100-1-6-25

 Hello Family,

Happy New Year! 2025, how crazy does that sound! 

I have invited Viry into this weekly email, so I thought I would take a minute and give her a little background. 

Welcome Viry! Over this past year or so, I have been sending the kids (those with an email address) a spiritual thought relating to something I’m learning about in my personal scripture study each week. Recognizing you are all very busy, and have your own personal study time, never feel obligated to read or the need to reply to these emails. A while back I felt impressed to write this email wanting to share an invitation each week with my children. As they have started leaving the home over the past several years, I have fewer and fewer opportunities to share my testimony with them, and the things I feel are so important and believe to be true. Things I believe will bring each of us the greatest happiness in life. So that is what this email is. 

If you feel impressed to accept the weekly invitation with me, my hope is that our testimonies will grow and be strengthened, allowing our family to always feel comfortable freely discussing together spiritual things. So welcome Viry, you have always felt like part of our family.

My invitation this week is to re-read and study President Eyring’s talk from the October 2023 Conference: Our Constant Companion. 

I’ve included in this email highlights from that talk.

The power of the Holy Ghost in our lives, and the need for His constant influence is absolutely key to our happiness. I know that we hear President Nelson’s warning about our spiritual survival often, but take time to ponder how the Holy Ghost blesses us. How has He guided you? What direction have you received from Him? Think of times in your life that you have felt His comfort and peace. Lastly, consider how constant His influence is in your life. What can we do to increase the time His presence is felt?

The beautiful thing is, that we don’t need to wonder how to feel His influence in a more constant way. The Holy Ghost follows divine law just as God does. Our Father in Heaven has made very clear to us how to qualify for His promised blessing of the Holy Ghost’s constant companionship. When we renew our covenants with Him each week durning the ordinance of the Sacrament we learn of this perfect pattern. Obedience to the commandments and remembering the Savior and His atoning sacrifice for us, witnessing to Heavenly Father that we are willing to take upon us the name of Christ. To repent, and strive to become like Him. This is the formula, there are no secrets. As we strive to obey, seek the Savior in our lives by remembering what He has done for us, the Holy Ghost will be with us every time. Looking for ways to improve our obedience increases our purity. Always remembering the Savior causes us to earnestly seek after Him, with a desire to have a greater understanding of His atonement in our lives. We find ourselves in the scriptures more regularly, and have a greater desire to be in the temple more frequently. We feel closer to our Heavenly Father and more gratitude for our Savior Jesus Christ. It becomes more clear how we are to act, think, and progress. 

I can’t get over how perfect His plan really is. Encompassing all humankind, yet so personal. That we can each put it to the test, and know, and feel the truthfulness of it by the power of the Holy Ghost! 

Here are the words of President Eyring:

“We have heard again President Russell M. Nelson’s warning that “in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”1

“That prophetic warning has led me to ponder what I might teach my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren about how to have that crucial guidance in the difficult days ahead for them.

So this message today is a brief letter to my descendants that might help them when I am not with them in the exciting days ahead. I want them to know what I have come to know that could help them.”

“We need, and you will need, the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. Now, we desire it, yet we know from experience that it is not easy to achieve. We each think and say and do things in our daily lives that can offend the Spirit.

When that happens, as it will, we may feel disapproval from the Lord. And we may be tempted to feel we are alone. It is important to remember the sure promise we receive each week as we repent and partake of the sacrament: “That they may always have his Spirit to be with them.

If you have felt the influence of the Holy Ghost today, you may take it as a sweet evidence that the Atonement is working in your life.”

As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has said: “Whenever these moments of our extremity come, we must not succumb to the fear that God has abandoned us or that He does not hear our prayers. He does hear us. He does see us. He does love us.”

That assurance has helped me. When I feel distant from the Lord, when answers to my prayers seem delayed, I have learned to follow the counsel of President Nelson to review my life for opportunities to repent. He reminds us, “Daily repentance is the pathway to purity, and purity brings power.”

“The key for me and for you is to want what the Savior wants. Our motives need to be driven by the pure love of Christ. Our prayers need to be “All I want is what you want. Thy will be done.”

“I testify that the Lord has kept His promise. The Holy Ghost is being sent to the faithful covenant members of the Church of Jesus Christ. Now, your experiences will be unique, and the Spirit will guide in the way best suited to your faith and capacity to receive revelation for you and for those you love and serve. I pray with all my heart that your confidence will grow.”

“I bear my witness that God the Father lives. He loves you. He hears your every prayer. Jesus Christ did pray to the Father to send the Holy Ghost to guide, comfort, and testify of truth to us.“

“As a witness of Jesus Christ, I know that He lives and He leads His Church. You and I have the opportunity to have the Holy Ghost as our constant companion and to have those truths confirmed as we remember and love the Savior, repent, and ask for His love to be in our hearts. I pray that we may have that blessing and the companionship of the Holy Spirit this day and every day of our lives. I love you. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

I really loved studying President Eyring’s talk this past week. I hope his message sparks a greater desire in each of us to seek for the Holy Ghost’s constant companionship more earnestly in our lives.

Love you all so much,

Dad