More Than a Conscience

The lesson went smoothly. Back to Conference.

In the Sunday Morning Session of the April 2018 General Conference, President Henry B. Eyring spoke about the Holy Ghost, reminding me yet again what an astonishing blessing the gift of the Holy Ghost is. I sometimes, mistakenly, think of the Holy Ghost as a force similar to a conscience, and He certainly does much of what a conscience does, but the Holy Ghost is so much more than a conscience. He doesn't just teach us right from wrong or help us recognize when we've done right or wrong, though the Holy Ghost certainly does that. In addition, the Holy Ghost can convey revelation, which one's conscience cannot do. The conscience can only react to what it has seen, but the Holy Ghost can reveal things that have yet to be seen. He can warn us of bad situations, even if we don't know yet how or why those situations are bad, whereas the conscience would need to pick up some clues about the situation before passing judgment and giving us warnings.

The gift of the Holy Ghost is a marvelous gift, one that we shouldn't overlook or cheapen by comparing it with something lesser. The Holy Ghost isn't just a conscience. The Holy Ghost is a direct link to God. I hope that we can prove worthy of it.