Farewell Talk!

For those of you who requested to see my talk, here it is!

Good morning brothers and sisters! I would like to first thank you all for coming out today. It really does mean so much to me to have so many of my closest friends and family members here to support me. I’m not able to thank you enough. I also need to thank my many leaders that I have had throughout my youth in this ward. You have had a bigger influence on me than shows. You have all been such great examples to me, and helped shape me into the young man that I am today.

As I began my early preparation for this talk, I went through subject after subject, trying to decide what I should attempt to teach you about today. As I was trying to decide what to focus on, I quite quickly came to the realization, that I frankly don’t know much of anything. I don’t know enough about any specific gospel principle or life lesson to teach any of you very much on my own. I simply don’t know much. The only way me or you will get any substance out of any talk I, or anybody else can give, is if we both have the spirit with us. So it only made sense to me that that is what I should speak on this afternoon.And for this reason I pray that we can both learn by the quiet promptings and specific whisperings and instructions that Heavenly Father has for each and every one of us, if we are willing to search and listen for them.

Just after we are baptized into the church, in our confirmation prayer, we are told to “Receive the Holy Ghost.” This is such an amazing gift that we are able to receive. By that statement we are told that it is our responsibility and privliage to always have His Spirit to be with us…And every week, as we partake of the sacrament we renew our baptisimal covenants through the sacramental prayer, in which the words are said..”That they may always have his spirit to be with them…”

I had a good friend give a farewell talk just a few weeks ago, and as he brought up that exact point in his talk, it really hit me. And since then, I have gained an even stronger testimony that if you honestly and sincerely strive to always remember the Savior, you will be blessed with the gifts and comforting power and feelings of the Holy Ghost.

As I have made a true change in my life to always try to remember Jesus Christ, my testimony has been strengthened. Through constantly feeling the Sprit, I have come to know, and I testify that God lives and loves each and every one of us. He loves all of his children, and is anxious to support us in our practical and spiritual challenges.

I have recently felt the power that God will bestow upon you if you are worthy, and seek for it. And as I am leaving on my mission in the next few days, I have been wanting and will need all the help I could possibly receive.

In D&C 42:15-16, it says…”Teach the children of men the things which I have put into your hands by the power of my spirit. And ye are to be taught from on high. Sanctify yourselves and ye shall be endowed with power, that ye may give even as I have spoken…”

What an amazing promise…”Sanctify yourselves and ye shall be endowed with power. As a soon-to-be missionary, this statement means so much to me.

I know that God truly wants to help us, and that if we continually strive to sanctify, and keep ourselves worthy, that he will endow us with power, and he will, through the spirit, send us personal revelation and help guide us as we sincerely and humbly search for Him. I know this because I have lived it, and it does work, and we truly are able to become clean by the amazing gift and power of the atonement which any single one of us are able to activate if we so desire.

One of the only things Heavenly Father asks of us before we will abundantly feel the spirit, is that we live our lives worthily to accept this gift. We need to earn his trust by living worthy.

Parents, would you let your unresponsible, young, or immature child use or borrow one of your most prized or precious possessions? I would assume that the answer is certainly no. We as Heavenly Father’s children must strive, and have a desire to understand the magnitude of such a wonderful and powerful gift as the Holy Spirit, and God, in his love, is willing to let us use the limitless power of, if we prove ourselves worthy. We should strive to be spiritually mature by doing the little things that Christ and Heavenly Father ask of us. Daily scripture and gospel study, morning and evening prayer, a goal to perform small and simple acts of service every day, paying our tithing, and striving to always remember Christ our Savior by partaking of the sacrament every week. By doing these simple things, not only will you strengthen your own character, come closer to God, and obtain more knowledge, but you will have an increase in spiritual strength, and you will be proving to God that you understand, and that you are wanting, and worthy of the boundless power of the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

I believe that sincerely striving for the gifts of the spirit is just as important as being worthy of them. You can be worthy for the Holy Ghost, but unless you are striving for, and want the Holy Spirit, you won’t be able to feel, or use it very often at all.

The Book of Mormon prophet Alma showed us the need for a spiritual witness when he bore his testimony to the wicket people of Zarahemla. As a young man, Alma was converted after being chastised by an angel of God. He had beheld and experienced physical evidence of God and heaven, but listen to how he describes his knowledge of God in his testimony…

…”Behold, I say unto you, they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God, Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And I know I do know of myself that they are true, for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit, and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me…”

So even though Alma had seen physical evidence with his own eyes, it still took the convincing power of the Holy Ghost to give him the burning testimony that me, and so many other people are striving to obtain.

In Moroni 10:5 it says…”And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”…

In Alma’s testimony, notice that he did not give one ounce of credit to his heavenly visitor for the reasons he chose to build up and come unto God’s church. He stated that he believed in God because he had a desire to know these things for himself, and he acted upon that desire. He did ask of God weather these things were true or not. And to obtain and build up a testimony similar to Alma’s, you must do the same thing. You need to sincerely ask.

In Matthew 7;7-8 it reads…”Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; For everyone that asketh recieveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened…”

I testify that if you follow the words of Matthew, and the example of Alma, that you will receive a true, burning testimony of the love and power of God. If you sincerely act on your desire, you will find what you are looking for.

So once we are worthy, once we have a desire, and once we act on our desire to obtain a testimony, and receive the full power and gifts of the Holy Ghost, we will be eledgible for more meaningful and frequent personal revelation.

In a recent General Conference, Julie Beck gave a talk concerning personal revelation. In her talk, she testified that (quote) “The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life.” (unquote)

Revelation is communication from God to His children. And in my life thus far, has been debatably the most valuable spiritual gift given to me personally.

If you continually receive guidance from the Spirit by keeping yourself worthy and striving to do better, you will radiate the Light of Christ. The Light of Christ is exactly what the words imply…enlightenment, knowledge, and an uplifting, ennobling, persevering influence that will eventually grow within you and come because of your true intent to follow and be like Jesus Christ. Through living your life like this, you will be endowed with power as I spoke about earlier. You will achieve a constant spiritual state of mind where you will almost constantly be receiving personal revelation. I know that if we live like this, that we will always be acting in God’s name. We will be doing his will. And that is exactly what my goal in life is.

-Testimony

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen