I don’t wish to frighten you, but I can think of times when I have been driving and have no memory of how I arrived at my destination. As I was driving, I was so caught up in my thoughts, worries, or day dreams that forgot that I was driving.   When jolted back to awareness of being in the driver’s seat, I thought:   How did I navigate those turns?  How did I brake? How did I get safely to my destination?  It shocked me to think of how unsafe it was for me to operate my car while I was “zoned out”. 

As I reflect on spiritual safety, I am aware that there are times in my life that I have spiritually “zoned out”, and have had to ask myself; how long have I been spiritually inattentive?  How much of my life have I lived like this?  How much of my life has slipped by without my intentionally seeking the companionship of the Holy Ghost?  How has this affected my spiritual safety?

In his book Key to the Science of Theology;  Parley P. Pratt wrote:   

“the gift of the Holy Ghost … quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases,  enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections. … It  inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness and charity. It  develops beauty of person, form and features.” These and many other blessings of the Spirit await us, when we seek them earnestly, when we are “tuned in” with our focus on acquiring the Holy Ghost as a guide and following his promptings.

As we seek spiritual safety, as we seek to emulate our Savior and to minister to others, as we engage our time in the work of gathering Israel, it is crucial for us to have the guidance of the Holy Ghost.   We must not be content in spiritual inattentiveness and miss out on those experiences that teach us, refine us, strengthen us and guide us to safety here, and prepare us to return to our Heavenly Father.

As we take time to ponder, pray, and listen, we will hear the still, small, voice of the Spirit giving us much needed guidance and direction in our lives.  As we seek the Spirit in searching out our kindred dead, we will be able to find the answers we seek and feel more joy in this great work. May God bless you as you seek the Spirit as your constant companion, may you be guided by that Spirit as you love and serve others, on both sides of the veil. –Elaine Hardman