"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth you, give I unto you." (John 14:27)

The other night as we were reading scriptures as a family one of our children was very frustrated and stated bluntly that it was boring and besides he "didn't understand a darn thing" we were reading. I don't blame him. We had been reading 2 Nephi, the Isaiah chapters as we call them, in The Book of Mormon (get your free copy here), the past several nights which can be very challenging for even the most proficient adult reader. As I have pondered his frustration I realized that reading the scriptures is really like reading a different language. It is learning the language of the Spirit and how God speaks, communicates, and ultimately behaves. I feel that it continues to be a life time of learning to understand this language and I am never left unsatisfied in my efforts as I continue to learn this powerful language that is more than just words on a page.

President Monson has said there is "one language...that is common to each missionary- the language of the Spirit. It is not learned from textbooks written by men of letters, nor is it acquired through reading and memorization. The language of the Spirit comes to him [or her] who seeks with all his [or her] heart to know God and keep His divine commandments. Proficiency in this language permits one to breach barriers, overcome obstacles, and touch the human heart" (The Spirit Giveth Life). As we learn the language of the Spirit we are able to understand how God communicates, and how He behaves. There are many references in the scriptures about how we can learn and understand this language.

One important thing to remember is that the Spirit is a "still small voice, which whispereth through and pierceth all things" (D&C 85:6; see also Helaman 5:30-31; 1 Kings 19:12). In order to understand a language we must first be able to hear it, which takes practice. The language of the Spirit is still- meaning quite, peaceful or calm. Think in contrast to the constant noise which is around us today with music or news playing in our ears wherever we go, with little chance of peace and quiet. We must make time to know how it feels to be "still", so that when the language is spoken or we hear it, we will recognize it in our minds and in our hearts (see D&C 8:2). President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said of the Spirit: "The Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel more than you hear. It is described as a "still small voice". And while we speak of "listening" to the whisperings of the Spirit, most often one describes a spiritual prompting by saying, "I had a feeling..." (Personal Revelation: The Gift, The Test, and The Promise).

Nephi taught:

 "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold , the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. Wherefore, now after I have spoken these works, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark. For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all thing what ye should do" 

(2 Nephi 32:3-5).

There is much to learn about the language of the Spirit in these three verses. I testify that scripture study is a conduit to heaven. It opens the windows of communication and allows the Spirit to "tell" and "show" you "all things what ye should do". Things that seemed to make no sense have become clear as I have studied the scriptures and asked, just as Nephi taught. I know that as you take the time to learn this language, your communication skills will improve and the Lord's promise, "prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10) will be strengthened and given to you in all areas of your life.

The language of the Spirit is also the same as the fruit of the Spirit and will be manifest in your life as you come to understand and apply this heavenly and divine way of communicating. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23). This language is a way of living, not just nice words or phrases in a book. I have noticed these "fruits" are listed in several places in the scriptures (see D&C 4:6;  D&C 121:41-42; 2 Peter 1:4-8; Moroni 7:45). It is because they are the way Christ acts, it is His Divine nature. Christ promised that "...the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26). Even when we struggle with this beautiful and powerful language, which we will, He will send the Comforter, which is the Spirit to teach us how to learn it. It is our guide (see D&C 45:57) to bring us back to Him. He wants us to learn this language so that not only will our language of words be changed, but that our very natures are changed.

My son was right. Learning to read the scriptures and understand them is hard. Learning a new language is difficult and takes time and effort. But the most powerful and life changing language is the language of the Spirit and the Savior has promised us, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth you, give I unto you." (John 14:27). When we talk about the voice of the Spirit being a "still small voice" it truly is a voice of peace, we just need to learn how to understand, "hear and know the voice by which [we] shall be called" (Mosiah 5:12), and that is the voice of our Savior.



A few extra links for learning more about the language of the Spirit: (I would love to hear what links you have found that have helped you in your personal study. Please feel free to share them with me.)
How Do I Know What I Am Feeling Is the Spirit and Not Just My Own Emotions?
Hymn # 143 Let the Holy Spirit Guide
Prayer and Promptings
Reverence Invites Revelation

"...They that are wise and have received the truth, ...have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide..." (D&C 45:57)

I just put some banana bread in the oven, turned around and saw that my microwave was blinking at me with the message, "enjoy your meal". It hit me...I had forgotten to put the butter in the bread. There will be no oil in this bread. This led me to thinking about the importance of oil and how we must put oil in our food to make it not only taste good, but there must be some oil in our foods to keep us healthy. The Lord does exactly the same thing with our spirit.  He wants us to get oil for our spirit. What exactly is this oil?

Oil is used a lot in the scriptures. "Usually olive oil is meant when oil is mentioned in the scriptures. From Old Testament times, olive oil has been used for temple and tabernacle rites, for anointings, for burning in lamps, and for food. Olive oil is sometimes a symbol for purity and for the Holy Spirit and its influence" (Guide to the Scriptures). We need to remember to add the oil of the Spirit to our lives daily, sometimes minute to minute.

Christ teaches us this beautiful principle of taking the Spirit as our guide in a parable of the Ten Virgins found in Matthew 25:1-13. The ten virgins are waiting for the bridegroom with their lamps. "And five of them were wise, and five were foolish" (Matthew 25:2). Why were they foolish and why were they considered wise? Because the "foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps" (Matthew 25:3-4). We have been blessed to learn through modern revelation what the oil means. In the Doctrine and Covenants we are taught that "they that are wise and have received the truth, ...have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived" (D&C 45:57). We must take the Holy Spirit as our guide every day. We must remember on the bad days as well as the good days. The more we practice listening and doing, the more we are filled with this oil and we will have enough light to guide us when the dark comes.

The light by which wise women and men "heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them" (Matthew 7:24) is the Light of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost. We get to choose every day whether or not we will follow the light that is given to us, if we will actually "hear and do". Notice, it is not just hearing the word, but we must also act on the word that makes us wise. The more we follow or act in this Light, the more oil -or Spirit and truth is given to us and our lamp is filled. "For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ. And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit" (D&C 84:45-46).

We can be wise women and men who remember the oil for our lamps, the very vessels of our souls. We can be filled with light and truth as we "fear not...[and] go and do" (1 Kings 17:13) "...the things the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save He shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which He commandeth them" (1 Nephi 3:7). As we listen and do, the way will be lightened...by the Holy Ghost. This I testify.