by Eric Kotter, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon“), student at BYU-Idaho studying communications, and freelance writer.

The Holy Spirit, also referred to as the Holy Ghost, was given to us by God in order to guide us and strengthen us here in this earth life. The Holy Spirit is an actual person, but he doesn’t have a physical body, He has a spirit. The Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, and Heavenly Father are three separate beings that are all a part of the Godhead. They all have the same purpose, which is to help bring us back into the presence of God so that we might have eternal life.

There are two parts to understanding the Holy Spirit. There is the power of the Holy Spirit, and there is the gift of the Holy Spirit, or gift of the Holy Ghost. Before someone is baptized and given the gift of the Holy Ghost, they can feel the power and influence of the Holy Spirit testify to their hearts of things that are true. It can help them feel peace and lead them to what is right and good. When the spirit leads others to truth, it prompts them act on those truths. For example, after finding out that Jesus Christ asks us to get baptized, the Holy Spirit would then prompt that person to make changes in their lives in order to get ready for baptism. After baptism, when given under proper priesthood authority, we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost which is the right to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost whenever one is worthy. The gift of the Holy Ghost has a sanctifying effect on the body, and helps remove the desires to do evil and sin. It helps us literally become like Jesus Christ, and allows us to be cleansed from our sins.

One purpose of the Holy Spirit is to testify of all truth. In The Book of Mormon, a volume of ancient holy scripture which testifies of Jesus Christ, it says, “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is” (Book of Mormon: Moroni 10:5-6). The Holy Spirit speaks to us through our thoughts and feelings. When Heavenly Father sent us to this earth He did not want to leave us alone and lost without any way of knowing what is right and what is wrong, what is true and what isn’t, so He gave us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through thoughts, feelings, and impressions. The Holy Ghost speaks to us more as a still small voice rather than a loud voice. An apostle of Jesus Christ said, “That sweet, quiet voice of inspiration comes more as a feeling than it does as a sound” (Elder Boyd K. Packer). The book of Galatians in the Bible helps us recognize when we are feeling the influence of the Holy Spirit. It says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). When I feel the spirit it helps me want to be more loving, kind, patient and good. When I feel the spirit, I want to be more like Jesus Christ. I know that I am feeling the Holy Ghost when I feel calm and at peace, and when confusion and doubt clears away. When I feel this way, it helps me know what is true and good. I have felt that way about Jesus Christ and His restored church. I know that His church has been restored to the earth. Just as a blind man knows that the sun exists because he can feel its heat, I know that Jesus Christ lives because I can feel His love for me when I read about Him, and follow His counsel to love and serve others. I also know that there are living prophets and apostles on this earth who speak for Jesus Christ by revelation. I have felt the same feelings of the Holy Spirit testify to me that these things are true.

When I was a child of eight years old, I was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Commonly misnamed “The Mormon Church“) and given the gift of the Holy Ghost. Through the authority of God, which is called the priesthood, I was baptized, and then hands were laid on my head to confer upon me the gift of the Holy Ghost. I don’t remember everything that was said at the baptism, but I do remember the feeling I felt. I felt clean–clean spiritually. I felt happy and peaceful. I felt that the Lord was pleased with my decision of committing to follow Him. The Holy Spirit rested upon me and I felt the Lord’s love. The Holy Spirit has been a tremendous blessing in my life. Without it, I would be lost in this world of confusion. I know that it is real. I have felt it’s power and influence lift me, teach me, and testify to me of the reality of Jesus Christ. I know that the Holy Spirit can be felt by all who honestly want to do what’s right and find truth.

Additional Resources:

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The Gift of the Holy Ghost

Read more about the Holy Ghost from an apostle of Jesus Christ at the official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

It’s human nature to want to stay in charge of our own lives. Turning decisions that affect us can be very frightening. However, we see the world with a very limited vision. There is no way for us to see what will happen in the long term.

The scriptures contain many stories of people who were forced to trust God’s advice even when the advice’s wisdom wasn’t obvious. As is often pointed out, it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark. Living where he did, it’s likely he couldn’t even imagine what a flood would look like.

