That still small voice … Yet, one of my favorite titles for the Holy Ghost is ‘Comforter.’ I have been blessed with some truly wonderful spiritual experiences in my life, but one comes mostly to mind whenever I think of the influence of the Holy Ghost. 
At a time when I was struggling spiritually and felt almost abandoned at that point, I decided that I would fast and pray to know what I needed to do so that I could have the Holy Ghost in my life more fully. I knelt down one afternoon at the ottoman in my bedroom and poured out my heart and soul to my Father in Heaven. As I pled with Father to feel of His love and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit more in my life, a hot feeling flooded over me like the warm water of a shower being gently turned on over my head. I could not help but smile. I knew and felt the Spirit of the Lord.
Elijah, by experience, taught us about the Holy Ghost. “And behold, the Lord passed by and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake;
“And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice” (I Kings 19:11-12). 
Other ways that I feel the Holy Ghost in my life is like a thinning of the veil. I feel as if the celestial world has seeped into my presence and I am just a step away from Divinity. Other times, I feel as if the Lord has taken me by the hand or encircled me in His arms of love giving me a heavenly embrace. An enduring feeling of peace.
Everyone has different feelings when working with the Spirit. It will be very personal to each of us. As we each feel it, we should record the feelings in a journal so that we will be able to recognize it again.
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Knowing the Holy Ghost is not automatic when it is given to us through our confirmation into the church. It requires practice to feel and use its influence in our lives. Wilford Woodruff taught us that “there is no greater gift, there is no greater blessing, there is no greater testimony given” than what comes from the Holy Ghost. “It is this that sustains us through all the persecutions, trials and tribulations that come upon us” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church, Wilford Woodruff, p49).
How can you gain the spirit in your life?
- First, ponder and read the scriptures daily. You cannot help but feel the Spirit when you read the words of God. Also, read your Sunday lessons, Relief Society, Priesthood, and Sunday School.
- Second, keep the commandments. Remember that the Spirit of God will not always “strive with man” (Genesis 6:3).
- Third, desire to have the spirit in your life.
- Fourth, pray for the spirit.
- Fifth, seek the spirit in your life. Abraham sought for the blessings of the Spirit (Abraham 1:2).
- Sixth, practice gratitude in your lives. Acknowledge the Lord’s hand in all things.
- Seventh, sit, ponder, be still and listen for that still small voice.
- Eighth, practice listening to that voice daily.
- Ninth, record the experiences with the Holy Ghost in a journal so that it can be accessed again and again.
- Tenth, make sure to always be in a place which is acceptable to the Lord. The Spirit will not attend anyone in a place that is full of contention or evil.
The presence of the Holy Ghost will require constant effort.
By Tracy Atkinson
Tracy Atkinson, mother of six, lives in the Midwest with her husband. She is a teacher, having taught elementary school to higher education, holding degrees in elementary education and a master’s in higher education. Her passion is researching, studying and investigating the attributes related to self-directed learners. She has published several titles, including Calais: The Annals of the Hidden, Lemosa: The Annals of the Hidden, Book Two, Rachel’s 8 and Securing Your Tent. She is currently working on a non-fiction text exploring the attributes of self-directed learners: The Five Characteristics of Self-directed Learners.
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