time. I was seeking a testimony of the gospel, of Joseph Smith, The Book of Mormon—all of that. As I read Alma 32 about faith, it began to dawn on me that I may already have a testimony—or at least faith. The seed had been planted in me from my earliest memories and had been swelling and starting to grow all through my childhood and youth. I was expecting some kind of profound revelation like Joseph Smith had---maybe my own Angel Moroni or something—but that never happened. Instead I had a personal revelation through my father, who was my Bishop at that time that confirmed what I had begun to suspect, that my testimony was already in place.
I was in an annual interview in the bishop’s office and my father asked me about my testimony. I may have said something like I was unsure if I had one, I don’t recall, but I do remember his answer. He said that sometimes we are asking the Lord for an answer that we already have. He compared it to standing in the rain and asking the Lord if it is raining. “Please Lord; I must know if it is really raining.” I started crying. I realized that the Lord was answering my prayers. He was telling me that I already had a testimony. When we grow up with the light of the gospel shining all around us, we are not going to notice the light go on in our lives like a convert might—we are already there. We just need to realize and recognize what we have.
So anyway, a few weeks ago when I was learning about personality profiles and I was reading some of the different ways that people perceive or process their world I wondered if different personality types sense the influence of the Holy Ghost in different ways. That is when I sent out the question to some of my friends and family about how the Holy Ghost feels to you. I got some interesting answers, and I think there are some differences—maybe tied to personality type—who can say with my small sample—but here are some of the responses I got. Maybe you can recognize how the Holy Spirit speaks to you in some of these. Maybe you have another way to feel it. I would still be happy to compile more responses.
These quotes may be a bit out of context, but I wanted to focus on the way a person feels the spirit, more than on a specific experience. This is what the spirit feels like to people I know:
“A profound sense of calm and peace, that where I am physically and mentally at that instant make perfect sense.”
“feeling the will of God and the sense that you are doing right by him in how you live your life”
“feeling of thanks to God”
“It feels like an absence of conflict and contradiction with no need to explain why.”
“I cannot help but feel the truth within them (the scriptures) manifesting itself to my soul.”
“The first thing that comes to mind is the tingle I feel through out my body.”
“ A neat experience we had while on our mission: after helping some sister get dressed after their Baptism, one of them asked what was it we put in the water. I was somewhat surprised with that question. The others, a mother and young daughter, said they felt it too. The only answer I would give was the nothing was added to the water, but the tingle they felt was the Holy Ghost confirming that what they had just done was right and good.”
“Sometimes I have promptings to do something, and have ignored it, only to find out later that it would have been better if I had listened. All I know is that He is there when we need Him, but we have to be ready to feel, listen, and obey.”
“The spirit feels like a warm glow inside my chest—like the heart light from the ET movie.”
“The spirit sends instant messages to my brain. A sudden thought will flash into my mind that will be the answer to something I have been pondering or praying about. It will usually come as I am thinking about the problem, but often while I am doing something else. Sometimes it will be a scripture that comes to mind, but not always.”
“ I may get a flash, like a instant preview of what will happen if I make a certain choice or give someone else permission to do something. This usually happens when dealing with my kids asking permission to do something.” (warning: this is your mom speaking)
“Sometimes the Holy Ghost will send a warning. At times it is a nagging doubt or worry that won’t go away with reasoning. At other times it is just a dark feeling of foreboding.”
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