Brothers and Sisters, aloha!
You are a wonderful sight! As I sat up here during the musical number, I could feel the Spirit. I am very grateful for the opportunity to speak today. I only met President Haws and his wife for a few minutes before [devotional] but being in their presence, I feel the Spirit confirm of their role here at BYU–Hawaii. My heart goes out to President Kauwe and his family. I love him very much, [President] Kauwe and I continue to pray for him and his family. But just in a few moments, I felt the inspiration of Sister Haws. Feeling the spirit of [Sister Haws] confirms to me of the aloha that she has in her heart to support her husband here. Thank you, Sister Haws.
While this time just being here brings back memories of my time as a student at BYU, in Provo a mere 20 years ago. It was a wonderful time in my life, sprinkled with times of stress.
Back then it seemed that every decision I made would make or break my life. If I got the wrong class with the wrong professor, I would get the wrong grade and not get into the right major and then I would not get the right occupation and end up broke and all alone. That sounds severe, but funny enough that is what it felt like at moments in college. If that is the way you think and feel, take it from a guy that had the wrong class and the wrong professor. Trust me, you will be okay.
The Spirit will Guide Us
This is a great time in your life. The world, as they say, is your oyster, and endless are your possibilities. I hope you do well in school. I hope you study hard. But above all, I hope you take the time to enjoy the unique environment of a Christ-centered school with Christ-minded people. I want you to remember that and I missed those days at BYU, in Provo. There are times that I've experienced the spirit, being amongst the other students. So take that time.
When I get overwhelmed and stressed now, and when I was in college, I think of the scripture, “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they may have joy.” [1] Joy is to feel great pleasure and happiness. We are here on earth to have joy. I thought of my wife when I think of joy and to have her up here [on the stand], I am very comforted that the spirit does bring joy. We should experience it daily. I am in the same boat as everyone else here, imperfect and striving to be happy daily and experience a joyful life. At times, it may seem hard to accomplish. But the Lord wants us to be joyful. That is why the Holy Ghost is the key to having joy.
The Lord instructed in Doctrine and Covenants “And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit. Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy”. [2]
Did you catch that? The Spirit will not only guide us and teach us, but He will also enlighten our minds. The word enlighten just feels so positive and bright. To me, it hints that darkness, and despair, will be replaced with brightness, and hope. I feel happier and brighter just saying that out loud. Say it out loud once in a while, and see how you feel. Then, when your mind is enlightened, your soul, which is the body and Spirit, is filled with joy. Amen. Nothing else to say here.
The Spirit is joy. Interestingly enough, the Spirit clears your thoughts, enlightens them, and brings ideas. Then your heart and body feel the emotion of joy. The Lord said, “…I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you, and which shall dwell in your heart. Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.” [3] That is how the Spirit works with us, in our minds, then our hearts. It’s a package deal. That is how you will know it’s the spirit. Your mind will say it, and your heart and body confirm it with a feeling of peace, joy, excitement, warmth, and so on. A lot of times when I get promptings of the Spirit, it is a thought, but the thought comes with a sense of urgency. Kind of like a countdown. The closer I come to having to follow the prompting, the more intense the anticipation is for me to do it. I have learned that it is better to do what I have been impressed to do, even if the outcome is unclear, than letting the moment pass and regret my lack of action. When I do as I am prompted, I feel peace no matter the outcome. Peace that I acted upon inspiration.
How many times have you had a feeling or thought to do something, then the moment passes, and you don’t do it? And later learned that if you had followed the thought, you could have helped someone else at the very hour or moment of their need. I have found this feeling is one of regret. As stressful as it feels trying to make life’s decisions, just know that as you follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, the outcomes will be joyful and not regretful.
What wonderful gift God has given us, the Holy Ghost. A member of the Godhead to teach us, lead us, walk with us, inspire us, warn us, comfort us, protect us, and so much more. And of all things, it does not cost money! The gift of the Holy Ghost is a wonderful gift, and when we live the commandments, the Spirit is always there. I don’t think anyone on earth could provide such a great service at such a low cost. How can we not rejoice when we think of the gift confirmed upon us after we were baptized, to be a constant companion with us. I'll be sharing a few experiences to highlight some of these thoughts I have of the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost will Help you be Worthy of the Blessings You Seek
During my junior year at BYU I was really trying to figure out my life. What major to apply for, what occupation to pursue, who will I marry, (more like who will date me so I can have a chance to get married!). I remember walking home from church one Sunday and, all of a sudden, I got this very strong impression, “Ammon, you need to shape up, or you will miss out on the greatest blessing of your life.” The feeling was one of encouragement and excitement for something great to come. But what is this blessing?
As I prayed and pondered on this, the Spirit enlightened my mind, and I felt that I needed to be better about living the gospel in the small things. Up until that point I thought I was doing well. I went to the temple regularly. I went to church every Sunday. I did my home teaching, now ministering. But the Spirit enlightened my mind. And some of the inspiration was the following thoughts:
· Going to the temple was good, but when there, focus on the covenants you made.
