SHARING MY TOYS - by Josie Warr

When I was at church my teacher taught me about the Holy Ghost and how it can help us make right decisions. The other day I was playing toys with Bella and she really wanted one of the toys that I was playing with. The spirit told me to share, so I did and it made me feel really good.

LIFE JACKET EXPERIENCE - by Johanna Warr

Last week in Fast and Testimony Meeting one of the young men got up and bore his testimony. He was probably around 13 or 14. He told an experience that he had the last week. He’s on the swim team and one of his team mates is a disabled girl. She’s handicapped and has to swim with a life jacket. At his last swim meet she took of her life jacket and got in the pool. Her father got in beside her and swam next to her the whole time. He said it was a very special moment for everyone…the crowd was silent. When she finished they all got up and cheered.
He likened this to our Heavenly Father and Jesus. We were sent here to earth, to our individual families. We all have a mother and father who love us very much. They protect us and keep us safe…just like the life jacket that the handicapped girl swam with. There are times in our lives when we are all alone or we feel like we are. When our mom’s and dad’s are not around to watch us and help us make right decisions. When we feel like this we must remember we are never alone. Our heavenly father is right beside us cheering us on and wanting us to finish the race.
I was very touched by this story and have thought of it several times through out the week. There are times that I feel all alone. That’s when I stop for a moment and say a small prayer thanking Heavenly Father for all I have and for always being there for me when I’m sad. When I remember how much I am loved by my earthly parents, heavenly parents, and my family all around me it makes me want to keep going and finish the race smiling with the crowd cheering. I believe this will happen some day when I finish this earthly experience and return to heaven. I must never forget Heavenly Father is right beside me wanting me to do good and be good and finish the race.

LISTEN TO THE HOLY GHOST - by J'net Johnson

LISTEN TO THE HOLY GHOST

Twenty five years ago, boy that is long time, I would jog three miles early in the morning with my neighbor and good friend, Janet Jurgens. We always did the same run which we did east of our homes.
One morning we had jogged about one mile and were just starting into the area where the homes were few and far apart. This had never bothered us in the past, but this morning we stopped, looked at each other and said that we felt we should not go up there this morning. We never hesitated but turned around and finished our three miles in town. I know that the Holy Ghost spoke to each one of us and we heeded his counsel. To this day, I do not know if there was danger up ahead or maybe it was a test to see if we would obey. I know that as we trust in the Spirit we will be strengthened and protected in our daily lives.
I am reminded of a true story of President Wilford Woodruff how was told to move his carriage and mules minutes before a tornado hit.
The following story is paraphrased from Woodruff, Wilford, “Leaves from my Journal.
Salt Lake City, 2nd ed., 1882 (pg 339):
“Get up and move your carriage!” In the middle of the night these words beat upon the eardrums of Wilford Woodruff. Wilford knew that tone from a lifetime of experience. It was the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. He awakened his wife. “I must get up and move the carriage!”
“What for?”
“I don’t know, only the Spirit has told me to do so.”
Wilford strode into the Indiana night. He harnessed his mules, brought them back to the wagon where his wife and children were sleeping, hooked them up, and dragged his Wagon from its location in the barnyard to a spot near the house. Then he went back to bed.

The still small voice came back: “Go and move your mules away from that oak tree!” Obediently, Wilford dressed and took his mules and tied them a safe distance from the tree. Less than thirty minutes later a tornado struck the oak tree where the mules had been tied, uprooted it, carried it a hundred yards through the air, and laid it in the barnyard at the exact spot where Wilford’s wagon had stood.


Heavenly Father has given us the gift of the Holy Ghost. If we listen to His promptings he will strengthen our testimonies and our relationship with God. He will help us to fulfill responsibilities in this life and return home to Heavenly Father when we have finished our work on the earth. We need to be consistent, show great effort and to trust in the Lord.
We are on the path home to God, and we can make it. Because the path may be steep and sometimes rocky we may feel discouraged and even stumble, but we can arrive back home with Heavenly Father as we are guided and corrected by the Spirit of God.
Some things that we need to do are:
1. Pray for the gifts of the Spirit.
2. Ponder in the scriptures and in the words of our living prophets.
3. Keep our promises to the Lord
As we draw closer to the Holy Spirit, He will help us arrive at our final destination….HOME….with our Heavenly Father & the Savior, to live with our families in joy forever.

The Holy Ghost Will Give Direction - by Doug Johnson

The Holy Ghost Will Give Direction

When we were baptized we were given the Gift of the Holy Ghost. What does that mean?
The scriptures help us to better understand the importance of this special “gift”. The Savior taught the people concerning the role of the Holy Ghost as a “teacher” when he said, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you(John 14:26).” So the Holy Ghost is a “teacher”. Near the end of Nephi’s record Nephi tells his people to “…feast upon the word’s of Christ…Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost, wherefore, they speak of the words of Christ… For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, (be baptized) and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do (2 Nephi 32:1-5).” So the Holy Ghost is “guide” and a “protector”.
I remember an experience that has stuck in my mind as a reminder to me that the Holy Ghost is interested in everything that we do. Even the things that we might think are not really important. When Grandma J’net and I received our call to serve our mission in Alabama, it seemed that everything in our lives took on a new meaning. One day I was working in the barn. I walked through the tack room where I passed by a long rod that was hanging from the ceiling. This rod was used to hang my scales from so I can weigh my panniers (boxes that I put on the horse to pack supplies). I was not using the rod, so there was not any reason to leave the rod hanging in its location. As I passed by the rod I had the distinct impression that I needed to go back and move the rod. I was busy thinking about other things that needed to be done that I felt were far more important than moving that rod. As I passed through the roll-up door in route to the other end of the barn, I again had this impression that I needed to move the rod. Only this time the impression came with a little explanation. It was like a still small voice was telling me, “If you do not return and move that rod, the next time that you walk by that area that rod is likely to poke you in the eye and then you will not be able to serve the mission that you have been called to serve.” I did not need any more reminders. I turned around and went back to the tack room and move the rod. What would have happened, if I had not gone back and moved the rod? Maybe the rod would have poked me in the eye, or maybe I would have received more promptings. I don’t know. I can only say when we receive a prompting to do the right thing then we need to follow that prompting. Moving the rod was the right thing to do.
I also know, if we will stop and listen more to that “still small voice” we will better understand that the Gift of the Holy Ghost is a teacher, a guide, a protector, a comforter, a companion, a shield, a friend. What a wonderful gift we have been given by a loving Father in Heaven!!