Leadership for Saints: Part 55

Discernment: The Gift of Great Price

by Rodger Dean Duncan and Ed J. Pinegar

When you were confirmed as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, hands were placed on your head and by the power and authority of the priesthood of God you were invited to “receive the Holy Ghost.”

This priesthood ordinance is remarkable in its elegant simplicity. In that moment—fresh from the baptismal font—you were given one of the greatest teachers and comforters in all eternity.

And as long as you honor your covenants, this companionship remains constant through all of your days. 

Great leaders rely on the Spirit for direction, insight and courage. In seeking help, they listen to the Spirit. Then, in working to help others, they listen by the Spirit. They teach by the Spirit. They plan and counsel by the Spirit. They affirm and encourage by the Spirit. They coach and correct by the Spirit. Everything they do is accomplished by and through the Spirit.

By worldly standards, you may regard yourself as simple or even pedestrian.

But the scriptures promise that, with the Holy Ghost, you can “speak with the tongue of angels.”¹

When you’re in doubt about how to handle your leadership role, the Holy Ghost “will show unto you all things what ye should do.”²

The Holy Ghost will “teach you ... what ye ought to say.”³

As you sort through mountains of information and choices, the Holy Ghost is right there beside you, helping you “know the truth of all things.”⁴

When you get discouraged or disheartened, the Holy Ghost is available to fill you with hope and perfect love.⁵

When you search for appropriate words of counsel, the Holy Ghost will give you utterance and enable you to stand as a credible witness to wonderful truths that you will both hear and see.⁶

The Holy Ghost will even prompt you when to reprove in righteousness.⁷

The Holy Ghost is a counselor beyond compare.

Obtaining the Spirit

To receive and act with the Spirit in all we do, we must exercise our faith,⁸ we must be full of love and purity before God,⁹ and we must live in obedience¹⁰.

The first great principle of faith allows us to receive the direction of the Holy Ghost. The first great commandment of love makes possible the gift and blessings of the Spirit. And obedience, the first law of heaven, enables us to maintain the Spirit “always.”

But we must be ever vigilant.

In his unforgettable book about the rabbits of Watership Down,¹¹ Richard Adams describes an affliction that the rabbits call “tharn.” “Tharn” occurs when a rabbit that is crossing a road at night is suddenly caught in the glare of the headlights of an oncoming car  . . .  and held transfixed until tragedy strikes.

The author might well have been referring to Latter-day Saints who allow themselves to be caught in the glitter and clatter of the world’s distractions. These aren’t always just the marginal Church members.

They can include—and often do include—active, tithe-paying, recommend-holding, testimony-bearing Latter-day Saints.

Well-intentioned people, certainly, but dangerously indifferent to the powers of the adversary. It’s an indifference that can render us captivated by a kind of spiritual “tharn”—a potentially tragic condition.

“Tharn” of a Different Kind

The scriptures warn that “there are many ... who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”¹²

What kind of subtle craftiness is involved?

Priestcrafts?

Not often. Although tools of the devil, priestcrafts are generally so obvious that only the most untutored and gullible fall victim.

Blatant wickedness?

No. Most of us are wise to the damage inflicted by whoredoms and pornography, drug abuse and the many other practices that defile and debase.

The “subtle craftiness” comes in many forms and disguises—each one ready to exploit our inattention, all designed to lull us into complacency and blind us from our potential as children of God.

Fortunately, the great plan of salvation provides us with the special companionship of the Holy Ghost to help us focus on the path that leads back to our Father.

The gift is given. It’s up to us be worthy to accept—and maintain—the gift. The Holy Ghost will not dwell in unclean or disobedient or unready tabernacles.

It is through the power of the Holy Ghost that we can seek out the truth and gain testimonies of the gospel.

It is the shield of the Holy Ghost that can defend us from the deceit and craftiness of false teachers.

Endnotes

1 See 2 Nephi 32:2

2 See 2 Nephi 32:5

3 See Luke 12:12

4 See Moroni 10:5

5 See Moroni 8:26

6 See D&C 14:8

7 See D&C 121:43-46

8 See 1 Nephi 10:17

9 See D&C 76:116

10 See the sacramental prayers in D&C 20:77, 79

11 Richard Adams, Watership Down [New York: William Morrow & Co., 1975]

12 See D&C 123:12

Quotes Worth Remembering

Leaders need the spirit of their calling. . . . We may study and work hard, yet there will be a deficiency unless we have the spirit of our calling. You may possess a wealth of ideas and information—you may know the program perfectly—you may have the ability to teach and direct and to show others how, but the great attribute which will make you successful as a leader is to have the spirit of your calling. – Howard W. Hunter

To be successful, we must have the Spirit of the Lord. We have been taught that the Spirit will not dwell in unclean tabernacles. Therefore, one of our first priorities is to make sure our own personal lives are in order. – Ezra Taft Benson

You get your mind on the things of the world and you lose the Spirit of the Lord in your work. – Gordon B. Hinckley

Satan has had great success with the gullible generation. As a consequence, he and his angels have victimized literally hosts of people. There is, however, an ample shield against their power. This protection lies in the spirit of discernment through the gift of the Holy Ghost. – James E. Faust

Note: The excerpts of Leadership for Saints posted on Meridian are only a fraction of the contents of this 349-page book. To learn more about this ground-breaking book and to order copies, click here.