· Going to church was good, but don’t just sit in the back of class playing Minesweeper on your flip phone. Answer the questions. Be involved.
· Home teaching was good, but prayerfully plan a lesson for the sisters you home teach.
The Spirit helped me to live the gospel of Jesus Christ better each day in small and simple ways. Now, remember, I was very much single, but, later that year, in the Laie Hawaii Temple, as I knelt across the altar to be sealed to my eternal companion, I understood what the greatest blessing was, that I would have missed out on. It was marrying my eternal companion, Ruth, at the right time and at the right place. I can’t imagine my life without her. The miracle that she said yes, is a talk in and of itself. The Holy Ghost had been preparing me to be worthy of one of Heavenly Father’s choice daughters. And to be worthy of the promptings that led me to marry my childhood friend. As of December 28th, we have been married for 21 joyful years. I know that the Lord wants to bless each of us, but sometimes we can’t see how. As we trust in the Spirit, it will lead us to where God needs us to be. Even if we need to change our ways to do it.
The more you act upon the promptings of the Holy Ghost, the more promptings you will receive. President Henry B. Eyring counseled, “When you demonstrate your willingness to obey, the Spirit will send you more impressions of what God would have you do for Him. As you obey, the impressions from the Spirit will come more frequently, becoming closer and closer to constant companionship. Your power to choose the right will increase.” [4]
I experienced this firsthand; when you follow a prompting, God will send you more. I saw this when my wife and I were on our honeymoon in China. We were going on a tour, and the last day was to be in Shanghai on a Sunday. Weeks before the trip, my wife was determined to keep the Sabbath day holy and attend church while in China. After hours on the phone and researching on dial-up internet (anyone 40 and over will know what I am talking about, and it was SLOW) she found that there was one congregation in Shanghai, and I think only two or three in all of China. [My wife] had the desire to take the sacrament. The only address she could find was the words “Golden Tower”. I thought for sure there was no way we would find the church with those great leads…Golden Tower, really?
Well, the last day of the tour arrived, Sunday. I thought for sure we would not go to church. I mean, really, we had no address, we were in Shanghai, it was like finding a needle in a haystack. I was doubtful, but my wife felt very strongly that we would find the church. She felt an urgency that morning to just go, or she would miss the sacrament. She jumped in a taxi, with me in tow, and she showed the taxi driver the characters of the words Golden Tower on the back of our hotel card. The taxi driver nodded like he knew exactly where to go. And off he sped. We were hopeful, but our hopes quickly faded when we looked out and almost every building looked like a golden tower. Our driver took us to a few “Golden Towers”, but none were the church. About 20 minutes into this, my wife said, “I think the driver is just racking up our bill on purpose. He doesn’t know where to go. She stopped the taxi and said we need to get out of here now.” Not wanting to lose my new wife in China, I quickly jumped out and followed her. She said, “I feel it’s in this area, let’s pray.” So, we stepped out of view of others and said a quick prayer. When we opened our eyes, my wife looked around and identified a lot of golden-capped towers.
But she said, “Let’s go this way” and off she ran. I followed. She was following the impressions in her heart and in her mind. We ran through a park, across a river, and through a sketchy alley. And then we saw a tower, but there was an open gate with two officers holding automatic rifles. Ruth looked at me and said I think this is it. All I saw was the guards, and sadly, instead of thinking we found the church, I was thinking, “I don’t want to be detained in China”. She ran off to the building, and the guards, alarmed by her running, glared at us. We slowed down and waved and meekly walked past them.
About 50 yards to the building, we saw a minivan pull up, and jumping out of the van was a family, dressed in Sunday best! I could not believe my eyes, but still skeptical. We ran up and yelled, “Are you members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Is this the church building Golden Tower?!” They quickly looked at us and whispered, “Shhhh, follow us”. And then they ran into the building. My wife ran with them! I was standing there thinking of what headlines would be on KHON News of a missing Hawaii couple in China! I caught up, and after walking up flights of stairs in silence, we came to an office with a small sign that said, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints business offices.” We went in, passed some offices, and then to an open area with rows of chairs. Then the family started talking. They said, “Welcome to our sacrament meeting!” The government allowed them to gather on Sundays for church, but the members still needed to be cautious of gatherings outside or announcing we had church. I was blown away at the miracle of finding the only church building in Shanghai. And we made it 10 minutes before the services started.
My wife had a righteous desire, and the Spirit confirmed to her that her prayer to worship on the Sabbath at church would be possible. We realized later that every decision my wife made under the influence of the Spirit was moving us closer and closer to the church. We never took a road or alley or even a step that led away from the church building. Once my wife followed an impression, the Spirit would give her another, and then another, until we arrived safely at the Golden Tower. She never doubted, despite my doubts. It was truly a miracle. We found the needle in the haystack. This experience I had with my wife was so crucial to our marriage. We learned how the Spirit works in our relationship. I learned to trust my wife and the impressions she receives. We learned that when we follow the impressions, God gives us more impressions. And as we learned to follow more, our confidence in God answering our prayers, grew stronger. Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that you, too, can have miracles in your life. You can find the Golden Tower in your life. Whatever that Golden Tower is. Trust in the Lord. Trust in the Holy Ghost, who He has sent to guide you. You won’t just be running blindly, but the Spirit will bring you peace during the process. A peace that will calm your fears and give you courage to take the next step and follow the next prompting.
