Yield to the Enticings of the Holy Spirit

Mosiah 3:19 “For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.”

This is a well known and oft quoted scripture, but it holds a phrase that seems (incredibly) to have heretofore gone unnoticed by me: “ unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit.”

I usually associate the Holy Spirit with words like strive, prompt, teach, and persuade, but not entice. So that’s a new thought for me. I learned that Spencer J. Condie, taught that the word “entice” is among other “very strong action verbs” that all indicate “a positive influence which the Holy Ghost can have in our lives by actively helping us in our quest for perfection. [ A Mighty Change of Heart, Ensign, Nov 1993]” And I looked up the word entice to see what more I could learn. “Entice” means “to attract artfully . . . by arousing hope or desire [Merriam-Webster Dictionary].”

This gives so much more meaning to me about the mission of the Holy Spirit and has been on my mind almost constantly for several weeks - bringing me more in tune with the Father’s will.

Becoming a Quality Person Now

A quality life is God’s greatest wish for us. Life is to be lived well in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. There should not be a waiting period. …
All of us must live with proper priorities and purposes. Don’t be harsh in your self-appraisal. Rather, measure yourself by whether or not you are living the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I like the way of life expressed by my friend, Carol Clark, … when she says that the personal challenge is not to wait successfully but to live richly, fully, and joyfully. The goal is not to wait for the right person but to be the right person.
“The real fun of life is in overcoming obstacles while still happily hoping everything will work out. … I freely admit that living with my dreams unfulfilled has proven to be a softening, humbling influence because it’s been so hard. But the anchor is at hand, and because it is, I can progress, even though to date I’ve lost at love—the one thing I’ve wanted more in life than anything else save righteousness itself. …
“Last summer I complained to a non–Latter-day Saint friend that I was exhausted, having no fun, living like an automaton. Nonsympathetically, she countered, ‘What do you think this is? A dress rehearsal? This is your life, Carol. Fix it.’ I expected a pat and a kind word. Instead, I got a splash of reality square in the face. She was, of course, quite right. I wasn’t giving my life value, so I didn’t feel it had value. I went home, reread the parables of the sower and of the talents, and regrouped” (A Singular Life, ed. Carol L. Clark and Blythe Darlyn Thatcher [1987], 35–36).
Brothers and sisters, regroup, if that’s what is needed. Do not wait. Rather fill your life with service, education, personality development, love for all, and other such meaningful traits. Live with purpose each day. … As you strive to become a quality person, commune daily with your Heavenly Father who knows you best of all. He knows your talents, your strengths, and your weaknesses. You are here on the earth at this time to develop and refine these characteristics. I promise you He will help you. He is aware of your needs. He is aware of your unanswered prayers.

- Marvin J. Ashton, “Be a Quality Person,” Ensign, Feb 1993, 64

Power to Act

Nephi’s words, “I will go and do,” reveal a positive commitment to act and to succeed by using spiritual law. (1 Ne. 3:7.) After two unsuccessful attempts, Nephi remained confident. He crept into the city toward the house of Laban without all the answers. He observed, “I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do,” significantly adding, “Nevertheless I went forth.” (1 Ne. 4:6–7; italics added.)

 Nephi was willing to try time and again, using his best efforts. He expressed faith that he would be helped. He refused to be discouraged. But because he acted, had confidence in the Lord, was obedient, and properly used his agency, he received guidance. He was inspired step after step to success, and in his mother’s words was “given … power [to] accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded.” (1 Ne. 5:8; italics added.)

Nephi knew he was required to confide in God, to exercise faith, and to act so that he could receive help, step by step. He did not murmur nor ask for a full explanation. But, observe particularly, he did not wait passively for help. He acted! By following spiritual law, he was inspired and given power to act.

- Richard G. Scott, “Learning to Recognize Answers to Prayer,” Ensign, Nov 1989, 30

He Succors Us in Our Afflictions

"The Savior can respond to our requests for help in several ways, including (a) relieving or lightening our burdens, (b) increasing our strength to carry our burdens, (c) allowing increased burdens to give us needed experience, and (d) not providing immediate help in order to test and strengthen our faith and to teach us."

 - Flávio A. Cooper, “Book of Mormon Principles: He Knows Our Suffering,” Ensign, Jun 2004

Things that Matter

"Someday, when we look back on mortality, we will see that so many of the things that seemed to matter so much at the moment will be seen not to have mattered at all. And the eternal things will be seen to have mattered even more than the most faithful of the Saints imagined."

-  Neal A. Maxwell,  Even As I Am (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book,  1982), 104

Improving Our Prayers

There are many reasons our prayers may lack power. Sometimes they become routine. Our prayers become hollow when we say similar words in similar ways over and over so often that the words become more of a recitation than a communication. This is what the Savior described as “vain repetitions” (see Matt. 6:7).
. . .
Do your prayers at times sound and feel the same? Have you ever said a prayer mechanically, the words pouring forth as though cut from a machine? Do you sometimes bore yourself as you pray?

Will prayers that do not demand much of your thought merit much attention from our Heavenly Father? When you find yourself getting into a routine with your prayers, step back and think. Meditate for a while on the things for which you really are grateful. Look for them. They don’t have to be grand or glorious. Sometimes we should express our gratitude for the small and simple things like the scent of the rain, the taste of your favorite food, or the sound of a loved one’s voice.

Thinking of things we are grateful for is a healing balm. It helps us get outside ourselves. It changes our focus from our pains and our trials to the abundance of this beautiful world we live in.

Think of those things you truly need. Bring your goals and your hopes and your dreams to the Lord and set them before Him. Heavenly Father wants us to approach Him and ask for His divine aid. Explain to Him the trials you are facing. Set before Him your righteous desires.
Our prayers can and should be focused on the practical, everyday struggles of life. If we should pray over our crops (see Alma 34:24), then why not over other important challenges we face?
. . .
As we approach our Heavenly Father in the name of Christ, we open the windows of heaven. We can receive from Him truth, light, and knowledge.

Prayer is the doorway through which we commence our discipleship to things heavenly and eternal. We will never be alone so long as we know how to pray.

- Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Improving Our Prayers,” Ensign, Mar 2004, 24–31

To Acquire Spiritual Guidance

Father in Heaven knew that you would face challenges and be required to make some decisions that would be beyond your own ability to decide correctly. In His plan of happiness, He included a provision for you to receive help with such challenges and decisions during your mortal life. That assistance will come to you through the Holy Ghost as spiritual guidance. It is a power, beyond your own capability, that a loving Heavenly Father wants you to use consistently for your peace and happiness.

I am convinced that there is no simple formula or technique that would immediately allow you to master the ability to be guided by the voice of the Spirit. Our Father expects you to learn how to obtain that divine help by exercising faith in Him and His Holy Son, Jesus Christ. Were you to receive inspired guidance just for the asking, you would become weak and ever more dependent on Them. They know that essential personal growth will come as you struggle to learn how to be led by the Spirit.

What may appear initially to be a daunting task will be much easier to manage over time as you consistently strive to recognize and follow feelings prompted by the Spirit. Your confidence in the direction you receive from the Holy Ghost will also become stronger. I witness that as you gain experience and success in being guided by the Spirit, your confidence in the impressions you feel can become more certain than your dependence on what you see or hear.

Spirituality yields two fruits. The first is inspiration to know what to do. The second is power, or the capacity to do it. These two capacities come together. That’s why Nephi could say, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded. [1 Nephi 3:7]" He knew the spiritual laws upon which inspiration and power are based.

 - Richard G. Scott, “To Acquire Spiritual Guidance,” Ensign, Nov 2009, 6–9