Lesson 12: The Gift of the Holy Ghost

The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead. He has a body of spirit rather than of flesh and bones. Because He is a spirit, you cannot see Him. But you can feel Him with you. The Holy Ghost has many names. Some of them are the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Lord, and the Comforter.

After you are baptized, you are confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and you receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Having this glorious gift means that if you live righteously, you can have the Holy Ghost with you always.

When you have special friends, you want to be with them. You might invite them to your home. You might prepare for their visit by cleaning your house. You might plan to do things to make them feel comfortable and welcome. When your friends arrive, you listen carefully to them. You probably tell them how glad you are to be with them.

The Holy Ghost is a special friend to you. To invite the Holy Ghost to be with you, you can sincerely pray and ask Heavenly Father to send Him. You can prepare for Him by remembering Jesus Christ, choosing the right, keeping the commandments. The Holy Ghost can bring feelings of warmth, love, peace, joy, and wanting to do good. (See Gal. 5:22–23; D&C 11:12–13.) When you feel the Holy Ghost with you, thank Heavenly Father for this blessing. The Holy Ghost is one of the greatest gifts Father in Heaven can give you.

Lesson 11: Baptism

A covenant is a two-way promise between Heavenly Father and us, His children. The covenants He makes with us are sacred and holy. In them He promises glorious blessings to us. When we make covenants with Him, we show our love for Him and promise to keep His commandments.

The baptism covenant is the first gospel-ordinance covenant you make with Heavenly Father. When you make this sacred covenant, you show your love for Him. You also promise, or covenant, to take the name of Jesus Christ upon you, to always remember Him, and to keep His commandments. (See D&C 20:37.) You should also be willing to bear testimony of Him, and to love and serve Him by loving and serving others. (See Mosiah 18:8–10.)

After you make your baptismal covenant (are baptized), you are confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and are given the gift of the Holy Ghost. Heavenly Father always blesses you with His spirit when you keep your baptismal covenant. Each Sunday you can remember and renew your baptismal covenant as you partake of the sacrament.

Lesson 10: Repentance

When you disobey the commandments or hurt others, the Holy Ghost cannot be with you and you may feel sad, guilty, lonely, or afraid. To change these feelings, you need to turn from doing wrong to doing right. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will help you change. This changing is called repentance.

Repentance begins inside of you—in your thoughts and in your heart. When you know you have done something wrong, think about it until a feeling of sorrow comes into your heart. Do not excuse yourself or blame someone else. Tell Heavenly Father what you have done and how you feel. Tell Him how much you love Him, and ask for His help. If you have hurt someone or something, try to make it better. Promise Heavenly Father that you will try, with all your heart, to do what is right from now on.

Repentance begins on the inside, but usually it shows on the outside as well. When you promise Heavenly Father that you will do what is right, you keep your promise by changing the way you act. You treat others with more love and kindness. You keep the commandments. These actions will help you feel good about yourself and others.

You will need to repent many times throughout your life. As you turn away from wrong and try to do what is right, you will grow closer and closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus Christ has promised that if you repent, He will bless you and remember your wrongs no more. (See Hel. 13:11; D&C 58:42.)

Lesson 9: Priesthood Blessings and Ordinances

Imagine walking up to this car. You are told the car is yours to take you to the place that would make you the most happy. One problem--no keys and no license to drive!

Heavenly Father has promised us something even better than a cool car. He has promised us that we can live happily with Him forever. Just like the car, we need to be able to unlock the doors to that promise.

The Priesthood is the power of God that allows worthy men to act in the place of our loving Heavenly Father. Since the beginning of time, Heavenly Father has allowed worthy men to hold the KEYS to this sacred power. For a time, after Christ's death, the priesthood was taken from the earth. The gates were again locked.

Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the priesthood KEYS with its power has been restored on earth and is a special gift from Heavenly Father to bless our lives. Through priesthood authority and power, we can receive the ordinances and blessings necessary to live again with Heavenly Father and live better lives here on earth.