The Bible tells of the widow of Zarephath. The prophet Elijah was commanded by God to go to Zarephath during a serious drought and famine, explaining that He had instructed the widow to feed Elijah. When Elijah found her, he asked her for water and bread. She responded, “As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.(1 Kings 17:12)

Even though God had instructed her to provide this bread for the prophet, somewhere in the back of her mind must have been some concern about this. She didn’t even have enough to care for herself or her child, and she was being asked to feed a prophet. Why couldn’t he go to someone who had more than she had?

Elijah reassured her, “Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.”

Now the widow has a decision to make. Should she do what seems logical and sensible-take care of herself and her son first, because they have so little, sending the prophet on to someone who was better off? Or…should she trust the promise of the prophet, and by extension, God?

Notice that Elijah gave her a specific order-feed him first, and then herself and her son. She had to exercise faith in God before even beginning to care for herself and her child. She had no proof the prophet was telling her the truth. For her, it was a moment of commitment-she had to decide if she had a testimony of the prophet and of her own personal revelation from God that she was to do this.

What did she choose? She didn’t have days and hours to go in, pray, and come to a decision. She had just a moment to make a choice that would affect the rest of her life and even her eternal life.

15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.

With but a moment to choose, the widow chose to trust God’s wisdom in a situation that seemed entirely unlikely. Her life wasn’t easy after this, or without trial, but because she trusted God, she and her child lived.

With our limited mortal vision, it’s impossible to see the long-term possibilities in a given situation. Losing a job can seem, on the surface, to be a tragedy, but the next year, the person may have launched a successful business of his own, and will later look back and celebrate the day he lost his job. At the moment of the trial, there were no blessings in sight, but a year later, the man can see it spurred him to do something he loved.

One of the reasons God sent us to earth was so we could have experiences and learn to make choices. Knowing we’d

have difficulty making those choices with our limited vision, He gave us a resource to use as we go through our lives. He offered us the ability to pray and to receive personal revelation that can guide us through the challenging decisions we have to make.

Each person has the light of Christ to guide him from birth. This light comes from God through Jesus Christ, and it is what testifies of us what is true and what is right. Sometimes people refer to their conscious, which is really the Light of Christ whispering the right thing to do. When a person decides to seek out the truth about God, and select a church to join, it’s the light of Christ, not the missionary or friend, who will tell the person what is true in a way that cannot be denied.

When someone is baptized by a priesthood holder with the proper authority, he becomes eligible for the gift of the Holy Ghost. which some people call the Holy Spirit. Mormon beliefs teach each person must be baptized by one with authority. Following the baptism, either that day or soon after, the person is confirmed a member of the church. This is done by priesthood holders who place their hands on the head of the new convert, proclaim him a member, and then command him to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The gift of the Holy Ghost allows the member to have the Holy Ghost with him all the time, as long as he’s living worthy to receive it. The Holy Ghost cannot be where evil is, so a person who ignores a prompting to remove himself from a bad situation or to stop doing something wrong will find he is alone to cope with the consequences of his decisions.

The Holy Ghost’s guidance allows us to access God’s wisdom in every situation. When we’re confronted with a decision to make, the Holy Ghost will tell us what God wants us to do. As we follow that counsel, either from the Light of Christ or the Holy Ghost, we should notice the results. While some results might not be apparent for many years, and God’s choices may even be more for the benefit of another than for you, we will often be able to see the wisdom in the advice we were given. Over time, this will help us to learn to trust God and to follow His instructions even when the answer doesn’t seem to make any sense to us with our limited vision.

Just before Jesus‘ death, He promised His apostles God would send a comforter to them after His death. What is the comforter? The comforter Jesus promised is the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit. This precious gift brings comfort in a variety of ways to those who live worthy of its presence.

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:26)

Jesus Christ understood His apostles would miss Him and even be frightened after He died, leaving them with the responsibility of running the young church. One role of the comforter is to comfort in the traditional sense. It could help the apostles cope with their grief in the days to come. In our own lives, we can also call on the comforter when we’re sad or worried. Whether it’s a small fear of the dark, or an overpowering grief, the Holy Ghost can come into our hearts and ease the pain. This doesn’t mean we’ll never be sad or hurt. It does mean we’ll be able to feel that God loves us and has sent someone to help us get through the trial.