In the Temple, Put God First, and Revelation will Come
While serving in the California San Francisco mission, I had the opportunity to go to the Oakland Temple twice a year. One trip, I remember fasting and praying in anticipation to receive an answer in the temple. The day came. I was excited to see what revelation I would receive in response to my fasting and prayers. Throughout the session, I kept asking, “Is this my answer?” When the session was finished, and we exited the temple, I still had not gotten my answer. Instead of upliftment, I was frustrated. I was a little mad whenever I heard another missionary say, “I received my answer in the temple!”. I wanted to be happy for them, but I couldn't. The time came for us to drive back to San Francisco, and frustrated, I still had no answer. As I drove home, the other elders fell asleep, and in that private moment driving over the Bay Bridge, I poured out my heart and asked why I had not received an answer when everyone else did. The Spirit spoke to my mind and brought peace to my soul. “Ammon you were so focused on you and what you wanted that you missed out on the answer that would have come if you focused on the Lord.” I felt peace with that answer. To this day, my kids asked me, "What was that question, Dad?" and I said,
"I don’t remember." I don't remember the question that I asked for but the Lord touched my heart that day to receive a greater answer. An answer that helped me through each day of my life. I learned that it is good to pray and fast for answers when going to the temple. But when you step in through those doors, leave everything else outside. Leave your questions, your thoughts; leave yourself out there, and focus on just the Lord. I found in those moments when I do, that the Lord will bring me peace— that He will answer my prayers and questions maybe not in the way that I had been asking or seeking, but I do know, when I come out, that I feel the promptings, that I feel God. When I put God and His Kingdom first, then all other things are added to me, and my prayers are answered clearly.
President Russell M. Nelson taught, “We can also hear Him in the temple. The house of the Lord is a house of learning. There the Lord teaches in His own way. There each ordinance teaches about the Savior. There we learn how to part the veil and communicate more clearly with heaven. There we learn how to rebuke the adversary and draw upon the Lord’s priesthood power to strengthen us and those we love. How eager each of us should be to seek refuge there.” [5] The house of the Lord is a place of revelation. Go there. Go to the Laie Hawaii temple often. What better place to petition for the Lord’s help then in His house?
This past Saturday, I was able to be in the presence of Elder Rasband for a stake president training. Before we did that meeting, he had us all attend the temple before the session. After we did that session, we gathered. In the chapel, Elder Rasband told us that when he gathers the stake leaders in Africa, they would petition to him that they have their meeting in a city that had a temple. They plead with him, so he started to do that. He gathered them, they had a temple session, and members who did not have their ordinances went for the first time. He said when they gathered after, there was power in those meetings because they were filled with power by being in the House of the Lord. Then, he looked at us and said "You brethren, are more powerful today right now than you were this morning before you went to the temple. We had a wonderful session with him and the Area Presidency. I share this with you so you can think about how when you go to the temple, God blesses you from on high. He empowers you. He uplifts you. When you leave, you leave better. You may not have the answer to a prayer, but he's empowered you that you may go forward and receive the answer in the way He needs you to.
Brothers and sisters, I pray that you may enjoy this time in your life. I hope that as you follow the promptings of the Spirit that you will become worthy of the blessings God wants to give you. That you will receive more promptings that will bless your life. And that as you go to the temple regularly, you will learn to hear the Lord more clearly, to make the decisions in your life that will bring you joy.
I leave you these experiences as my testimony that I know that God lives. I know that following the Holy Ghost strengthens my faith in Christ and brings me joy. I know that my Savior, Jesus Christ is my older brother, and my friend. I know the atoning blood of Christ has saved my soul so many times. That His Atonement has made it possible for me to marry my eternal companion, and to raise my children in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that through the Atonement, I've felt peace in times that nothing else would. I have knelt on my knees in prayer, and I have felt His arms. I've never seen the Savior, Jesus Christ, but I have often felt His Spirit. I have often felt His arms around me, comforting me; helping me through my trials. Brothers and sisters, I pray that each of you today may find a way to have the Lord more fully in your life, and to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, that you too, may be blessed with a very joyful life— that the decisions you make will be joyful, and not regretful, because you followed the Holy Ghost.
I leave you these things, brothers and sisters. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes:
[1] 2 Nephi 2:25
[2] Doctrine and Covenants 11:12-13
[3] Doctrine and Covenants 8:2-3
[4] Henry B. Eyring, “The Holy Ghost as Your Companion,” Ensign or Liahona, October 2015, 105
[5] Russell M. Nelson, “Hear Him,” Ensign or Liahona, April 2020, 90