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.
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©
by Rodger Dean Duncan & Ed J. Pinegar, All Rights Reserved
