Summary: This is a very powerful talk by David A. Bednar about the power of the Holy Ghost and that it is how we communicate directly with God, our Father. David A. Bednar states that "God communicates with us through our very thoughts and feelings" and then counsels us to "to avoid polluting our minds with pornography, watching R-rated and inappropriate movies and television programs, and taking into our bodies harmful and addictive substances such as drugs and alcohol...." As we already know, in regards to pornography, from the Dallin H. Oaks quote from a letter, in April, 2005: "In my eyes cocaine doesn't hold a candle to this. I have done both. . . . Quitting even the hardest drugs was nothing compared to [trying to quit pornography]"(letter of Mar. 20, 2005) Now David A. Bednar also does an amazing display in this talk, with a tuning fork and it really helped me to understand the talk better and what he was trying to explain about the Holy Ghost. David A. Bednar is a genius, a true man of God and knows how to reach deep into our hearts and souls. He said: "Just like the sound produced by this tuning fork, the Holy Ghost is constant, steady, and sure." He then states: "I have wondered if we as members of the Church talk about and emphasize marvelous, magnificent, and dramatic spiritual manifestations so often that we perhaps overlook the customary influence of the Holy Ghost that is quiet, delicate, and subtle." He then quotes President Boyd K. Packer, when he said: ".....I have come to believe also that it is not wise to continually talk of unusual spiritual experiences. They are to be guarded with care and shared only when the Spirit itself prompts us to use them to the blessing of others." David A. Bednar then talks about those who question their own testimony, because they haven't personally seen the angel Moroni. He mentions that if you have doubts about the truthfulness of the church and your testimony; "you are normal and everything is 'ok.'" Then, in his most powerful statement, in the entire talk, he says: "Please remember this important principle: People who have profound spiritual experiences 'do not talk about them, except in the rarest of circumstances.' It would be a good thing for you to consider the implications of that principle." He then quotes Joseph F. Smith, who said: "Show me Latter-day Saints who have to feed upon miracles, signs, and visions in order to keep them steadfast in the Church, and I will show you members of the Church who are not in good standing before God, and who are walking in slippery paths....." He then leaves us with a final warning regarding this, when he said: If we are not careful and discerning, we may mistakenly follow a false sound that will lead us astray." Finally, he quotes Joseph Smith saying: As the Prophet Joseph Smith taught, ". . . For nothing is a greater injury to the children of men than to be under the influence of a false spirit when they think they have the Spirit of God." So, the bottom line is that we all need to be very careful to not follow false spirits and sounds of Satan and realize how easily we can be deceived and tricked by Satan as "an angel of light." Also, we should rarely, if ever, share our personal spiritual experiences with anyone, at any time, because they are too sacred and holy. The more we share them, the more slippery our path will become and we may slip right into Satan's path and the false spirits will then control and deceive us, thus dragging us down to hell for all eternity. So, let us all go forward, not boasting or talking about our special spiritual experiences, rather keeping them sacred and to ourselves and very private. Please don't allow our sacred spiritual experiences to be our greatest downfall, that will destroy our soul for all eternity and separate us from our families. This talk was originally given at a Ricks College(Idaho) Devotional on August 31, 1999.
