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.

Time Spent in Search of Christ

There comes a time in everyone’s life when they feel the need to figure out where they are at, where they are going, and find where their place is in a world. Many questions that arise and cause a great stir among us that can bring confusion or frustration if easy answers don’t present themselves. While there are no "easy" answers in life, all of us can find peace and comfort as we study and learn life firsthand as taught by Christ, the Master Teacher, through the Holy Spirit. What a blessing it is then to have the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Given to every man is the Light of Christ (verses 15-20) . It is given unto everyone the ability to choose right from wrong, and though we all sin and are acquainted with iniquity, god has not left us alone without guidance. The Light of Christ and the influence of the Spirit give us direction and guidance to help us pick the right choice and to live our lives in accordance to gods design and will. As time wears on, many may cease to allow this to influence their lives, but nevertheless, it is still given to every man as often as they are listening and living in a way so as to invite the Spirit.

In my own life I can see many instances where I was being acted upon to make a better choice then I regretfully ended up making, and as a result of that the feelings of peace and harmony withdrew from me as did the spirit itself left. However, every time I started doing right or living my life in accordance with the gospel, that spirit returned to comfort me and provide me with guidance I so truly desired.

As we live the gospel of Jesus Christ and exercise our faith, repent of our past transgressions, be baptized by his priesthood authority and live worthily to have his spirit be with us, we can all find answers to life’s greatest questions as we allow our minds and our hearts to be opened to the whisperings and enticing of the holy spirit as it testifies of the truthfulness of the gospel. As we truly live the gospel, the blessings that flow from it will be a testimony to each of us of its divinity. I invite everyone to know and understand that message personally through their firsthand experience by exercising faith unto living the message Christ himself gave unto all man.

If you would like to get in touch with missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, please don’t hesitate to visit http://www.mormon.org/ and to explore http://www.lds.org./ Have a blessed day!