Yes. I guess there are nine fruits of the Spirit. The best assignment I was ever given was called "The Still Small Voice" journal. For extra credit in my Research Methods class (which I strangely loved) we were assigned to record all impressions of the Spirit in a journal we were to have with us at all times. Furthermore, we were to act on the prompting and record the results. If you feel like you are missing the voice of the Spirit in your life, do this assignment. It teaches you how the Spirit speaks to you.
The greatest lesson I learned from this assignment was the difference between "my own thoughts" and the Spirit. I learned that there is no difference. I am a child of God. His Spirit is in me. One place to go to understand what I am trying to say is D&C 88:50-68. Just as some of our earthly parents traits are genetically in us, our Heavenly Father's traits are also in us. All good thoughts that come are of that spirit. We have the gift of the Holy Ghost to guide us and to comfort us and to testify to us. But, people often worry about choices they have to make and think "What if it is just my thought? What if I offer to give that girl a ride and it doesn't end up changing her life or mine? What if I choose the wrong class? What if I feel nervous about something? That must mean I shouldn't do it." The more decisions I make, the more I believe there is no such thing as a mistake. Especially when the idea overall is good.
I saw in my journal that almost all of the impressions that came to me were ideas to help other people. The results were sometimes unnoticeable, sometimes petty, and sometimes amazing. No matter what, the fruits of the Spirit are discernible only if we first recognize the voice of the Spirit.
This Christmas, let it sing.
1 comment:
You inspire me to move and be.
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