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Excerpt of Interview with Gordon B. Hinckley
The following question and answer are taken from the San Francisco
Chronicle’s interview with Gordon B. Hinckley.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Q: And this belief in contemporary revelation and prophecy? As the prophet,
tell us how that works. How do you receive divine revelation? What does it
feel like?
A: Let me say first that we have a great body of revelation, the vast
majority of which came from the prophet Joseph Smith. We don’t need much
revelation. We need to pay more attention to the revelation we’ve already
received.
Now, if a problem should arise on which we don’t have an answer, we pray
about it, we may fast about it, and it comes. Quietly. Usually no voice of
any kind, but just a perception in the mind. I liken it to Elijah’s
experience. When he sought the Lord, there was a great wind, and the Lord
was not in the wind. And there was an earthquake, and the Lord was not in
the earthquake. And a fire, and the Lord was not in the fire. But in a
still, small voice. Now that’s the way it works.
From “Musings of the Main Mormon,” Don Lattin, Sunday, April 13, 1997
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1997/04/13/SC362
89.DTL
Christ: Differences
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST AND THE HOLY GHOST:
1. The Spirit of Christ is given to every person born upon the earth–to help them tell good from evil.
2. Manifestations of the Holy Ghost can be given to people from time to time (as an investigator being taught by the missionaries might have the Holy Ghost witness to them of its truthfulness, etc.).
3 The Gift of the Holy Ghost (the companionship of the Holy Ghost to be with you all the time if you live worthily.) This comes only to baptized and confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
One way to think of the Holy Ghost is like a magnifying glass–magnifying the Spirit of Christ.
“Every individual born to earth is given a detecting capability, a divinely appointed gift to distinguish truth from error. We call it our conscience, God calls it the Spirit of Christ. When we properly use this gift, we are naturally drawn to truth and repelled from error.”
Richard G. Scott (November 1979 Ensign, page 70)
When You Have The Spirit
When You Have The Spirit
1. You feel happy, calm, and clear-minded.
2. You Feel Generous.
3. Nobody can offend you.
4. You wouldn’t mind everybody seeing what you are doing.
5. You are eager to be with people and want to make them happy.
6. You are glad when others succeed.
7. You are glad to attend you meetings and participate in church activities.
8. You feel like praying.
9. You wish you could keep all the Lord’s commandments.
10. You feel in control - you don’t overeat oversleep too much; you don’t feel uncontrollable passions or desires or lose your temper.
11. You think about the Savior often and you want to know him better.
When You Don’t Have The Spirit
1. You feel unhappy, depressed, confused and frustrated.
2. You’re positive, self centered, or resent demands made on you.
3. You are easily offended.
4. You become sensitive and evasive.
5. You avoid people, especially members of your family; and you are critical of family members and church authorities.
6. You envy or resent the success of others.
7. You don’t want to go to Church, go home teaching, or take the sacrament; you wish you had another church
job or no job at all.
8. You don’t want to pray.
9. You find the commandments bothersome, restricting, or senseless.
10. You feel emotions and appetites so strongly, that you fear you cannot control them - hate, jealousy, anger, lust, hunger, fatigue.
11. You hardly ever think of the Savior, he seems irrelevant to your life, or worse part of a confusing system that seems to work against you.
12. You get discouraged easily and wonder if life is really worth it.