The Holy Ghost provides comfort in ways we sometimes don’t associate with comfort. One way it does this is to confirm truth. Not knowing what is true can be a frightening experience when your eternal salvation depends on knowing it. The Holy Ghost is the only reliable source of truth.

26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: (John 15:26)

When we know what is true and what God wants us to do and to be, we can have a peaceful feeling in our hearts, and be freed of many of the most painful worries. Dallin H. Oaks, a Mormon apostle, taught:

One of the greatest things about our Heavenly Father’s plan for His children is that each of us can know the truth of that plan for ourselves. That revealed knowledge does not come from books, from scientific proof, or from intellectual pondering. As with the Apostle Peter, we can receive that knowledge directly from our Heavenly Father through the witness of the Holy Ghost.

“When we know spiritual truths by spiritual means, we can be just as sure of that knowledge as scholars and scientists are of the different kinds of knowledge they have acquired by different methods.” Dallin H. Oaks, “Testimony,” Ensign, May 2008, 26-29

There isn’t a science experiment that can prove God or tell us which church to join, but when we rely on the Holy Ghost, we don’t need a science experiment. We can learn the truth through the Holy Ghost and feel comforted that however challenging life might be, we’re following God’s plan for us.

A related function of the Holy Ghost’s ability to provide comfort is through guidance. We often have to make personal decisions about our lives, and sometimes, even after we’ve studied it out and made a decision, we wonder if we’ve done the right thing. The Holy Ghost knows the answer, because God knows everything and the Holy Ghost is His messenger. We’re taught that if we study an issue and make a choice, we can pray to know whether or not we’ve chosen correctly. If we experience a feeling of peace, comfort, or well-being, perhaps even what some have described as a burning sensation in the chest, we know we’ve made the right choice. You cannot do wrong and feel right, Mormons are taught, so peacefulness is a message from God. If our feelings are negative or confused, we know we should go back and re-evaluate the problem. Once we have our answer, we can carry out the decision and not worry about it again, knowing we’ve done what God taught us to do and it’s in His hands now.

In order to receive the comfort of the Holy Ghost, we must be worthy to have it in our lives. Prior to membership in God’s kingdom, we can have the Light of Christ with us, which will stay with us all our lives. During this time, we can periodically receive visits from the Holy Ghost as well. After we have identified and chosen to join God’s church, we can be baptized. Following baptism, we are given the gift of the Holy Ghost at the same time we’re made a member of God’s church. From this time on, the Holy Ghost can be with us all the time. However, we must make a serious effort to keep the commandments. The Holy Ghost can’t dwell in a sinful place, and so our spirits must be kept as clean and pure as possible, to be a worthy home for this great gift. When the Holy Ghost warns us we’re headed for danger, we have to obey and stop doing wrong or leave an inappropriate location. As long as we are doing this, we are promised the Holy Ghost will stay with us all the time, to guide us safely back to God’s kingdom.

Scott Livingston

It was a cold February morning when my wife, Kristina, and newborn, Cameron Van, set out through Logan Canyon on the 40 mile drive from our home in Bear Lake to the hospital to get Cameron’s bilirubin level tested. We arrived safely in Logan on time and checked in with the receptionist. They called us in, gave Cameron a small poke on his heel and the nurse sent us on our way, saying they would call us at home with the results. This had become a daily routine since Cameron’s birth a week earlier. He was born with high bilirubin levels and the doctor wanted to monitor it until he was confident that Cameron’s body would take control.

After a few errands in Logan, milk, eggs, prescriptions, etc., we began our trek through Logan Canyon. As usual the road was covered in snow and ice but we had become used to it as we drove the canyon everyday the previous week. Kristina and I were concerned about the canyon before Cameron’s birth. We were worried that when the time came the canyon would be closed and we would have to deliver the baby at home, or worse in a Suburban stuck in the snow somewhere in the canyon. But after a scheduled induction a week early to take advantage of the good weather, a relatively easy delivery, and short recovery, we had shelved our concerns. It was a sunny drive back home but as we pulled into the Garden City the weather began to turn.

