In the latest video released as part of the Church’s 2020 #HearHim initiative, Elder Gary E. Stevenson shares a story of how he learned to listen to the Holy Ghost.
As a child hiking with his father in the desert, Elder Stevenson recalls how a prompting from the Holy Ghost kept him from potential danger as he ventured off the beaten path.
“I’ve learned since then that promptings of the Holy Ghost are going to come to us. And we literally are hearing what the Lord wants us to hear," Elder Stevenson says in the video.
“I have heard the Holy Ghost warn me," he continues. "I have felt the Holy Ghost teach me. I have felt peace and comfort from the Holy Ghost. And I have had testimony come to me from the Holy Ghost. And so one of the ways I hear Him is doing all that I can to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost.”
In a blog post accompanying the video, Elder Stevenson reflected on how he has heard the voice of the Lord most consistently throughout his life through the power of the Holy Ghost.
"Following baptism, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints receive the gift of the Holy Ghost," Elder Stevenson wrote. "It is a unique privilege and blessing to have the constant companionship of a third member of the Godhead."
Elder Stevenson shared his testimony that when individuals hear or feel the promptings of the Holy Ghost, the Lord is communicating with them. "I testify of four special roles of the Holy Ghost that help us in our daily lives: He will teach us, He will testify to us, He will warn us, and He will comfort us," Elder Stevenson wrote.
The Holy Ghost has often provided comfort to him during challenging times, Elder Stevenson wrote. And as the Apostle has traveled around the world, the Holy Ghost has served as a constant reminder that God is mindful of him.
″[God] wants each of us to hear the voice of His Son, Jesus Christ, through the Holy Ghost. This applies to everyone, wherever they may be — the taxi driver in Calcutta, the engineer in London, the elementary school child in Ghana, and the farmer in Chile,” Elder Stevenson wrote.
Elder Stevenson concluded the blog by expressing his gratitude for the eternal truths the Holy Ghost has taught him.
"Each of us can know that we have loving Heavenly Parents. Each of us can feel the redeeming and sanctifying power of our Savior, Jesus Christ. And each of us can hear Him by listening to and heeding the promptings of the Holy Ghost," he wrote.
