Constant Companion

One of the greatest promises that we can receive from the Lord is what we find in the last verse of D&C 121: “The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.”  I’ve always loved this verse, and certainly to have the Holy Ghost as our constant companion is the quest of a lifetime.  We hear similar language each week as we take the Sacrament as the priest prays that we “may always have His Spirit to be with [us]” (D&C 20:77).  This desire to have the Spirit as our companion is a common theme in our prayers and something we must repeatedly plead for from the Lord—if Elder Bednar asks for it in just about every conference talk, then surely it is something that we must continually request of our Father in Heaven as well.  For example, in the last four conference talks he has said as part of each introduction, “I pray we may all be instructed by the Holy Ghost as we consider together this significant subject”; “I earnestly pray the Holy Ghost will bless each of us as we consider together this important topic”; “I pray the Spirit of the Lord will help me to communicate effectively”; and “I pray for the assistance of the Holy Ghost as I emphasize vital lessons that can be learned from this story about my friend” (Oct. 2015, April 2015, Oct. 2014, April 2014).  Certainly praying for the Spirit to be with us is an important part in obtaining it.  But what struck me about the messagein D&C 121:46 are the requirements that seem to be prerequisites for the promise. 

                To me verses 41 through 45 seem to describe the kind of lives that we need to live if we want to have the Holy Ghost as our constant companion.  And it is no simple task or even a checklist that we can work our way through: these are attributes of divinity that may take us more than a lifetime to acquire.  We read that we should have long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, and love unfeigned.  We are to practice kindness, develop pure knowledge, and be without hypocrisy and without guile.  And if that’s not enough to work on, we are to also have bowels that are “full of charity towards all men” and have thoughts filled with virtue.  It’s only after discussing these traits of divinity that we then get the promise of having the Holy Ghost as a constant companion, so to me that suggests that the more we can develop these traits the more that the Spirit will be with us as our companion.  What’s more is that these Christlike attributes are discussed in the context of the great suffering of the Saints and of Joseph.  We don’t get a break from the requirement to be gentle and long-suffering and full of charity even in the midst of terrible persecution from enemies.  I suppose that’s actually when we are most in need of having these traits.  This idea that the Spirit will come to us more fully as we practice the true life of a submissive disciple is confirmed in the words of Mormon: “And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost” (Moroni 8:26).  If we really want Spirit with us, then we must first find ways to cultivate meekness and long-suffering and love.