The Savior's Instructions on the Holy Ghost

1. What the Savior taught about the Holy Ghost and what His disciples must do to receive it:

               

Scripture:	About the Holy Ghost:	What we must do:
John 14:15-17	He is a comforter and the Spirit of truth	Keep the commandments
John 14:26-27	He will teach us all things, bring all things to our remembrance, give us peace, and again the Holy Ghost is a comforter	We must have faith - "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
John 15:26-27	Comforter, Spirit of truth, will testify of Jesus Christ	We must bear witness of the Savior and what the Spirit has testified to us.
John 16:7-8	Comforter, reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement	We cannot have the Savior physically with us if we are to have the Holy Ghost
John 16:13-14	Spirit of truth, guide us to all truth, show us things to come, glorify Christ	We must be one of the Savior's followers and believers if we are to receive these blessings from the Spirit
Institute Manual	We learn that the Spirit will quicken, or make alive, our minds, and intellectual facilities. He refines our passions, desires, and appetites with wisdom. Parley P. Pratt said: 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. “In the presence of such persons, one feels to enjoy the light of their countenances, as the genial rays of a sunbeam. Their very atmosphere diffuses a thrill, a warm glow of pure gladness and sympathy, to the heart and nerves of others who have kindred feelings, or sympathy of spirit.”	We must keep the commandments with all diligence and faithfulness. We also must make and keep covenants to receive all these blessings!

                After Christ was resurrected and left His apostles they were able to have the gift of the Holy Ghost. I am sure that the Holy Ghost helped them to fulfill all their responsibilities. He would help them organize and establish the Church as Christ did, he revealed to them new revelations and things that they needed to know. I believe they relied very heavily on the Spirit to guide them as they were left in charge of the Church. I am sure that He was also a great source of comfort for them. One of his roles is the comforter. After the death of Christ I am sure they needed that source of comfort and strength!

                I am so grateful for the role and the influence of the Holy Ghost in my life! I know that I would not be able to make it through each day without his guidance. There are so many times that I begin to feel overwhelmed with school, being a mother and a wife, and balancing everything I have to do, when I feel a gentle reminder of who I am, why I am doing everything I am, and who is there to help me every step of the way! This past semester I have especially felt the help and guidance of the Spirit in helping me to make it through each day. When I choose to turn to Him and feel the influence of the Holy Ghost in my life I can truly see the hand of the Lord in each day! The Holy Ghost has helped me with big things like tests and doing well when I didn't expect to, to simple everyday things like finding time to load the dishwasher and clean off the kitchen counter because keeping a clean home is important to me. When I turn to the Holy Ghost my days are so much better.

John 13:34–35. A New Commandment

1. According to John 13:34–35, how can others know if we are disciples of Jesus Christ?
   
   • Others can know that we are disciples of Jesus Christ by the way we love and treat each other.
2. List some specific ways a disciple of Jesus Christ might respond in the following situations (in accordance with John 13:34–35):
   • Someone you know is ridiculed or made fun of because of the way he or she dresses. 
   • Being a disciple of Jesus Christ if I saw this I would not participate in the ridiculing. Instead, I would try to reach out and become their friend. I would strive to set a good example to those who are doing the ridiculing and I would become a friend to the person who is being ridiculed. 
   • You see a new person at church. 
   • I would try and become friends with them and help them to feel a part of the ward. 
3. Ponder the question, “Do people know that I am a disciple of Jesus Christ by the way I treat them?” Select a family member, coworker, or neighbor and make a short list of things you can do during the coming week to show him or her the kind of love the Savior would show. Then follow through with what you wrote down. 

• Next week I will follow up with how this went :)