Remember

Come And See

LDS.org Bible Video Library

In this video the Savior talking with Nicodemus, one of the local teachers who is held at great respect. He talks of baptism, His mission as the Savior of the world, and the struggle that man faces between darkness and light.

But my favorite concept He teaches is that of coming to know spiritual things for ourselves.

He says,

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

All We Are Is Dust In The Wind... Dust, Wind, Dude!

...
Alright, so that might need some additional scripture to clarify a little bit. Lets go to Corinthians!

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man recieveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

So the long and the short of it is this: How do we really come to understand how it feels like to get an answer to a prayer? Or how can we learn principles that are spiritual in nature so that they actually become a part of who we are?

Tell Me!!!!!

Experience it for yourself!
And then compare what you know with what comes your way.

Think for just a second or two... how would you tell me what salt tasted like?

...
..
.
(still waiting)

You have tasted it thousands of times, you probably remember many times where too much of it ruined a perfectly good meal, and yet when it comes to describing it you simply must experience it to get it.

Same thing with the Spirit. When you pray or read the scriptures or go to church, really anything that invites the Holy Ghost to testify of truth, you have the opportunity to feel the spirit and know it for yourself. Many times it takes repeated attempts and then someone else perhaps pointing it out to you before you have your, "Oh, THAT'S what that is!" experience, but once it comes then you understand it.

Once you have that basic experience and understanding, then you can do as is said in Corinthians and "compare spiritual things with spiritual". It can be like the Savior expressed, feeling the wind and knowing the sound of it, but not knowing where it comes from or how you know it.

And in the same way, I can say as the Savior that, "I speak that I do know, and testify that I have seen". I have come to know that God is my loving Heavenly Father and that Jesus Christ is His son, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. I know it by the power of the Holy Ghost. I tasted salt in a spiritual sense and I cannot quite explain how I know, but I do. By that same token, I have read the Book of Mormon and prayed to know if it is true and I have received a witness and confirmation from the Spirit of God that it is a true record of Gods dealings with the people who lived anciently on the American continent. I know that we have a prophet on the earth today, Thomas S. Monson, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the church that Jesus Christ has reestablished in these days prior to His second coming.

My commitment to you is to experience it to see for yourself if it's true. Read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it is true. Here, I'll even give you a link where you can get a free copy, no obligation:
Free Book of Mormon!

It is an invitation to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in your heart the message it contains, and then to ask God if it is true. Those who do will receive a witness from the Spirit because God answers prayers. It is an invitation to feel the Spirit that comes with it and to know for yourself its worth.

The Spirit Or... What?

"How do I know if it is a real spiritual prompting or something else?"

Relax!
The question is a deep one!
It has far reaching effects, but it has a somewhat simple answer!

The Book of Mormon (Moroni 7:16-17) talks about The Light of Christ which is given to every man, saying:

That which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticith to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.

But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one.

Some would call it a conscience, I would personally consider it more of that natural tendency within all of us to follow and go towards light and truth and ultimately to follow Jesus Christ. When we are faced with a choice, there are always good and bad choices (or good and better... either way, im not picky). The Holy Ghost in those times will provide additional guidance and support to those who seek it in such times.

With me so far?

So the short answer to the question, "is it a prompting and should I follow it?" is based off a quote from President Hinckley:

“That’s the test, when all is said and done. Does it persuade one to do good, to rise, to stand tall, to do the right thing, to be kind, to be generous? Then it is of the Spirit of God. . . .If it invites to do good, it is of God. If it inviteth to do evil, it is of the devil. . . . And if you are doing the right thing and if you are living the right way, you will know in your heart what the Spirit is saying to you. You recognize the promptings of the Spirit by the fruits of the Spirit—that which enlighteneth, that which buildeth up, that which is positive and affirmative and uplifting and leads us to better thoughts and better words and better deeds is of the Spirit of God”

The whole reason this blog is called "A Spark Of The Light Of Christ" is because I know that this is within all of us and that we get little flashes of goodness and inspiration to do and choose right, no matter who or where we are. Furthermore, as we courageously follow those things we think and know to be good, we will be able to distinguish more perfectly the promptings we receive and increase in our ability to follow with exactness. Whether you are using baby steps or taking strides as a spiritual giant, the filter of the mind (does it persuade to do good?) and the heart (does it feel right?) use the same formula.