Recognizing the Promptings of the Spirit

Before one can receive a witness of the Spirit, teach by the Spirit, or help others recognize spiritual feelings, they must first learn to recognize the promptings of the Spirit.  President Boyd K. Packer has said, "The voice of the Spirit is described in the scripture as being neither 'loud' nor 'harsh.'  It is 'not a voice of thunder, neither . . . voice of a great tumultuous noise.'  But rather, 'a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper,' and it can 'pierce even to the very soul' and 'cause [the heart] to burn.'  Remember, Elijah found the voice of the Lord was not in the wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire, but was a still small voice.

"The Spirit does not get our attention by shouting or shaking us with a heavy hand.  Rather it whispers.  It caresses so gently that if we are preoccupied we may not feel it at all.  Occasionally it will press just firmly enough for us to pay heed.  But most of the time, if we do not heed the gentle feeling, the Spirit will withdraw and wait until we come seeking and listening and say in our manner and expression, like Samuel of ancient times, 'Speak [Lord], for they servant heareth.'"

Promptings of the Spirit have often been described as a "burning in the bosom," yet Elder Dalin H. Oaks had this to say: "What does a 'burning in the bosom' mean?  Does it need to be a feeling of caloric heat, like the burning produced by combustion?  If that is the meaning, I have never had a burning in the bosom.  Surely, the word 'burning' in this scripture signifies a feeling of comfort and serenity.  That is the witness many receive.  That is the way revelation works."

How do we recognize the promptings of the spirit?  To answer the question, President Gordon B. Hinckley once read Moroni 7:13, 16-17 and then said, "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."

President Hinckley added that, "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."

In chapter 4 of Preach My Gospel, we find a table with a list of scriptures which gives ideas on how one might recognize the Spirit and its promptings (pages 96-97).  For example scriptures such as Galatians 5:22-23 suggest that the Spirit gives "feelings of love, joy, peace, patience, meekness, gentleness, faith and hope."  Doctrine and Covenants 8:2-3 says that the Spirit can give us ideas in the mind and feelings in the heart.  The spirit can enlighten the mind, according to Alma 32:28 and other scriptures.  The table is worth studying so that prospective missionaries can learn to recognize the Spirit.

President Howard W. Hunter explained how we can discern different manifestations of the Spirit: "I get concerned when it appears that strong emotion or free-flowing tears are equated with the presence of the Spirit.  Certainly the Spirit of the Lord can bring strong emotional feelings, including tears, but that outward manifestation ought not to be confused with the presence of the Spirit itself.

"I have watched a great many of my brethren over the years and we have shared some rare and unspeakable spiritual experiences together.  Those experiences have all been different, each special in its own way, and such sacred moments may or may not be accompanied by tears.  Very often they are, but sometimes they are accompanied by total silence.  Other times they are accompanied by joy.  Always they are accompanied by a great manifestation of the truth, of revelation to the heart. . . .

"Listen for the truth, hearken to the doctrine, and let the manifestation of the Spirit come as it may in all of its many and varied forms.  Stay with solid principles; teach from a pure heart.  The the Spirit will penetrate your mind and heart and every mind and heart of your students."

Not only can there be difference manifestations of the Spirit for different situations, but also for different people.  The way the Spirit manifests itself to one person is often different from how the Spirit manifests itself to another.  We are all individuals and the way the Spirit manifests itself to us may be unique.  We should learn not just to recognize the Spirit, but also how it manifests itself to us individually and uniquely.


Sources:

Missionary Preparation: Student Manual. (2005). Salt Lake City:The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Preach My Gospel. (2004). Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Teaching, No Greater Call: A Resource Guide for Gospel Teaching.  (1999).  Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.