After getting the kids back in the house and beginning preparations for dinner, Kristina received a call from the doctor. He explained that Cameron’s bilirubin levels had shot up to dangerous levels and prescribed bili lights for Cameron. He asked if we were still in Logan so we could come back to the hospital. He expressed great concern when Kristina told him that we were already in Bear Lake and asked if we could bring Cameron back. The weather had really gotten bad and they decided that it was best to find another option. The doctor told her that Cameron really should be in the hospital but due to the weather and deteriorating road conditions it would be best if we could somehow get some lights to Cameron, wait out the storm, and then take him in when it was safe. The doctor said he would try to arrange for home hospice to deliver the lights but was concerned it was getting too late for deliveries since the home hospice closed soon. Kristina agreed to call around Bear Lake to see if anyone had some by chance.

When I learned of this I took it lightly to say the least. I made jokes about being stranded and having to make our own lights with duct tape and chicken wire like MacGyver. I really didn’t realize the severity of the situation and wandered around the house making jokes with the kids for a good half-hour while Kristina worked the phone.

Being an adventure seeker I joked with Kristina about hiking or snowmobiling over the canyon in the blizzard, giving me the opportunity to play “arctic explorer” or “Himalayan expedition” like I had fantasized about as a young scout when we used to dig snow caves on the Klondike derby. As a young adult when I began snowmobiling in the backcountry, I always had an appetite for the extreme. I have crossed mountains in blizzards, dug in and spent the night atop mountain peaks, raced through tight timbered forests in the middle of the night at near 80 miles per hour and was always hungry for more.

I had acquired the best gear money could buy and daydreamed like a child in math class of how I would get myself out of a terrible blizzard after a severe crash,  returning safely to thousands of screaming fans. I carried a great deal of pride that in all my days snowmobiling, Jeeping, motorcycling, and canyoneering, I have never left anyone or any vehicle behind and never had to call for help. I was always able to MacGyver my way out. Even the time that I found myself in a one way slot canyon without a rope at the top of a 60 foot cliff after 11 miles of extreme DCing(a climbing term for squeezing your body through a vertical crack to go up or down) with seemingly no way out, I made it out. It required throwing all my gear off the 60 foot cliff and climbing back up, what the guidebook said couldn’t be done, and hike 35 miles in the middle of the night to my mangled pack at the bottom of the cliff and spent a few hours sleeping in the crevasse before hiking out in the morning.

And there was the time I used electrical tape to reattach a driveline to an old blazer on one of Moab’s toughest 4×4 trails and drove it out on it’s own power. I had this appetite for extreme sports but I would find myself hoping that something would go terribly wrong just to have the challenge of getting out.

Kristina got another call from the doctor and explained to him that she was unable to find any bili lights in town; he told her that he had already made arrangements with the home hospice and they were on their way. For a few moments we presumed that everything was going to be fine until the next call came. It was the home hospice delivery guy calling to say that he was stopped at the bottom of the canyon; the highway Patrol had closed it due to the raging storm. He asked if it would be all right if he came the next morning. Kristina said that was fine with her but that she would call the doctor just to be sure.

The reaction from the doctor couldn’t have been worse; he told her that Cameron’s levels were so high that if he didn’t get on lights soon, he would not survive until morning. The doctor called the home hospice in both Montpelier, Idaho and Evanston, Wyoming and got them both on their way at the same time. We figured that one of them would surely make it as the roads from both directions were relatively flat and the bulk of the storm was west in the mountains.

We hunkered down at home feeling assured that we had good people taking care of our needs. In the next few minutes things really took a turn for the worse. Within minutes of each other, we received the news that both highways were closed and they were not able to get through. This was when things got serious. I did not believe either one of them; after all it wasn’t even snowing at our house. After a lousy attempt at calming down Kristina, we decided that I would go out and try driving to Montpelier because it was closest. Kristina called the home hospice and requested that he wait at the road block for us to meet him. He agreed even though this potentially meant he would be sitting all night.

