Building a Celestial Family: Part 4

Invite the Holy Ghost

We owe our families the kind of relationship we can take into the presence of God. . . . We can determine to forgive quickly and fully. We can try to seek the happiness of others above our own. We can be kind in our speech. As we try to do all these things, we will invite the Holy Ghost into our families and into our lives.

Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency (source)

One thing that's really great about commandments and counsel is that they are always accompanied by blessings. In this case, President Eyring testified that as we try to forgive, seek the hapiness of our family members, and be kind, we invite the Holy Ghost. That's beautiful! I'd like to break this promise into two parts and examine it a little more.

First, I'd like to talk about the actual blessing: the Holy Ghost will come into our families. That's pretty great. Don't we all want the Holy Ghost in our families and homes? The peace it brings, the understanding, the love? Our homes are to be a sacred and safe place. They can't be that unless we have the Holy Ghost in them. We need the Holy Ghost in our lives and in our homes. The Lord promises, through President Eyring, that He will send the Holy Ghost as we follow this counsel. If we knew that the Holy Ghost would come as a result our our forgiveness, our sacrifice, and our kind words, how much more eager would we be to do these things? Can we forgive more? Can we sacrifice for our family members? Can we be more kind in our speech? (Hint: Yes.) So let's make that a goal, me and you. To be more kind and forgiving. Today.

The other part: "As we try to do these things." The Lord doesn't expect perfection. And that is a beautiful thing. He's not saying, once you're perfectly forgiving, perfectly sacrificing, perfectly kind, then I'll send the Holy Ghost. No. He says, "Just try, and I'll send my Spirit to help you. Just try." When we try, when we put forth any effort into this, He send the Holy Ghost and multiplies what we can do. And isn't that great! We need the Holy Ghost to be perfectly forgiving. We try, and He helps. We try seek the happiness of our family members above our own, and He helps. We try to be kind, and He helps. He sends that Holy Ghost as we try to do these things. And, oh, it is wonderful.


So, as I finally conclude this series, I challenge you to try take President Eyring's counsel to heart. Try to be a little more forgiving, try to seek the happiness of your family members, try to speak kind words. And I, next to President Eyring, testify that the Holy Ghost will come into your heart and your home.



This post is part of a series entitled "Building a Celestial Family." Missed the beginning? Find them here: Intro, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.