Wax Strong in the Spirit

Mosiah 18:26 (page 182): "And the priests were not to depend upon the people for their support; but for their labor they were to receive the grace of God, that they might wax strong in the Spirit, having the knowledge of God, that they might teach with power and authority from God."

After being converted, Alma began preaching the gospel to others. Having authority, he baptized many and ordained priests to teach the people. Like the Church of Jesus Christ today, these priests were not payed for their service. Their reward would come as a strengthening of the Spirit, making them better servants of the Lord as they taught with "power and authority from God." As I've read this verse, I've pondered why it is important to have the Spirit in my life and what I can do to strengthen my own spirituality.

1 Corinthians 12:7 states, "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." I recently read Elder Richard G. Scott's talk from this last General Conference session in October (you can read it here). This talk is absolutely amazing and I recommend reading the whole talk. He discusses how to acquire spiritual guidance. He quotes President John Taylor, who wrote, "Joseph Smith, upwards of forty years ago, said to me: 'Brother Taylor, you have received the Holy Ghost. Now follow the influence of that Spirit, and it will lead you into all truth, until by and by, it will become in you a principle of revelation.'" Elder Scott explains that "spirituality yields two fruits. The first is inspiration to know what to do. The second is power, or the capacity to do it." He gives two examples where he was able to receive personal revelation during Sunday School lessons. In the first example, the teacher had a difficult time expressing his thoughts and explaining the principles. Elder Scott was touched by the teacher's evident sincerity and began to receive spiritual promptings. As he received them, he wrote them down. Talking about these promptings, Elder Scott said, "the details of the communication are sacred and, like a patriarchal blessing, were for my individual benefit. I was given specific directions, instructions, and conditioned promises that have beneficially altered the course of my life." Wow. When I first read this, the Spirit testified to me that Elder Scott is an apostle of the Lord. What an amazing example that he has given us. There have been many times where I have been given promptings of further enlightenment during talks or lessens and while I recognized them as promptings of the Spirit, I failed to record my thoughts and feelings. I may have missed opportunities to receive something that would have been both precious and sacred to me.

In the second example that Elder Scott gives, he also received promptings during a Sunday School lesson. Again, he began to record the promptings until he felt that they were too personal to record them in that setting. When he returned home, he finished writing down the promptings he had received. He reviewed them, pondered them, and then asked the Lord if there was more for him to receive. More impressions came. He studied and pondered these and asked the Lord again if there was more. Again, more impressions came. Speaking of this experience, Elder Scott said, "when the last, most sacred experience was concluded, I had received some of the most precious, specific, personal direction one could hope to obtain in this life. Had I not responded to the first impressions and recorded them, I would not have received the last, most precious guidance... I believe that you can leave the most precious, personal direction of the Spirit unheard because you do not respond to, record, and apply the first promptings that come to you." How many times have we missed out on what the Lord is willing to give to us?

In a revelation given to Joseph Smith, recorded in Doctrine in Covenants 46:28, it states, "and it shall come to pass that he that asketh in Spirit shall receive in Spirit." The Lord wants to give us a greater knowledge and understanding of the gospel, but we must do our part to receive it. The Spirit can teach us the simple truths of the gospel and open our minds to the mysteries of God (1 Nephi 10:19, page 19). Moroni 10:5 (page 529) teaches us, "and by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."

I have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. All that I know to be true has been given to me through the Spirit. It is something that I can't give to somebody else. It is something that I have a difficult time explaining or describing, but it is something that I can't deny because I've felt the burning in my bosom and I've heard the soft whisperings of the Spirit. I've experienced it time and time again as I pray to my Father in Heaven, read His word, and ponder it's meaning and importance. This important principle, waxing strong in the Spirit, is something that doesn't happen overnight. It takes faith, work, and dedication, but if we are willing to do this, our spirituality will become a great strength that we will be able to use in helping the Lord. Ether 12:27 (page 510) says, "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." This I share in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.