I set out North in my white Suburban to check out the road and see just how bad it was. It was bad. I called the Montpelier sheriff’s office and explained my situation to dispatch and asked permission to go through. The dispatch woman told me there was no way I would make it. She explained that two troopers had gotten stuck trying to rescue stranded motorists just 4 miles out of town. The wind was so strong that although it hadn’t started snowing yet, 4 foot high drifts had piled up all over the roads. The plows were ineffective since the drivers couldn’t see and the drifts piled up too fast. Visibility was at zero and she advised me to turn back now before they had to rescue me too. I told her that I had to try and I wouldn’t expect a rescue; I hung up the phone and figured I would go as far as I could until I could come up with a better plan. I knew that driving was a futile effort but doing nothing was not an option.

The wind was so severe that the Suburban shook side-to-side and I could hardly see past the hood. The snowdrifts were so high that I decided to turn back, making it no more than a few miles. I called dispatch back and asked if (or told her that) I was going back home to get my snowmobile and was coming though. I gave her my description and asked that she radio to all officers in the area to ask that they not try and stop me. She strongly objected to my request and said that there was no visibility and I would surely get lost. In my most confident voice I told her again that I was coming through.

She agreed to heed my request and radio the officers. This was when the adrenaline stated to kick in. I called Kristina and calmly told her what I was going to do and that I needed to talk to Miranda (our 14 year old). When Miranda got on the phone I directed her to go to the basement and get my gear. What I needed was neatly organized on the shelf. She had everything at the front door when I got there.

This was when I started to panic: the thought of being out in that storm frightened me, and going 40 miles each way was a daunting task. I wasn’t even sure if I could go that far on a single tank of gas. This is when I stopped, bowed my head, and prayed for help. I asked my Heavenly Father if this was the right thing to do. I felt a small comfort and the panic attack subsided. I backed into the driveway and hitched up my enclosed trailer. The work involved in hitching up the trailer also calmed me.

I went in the house. Miranda had everything ready exactly how I had asked. I threw my gear on, told Kristina not to worry, and headed out. The gas tank in the snowmobile was full. It was usually stored full to save time on a good-powder day. I jumped in the Suburban and pulled out of the driveway. Having the trailer on made it difficult to drive in the deep snow but I felt inclined to drive the Suburban as far as I could out of fear of having to be out in the storm.

I received a phone call from dispatch; two paramedics in a 4-wheel drive ambulance had volunteered to bring the lights. They had met the hospice guy at the roadblock, picked up the lights, and headed my way. Eight miles south of Montpelier they became stuck and radioed in their location. I told her to tell them to keep their flashing lights on and I would find them. I asked her to give them thanks for going above and beyond their duties. She wished me luck and hung up.

This was when the real fear set in. My heart began pounding, I had to think of little Cameron; I was his only chance he had. I had to stay focused on what I had to do. The drifts were getting higher and longer so that when I hit one the floorboards would drag and as I reached the other side the trailer would drag even harder. I had to floor it just to get it out.

I wondered when I should park and unload the snowmobile; this was when I really began to pray. I knew I had to drive as far as possible so I would have enough gas to make it on the snowmobile. I prayed aloud in the Suburban, “Help me Heavenly Father. Please show me where to stop. Guide me Heavenly Father. Please show me the way. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.”

And again, and again, I prayed. Soon realized that the short prayers weren’t working for I had a stupor of thought between them. I remembered something I learned a year before when preparing a talk for sacrament meeting that we should wait for an answer before closing our prayers. So I tried again with a long pause and tried to listen for a still small voice to say, at the stop sign or at the next corner, but no answer came. I began to get emotional and begged for guidance.

What became an emotional tirade eventually turned into repetition of the same sentence, “lead me, guide me, help me find the way”. I had been repeating this for some time when I realized what it was; it was the primary song “I am a Child of God”. I felt a surge of energy and began singing the whole song out loud. The act of negotiating each snowdrift became routine; I kept up the speed to provide momentum to blast through each bump. I felt thankful for the years I had spent as a 4×4 enthusiast which had prepared me for this moment. “Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way. Teach me all that I must do to live with him some day.” At that moment I needed to keep going.

I had made it farther than I thought and rolled into the town of St. Charles. The wind was getting worse and the visibility was so bad that I rolled my window down and had to look at the ground beside me. “Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way.” Just then a clearing in the storm revealed the blinking yellow light of a road grader and the St. Charles chapel.

I was overwhelmed by the spirit and knew that this was my answer. The large building served as a wind break, and the dutiful man that was running that grader to clear the snow for the next days services had cleared a wide enough place in the road for me to slow down, turn around and park without getting stuck. When I got out of the Suburban I was amazed at how calm it was, I knew that Heavenly Father had heard me and had provided me with a literal calm in the storm to make the transition to snowmobile. A surge of confidence came over me for I knew that God was with me. I hurried into my helmet and gloves, fired up the 800cc monster and shot off down the snowdrift-covered highway.

It wasn’t 100 feet when I hit a drift 6 feet high and at least 60 feet across, which surely would have buried the Suburban. As I passed the outskirts of town the visibility worsened so I couldn’t even see the hood. I had to lean off the right side to barely see the ground. The wind blew sideways at a good 60 mph with gusts of at least 80mph maybe more. What I assumed was the highway was nothing but drifts. The only way I knew I was on the road was by occasionally making out the squared edge left by a plow from a previous storm.

Although I had on 2 layers of Performance Fleece,  Under Armour base and a full Gore-Tex shell the wind blew right through to my skin. Snow began to build up between the sealed lenses of my top of the line helmet. Every breath was like inhaling desert sand until it melted at the back of my throat. I continued to sing aloud in my helmet because I knew that if I didn’t keep the spirit with me I would be lost and I had a long way to go.

After what seemed like an hour I could make out a small light straight ahead of me. I worried for a moment that I was off course out in some field and just happened to be headed straight for a house. A car maybe, no there’s only one light. It couldn’t be the ambulance because I guessed had another ten miles to go before even getting close. As I got closer I saw a snowmobile right in the middle of the road facing me blocked from the wind by some kind of building. I slowed down to check it out. As I was about to pass I saw a person out of the corner of my eye waving their arms. I stopped and 4 more people emerged out of the darkness.

I opened my helmet and asked “Who are you?”

A woman’s voice replied, “I have the lights”. I was ecstatic, I jumped off my snowmobile and hugged every one of them and thanked them for bringing the lights. They were a group of firemen, paramedics, and search and rescue persons that had heard what was happening on the police scanner and organized a small party to retrieve the lights from the ambulance and find me somewhere as they made their way back to rescue the two paramedics in the ambulance as well as the stranded motorists and 2 troopers. These five were angels sent to lessen my burden.

I quickly jumped back on my snowmobile and took off again back home. I was thinking, halfway, all I have to do is follow my tracks back to the Suburban and I’m home free. Wrong. My tracks were gone after the first hundred feet and it was even harder to see as my lens was nearly packed full of snow. I kept singing,  ”lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way.” I couldn’t see a thing; it was pure white darkness. All I could see was the inside of my helmet. I stayed focused on controlling the throttle up and down as I felt each drift go under me. I found the Suburban in that surreal calm in the storm loaded up and headed for home. Bucking the drifts was a bit easier going back even though all evidence of my first pass was gone. Anything seemed easy after those 20 long miles on the snowmobile.

I arrived home and immediately went to work getting Cameron on the lights. As soon as we got them working Kristina called the doctor and told him the good news. He seemed relieved but instructed us to get him to the hospital as soon as the storm broke and the roads reopened. I called dispatch and declared mission accomplished and thanked her for all her help. She agreed to forward my thanks on to the others involved.

