Week 11: Jesus' Instructions on the Holy Ghost

For this week’s assignment I chose to talk about the Savior’s instructions about the Holy Ghost.  I will first be going through verses in John chapters 14, 15 and 16 and identify what Jesus says in each verse what the Holy Ghost does and what the disciples must do to receive the Holy Ghost.

Starting in John 14 we begin at verses 15-17.  In here, Jesus tells His disciples to keep His commandments and He will pray unto God that He will give them the Holy Ghost to abide with them forever.  How He describes the Holy Ghost in this is that the Holy Ghost is the spirit of truth that the world can’t receive because they can’t recognize him, but the disciples now him because he dwelt with them and will be in them.  Next verses are 26-27 where Jesus says that the Comforter is the Holy Ghost whom God will send in Jesus’ name and he will teach the disciples all things and bring all things to their remembrance of the things Jesus has taught and told them.  Jesus went on to say that he leaves His peace with them, but not as the world gives.  Then we jump to John 15:26-27 and Jesus tells His disciples that when the Comforter comes who He sends to them from God, which is the spirit of truth will testify of Christ, and that the disciples will bear witness as well, because they had seen Him.  Now we go to John 16:7-8 where Jesus says that it’s expedient for Him to go away or else the Comforter can’t come to them, but if He does leave, the Comforter can come, and when he does come, he’ll reprove the world of sin, righteousness and Judgment.  Hopping to verses 13-14 of the same chapter, Jesus asked how is that when the Holy Ghost comes he’ll guide the disciples into all truth because he doesn’t speak of himself but whatever he hears he will speak and will so them the things to come and will glorify Christ because he will receive of His and show it to them.

When the Savior died for our sins and then resurrected, the disciples had to rely on the Holy Ghost to guide them and help them recall truth.  The Holy Ghost became their constant companion and helped them in many ways.  When the disciples went to spread the Gospel, they had the spirit with them to help those they preached to feel the truthfulness of it.  They were able to make the church grow so big because of the Holy Ghost.  Another way the spirit helped them was by being the Comforter to them in times of hardships, trials and sufferings. 

The Holy Ghost has also been my aid and companion.  The Spirit testified to me the truthfulness of this Gospel which gave me my testimony.  The Comforter came to comfort me when I asked God for comfort.  This church would have a very hard time existing without the Holy Ghost, and so I am eternally thankful for the Spirit.