Professor Stanley A. Johnson, a professor of ancient scripture, taught BYU students that obtaining and keeping the guidance of the spirit is simple in his devotional address on Tuesday.
Throughout his entire address, Johnson referred to another devotional address given by LDS Church leader Marion G. Romney titled, “The Guidance of the Holy Spirit.” Johnson emphasized Romney’s four-point program which allows us to obtain and keep the guidance of the spirit. The four points are pray, study and learn the gospel, live righteously and give service in the church.
Johnson quoted Romney’s promise to those who follow the four-point program. “You will go through this world successfully, regardless of what the people of the world say or do, if you can obtain and keep the guidance of the spirit,” Johnson said.
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The first point of the program is to pray. “Even though the idea is simple, it requires our whole being,” Johnson said. “It’s not difficult to know what to do, but the difficulty lies in actually doing it.”
Johnson said praying daily will help us get through challenging experiences. “We need to learn to pray ourselves through each day,” Johnson said. “Prayer should be an important part of each and everyday.”
After discussing prayer, Johnson talked about the second point of the program which is to study and learn the gospel. To emphasize the importance of consistent family scripture study, he quoted President Ezra Taft Benson.
“When individual families and members immerse themselves in the scriptures regularly and consistently, other areas of activity will automatically come,” Johnson said. “Testimonies will increase, commitment will be strengthened, families will be fortified and personal revelation will flow.”
Johnson applied this principle to all those who were in attendance.
“Your families will need to be fortified brothers and sisters,” Johnson said. “Testimonies will need to be increased, personal revelation needs to flow.”
Johnson then moved to discuss the third point of the program, living righteously, and how simple it really is.
“Living righteously can really be summarized in one word–repent,” Johnson said.
The fourth and final point Johnson discussed was to give service in the church.
“Servings others brings the spirit into our lives and helps us to remain on the straight and narrow path, especially during times of challenge and stress,” Johnson said.
Johnson said to the audience if they followed these simple points, the spirit will always be present in their lives.
Jackson Priddis, a freshmen at BYU and recently returned missionary, who was in attendance at the devotional said Johnson’s remarks gave him hope for the future.
“It was sweet,” Priddis said. “I know that as long as I’m praying, reading the scriptures, trying to live righteously and doing service, I’ll get the help I need.”
