Holy Ghost
Learning to Drive
I do a lot of things on my mission here in Vanuatu that are not in my job description. In fact, most of the things that I do are like that.
Read MoreSilas Toa
I had a very sweet experience during the night. At about 3:00 a.m. Silas Toa came into my mind. Silas is a soon-to-be 16-year-old boy who is one of my very favorites here in Vanuatu.
Read MoreA Miracle A Day
Elder Smith is the new senior missionary who arrived with his wife in Vanuatu nine days ago. As we walked together yesterday and marveled over our experiences, he remarked in a rather dazed manner, “It’s a miracle a day!”
Read MoreMonitors of the Spirit
We who have been baptized and confirmed have the right to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, but sometimes we do things that drive the Spirit away. Wouldn’t it be a marvelous thing if we possessed a monitor that would tell us whether or not the Spirit was with us?
Read MoreThinking Outside the Box
A story is told about Christopher Columbus. I don’t know whether it’s true or whether it’s apocryphal, but it’s a good story. Columbus was reportedly at a dinner when someone asked him why he thought he could accomplish something that no one else had been able to do. Columbus reached over to some hard-boiled eggs, removed one from the bowl, and challenged those present to stand it on end. Many tried, but no one succeeded in making it balance. Columbus took the egg, smashed it onto the table, and said, “That’s why I think I can do what no one else has been able to do!”
Read MorePriesthood Leadership Conference
One night some years ago I couldn’t sleep. To occupy my mind as I lay there in bed, I did a census. In my mind I went up and down every road and street in the town of Haines and the surrounding area. I was looking for Latter-day Saints. I did it twice. I did it as a 6-year-old, non-member of the Church, and again as a 56-year-old member.
Read MoreDownwind of the Spirit
“Keep yourself downwind of the Spirit.” That was my waking message this morning. Where did it come from? What does it mean?
Read MoreAn Epistle to My Grandchildren
I just came awake from a wonderful night’s sleep, and was surprised to find dawn happening. There was a thought in my mind—a thought that, strangely, I’ve never had before. The thought was that I should write an epistle to my grandchildren. I make it a point to act upon these first morning thoughts when they come this way, because they come from the Holy Ghost.
Read MoreListening for the Spirit
John Burroughs, the naturalist, was once walking through a busy city park when he heard the beautiful song of a bird. He stopped to listen. As he did so he noticed that none of his companions nor anyone around him had heard it. He took a coin from his pocket and tossed it in the air. When it hit the pavement with a metallic ring, every head turned. That was a sound to which their ears were attuned.
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