The next morning the storm had broke and the canyon opened. We loaded Cameron up and got him in to the hospital. Cameron spent two days in what looked like a tanning bed with two large spot lights shining on him. He had to wear a special mask to protect his eyes from the intense light therapy. He was released and is doing well other than his pooping, crying, and slobbering all over but we love him anyway.

We just celebrated Cameron’s first birthday and I look back at that eventful storm and give thanks to Heavenly Father who walked beside me that night and showed me the way. I know that I could not have done it alone, there was just no way. In times of desperation when we feel like our prayers aren’t being heard we just need to hang in there, maybe sing a little, and trust that God has a plan for us. I remembered all the experiences I have had (the broken driveline, stuck in a slot canyon, etc.) and realize that God was teaching me and preparing me to raise my family. All of us will have different storms and how we deal with them and who we turn to for help will determine how well we make it through.

We are all in an economic storm that has put a lot of us into a panic, despair, and loss of ambition. Now, more than ever we need to put our trust in the Lord and be patient for He will provide us a calm in the storm and prepare us for the next leg of our journey. He has a plan for each of us but we need to be listening so we don’t miss it. My faith was strengthened by this experience and I hope that by sharing it, yours will be too.

Mormons describe four important steps to becoming a member of God’s kingdom, and they refer to these as the first principles and ordinances of the gospel. They form the foundation of a Mormon‘s relationship with God and Jesus Christ, and set the basis for his membership in the church.

These principles are outlined in a document called, ” The Articles of Faith.” The Articles of Faith are thirteen core beliefs of the church. The first one states, “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” This is important for understanding the four principles, and is followed by statements on personal responsibility for actions and on the Atonement of Christ.

The first principles are listed as the fourth Article of Faith. It states: “We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.” These principles are organized in the order in which they must be obtained. Each one builds on the others.

The first principle is faith. Faith is believing in something you can’t see and don’t have physical proof of. Alma, an ancient prophet in the Book of Mormon, gave the classic sermon on faith. In it, he explained, “Now, as I said concerning faith-that it was not a perfect knowledge-even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge. But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. (Alma 32:26-27)

From Alma, we learn that even the smallest glimmer of faith-even a longing to believe– is enough to begin with, and that we can use that hope or glimmer to begin the process of developing a personal relationship with God and with the Savior.

The second principle of the gospel is repentance. Once we have faith and a strong love for God, we begin to feel a sorrow for all the things we did wrong before we gained our faith. This sorrow provides a starting place for repentance. The process of repentance involves a true sorrow for the sin, not just for the consequences of sin. Next, the person must make restitution for his sins, apologizing to all those who were hurt and trying to make things right as far as possible. The next step is to go to God, asking forgiveness of Him. Finally, the person must forsake the sin, never returning to it. If the sin is repeated, the process begins again until he has finally gained mastery over that aspect of his life.

After he has gained faith and gone through the repentance process, he can begin to evaluate his life against the principles of the gospel. Once he has achieved a certain level of testimony and obedience, and has repented fully, he can be baptized. This is the third step of the four critical principles and ordinances. Mormon baptism follows the example of the Savior’s own baptism, in that it is done by complete immersion. This immersion represents the death and resurrection of the Savior, as well as symbolizing a cleansing of the soul. The baptism must be done by a person who has the authority to do so, just as Jesus went to John the Baptist, who was authorized to baptize.

During the baptism, the person makes covenants with God. A covenant is a two-way promise between man and God, with God setting the terms. He covenants to take on the name of the Savior and to keep the commandments of God. Mormons do not baptize anyone until the age of eight, since they must be old enough to be accountable for their sins and to understand what they’ve committed to do.

The fourth step in this process is to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. All people have the Spirit of Christ to guide them and can receive ministrations from the Holy Ghost. However, once the person has formally received the Gift of the Holy Ghost, he can have it with him at all times, as long as he’s living worthy of it. This gift helps him to discern truth from falsehood, right from wrong, and safety from danger. This gift is administered by a worthy priesthood holder with the authority to give it. At the same time, membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often nicknamed the Mormons) is conferred.

Other ordinances will occur in the members life, and of course, there are many other principles by which the Mormons live, but these form the foundation for all the others.